British Folklore, Myths and Legends
Folklore of the Fens
In this episode, we delve into the rich folklore of the long lost Anglian fens.
Heroes and phantoms had made the marshlands their home, often during tumultuous and decisive moments in history.
Featured in this episode are a collection of tales. Hereward the Wake, Saxon England's last hero, stood stalwart against the Norman invaders under the command of Duke William. He held off the army by fortifying Ely Abbey, before the invaders made a bridge to cross to the isle, and hired a witch to curse the English into damnation.
King Canute sought refuge after a late night fishing on the fens, and found it in the humble hut of a fisherman, whose tragic past had him on a path to vengeance, one the Viking king was willing to aid.
Will o' the Wisps, also known as Jack o' Lanterns, lure unsuspecting travellers to their doom upon the marshes. The dancing flames are said to be fairies bent on misleading folk to their deaths in the sucking bogs and marshes.
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