UNIT 3 – SUPERNATURAL BEINGS: FAIRIES, GHOSTS, ANGELS AND

OTHERS

Fairies: in the British folklore, against the most common representations (as beautiful
and benevolent creatures), fairies are mean, ugly and evil. If you are taken to Fairyland
you will perceive time slower or faster than in the human world: spending five minutes
there, may be a year in human world. If you have a blond beautiful baby do not show
him because fairies may steal him. This practice is known as cradle-snatching. They
will live a changeling: old man, fairy baby or a doll.

Fairies do not like to be mentioned or spied by humans. Humans who have claimed to
have seen fairies did not like to talk about it because of what they may do to you. They
are vindictive. Some of the punishments include blindness or unluckiness. They prefer
being called the hidden people or the little people.

There are several types of fairies. A spriggan is a type of fairy that is believed to be the
ghost of a giant, so they are quite tall. It is a guardian who keeps a secret or a treasure
buried under prehistoric stones. They are shapeshifters.

There are also portunes who are depicted as wrinkled old men. They are very short
(about 15 cm). Their favourite food is frosted frog.

There exists a structured fairy society. They have a king and a queen who may be as tall
as a man (Oberon and Titania are two of these monarchs). They liked hawking and
partying.

There also are common fairies apart from noble fairies. There are domestic fairies (e.g.
brownies like Dobby from Harry Potter) that live with humans: they break things in
your house and if you fix it they would give you a gift. When you give them a piece of
cloth you free them. There is a brownie similar to dobby that is called Cauld Lad of
Hilton. It is an unhappy fairy who haunted Hilton castle in Northumberland. 

Tylwyth Teg is a family of fairies who go to human markets and steal money from
pockets.
How to see a fairy: holding a four-leaf clover or putting ointments in your eyes and
rubbing them. 

 Goblins: they are small, malevolent and ugly domestic fairies who are attached to
certain families. They have very poor clothes. They can be invisible but they are
likely to be seen in halloween, and they are very good at hiding. 
 Bogie: An evil fairy. They are not malicious but they can take revenge on you if you
disturb them.
 Banshees: female fairies. when you see them something bad is going to happen.
 Washer at the ford: you see them washing blood-stained clothes. They are a signal
someone is going to die close to that place in a very violent way. They were seen
before battles for instance.
 Bug-a-boos: they are openly malevolous. 
 Hedley Kow: they are shape-shifters. They usually take the shape of a horse. They
take their rider to the water and then leave laughing.
 Buggane is a huge auger-like creature covered in black hair. They are from the Isle
of Man. They have claws and tasks. They are very intelligent and they even can
speak to people. Unable to cross water. Used by other fairies to punish people who
disturbed them.
 Redcap: very bad creature, it is a type of gobblin. Shape of an old man with long
nails. Attacks humans but you can protect yourself by making the sign of the cross.
 Baobhan Sith: similar to a vampire. Beautiful women in green dresses (remember
green was an exclusive color for fairies, only them are allowed to wear it). They
operate in groups and invite men to dance with them and then they drink their blood.
They use seduction. They don't tolerate sunlight. 
 Raw Head: Lives under the wardrobe and attacks children who say bad words.
 Nature fairies like Black annis (a witch) or Gentle annie (governs storms).
 Water fairies: Peg O’Nell is the spirit of the river Riwle. She is the spirit of a
servant girl who drowned; Peg Powler of the river Tees; Spirit of the river Severn
*linked to the story of Dracula because Dracula’s wife drowned herself when she
thought her husband was fighting in war.… there are several variations.
 Oak man: they are trees, so they can be dangerous if their tree is cut.
 Jack O’Lantern: associated with Halloween. In marshy grounds you can see flames
from plants that expel gases. These flames are said to be spirits that guide you
through the night. They may try to make you lose your way in the night.
 Puck: half fairy, half human. It is also a shape shifter. Naughty. 
 Gnomes: custodiers of precious minerals like gold.
 Elves: Pointy ears. Very small. Shape shifters. Woodland creatures.
 Pixies: similar to elves bc they also have pointy ears, but they are super small. They
also do domestic tasks like brownies. They pinch family members who do not do
their tasks.
 Queen Mab: miniature fairy that drives a chariot into people’s noses while they are
sleeping and gives birth to dreams.

Other beliefs about fairies

 Fairy ring: rings that appear on fields. they may be made by flowers, circles of
flowers. Fairies danced and lived in these rings. If you go around the ring you may
hear them dancing and singing. If you go the opposite direction, it is dangerous, they
may hurt you. Do not destroy these rings because they may take revenge on you. It
will appear again.

 Fairies cradle: a burial (?)

 Fairy boy of Leith, Scotland: 10-year-old boy was given the power of a second
sight. This caught the attention of the captain George Button. The boy said he could
see a door but no one else could, this is because he had a second sight (you are able
to see the invisible). He crossed the door and saw fairies dancing and singing.

 Fairy cattle: white cow with red ears.

 Fairy flag: Dunvegan Castle is the home of the flag and where the MccLouds lived.
To reach the castle you have to cross a bridge. If you force your horse to cross it will
go out of control. *a fairy married to the mcclouds (link human-fairy world). She
gave him a flag that had the power of granting the MccLouds 3 wishes.
 Fairy pedlars: vendedor ambulante do medievo. They wore high crown hats,
dressed in green, blue or red. If you intrude upon the fairy market at Robin Hood’s
Butts (Somerset), you become paralized. 

GHOSTS

Other names for ghosts: spook, wraith, spectre…

You can smell sulphur if the devil is close.

On the site of ancient battlefields you can see ghosts.

Ghosts of monks, crying girls... but also animals and even aeroplanes.

There are good ghosts as well.

Doppelganger: doble fantasmagórico o sosias malvados de una persona viva.

Royal ghosts, heroes or unhappy queens.

Reculver, Kent: here are the ruins of a fortress where you can hear children crying.

Ghosts of queens, especially those of Henry VIII wives’ (2 of them were executed).
Jane Seymour, died at childbirth is widely reported to be seen at Hampton Court,
where she lived. She was seen holding a candle or going down the stairs of the palace.
Catherine Howard was executed and she has also been seen. Anne Boleyn, also
executed for adultery, was also seen in the shape of a ghost holding her own head at
Blickling Hall, where she was born. Mary Tudor was the daughter of Henry VIII and
his first wife Catherine of Aragon. She was a catholic while England was protestant.
She was not very popular. She was seen at Sawston Hall. It is impossible to spend a
night in her room without being disturbed by a ghost.
 Sovereigns Spooks: ghosts of royals.

 King George I had a friend, the Duchess of Kendal. He promised after he'd die, he’d
visit her. After the king’s death, a raven flew into the Duchess’ room. She treated it with
love because she thought it was the king.
 King Charles I*. English civil war monarchy-parliament. Some said there was a
ghostly army right after the English CIvil War that fought the battle all over again. He
also appeared at Marple Hall (his home) and in Fountain Hall House, where he once
slept.
 Queen Elizabeth I, mother of the current queen. She comes from Glamis Castle, one of
the most haunted castles in Britain. There you can find the ghosts of a woman in white,
a tongueless woman, a black boy and a gray lady. Elizabeth claimed she saw the gray
lady herself.

In Glamis Castle it is said to be born a monstrous child 200 years ago. He was
imprisoned there. He had no neck, tiny arms and legs, and huge hairy body. He lived
until the 1920's. Here there are at leasts 9 ghosts: Macbeth, Earl of Crowford, Gray
Lady, Tongueless Woman, Black boy, a Madman…

 Oliver Cromwell. He is seen at the Red Lion Square.

 Black prince.  He was seen in a black armour right before every English defeat.
 Bisham Abbey: there is a ghost woman, Lady Hoby, who cannot find rest due to the
death of his son. He died very little due to a brain disease.
 Dunrobin Castle: tragic event. The ghost is said to be Margaret, daughter of the Earl of
Sutherland (17th century). She fell in love with someone who her father did not
consider suitable. To prevent her from marrying him, he locked her in the upper part of
the castle. Her mate planned her rescue. He waited for her on a horse in the bottom part
of the castle and she would climb down a rope. When she was climbing down, her
father appeared and she was so frightened she fell down to her death.
 Ghost of Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London: here a ghost is seen during matinée
performances going from one corner to the other. He is only seen when the play is going
to be successful. 
 Bettiscombe House and Burton Agness Hall: Some ghosts are attached to their mortal
remains on earth. In these countrycouses, there are skulls that, if they are removed or
 attempted to be buried, the ghosts to whom they belong, hideous screams will be heard
all over the house.
 Bosworth Hall: a priest ran to hide from a band of soldiers and in the hurry he cut his
hand/spilled his wine. Nowadays there is a stain in the Chapel Room floor that is damp
to the touch.

As you know, we can have ghosts of animals and people, but also ghosts of objects
such as ships. In Kent, it is said that as many as 50.000 men have died at the Goodwin
sands in shipwrecks.

Stories about ghost ships in Goodwin sands:

 Ghost of the Lady Lovibond: reminds us of the Black Pearl in Pirates of the
Caribbean. It disappeared with everyone inside in 1748. It was bound for Oporto
and inside there was the captain’s wife (it is something bad to take a woman
aboard). This would give bad luck. The oficial de cubierta fell in love with this
woman and in an act of jealousy killed el timonel and the ship sank.

Exactly 50 years later, on february 14th 1798, the master of a ship claimed that
he had almost crashed into a ship with similar characteristics. Another fifty years
later, in 1848, the lifeboatman went to rescue a ship but they could not find a
piece of it. This has happened again the following 50 years.

 S.S. Violet: over a century ago, the ss violet was driven into the Goodwin sands
during a violent snowstorm and all the passengers were drowned. During the
2WW the tragedy happened again: mr. George Carter, the lookout man, saw a
ship run into the sands and called for aid, but once they arrived there was no ship
at all.

 Lomea Island: this is not a ship, it is an island that drowned. Goodwin sands are
also said to be the place where this island appears and disappears. There is no
scientific proof this is real. (similar to atlantida).
 VAMPIRES

 Vampire of Alnwick Castle: There was a medieval author, William Newburgh, who
reported some cases of vampires. One of these is the vampire of Alnwick Castle, in the
North of England. There was a servant in this castle with very wicked ways that hid in
the roof of his bedroom to see his unfaithful wife. One day he fell to the ground and
died the next day. Following his burial the man was seen roaming around and people
were afraid of him and locked themselves. Right after an epidemic of an unknown
disease broke out and many people died. The disease was blamed on the vampire.

On Palm Sunday the local priest and some citizens uncovered the body, which appeared
covered in the blood of several victims, so they took it and burned it in town. The
epidemic disappeared.

 Vampire of Croglin Low Hall: (ver fotocopia p.19). Augustus Hare wrote My Solitary
Life, where he describes the Vampire of Croglin Low Hall. Captain Fisher and his
family have long owned an ancient farmhouse known as Croglin Low Hall. When they
moved, this farmhouse was let on a seven-year lease the 3 Australians, two brothers and
their sister by the name of Cranswell. According to Fisher, they became popular. One
summer, Amelia, the sister, fastened her window but left the shutters open and saw two
points of light approaching. She realized they were eyes. Then she heard nails
scratching at the window. The vampire got in and bit her throat. She tried to recover by
going on vacation to Switzerland but then she returned. One day she heard the scratch of
nails again and cried. Her brother came running and shot the figure of the window,
which escaped with a hole on its leg. They found it in the churchyard and burnt it. Then
they put bricks on Amelia’s window.
 Angels of Mons: mons is a battle from the 1WW. The British lost the Battle of Mons,
but they were saved by an army of angels, the angels of Mons. The Germans moved
back, which gave the british time to retire and hide. Angels of Mons by Paul Paree****.

FABULOUS BEASTS

 In Lewis Carroll’s writings, he describes a Jabberwock, which is a fantastic animal

similar to a dragon.

 Gulon: Scandinavian creature that could eat corpses very fast and digest them just by
squeezing himself between trees

 Goofus: strange bird that flies backwards because it is interested in places it has
already been.

 Barnacle Goose: a common bird that is believed to come from percebes xd so

people ate them on Fridays instead of meat thinking it was fish. (on those days when
it was forbidden to eat meat).

Church was interested in what an animal symbolized. Church taught illiterate people
using images (eg. gargoyles) of fantastic creatures to create fear. They are related to the
devil.

 Gryffin: half lion, half eagle.

 Dragons and Snakes: used as the main representation of the Devi because he
tempted Eve in the shape of a snake.

 Dragon Slayer: like St. George, St. Leonard or St. Keyne. When they kill the dragon
means the victory of the church over paganism. In Beowulf we also see a dragon
slayer, but he also dies after killing it.

In King Arthur’s story, king Vortigern built a fortress that fell down every time they
built it, so he called Merlin and he said there was a monster underneath.

 St. George and the Dragon: George was a Roman soldier that converted to
Christianity, he killed a dragon (victory Christianism vs. paganism). He fought
 against a dragon living in Libya. The dragon ate sheep, but soon it said it wanted to
eat the king’s daughter, and she was taken there, but suddenly George saved the
princess taking the beast into the town. He said he would kill the dragon if the
people converted into Christianism. St. George Cross = England’s cross. George =
patron of England.

George appeared miraculously to king Richard I, the lionhearted. (warrior king).

*Legenda Aurea, by jacobus de varagine: a book with many medieval beasts.

 The woman: there is always a feminine character. She is the only one who is able to
tame the dragon and turn it into a more peaceful creature. For instance, St. Margaret
was able to kill a dragon by making the cross sign/the dragon killed her and due to
her being a very christian woman, she was able to kill it from the inside. She is also
the patron saint of pregnant women because she came out of the dragon (rebirth). 

In game of thrones, we can see something similar: a woman dominating the

beast. *Remember that the symbol of her house is a three-headed dragon just
like Henry Tudor’s.

St. Margaret, in the Christian belief, was imprisoned for her faith and she said
she could threaten the devil, who appeared in the shape of a dragon. It vanished
when she held a cross.

 St. Michael: one of the archangels. He killed the serpent and also a dragon
(defeated the devil).

 St. Leonard, the dragon slayer: St Leonard slew the last dragon in Sussex,
England. He was wounded and, apparently, lilies of the valley grew where his blood
fell.

 St. Keynes: she was a holy woman who was given a piece of land in Keynsham,
Somerset. She turned snakes into stone. These snakes symbolize the devil.

 Lambton Worm: looks like a serpent or a dragon. It was so long that it could curl
itself around Wormhill. This creature devastated several villages, but it was
challenged by Sir John Lambton. Lambton asked some witches and they told him
 to cover his armour with knife blades. He waited down by the river for the dragon
and when he saw it, he went towards it with his sword, the creature tried to wrap
itself around Lambton, but the blades killed it. However, from the pieces of the
dragon grew another one.

 Peter Loschy: killed the dragon of Yorkshire. This dragon had a poisonous tongue.
Once the dragon was killed, his dog took the pieces away so they would not
resurrect, but the dog, which had licked the creature, went to lick as well his
master’s head, so they both died poisoned.

 In the Orkney Islands, Scotland, there is another creature called Meister Stoor
Worm. it was a gigantic evil sea serpent of Orcadian folklore, capable of
contaminating plants and destroying animals and humans with its putrid breath. This
dragon (dead) is said to be Iceland. A local hero stirred a spear with fire to its throat
causing the beast’s death. The monster’s corpse was so huge that it became known
as Iceland. Mythical origin of Iceland.

 Unicorn as a symbol of chivalry. It could only be captured by a naked virgin seated

alone under a tree. (read copy Monsters of the Middle Ages).

 The Griffin: half lion, half eagle. Treasures’ guardian. Drives Nemesis’ chariot
(Goddess of revenge). (read copy Monsters of the Middle Ages).

 Manticora: was an Indian monster based on stories of man-eating tigers. It had a

man’s face, three rows of teeth and an enormous mouth. Its tail was covered in sharp
quills which it let fly as its pursuers. (read copy Monsters of the Middle Ages).

 Mimicke Dog: A friendly creature that danced, played and copied man’s habits.
El
iz Helped poor families with their chores.
a
 Boa: a kind of dragon that farmers dread and which drinks cow’s milk.
b
e  Wilde Beast: Ferociously maternal figure who killed all who ventured near her. She
t
carried her offspring on her back and would kill them rather than allow them to be
h
captured.
a
n  Hydra: a many-headed monster. Antagonist of Hercules.
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o
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 Lamia: Man-eater. Sucked the blood of young man who danced with her.

 Triton: lived a solitary life in sea caves sounding his shell like a trumpet. He caused
storms and the wreak of ships. Traditional attendant of Neptune.

 Afanc: welsh creature. Half man, half horse. Inhabits caves near mountain pools.
Associated with water. Cannot be killed by mortal means. There also exists the
Conway Afanc, which is harmless.

 Llamigan-y-dur: water leaper shaped like a gigantic toad with wings. Seizes
fishing lines and tries to rag the fish to the surface. Principal diet are sheep which he
drowns in pools.

 Boobrie: Scottish folklore. Similar to a duck but enormous. Ate sheep.

 Nuckelavee: skinless beast with no legs. Muscles and blood can be seen coursing
through his veins. Evil monster.

 Grim: black dog with red eyes seen at graveyards. Protects churches. You can tell
where the corps’ soul is going (hell or heaven) by the Grim’s face. AKA Padfoot
(like Sirius Black)

 Caly Grey Hound: mixture of eagle, antelope, and ox. Symbol of the DeVere’s
family.

 Bagwyn: horse-goat. according to the tradition this animal eats henpecked husbands
(calzonazos). It is a husband that is dominated by his wife. Another belief about the
Bicorne is that he is quite fat because there are many henpecked husbands.

 Baiste-na-scoghaigh: unicorn-like British native creature. Uglier than a unicorn.

Related to the Bicorn.

 Chichevache: skinny cow-like creature that devours obedient wives. It is skinny

because there are not many obedient wives xd.
WINGED LEGENDS (last photocopy)

 Cockatrice: aka basilisk. Bird born by a serpent from a cock’s egg. Cock egg
incubated by a snake. Kills at a glance, so you shouldn’t stare at it.
 Basilisk: Similar to the Cokcatrice, half appearance of a cock but also has the tale of
a serpent. It appears in Harry Potter, this creature has also the ability of killing with
his eyes, in HP the characters do not die but they froze (an innovation of
J.K.Rowling). In HP is depicted as a big serpent.

Both creatures are associated with evil. Voldemort controlled the basilisks.
Cocatrices are mentioned in the Shakespearian play Richard III à Mother of Richard
says: I gave birth to a cocotrice. Lady Anne à Refer to Richard’s eyes as murderous

According to one legend, England was once infested with cocatrices and no one left
his house. The country finally gets rid of them when a hero dresses himself in
mirrors and goes to the countryside, with the reflection of his eyes, cocatrices
rapidly become extinct.

Not all the fabulous creatures with wings are terrific.

 Sirens: beautiful women who lured men to death with their sweet songs. They had
wings, but later they were depicted as mermaids. Jenny Green Teeth is a British
native siren.
 Sphynx: woman head, lion body and eagle wings. Benevolent. Egyptian culture.
 Pelican: Christian symbol since the middle ages because it was said to feed with
blood to its young. Symbol of Christ, who also spilled his blood for people.
 Caladrius: supernatural bird that sat on the end of your bed. If he stared at you, you
would recover; if it looked away, you would die.
 Phoenix: magical bird with brilliant plumage. Lived for 500 years, then sang their
final song upon an aromatic pyre ignited by the sun. Out of the ashes emerged the
embryo of the re-born phoenix. Resurrection of Christ. The name Fawkes (harry
potter’s phoenix) is related to Guy Fawkes was a man that wanted to blow up the
parliament, he wanted to get rid of Charles I (5TH of November) à Fire.
___________________________________________________________________
 Loch Ness Monster aka Nessie: Three fishermen from Inverness noticed a
disturbance in the water. Fast speed. 6 meters long. Nessie attacked one of St.
Columba’s men (old reports).

There are a lot of theories about what the monster of Loch ness (Scotland) is. We are
going to see some of them.

In 1913, it first called attention. In that year a Northern Chronicle, a newspaper,

reported that three fishermen who had been fishing in the loch (Scottish word for lake)
felt a disturbance in the water about 600 yard away. The men saw a body of about 7
yards in length (6 meters long) moving at fast speed. In another newspaper, there was
also another account of this mysterious creature, the headline was The Loch Ness
Monster and monster has been ever since.

Its first recording however, has dated centuries earlier when an Irish monk, Adomnan
wrote a line in St Columba (Irish saint, brought Christianity to Scotland) and described
how while in one of missionary journeys he noticed a group of men burying another
man. He learned that the man was bitten by a huge monster living in the river and went
to investigate. It didn’t take long for the monster to emerge from the water to engulf
another man swimming across the river.

Then the blessed man looked on, while all who were there, as well the heathen as even
the brethren, were stricken with very great terror; and, with his holy hand raised on
high, he formed the saving sign of the cross in the empty air, invoked the Name of God,
and commanded the fierce monster, saying, Think not to go further, nor touch thou the
man. Quick! Go back! '

Then the beast, on hearing this voice of the Saint, was terrified and 'fled backward more
rapidly than he came, as if dragged by cords, although before it had come so near to
Lugne as he swam, that there was not more than the length of one punt-pole between the
man and the beast. Then the brethren, seeing that the beast had gone away, and that their
comrade Lugne was returned to them safe and sound in the boat, glorified God in the
blessed man, greatly marvelling. Moreover, also the barbarous heathens who were there
present, constrained by the greatness of that miracle, which they themselves had seen,
magnified the God of the Christians.
This document is from 7th or 8th C.

14th C map: Urquhart Castle (In Loch Ness).

In 1933 following the opening of the A82 (Highway in Scotland), 20 citens of ?

reporting in the press most sensational was the spacer society on account of which
appeared in the x courier, a newspaper. Mr George Spacer showed on 2nd July he and
his wife were driving a prehistoric animal crossed the road 50 yards ahead of them. The
creature seems to have a long thin neck which moves up and down in the manner of a X
railway and the body was very big. Mr. George Spacer was able to estimate that the
animal was 24 feet (7 meters).

At the end of this year the photograph of this creature now known as Nessie appeared in
the Daily Sketch, another newspaper. Around the same time, we also have a minute of a
film that was shot by a producer of Scottish productions showing a figure swimming
about nine miles an hour.

Another newspaper, the Daily Mail, hired a famous hunter to patrol Loch Ness. This
hunter discovered huge foot prints so the Daily Mail wrote that is not a legend but a
fact. Naturalists rapidly discovered the origin of these huge marks, they had a shape of a
hippopotamus footprint so it was clearly a joke.

Since then a lot of sightings were reported

In 1960 some equipment located five unknown objects moving beneath the surface
which reinforces the theory that Nessie is several creatures not just one. The same year
an aeronautical engineer filmed something moving rapidly through the water, this video
called the attention of some people and they began to investigate with modern
technology. An American team of investigation filmed a fin (aleta) by a camera, this
material was analysed by NASA computers and estimated to be 8 feet length (2.3
meters long).