Sussex folklore and fairy tale

Witches Wood

Ghosts and Ghouls

Fairy Dell

Knuckers Hole

Dancing fairies, pie-eating Knuckers and all-female cuckoo clans – Sussex is home to some truly weird and wonderful tales. The historic county’s folklore

includes fairies, dragons, ghosts and is often inspired by the hills and forests of the landscape. Learn more as you follow the trail around the garden at Standen.

Giants Bothy

Long Man Garden

Standen House and Garden

Fairies

Did you know…

• Fairies are mythical creatures that arepart of folklore tales in every county butlegend has it that Sussex wasthe last place in England fairiescould be found.

• Known as 'pharisees' in Sussexdialect, Sussex fairies liked todance.

• Legend has it that if you recite AMidsummer Night's Dream, byShakespeare, you will meet fairyfolk.

Dragons/Knuckers

Giants

The Long Man of Wilmington was,

according to some stories, either a

memorial to a giant or the actual outline

of a giant's body that had been killed by

the Firle Giant.

Look down to the ground...What

are you a giant to? Here’s a few

clues, but can you think of

anything else?

Fairy Fact

There are hundreds of different kinds of fairies –

some are minute creatures, others grotesque – some can

fly, and all can appear and disappear at will.

Sussex is home to Knuckers. In the sleepy

Sussex village of Lyminster there is a

deep, deep pool. A pool so deep that if you

were to trip you may fall straight through to

Australia. That is, of course, if not first

consumed by the ‘Knucker’.

Many years ago a Knucker lived in the deep

pool. This fearsome beast could be found

rampaging through the area; snapping up

cows, horses and men. Desperate to be rid

of the Knucker, the villagers appealed to the

King of Sussex. The king heard the people’s

pleas and promised a great prize to anyone

who could slay the beast.

Jim Puttock, decided to take up the task. Rather than fight the Knucker in the traditional sense, he baked the dragon a special pudding, a poisoned Sussex pie. Jim set off, pie in hand, to the ‘Knucker hole’. The Knucker saw Jim approaching and hailed him.

‘How do, Man’ said the Dragon, before adding ‘What you got there’

Then, in the blink of an eye, the beast consumed the pie. Yawning, the Knucker replied ‘Tweren’t bad’ and began to drift into a deep sleep.

Without delay, Jim grabbed a scythe and lopped off the head of the Knucker. Dragging the Knucker’s head behind him, he set off to the nearby pub to celebrate.

What is a Knucker?

‘Knuckers’ are said to be ‘water monsters’. The word ‘Knucker’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon

word ‘nicor’, which directly translates to ‘water dragon’. They live in

‘knuckerholes.’

Think Loch Ness Monster, but with wings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firle_Corn

The Golden Calf Witches

We often think of witches on their brooms, with pointy hats and black cats, brewing spells and casting potions. In Sussex witches are said to be able to shape-shift. One was Dame Garson of Duddleswell who, it was said could transform herself into a hare.

Legend has it that she used to spy on people, especially those that wished her harm. One day she nearly came a cropper when she was chased in hare form by a gaggle of huntsmen. She managed to leap over her garden hedge and into her house.

One local man reported: ‘I says, why missus, you ain’t no call to be out so late as this. And I tell you, as true as I’m sitting here, she vanished and instead I saw a hare running through a gap in the hedge. I saw it—and you could have knocked me down with a feather.’

There are many stories of ghosts and ghouls in Sussex. One such ghoul, is said to be a spirit nicknamed Geranium Jane. Jane is thought to have been a 19th century serving maid who met an untimely death when hit by a flying flower pot. Ouch.

Cuckfield Park is said to be haunted by ‘Wicked Dame Sergison’, a ghost with a permanent foul mood. Yikes.

Folktales say that the woods at Kingley Vale are haunted by the Vikings, with some suggesting the gnarled trees transform into human figures in the moonlight. Spooky.

Witchy Jokes

Q. What’s the problem with twinwitches?

A. You never know which witch iswhich.

Q. What happened to the badtempered witch on her broom?

A. She flew off the handle.

Resting on a hill overlooking Goodwood there’s an enclosure and hill fort called the Trundle - an old English word meaning circle.

It is believed to have treasures buried beneath it in the form of a golden calf protected by the Devil.

According to the tale, anyone who dares to try and find the treasure will be punished, with a clap of thunder and the disappearance of the golden calf.

Another legend tells of treasure buried by Vikings before their battle at Kingley Vale.

They made a calf guard it until they returned - but they never did. Some have reported being able to hear the calf bleating at night.

Ghosts & Ghouls

Ghostly Fact

There's been many a sighting of famous Britons. The ghosts of

Mary Queen of Scots, Sir Walter Raleigh, Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes, and Oliver Cromwell have all been witnessed. Just don’t hold out for

an autograph anytime soon.

It’s time to get creative!

Colour in the pictures

below, try and use all the

colours of Autumn. Reds,

oranges, greens and

golds. Any others you can

think of?