Brandrith Crags – Rocking Stone

“Since bright the Druid’s altars blazed,
And lurid shadows shed
On Almas Cliff and Brandrith Rocks,
Where human victims bled “

(Parkinson, 1882)

 The crags are split into 3 groups, and form an east-west line across the highest part of the moor. The eastern most group is the largest, and it is here that the modern OS map marks a rocking stone. Unfortunately, the map does not pinpoint the exact location of the rock on the crag, and it appears that people have searched for it without success. This suggests that the rocking stone either no longer exists or that it is not very prominent.

Elbolton Hill – Hill of the Fairies

“From Burnsall’s tower the midnight hour
Had tolled, and its echo was still.
And the elfin band, from faerie land.
Was upon Elbolton hill.”

(Dixon 1827)

 Elbolton is the name of a large dome shaped hill, 2 miles to the south of Grassington, in the Yorkshire Dales.

  Elbolton is the largest in a group of conspicuous hills located between the river Wharfe and the higher moorland of Rylstone Fell. These hills are referred to as the Cracoe Reef Knolls, as they are limestone outcrops that once formed part of an ancient sea bed. In the folklore of this region, Elbolton was regarded as the chief dwelling place of the fairy folk, and in more recent times archaeologists have found a group of Bronze Age burials in a cave on the east side of the hill.

Rocking Stone – Rocking Moor, Thruscross

 Rocking Moor is an area of high moorland, three miles to the east of Bolton Abbey, and ten miles to the west of Harrogate.

 The moor is named after a large Rocking Stone, which sits on top of an earth-fast boulder near the highest part of the moor. In most cases, rocking stones are natural features created by erosion, or when a boulder has been left fortuitously stranded during glacial times. The upper stones can weigh several tons, but if they only rest upon one or two pivot points, they can be finely balanced, and will move or ‘rock’ when pushed.

  Originally this Rocking Stone sat in isolation on the high moor, with panoramic views over the surrounding landscape. However, sometime during the 17th century a stone building was erected alongside the Rocking Stone, perhaps being used for hunting or other recreational purposes by the owners of the Bolton Abbey estate. The positioning of the building ‘face on’ to the Rocking Stone would seem to indicate that the stone was the focal point of the site, and that it already had some local significance.

Boggle Hole – Robin Hoods Bay

“My mammy bid me gan to bed,
My daddy he said, No,’
My mammy said, if I wad na gan,
She would fetch the Boggle-Bo”

 Boggle Hole is a cave in the cliffs at Robin Hood’s Bay, 5 miles to the south of Whitby. The cave has given its name to a YHA youth hostel, which was originally a water mill located in a narrow stream gully running down into the bay. Although the location is somewhat isolated, it is on a scenic and popular stretch of the coastline.

 The Boggle Hole cave itself is located in the cliffs immediately alongside the gully, on its south side. In the past the cave appears to have been larger, but at some point much of the roof has collapsed, leaving an open cleft running back into the cliff. The constant action of the tides, and winter storms are the likely cause of the collapse, undercutting the cave sides until they could not support the roof. In its original state the cave would have been similar to the Rev. Young’s description of the Hob Hole cave at Runswick bay, further up the coast. (see Hob Hole post).

This week i have been mostly Swan Kulning …

There are a few more posts about folklore sites in the pipeline, but i need to revisit the locations for photos. So in the mean time here is another curious and intriguing piece that caught my eye on youtube.

This kind of vocalising has a very ancient feel to it, and it can also be heard in the songs of  Karoliina Kantelinen (ethno musicologist at Helsinki university) who incorporates these old vocal traditions into her own performance.