Folklore of Scotland

The Glaistig, also known as Maighdean Uaine. She may appear as a woman of beauty, but disguised under the bottom half of her green dress are the legs of a goat. more in the upcoming "Folklore of Scotland" by Stephen G. Rae

The Glaistig, also known as Maighdean Uaine. She may appear as a woman of beauty, but disguised under the bottom half of her green dress are the legs of a goat.

more in the upcoming "Folklore of Scotland" by Stephen G. Rae
folklorepress.co.uk

#folklore #scotland #booksky
art: Johan Egerkrans

walking in Torridon my only companion distant barking dog ~ Haiku by Stephen G. Rae In Scots Gealic lore, 'cu sìth' is the faerie dog; the size of a Highland Cow with a shaggy green coat. It will let out three barks, only three, as an ill omen

walking in Torridon
my only companion
distant barking dog

~ Haiku; 1998

in Scots Gealic lore, 'cu sìth' is the faerie dog; the size of a Highland Cow with a shaggy green coat. It will let out three barks, only three, as an ill omen

bardofcumberland.com/poetry/

#bookwormsat #poetry

I've been fascinated by the golden dragon, especially since watching The Witcher. So I thought I'd add one to my current collection of mythological animals. art: Golden Dragon by Stephen G. Rae

I've been fascinated by the golden dragon, especially since watching The Witcher. So I thought I'd add one to my ongoing collection of mythological animals.

art: Golden Dragon by Stephen G. Rae

Sleeping Dragon; an illustration by Stephen G. Rae

Sleeping under Blencathra, a red dragon guarding the final resting place of King Arthur and his most loyal knights

from my: "Folklore of the Lake District"

art by me

Woodland Unicorn by Stephen G. Rae

The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 12th century; a symbol of purity, innocence, masculinity and power

Then there's the curious folk tale of the Isle of Skye unicorn. More of that in my upcoming "Folklore of Scotland"
folklorepress.co.uk

art by me

Tree Beard by Stephen G. Rae

'Oak, Man' by Stephen G. Rae

twig, leaf, acorn;
chlorophyll flows
root, branch

twig, leaf, acorn;
hardened skin
cracked, misshapen

twig, leaf, acorn;
cellulose heart
oak, man

art: 'Tree Beard' by Stephen G. Rae

📚 Why not come on a magical journey in folklore through the Lake District and its surrounding counties

"Folklore of the Lake District"
by Stephen G. Rae

more: folklorepress.co.uk

#folklore #lakedistrict #book #ebook

art: Florence Susan Harrison

“yance gane, ae gane, and niver saw mair o’ them”

the 'last faeries in Cumbria' were witnessed dancing on Sandwick Rigg; thereafter climbing a ladder into a cloud, and vanishing

more: "Folklore of the Lake District" by Stephen G. Rae

#folklore #lakedistrict #booksky
art: Florence Susan Harrison

Green Knight art: Julek Heller

"Red is the colour of lust. But green is what lust leaves behind, in heart, in womb"

In local legend, the Green Knight and Sir Gawain lived in the Forest of Inglewood

Read more in: "Folklore of the Lake District" by Stephen G. Rae

#folklore #lakedistrict #booksky
art: Julek Heller

The February edition of Cumbria and Lakeland Walker magazine

The February issue of "Cumbria and Lakeland Walker' magazine is out now

It includes my regular article on Cumbrian folklore, and this month I explore the more unusual folk remedies, including rusty nails, slugs and nettles

Folklore of the Lake District by Stephen G. Rae

Working at a client's property in south Lakes yesterday and got a shout from the local farmer. Nice young chap, he bought my "Folklore of the Lake District" book and wanted to thank me for the 'nature dialect' section, words he remembers hearing as a kid but had forgotten. Made my day.

And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring.
Its wild bark thrill'd around:
And a fiendish glow flash'd forth I trow,
From the eyes of the Specral Hound

~ Barguest, the spirit of the barn

from: Folklore of the Lake District
bardofcumberland.com/folklore/

art: P.E. Travers

Rabbit standing to eat rose petals. Photograph by Julian Rad

In Cumbrian dialects, rabbet is rabbit; borran is rabbit warren

in lore rabbit is a clever trickster, eventually outwitting its adversary

from: Folklore of the Lake District
bardofcumberland.com/folklore/

#folklore #nature #booksky
📷 Julian Rad

Salmon of Wisdom by Will Worthington

In Cumbrian dialects, 'leemers' is hazel nut

Hazel is the Druid's tree because of it's position at the heart of The Otherworld - nine magic hazel trees hang over the Well of Wisdom, their nuts feeding the Salmon of Wisdom

art: Will Worthington

art: Adam Oehlers

In Cumbrian dialects, dandelion is dog-posy or pissibed

The floating seeds are called 'faeries' and it's lucky to catch one

more nature lore and dialect in my "Folklore of the Lake District"

#nature #folklore #booksky
art: Adam Oehlers

art: Fox Spirits by Stephanie Bayles

In Cumbrian dialects, 'tod' is fox

Fox is a spirit guide and trickster, and it carries a magical pearl that brings good fortune to whomever finds it

more in my "Folklore of the Lake District"
bardofcumberland.com/folklore/

#nature #folklore #lakedistrict
art: Fox Spirits by Stephanie Bayles

Folklore of the Lake District by Stephen G. Rae

📚 Why not come on a magical journey in folklore through the Lake District and its surrounding counties

Folklore of the Lake District
by Stephen G. Rae
more: folklorepress.co.uk

#folklore #lakedistrict #books

Boggarts, Brownies, Hobs and their Goblin Kin by Stephen G. Rae

📚 Tales of over 200 goblin and goblin-like characters from world folklore

Boggarts, Brownies, Hobs and their Goblin Kin; a encyclopedia of world folklore
by Stephen G. Rae
more: folklorepress.co.uk

#goblins #folklore #books

In Cumbrian dialects, 'bull-tree' is the elder tree.

If your bath your eyes in the green juice of the elder wood, you might see faeries and witches!

art: Arthur Rackham

Spring daffodils

"we are all in agreement!"
daffodils nodding
on spring breeze

from: "often I stop and look back"
bardofcumberland.com/poetry/

#bookwormsat #haiku #poetry

Magpie Wedding by Christian Schmidt-Ramussen

In Cumbrian dialects, 'pyat' is magpie:

One is for sorrow,
but two for mirth,
three's for a wedding,
four for a death,
five for heaven,
six for hell,
but seven's the divil's oan sel

more in my: 'Folklore of the Lake District"

#folklore #lakedistrict #booksky
art: Christian Schmidt-Ramussen

art: Ratty by Chris Dunn

In Cumbrian dialects, 'watter-moose' is water vole

the water vole is famously known as 'Ratty' in Kenneth Grahame's classic children's tale 'The Wind in the Willows'

from: 'Folklore of Lake District'
bardofcumberland.com/folklore

#nature #folklore #booksky
art: Ratty by Chris Dunn

art: Anna Matveeva

In Cumbrian dialects, mooas or mause is mouse

Don't set out on a perilous journey if you see a mouse. Just stay inside and read my "Folklore of the Lake District" 🐭
bardofcumberland.com/folklore/

#nature #folklore #booksky
art: Anna Matveeva

Top 20 books of 2025 at Sam Read, Grasmere

20 top selling books @samreadbookseller.bsky.social

Top 5 were:

1. Rory Stewart, Middleland
2. Polly Atkin, The Company of Owls HB
3. Esther Rutter, All Before Me
4. David Nicholls, You Are Here
5. Stephen G Rae, Folklore of the Lake District

#bookologythursday #booksky

Book of Black Art

"For just across the Lune's broad stream,
A man once lived could solve a dream"

local wizard, William Fairer's 'Book of Black Art' was too dangerous to open and went missing after his death

more: "Folklore of the Lake District"
bardofcumberland.com/folklore/

#bookologythursday #booksky

ART: FERN FOREST FABLES

In Cumbrian dialects, 'mowdiwarp' is mole

In lore, if you hold a dying mole in your hands until it passes, your hands will acquire the power of healing

from: Folklore of the Lake District
bardofcumberland.com/folklore/

#nature #folklore #booksky
art: Fern Forest Fables

Drake is a household spirit that keeps the hearth burning. Only trouble is, he smells of rotten eggs; but who wouldn't want a dragon living in their home?

more: 'Boggarts, Brownies, Hobs and their Goblin Kin; an encyclopedia of world folklore' by Stephen G. Rae

#dragons #folklore #booksky

What a year, and many thanks to all who have supported my writing endeavours

Especially @samreadbookseller.bsky.social and @bookendscarlisle.bsky.social 💚

#folklore #lakedistrict #booksky

A stack of books on the bookshop table, with bookshelves beyond. Top 20 books are: 1. Rory Stewart, Middleland (Jonathan Cape) 2. Polly Atkin, The Company of Owls (Elliott and Thompson) - in hardback 3. Esther Rutter, All Before Me (Granta) 4. David Nicholls, You Are Here (Sceptre) 5. Stephen G Rae, Folklore of the Lake District (Folklore Press) 6. James Rebanks, The Place of Tides (Penguin) 7. William Wordsworth, Selected Poems (Macmillan Collector's Library) 8. Robert Macfarlane, Is A River Alive? (Hamish Hamilton) 9. Alfred Wainwright, Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells: 70th Anniversary Edition Box Set (Quarto/Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia) 10. Polly Atkin, The Company of Owls (Elliott and Thompson) - in paperback 11. Sarah Hall, Helm (Faber) 12. Jack Cornish, The Lost Paths (Penguin) 13. Elif Shafak, There Are Rivers in the Sky (Penguin) 14. Tracy Chevalier, The Glassmaker (The Borough Press) 15. Tom Chesshyre, Lost in the Lakes (Summersdale) 16. Samantha Harvey, Orbital (Vintage) 17. Kim Tillyer, Beginner's Guide to Cyanotype (Search Press) 18. Tiffany Francis-Baker, Concise Foraging Guide (Bloomsbury Wildlife) 19. Simon Armitage and Beth Munro (illustr.), Dwell (Faber)
 20. Ellie Wood, The Hotel at the Heart of the Lakes (HarperNorth)

Our 20 top selling books at Sam Read's for 2025 look like this! Top 5 were:
1. Rory Stewart, Middleland
2. Polly Atkin, The Company of Owls HB
3. Esther Rutter, All Before Me
4. David Nicholls, You Are Here
5. Stephen G Rae, Folklore of the Lake District

In Cumbrian dialects, 'thimble-flower' is foxglove, 'bummel' is bee, and 'tod' is fox

in lore, fox carries a magical pearl, that brings good luck to whomever finds it

more: "Folklore of the Lake District"
bardofcumberland.com/folklore/

#nature #folklore #booksky
📷 Alan McFadyen