| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Black cavalier |
Posted - 20 Apr 2012 : 14:32:36
When I play fantasitical games like this, I still like to make them as historically accurate as possible & would like to draw on the folklore of the time (like Barguests).
So, does anyone have a suggestion for an English folklore book that would be good for getting ideas & setting the mood? I'm looking for a non-fiction book that discusses the different folklore stories of the time as opposed to a fiction novel.
Thanks |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Black Sheep |
Posted - 28 May 2012 : 22:42:02
Hello Black Cavalier. Since your recommendation I have picked up a couple of books written by Katherine Briggs. The Encyclopaedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Bogies and Other Supernatural Creatures is a very informative. Thanks for the tip. The second book I looked at written by Briggs called 'Folktales of England', is okay, although it is is based on interviews conducted with people in 1963.
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| Black cavalier |
Posted - 07 May 2012 : 20:09:27
Oh yeah, here are 2 more articles I found, of what seem to be a more scholarly type. I do like as much actual history & realism in my fantasy as possible.
http://ryerson.academia.edu/JasonNolan/Papers/250922/Unearthing_Medieval_Vampire_Stories_In_England_Fragments_From_De_Nugis_Curialium_and_Historia_Rerum_Anglicarum
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2279/is_n152/ai_18812222/ |
| Black Sheep |
Posted - 06 May 2012 : 09:54:54
Hello Black Cavalier. Thank you for the recommendation. I will see if I can obtain both volumes from my local library too, they sound very interesting.
I am very intrigued by the numerous tales of unnatural Black Dogs, or Barguests, and I look forward to reading a 20 page chapter devoted to them.
Cheers
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| Black cavalier |
Posted - 05 May 2012 : 20:09:10
I found a pretty good author in my searches: Katharine M Briggs
Most of her books shown here are about a variety of Fairy subjects
http://www.amazon.com/Katharine-Briggs/e/B000APMWME/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
but the Dictionary of British Folklore is perfect.
I was able to find both volumes at my local library. It's a compedium of historical British Folklore, as the title says. But it's grouped by subject, so there's a 20 page chapter just on Black Dogs. Each chapter also has a short intro on type of classification that's been done on the subject. So for Black Dogs, it talks about the dogs being 1) omens of death, 2) human ghosts in the form of dogs, 3) guardians, etc. & a number of the Black Dog stories are from before the 17th century, so would all be valid for the Witchfinder game.
There's also chapters on Bogies, Devils, Fairies, & Giants. That's just the 2nd volume. I didn't check out the 1st volume yet, but I remember it had a chapter on Witches.
So I'd recommend tracking it down if you're interested in more history in your games. |
| Black Sheep |
Posted - 23 Apr 2012 : 22:30:37
Hello Black Cavalier. I have given your post a great deal of thought and I am sorry but I cannot think of ‘one book’ (that I have found so far still in print) that is solely devoted to providing a detailed discussion of 17th Century English folklore. To date I have found sections and chapters from several books that mention different aspects of folklore very useful, but they tend to include other elements of 17th Century life too.
‘The English Civil War: A People’s History’, by Diane Purkiss , offers a rich insight into C17th life. This book includes nuggets of information regarding beliefs about witchcraft and interesting accounts of how all sides in the conflict claimed key figures from the opposing side were in league with the devil performing all manner of wickedness.
‘Witchfinders: A Seventeenth – Century English Tragedy’, by Malcolm Gaskill and ‘Witchfinder General : The Biography of Matthew Hopkins’ by Craig Cabell describe the cruel 17th Century witch-hunts.
Michael Wray’s ‘The Haunted Coast’ contains traditional stories such as ‘The Barguest: Harbinger of Doom’ and other tales involving bogies, ghosts, hobs and fairies. Wray has also written ‘The Witches of North Yorkshire’ that describe the alleged antics of the areas most notorious witches. These small books are clearly aimed at entertaining tourists and are not serious historical texts.
‘Necropolis- London and Its Dead’, by Catherine Arnold, has two chapters concerned with the infamous ‘plague pits’ and dreaded ‘pest houses'.
I have also drawn from the work of Scarborough ‘Folklorist’ William J Clarke (1871-1945) and his ‘Notes and Records of Charms, Amulets, Mascots and Superstition’ that Scarborough Woodend museum now own. I intend to introduce more folklore inspired elements to the game via the supplement that are based on Clarke’s research.
Great link Big Al - cheers.
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| sarge |
Posted - 23 Apr 2012 : 08:43:59
Thanks for the link.... great source material and some odd stuff close to where I live, so feel some nice weekend walkins coming on.
Thanks |
| Big Al |
Posted - 22 Apr 2012 : 08:40:29
Don't really know. This any good?
http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/
The "arilcles" section on the left has some good stuff in it.
This site looks useful too
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/wfl/index.htm |
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