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Original poster

Local legends & folklore

44 replies

ApocalypseNowt · 31/12/2020 11:21

Not sure how we got on to the topic but I was talking with DH the other day about Jenny Greenteeth.

When I was a child everyone knew about Jenny Greenteeth - a slimy, green skinned hag with stringy hair & pondweed hanging off her who would grab the legs of any little children who walked too close to a drain and drag them off to a watery grave! Shock

DH had never heard of it so I'm assuming Jenny is a local legend (I'm from Lancashire originally).

I love all things spooky - ghost tales & folklore. Does anyone else remember any such stories from their childhood / local area?

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FortunesFave · 31/12/2020 12:46

I have heard of her....I'm from Cheshire. My Nan who was born in Liverpool in 1910 used to tell me about "Screaming Minnie" who seemed to be some sort of Banshee...the kids of Liverpool were terrified of her.

She was a harbinger of death.

AmandaHugenkiss · 31/12/2020 12:49

I grew up in Scotland and heard many stories about Kelpies, appearing to people near lochs as fine horses but when you tried to ride it you would be dragged to a watery death and eaten!

Original poster
ApocalypseNowt · 31/12/2020 12:55

Maybe it's a NW thing FortunesFave !

I've heard of Kelpies though I think that was something to do with a group in my Brownie pack when i was little. They left out the watery death bit iirc Grin

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Interested in this thread?

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Spooky & paranormal
ProfYaffle · 31/12/2020 12:56

Oooh! I'm from Warrington and know Jinny Greenteeth! Though we were told that pondweed is her hair spreading on the surface. It's a story told to keep small dc away from dangerous water.

We also called cow parsley 'Motherdie' and were told that if you picked it your Mum would die. It was years later I realised that cow parsley/motherdie closely resembles hemlock. Similar to the above I guess, a tale told to keep dc away from dangerous things.

lyinginthegutterstaringatstars · 31/12/2020 12:57

I grew up in Ireland. The kids used to speak about banshees they had seen in the local fields Grin and how if you saw three stars in the sky when in the Fields she would be hunting for you GrinGrin

Camomila · 31/12/2020 13:19

I'm from North Italy,

We had a "witches house" (abandined goat herders hut) and an "orc" that lives under a bridge...the way to deal with it is to get it drunk and sleepy by feeding it gnocchi and wine then chop its head off.

We also have a little church where the bones of plague victims are kept - true, you can see them through a little window Sad

Camomila · 31/12/2020 13:19

*abandoned

IDontLikeZombies · 31/12/2020 13:43

Killer Clowns in a white transit van who pulled you in and ate you with their metal teeth.
And the ever present fairies who would steal you away if you wandered into the wild places. They would only let you go when everyone you knew was dead and you'd end up lost child that no one wanted.

It certainly kept us away from the dangerous parts of the village.

Original poster
ApocalypseNowt · 31/12/2020 14:35

Camomila We had a "witches house" (abandined goat herders hut) and an "orc" that lives under a bridge...the way to deal with it is to get it drunk and sleepy by feeding it gnocchi and wine then chop its head off.

Love it! The best way to deal with me is to feed me gnocchi & wine Grin would appreciate it if my head is left intact though!

IDontLikeZombies Killer clowns in transit vans Shock !! Although I do like 'modern' legends....find this stuff fascinating!

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Original poster
ApocalypseNowt · 31/12/2020 14:36

lyinginthegutterstaringatstars I'm going to tell my kids that one lol. It's something I would have totally believed when I was young.

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nosswith · 31/12/2020 14:40

None from my local area, but this thread reminded me of Hartlepool and why they are called 'monkey hangers'.

Original poster
ApocalypseNowt · 31/12/2020 14:43

Ha! I've heard that story nosswith Grin

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toomanyplants · 31/12/2020 14:45

Ginny Greenteeth lived in our local canal (or so I thought) and "ate" a few of my mums friends who wandered near there without an adult.
Seriously....the things they made up to keep us safe, I used to shit myself going past on the bus at 15

NowellSingWe · 31/12/2020 14:56

I know Jenny Greenteeth (I'm from NW)
She also featured in Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching book The Wee Free Men, though I always had the impression that Tiffany's homeland was modelled on Yorkshire rather than Lancashire.

Seasaltyhair · 31/12/2020 14:58

@AmandaHugenkiss

I grew up in Scotland and heard many stories about Kelpies, appearing to people near lochs as fine horses but when you tried to ride it you would be dragged to a watery death and eaten!
This was inspiration for the frozen sea horse in Frozen 2Grin
RosieLemonade · 31/12/2020 15:05

Not a scary one but we have Jack Valentine. He leaves children presents on Valentines Day via a ding dong dash approach. This was done years and years before people for their children valentines presents.
When I went to uni people thought I was mad talking about it but I managed to find someone else from my small town who backed up my story. It just seems to be my town because people in the surrounding towns don’t seem to know Jack.

Original poster
ApocalypseNowt · 31/12/2020 15:16

I quite like that idea Rosie! Whereabouts are you from?

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user1471565182 · 31/12/2020 15:18

We had Sugar mill Phil, kingsmill Phil and Paedo Phil. From what I gather he was an old fashioned style tramp but no idea if all 3 were meant to be the same person.

Seasaltyhair · 31/12/2020 15:23

@RosieLemonade

Not a scary one but we have Jack Valentine. He leaves children presents on Valentines Day via a ding dong dash approach. This was done years and years before people for their children valentines presents. When I went to uni people thought I was mad talking about it but I managed to find someone else from my small town who backed up my story. It just seems to be my town because people in the surrounding towns don’t seem to know Jack.
Are you from Norfolk Grin
AcornAutumn · 31/12/2020 15:25

What a great thread! In my part of the world I haven't been able to find out much.

I'm in North London and my nearest - not near - story is a big favourite of mine - the Shivering Chicken of Highgate

www.real-british-ghosts.com/highgate-chicken-ghost.html

RandomUser18282 · 31/12/2020 15:29

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Doublechins · 31/12/2020 15:30

We have the Lambton worm. So I think the story goes that a young boy throws a worm into the river Wear. He goes away to fight as a knight I think and while he's away the worm turns giant and eats People. He comes back and a witch tells him he must kill it and also kill the first living thing he sees after it or all his family will come to harm. So he goes to a local monument which the worm has wrapped itself round and kills the worm but then he doesn't kill the next living thing he sees so all his family die in grizzly deaths.

RandomUser18282 · 31/12/2020 15:32

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

RosieLemonade · 31/12/2020 15:36

@ApocalypseNowt @Seasaltyhair
Yes I’m Norfolk born and bred!

umpteennamechanges · 31/12/2020 15:39

We had a witch - Molly Leigh.

It's based on a 'true' story, as in there was a woman called Molly Leigh, people at the time thought she was a witch.

She must have had a shitty, isolated and lonely life

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/history/molly-leigh-legend-witch-burslem-261119.amp