London Lore

Author: Steve Roud
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1409036197
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 466

Book Description
In which part of North London were wild beasts once thought to roam the sewers? Why did 1920s working-class Londoners wear necklaces of blue beads? Who was the original inspiration for the 'pearly king' costume? And did Spring-heeled Jack, scourge of Victorian London, ever really exist? Exploring everything from local superstitions and ghost stories to annual customs, this is an enchanting guide to the ancient legends and deep-rooted beliefs that can be found the length and breadth of the city.

London

Author: Mark Ford
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674065689
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 779

Book Description
Collection of poems about London, organized chronologically from John Gower (14th century) to Ahren Warner (1986-)

The Lore of the Land

Author: Jennifer Westwood
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN:
Category : Folklore
Languages : en
Pages : 940

Book Description
Where can you find the 'Devil's footprints'? What happened at the 'hangman's stone'? Did Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, ever really exist? Where was King Arthur laid to rest? Bringing together tales of hauntings, highwaymen, family curses and lovers' leaps, this magnificent guide will take you on a magical journey through England's legendary past.

London Urban Legends

Author: Scott Wood
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752493809
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 166

Book Description
How long has a corpse been staring out at passengers on the tube? Was London Bridge really shipped abroad by an American thinking he’d bought Tower Bridge? Did the Queen really mix with the crowds as a princess on VE Day? And did Hitler actually want to live in Balham? Urban legends are the funny, frightening and fierce folklore people share. Just like the early folk tales that came before them, these tales are formed from reactions to spectacular events in the world, and reflect our current values. From royal rumours to subterranean legends, Scott Wood has researched and written about them with a sense of wonder, humour and a keen eye. He finds the truth, the myth and the lies amongst these tales.

London Urban Legends

Author: Scott Wood
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752493809
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 177

Book Description
How long has a corpse been staring out at passengers on the tube? Was London Bridge really shipped abroad by an American thinking he'd bought Tower Bridge? Did the Queen really mix with the crowds as a princess on VE Day? And did Hitler actually want to live in Balham? Where are there razor blades hidden and where did all these parakeets come from? Did they really belong to Jimi Hendrix? Urban legends are the funny, frightening and fierce folklore people share. Just like the early folk tales that came before them, which were attempts to explain the spiritual world, these tales are formed from reactions to spectacular events in the modern world, and reflect our current values. From royal rumours to subterranean legends, Scott Wood has researched and written about them with a sense of wonder, humour and a keen eye. He finds the truth, the myth and the lies amongst these tales.

Book-lore

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bibliography
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Book Description

London Under

Author: Peter Ackroyd
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0385531516
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 214

Book Description
In this vividly descriptive short study, Peter Ackroyd tunnels down through the geological layers of London, meeting the creatures that dwell in darkness and excavating the lore and mythology beneath the surface. There is a Bronze Age trackway below the Isle of Dogs, Anglo-Saxon graves rest under St. Pauls, and the monastery of Whitefriars lies beneath Fleet Street. To go under London is to penetrate history, and Ackroyd's book is filled with the stories unique to this underworld: the hydraulic device used to lower bodies into the catacombs in Kensal Green cemetery; the door in the plinth of the statue of Boadicea on Westminster Bridge that leads to a huge tunnel packed with cables for gas, water, and telephone; the sulphurous fumes on the Underground's Metropolitan Line. Highly imaginative and delightfully entertaining, London Under is Ackroyd at his best.

Citizen of London

Author: Michael McCarthy
Publisher: Hurst Publishers
ISBN: 1787389715
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 415

Book Description
The extraordinary story of Richard Whittington, from his arrival in London as a young boy to his death in 1423, against a backdrop of plague, politics and war; turbulence between Crown, City and Commons; and the unrelenting financial demands of Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V, to whom Whittington was mercer, lender and fixer. A man determined to follow his own path, Whittington was a significant figure in London's ceaseless development. As a banker, Collector of the Wool Custom, King's Council member and four-time mayor, Whittington featured prominently in the rise of the capital's merchant class and powerful livery companies. Civic reformer, enemy of corruption and author of an extraordinary social legacy, he contributed to Henry V's victory at Agincourt and oversaw building works at Westminster Abbey. In London, Whittington found his 'second' family: a mentor, Sir Ivo Fitzwarin, and an inspirational wife in Fitzwarin's daughter Alice. Today's Dick Whittington pantomimes, enjoyed by millions, have a grain of truth in them, but the real story is far more compelling--minus that sadly mythical cat.

Folk Lore, Old Customs and Superstitions in Shakespeare Land

Author: J. Harvey Bloom
Publisher: Read Books Ltd
ISBN: 1473340896
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 202

Book Description
This vintage book contains a fascinating treatise on the customs and traditions of England, with information on its folklore, history, and more. From folk rhymes and funeral customs to brewing ale and the occult, this volume contains a wealth if information that will appeal to those with an interest in England and it's people. Contents include: "The Farmer and his Men", "Family Life: Marriage", "Christening and Birth Customs", "Children's Complaints", "Women's Indoor Work-Baking", "Brewing", "Washing", "Death and Funeral Customs", "The Husband and Wife", "Dress", "Farm Buildings", "The farm-house and Cottage", et cetera. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with its original artwork and text. First published in 1929.

London Folk Tales

Author: Helen East
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752478478
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
London is a world unto itself; an outrageous, quirky and diverse microcosm where all walks of life cross paths, their languages jostling and mingling – and there are tales whichever way you turn. Now thirty of the best, drawn from oral history and newly recorded local reminiscence, as well as folk sources and written texts, have been brought to life by a mistress of storytelling. Here you will find Dick Whittington alongside the patron saint of cobblers, a royal rat rubbing shoulders with the Maid Uncumber, and fish that decide destinies. Revisit old friends and discover new ones in this wonderful selection of London folk tales – as light and dark, and as full of unexpected twists, as the streets of London itself.