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| Hauntings,
superstitions, folklore and legends are rife in Wiltshire. The
county has more than its fair share of mysterious happenings
and here we bring you a selection plus the chance to add your
own experiences! |
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 Traditional
caravan at Avebury |
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Community History |
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Wiltshire
County Council's Community History website includes a section
featuring questions frequently asked by members of the public,
which has brought some fascinating stories to light.
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The Celtic Wheel |
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We're
used to the idea of religous festivals helping us identify
where we are in the calander but in more pagan times, the
key points of the year were recognised in much the same way
by our ancestors. Summer St John from Wiltshire-based Apogee
has been investigating.
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Black Dogs |
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Wiltshire
enjoys its fair share of ghostly events concerning black dogs
and Phil Jefferson has written to Moonraking to share tales
of such things, which supposedly haunt the woods around Chapmanslade.
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Moonraking |
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If
you're born and bred in the county, you can rightfully claim
to be a 'Moonraker'. But who were the first Moonrakers? There
are many communities who lay claim to originating the story
but the one we favour is set in Devizes...
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Name calling |
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Are
you a Bradford Gudgeon or a Trowbridge Knob? May be you prefer
to be known as a Dabchick or even a Crocodile! People from
many Wiltshire towns and villages are blessed with a sobriquet
or nickname, often associated with local folklore...
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Oak Apple Day |
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Here's
a date for your diary: 29th May, or Oak Apple Day as it is
in Great Wishford near Wilton. This special day is still celebrated
in the village and perpetuates an ancient right to collect
firewood in nearby Grovely Wood...
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The flying monk |
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| Icarus
is remembered for his attempt at flying - and we all know his
fate after he scorched his feathers flying too close to the
sun. Another ill-fated flyer was Brother Elmer, who in 1010
repeated Icarus attempt by jumping off Malmesbury Abbey...
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Devilish Wiltshire |
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Several
parts of the county lay claim to their own devilish tales
- hardly surprising when you consider his role in the basic
premise of good versus evil. At Warminster, he appeared in
the form of a hare during the public execution of two men
in the town...
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The ghostly fair |
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Olivier, the Wiltshire writer who spent much of her life in
the county, wrote about a particularly evocative experience
that she witnessed for herself while travelling through Avebury....
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Maypoles |
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Maypoles
were once a common sight in Wiltshire's villages - now there
are hardly any. They
haven't always been popular - following an Act of Parliament
in 1644, many were removed...
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Â鶹Éç
Wiltshire, Broadcasting House, 56-58 Prospect Place, Swindon, Wilts, SN1
3RW
Telephone: 01793 513626 | E-mail: wiltshire@bbc.co.uk |
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