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Getting
a taste for it is a reworking of the story of Sweeney Todd
fused with that of the 1980s serial killer Dennis Nielson. Nielson worked
for social security in Camden and provided every year a large metal cauldron
out of which was served the Xmas office party punch. When news of Nielson's
activities got out and the means of his disposal of the bodies came to
light, many in the social services had alarming questions to ask about what
might have been in the cauldron beforehand. At least this is the story
we were told.
More fright by train
are all based on tales from London's rail
networks and underground especially those from the most haunted stretch between Elephant and Stockwell which has Victorian work crews, giants, doors that close on their own and a strange diasappearing woman.
Queen
Rat is arguably the only bit of genuine London lore in that nowhere else
on the planet has a story about shape shifting rats. The tale originated with the 19th century
sewer scavengers (the toshers) who believed in a giant rodent who would look
out for them underground and could, if she so wished, transform herself
into a beautiful woman in order to seduce any man who took her fancy. If the
man satisfied ratty and didn't talk about it he would amass a huge fortune
and be blessed with a large family the first member of whom would be a girl
born with one eye grey and the other blue.
London
after midnight is based around the ghost of a cashier who committed
suicide in the Notting Hill Coronet cinema when it still operated as a
theatre.
GT Jenny or Jenny Greenteeth was modern reworking of the mermaid myth
who, contrary to most reports, are fairly well spread across the UK living
in ponds, rivers and lakes. Like many old families settled in what was once
Surrey farmland the great urbanisation of the nineteenth century must have
been very disruptive for the clan. Luckily for the aquatic Anglo Saxon community first a
pond then a lido was provided on the site of the old Brockwell Estate so the
family could still have access to water.
The
Stag. Henry VIII did hunt deer in Greenwich Park. There's still a small
herd of them in the park, supposedly the descendants of the Royal ones. A
small Roman building, thought to be a temple, was discovered in the park in
1902. It may be dedicated to Diana (lots of the period were), although
that's not certain. In the Greek myth, Artemis (Diana in Roman mythology)
was spotted bathing by Actaeon, who was out hunting. He was turned into a
stag and torn apart by his own dogs. There is also a holy well where Holda,
the Anglo Saxon goddess of sexuality lives, apparently. Those wishing to
find out more on that should look up Jack Gale's writings or attend his
superb talk on the subject, entitled The Track way of Carnal Desire: Holda
and the Sacred Landscape.
A goose at Christmas deals with the Southwark (or Winchester after Bishop of Winchester) geese that formerly roamed Bankside offering their services for a few pence. To be bitten by a goose was a euphemism for catching a dose of something. It seems natural that with other entertainments returning to the south bank that the doxys would as well. Worth a visit if you happen to be in the "ward without the city" is the site of the old Cross Bones Graveyard on Redcross Way where many of the unfortunate toms ended up.
Talk to them is a retelling of the horrifying tale that occured in Tanner Street in the 1920s when a welfare inspector, on visting, an old woman always heard her talking to someone as he approached the door. Once inside the lady was always alone however. Disturbed by this he acquired the necessary permits for a search when he found the other half of the conversation, the woman's still born child virtually fossilised.
A
white horse on Christmas morning. London is a repository for the world's folklore as waves of migrants enter the city they bring their superstitions and myths with them. Since Scottish folk have been making their homes here for millenia their appeared a decent chance that one at least could be a each uisge or waterhorse of the Highlands and islands. These cheerful creatures would lure unwary travellers onto their backs before riding them underwater and eating them. All except for the liver which was left floating on the surface.
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