skip to Main Content

A Lancashire Tale

Photo copyright: Dale Rogerson.
Photo copyright: Dale Rogerson.
A wedding party had drifted over the Nick O Pendle. Since then the only sound heard on the hill had come from a pair of dotterels. But the hill was listening, it listened for those who had once climbed its slopes, for those who once harvested its bounty.
Now had you stood upon the hill the next day, you would have seen a ghostly white veil. So whether it’s the snow or cloud or even cotton grass, you had best not go upon Pendle hill when the veil is present. For the wind may sigh and the hill might answer:

Footnote:
On occasions I travel past Pendle Hill with it sad history, today’s offering is a snippet from a longer piece about the witches of Pendle .

barbers
Mike prior to his visit to the barbers.
This Post Has 65 Comments
    1. The middle section of this post which I had to cut out to stay within the word count, was in part about the culinary delights of the plant life of Pendle Hill, so I really appreciated your comment of ‘lovely slow-cooked words’ thank you Neil.

    1. Thank you Edith. At times Pendle Hill can appear ominous, yet it can also be beautiful. And sometimes intriguing. I am so pleased you enjoyed my abbreviated story. To stay within the word limit I cut out all the references to the culinary and medical history of the hill.

    1. Thank you Keith, you are right about February, the snow drops are in full bloom and many a daffodil has been fooled into blooming. Yet a bitter cold wind blasts across Pendle Hill tonight.

  1. You live in such a beautiful part of the world, MIchael. I Googled Pendle Hill and was fascinated by the witch trial held there. Do you know if they found an explanation for what happened? I’ve heard that ergot poisoning has been attributed for some cases of so-called witchcraft such as the Salem Trials. Thought you might be interested in this article Google dug up for me: https://io9.gizmodo.com/this-fungus-was-a-medieval-mass-murderer-1711876237
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

    1. Hi Rowena, thank you for the link, I had had completely forgotten about ergot poisoning. As for the Pendle witch trial, at the time I think there was very much hysteria centred around witches. Tonight there is a bitter cold wind over Pendle.

      1. Michael, I’m a bit concerned about that cold wind over Pendle tonight. Sounds like those ghosts are up to no good again!
        I took a course called “Crime & Deviance” when I studied history at Sydney University. Witchcraft was one of the topics we looked at and that’s how I found out about the ergot poisoning.
        In Australia we are experiencing a different type of hysteria at the moment and a different witch hunt. Don’t know whether you heard that our Deputy Prime Minister left his wife and four kids to get involved with a staffer who is now about to give birth. He is surviving by the skin of his teeth atm.
        Personally, I can’t understand why people are getting so upset about it. When it comes to looking for role models, I put politicians in the same camp as footballers and don’t expect much at all. Well, not much good anyway. Indeed, it’s a bit hard to find any particular profession that you can trust. That said, I’ll run with nurses. My experience with teachers has also been great, but they’re not infallible either.
        xx Rowena

        1. Hi Rowena, it seems that James the First, became fixated on witch craft, he wrote a book called Daemonologie, which ended up encouraging people to hunt for witches. And gave Pendle Hill a legacy. I am almost house bound at the moment with a heavy cold, and frustrated as word press will not allow me to like or comment on stories.

          1. Sorry to hear about your nasty cold, Michael. I get housebound for periods of time and I don’t count obligatory school drop offs and pickups as really getting out either. That is criminal for WordPress to play up when you’re stuck at home with a cold. It should have some sort of empathy, compassion and be there for you. Hope you start feeling better soon and thanks for that snippet about James I. I think he was the one who wrote the King James version of the Bible, wasn’t he?
            Take care!
            Best wishes,
            Rowena

          2. Thank you Rowena, King James I, did indeed sponsor a version of the Bible in English. Not feeling well enough to going outside is frustrating. What I would give for a warm sunny day and beach sand between my toes. Still I can at least write a few more snippets for my memoirs.

  2. Hi Michael! This is my first time on your blog and I loved what I read. I so want to go and check out the plac yet I am scared to go there…at least not on my own for sure and definitely not when it´s dark. Looking forward to your next! Cheers 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top