Faerie Lore and Legends

Coming Soon!

This historic conundrum of a tale has been on my bucket list for quite some time. The first trek to the trailhead led to a lack of parking and confusion about whether I was on private property or in the right spot. A second journey brought me to the disappointment of no parking, and a third time’s charm showed me quite an adventure on astrological Samhain in 2020. A visit in May 2021 demonstrated the landowner whose land the beginning of the trail crossed, no longer wanted to share passage (to the right of the sign in the picture below) … so the other neighbor (to the left of the sign shown below) opened up their land instead for those to cut across to get to the trail. (Thank you!!!)

Nooksack Gold Mine Trail

Located directly east of Everson on Sumas Mountain is a moderate 3.6-mile round-trip hike with the 1890s built a cabin, miner’s camp with safe, 12 stamp mill/hotel/brothel archaeological site, a tunnel, and two mine shafts. Great camping spots, campfire rings, and creekside adventures. Head east from Everson main street through Nooksack past highway 9 on South Pass Road (WA 544) about 2.6 miles east of Hwy 9. Turn right on Sealund Road, park on the right side across from an active farm, and follow the trail along the pasture’s fenceline with a sign stating “Gold Mine Trail”. It’s muddy, wet, and boggy – so wear appropriate footwear. Many guides state it’s muddy the first 100 yards, but truth be told, there are many muddy areas along the whole trail – bring your wellies. The trail traverses above “Gold Creek”, Swift Creek, and Rankin Creek. This trail has five different creeks running along with it: The Gold creek, Swift Creek, Rankin creek, Hardin creek, and Jim Creek.

Our goal on astrological Samhain November 7, 2020, was to explore all three mines, visit the cabin, the safe, and find the hotel’s ruins. We achieved 1 mine (tunnel), camps, safe, mill site/hotel ruins, and the old cabin. Beautiful hike, strenuous, yet my 7-year-old achieved a 4-mile hike (with our wanderings) to the very little complaint. Some heart palpitations for me up to the cabin after hiking the mines. We followed the main trail, totally missing the cabin, and hitting the first mine straight off. We never found the remaining two mines, as did miss a previous hiker trying to find them. An adventure for another day. We did find a Troll gate, a gnome door, a primitive shelter, lots of archaeology, and Xmas decorations (already). Apparently, during the summer and spring months, there are lots of edibles along the trail: blackberries, thimbleberries, huckleberries, and salmonberries. We did find a lot of mushrooms during the fall months. Some hiker notes also stated cougar sightings in the area in October 2020. Later hikes in 2021 provided more discoveries. A climb up an additional 1,250 feet in elevation at the north end of the trail is the cabin.

The Nooksack Gold Mine

The Nooksack gold mines are located on Sumas Moutain just outside of Nooksack, Washington. They belong to the Mt. Baker Mining District of Whatcom County. The elevation of the mines is recorded at 1600 feet. These mines were part of 8 claims with stakes as early as 1900. The mines have an associated mining camp (see below) with a stamp mill, dance hall, hotel, bunkhouses, safe, and mining offices. Mining equipment still exists along the trail. It is said by ghost towns of Washington that the camp was built before the mines were developed.

Apparently, there are three mine shafts, but we only found the tunnel (Mine #1) on this adventure. Mine #1 is a tunnel that purportedly goes through the rock but during our visit was submerged so could not be confirmed. (ghosttownsofwashington.com/nooksack-mine.html has a view where you can see through the tunnel as well as great photos of the mine interiors.) Mine #2 is purportedly a 135-foot deep tunnel/shaft that dead ends. Mine #3 is called the upper tunnel up above the hillside along a steep trail above the log bridge crossing the creek.

Miner’s Camp and 12-stamp Mill / Hotel / Brothel

As you are hiking along the trail, looking down to the right after passing the cabin trail – is the Miner’s camp, rusted ore cart, safe, and archaeological remains of a 12-stamp mill/location of a hotel and quarters, and purported brothel. A side path goes steeply down to the safe/miner camp. Further down from the safe is the remains of the mill as you approach the creek. Several buildings were said to have been built on this spot, though only the remains of the safe and mill are visible. It is said this was one of the biggest gold scams in Washington state history conning investors out of thousands with no gold actually found. There is some online dispute to this from a family of the mining claim stating there is no documentation of scam or illegal activity. A lot of work was placed on this site and it is believed that gold was found, though geological reports seem to show very little evidence. If it was a con, a great amount of labor and cost went into creating the mill, hotel, buildings, mine shafts, and safe. There is some claim that a hydroelectric plant was located here as well as a dance-hall/brothel.

The Mining Story

From 1899-1901 it is said that 8 claims were staked here by C.F. Bernard (Nooksack Mining Company president) and C.W> Swinecraft (secretary/treasurer) with stories of incredible gold being mined. A stamp mill, hotel, brothel, dance hall, houses, and offices were established – attracting 370 prominent investors to fund the venture. A safe displaying gold to the investors was located on-site. Investors apparently were wined, dined, and entertained at the hotel/brothel with stories of great capital gains after investment. Apparently, no investor received a dime. Local legend states it was more or less a resort with a scam/con of no actual gold being mined.

False appearances of ore samples are believed to have been shown and the site salted with lures. Some say they even fired gold flecks from a shotgun onto the site. It is said on one side that the con was discovered causing operations to shut immediately down with operators fleeing the scene. Purported ancestors however claim there were no investors, no scam, no con, and the gold never sent to the mint – that no legal records exist of such debauchery. This can be found as a comment by Bernard’s great grand-daughter saying “the mine was part of a corporation with stockholders. the company was dissolved in court and never was it mentioned in the court process as being a scam.” (Dave Tucker’s Blog) The mines were suddenly closed in 1905. Local legend has it the mine assets were auctioned off in 1906 to pay off the debts. It is now DNR land and a public hiking trail. A 1969 mines report does state Gold minorly exists on the Mountain but the Nooksack mine was not a major producer of the county as no gold was ever sold to the U.S. Minto and there are no records of production. U.S. Mint records and geological surveys claim that the mines here never produced gold.

Runtime: 9 min, 56 sec.
Soundtrack: Long Roads by John and the Land of Plenty.
https://technotink.org/?p=6600
Day on Magisto, Youtube, or Vimeo.

Sumas Mountain

The gold mine trail is along Sumas Mountain. This mountain rises above the Whatcom county lowlands. According to John Tucker, a local geologist, the mountain is infamous for its Swift Creek Landslide that creeps down a valley with asbestos-laden clay, conglomerates of the Chuckanut Formation, and underlying ultramafic serpentine rocks. This can be found on the Sumas Topo Map 7.5″ quad. Glacial till, the Jackass Mountain formation of south-central BC (mid-Cretaceous), Chuckanut Formation conglomerates, Huntingdon Formation, and Serpentine rock (late Jurassic)/ultramafic complex rocks can be found along this trail. A 1969 Washington DNR Report “Mines and Mineral Deposits of Whatcom County, Washington” by Wayne Moen states there are gold deposits on the mountain.

John Friendly Cabin

A left offshoot trail before the mining camp leads a steep climb to the old John Friendly Cabin / Sumas Mountain Outpost dating to 1891. Views of the surrounding countryside are spectacular from the cabin site. The cabin is recorded to have been built by John Friendly in 1891. Jumping to the future, after the area was logged, the Backcountry Horsemen restored the cabin calling it the “Sumas Mountain Outpost”. The cabin site has a large group campfire pit out front, a guest registry, welcoming sign horse tie-downs, old-fashioned moon-cut wood privy with modern seat, and a fully functional primitive cabin with loft and wood stove. Someone obviously caretakers the site. Inside the cabin is a wood-fire stove with a pile of firewood, broom, basic supplies, trashcan, cast iron pan, and some have written bedding for those wanting to spend the night. (there was no bedding present during our November 2020 visit and no sundries) There is a fold-down ladder to the loft/attic space for additional camp space. Inside is a kitchen area for food preparation and storage. A large hand-drawn map is along the left wall. Privy is well kept stocked with toilet paper. A semi-paved / graveled service road exists behind the cabin.

Faerie gates and doors

Moreover, along the folklore route, there are the categorical twisted trees and features that Celtic legend associates with the Fae (Faeries, fairies, gnomes, and trolls). These legendary features of twisted trees and attributes are recorded by numerous cultures to belong within fairy tales. Some of these features are found on this trail.

Troll Gate:

A twisted root mangle that appears like a tree troll or ent laying on its side with a fairy gate/troll gate that one can crawl through. The act of crossing through these lead to folkloric beliefs that one can enter the realm of faerie or the otherworld, or at least gain fairy sight. Nearby is a tree with a Xmas ornament (Nov 7, 2020) of a truck with a Xmas tree on it. Hanging of ornaments, ribbons, or gifts to the Fae are common around these types of features.

Gnome Door:

Sometimes tree trunks have a loss of bark that appears to have a face or a door within its base. In the realms of folklore, many associates these as being gnome doors. The front door to a gnome home. This is primarily found in Celtic folklore though modern Tolkien urban lore and borrowing create these all over the world.

Bibliography:

• AllTrails n.d. “Gold Mine Trail”. Website https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/gold-mine-trail visited on 11/13/21.
• Diehl, Anna 2019 “Gold Mine Trail: A Hike Through Sumas Mountain History”. Website https://www.whatcomtalk.com/2019/08/09/gold-mine-trail-a-hike-through-sumas-mountain-history/ visited on 11/13/21.
• Impero, Michael 2010 Dreams of Gold
• Impero, Michael 2007 The Lone Jack, King of the Mount-Baker Mining District.
• Kantack, Katt 2015 “Islands to Mountains: Deceptions & Debauchery – Sumas Mountain Gold Mine Trail”. Website islandstomountains.blogspot.com/2015/06/deception-debauchery-sumas-mountain.html visited on 11/7/20.
• Memorieshop.com undated “Trails Along North West Rails: Nooksack Gold Mine”. Website www.memorieshop.com/PS-&-BRR/Nooksack-Gold-Mine/ visited on 11/7/2020.
• Moen, Wayne S. 1969 “Mines and Mineral Deposits of Whatcom County, Washington” : State of Washington: Department of Natural Resources, Bulletin No 57. Website dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_b57_mines_mineral_dep_whatcom_1.pdf visited on 11/7/20.
• ghosttownsofwashington.com 2013 “Ghost Towns of Washington: Nooksack Mine”. Website www.ghosttownsofwashington.com/nooksack-mine.html visited on 11/7/2020.
• Tucker, Dave undated “Northwest Geology Field Trips: Geology hike on the Gold Mine Trail, Sumas Mountain, Whatcom County: congolmerates and a mining scam”. Website nwgeology.wordpress.com/the-fieldtrips/geology-hike-on-the-gold-mine-trail-sumas-mountain-whatcom-county-congolerates-and-a-mining-scam/ visited on 11/7/2020.
• Western Mining History n.d. “Nooksack Mine”. Website referenced https://westernmininghistory.com/mine_detail/10047790/ on 11/13/21.
• Washington Trails Association n.d. “Sumas Mountain – Gold Mine Trail”. Website https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/gold-mine-trail visited 11/13/21.
  

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Zombieland

Hillsville, Pennsylvania

Along the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania, in Lawrence County, just north of the small Italian immigrant populated village of Hillsville is an unsettling quiet and eerie region locals call “Zombie Land”.

Mainly “urban legend” than actual historic folklore are tales of the macabre, mystical beasts, deaths, and grisly murder. There is definitely a feeling of “odd” and “something not right” when entering these several mile strips of heavily wooded spots meeting farming, transportation, and industrial works along Lawler Ford Road a.k.a. “Zombie Road” or Route 224.

The Virgin Mary:

It begins around the old St. Lawrence Catholic Church which has long been converted to a private residence and its accompanying graveyard along route 224. There is an alcove with a statue of the Virgin Mary who has a creepy air about herself. Legend has it, she will greet visitors with open arms when it is safe to enter Zombie Land, and have praying hands when it is not. In the 1990’s it was reportedly vandalized and a plexiglass (or glass) window was installed to protect the statue.

St. Lawrence Church and Graveyard:

Some say the gravestones behind this church glow at night. Others say it is at the Presbyterian graveyard down the road. We’ve been to both, and outside of solar-powered grave lights, there is no glow. Others say it is a historic stone in the older part of the graveyard behind the old Church (St. Lawrence) that has a particular shine that reflects off the full moon or light from the house (old church). We unfortunately during our night visit did not see that section, although we did explore the two graveyards – seeing no glow, but experiencing the eerie ambiance.

The Hilltown Bridge:

Just down the road from the St. Lawrence Graveyard north is the Hilltown Bridge. The original Bridge in March 1913 was swept away and has since been replaced by a new concrete monster. It was torn down again in 2007 and replaced with a modern concrete span.

It is from this bridge that reports of unexplained lights moving around it and underneath like the Will o’ Wisp has been reported. Also, some say one can hear screams and gunshots from the bridge at night. It has also been reported to be a “crying bridge” with sounds of a crying baby underneath, with the urban lore that a mother tossed her child over the edge. It has reports of suicides being conducted from its rails.

The Killing Fields or “Murder Swamp”:

Just north of the Hilltown Bridge are the “Killing Fields” where at night many report hearing screams and gunshots. In the woods bordering the railway, some say there are “ghost whistles” to be heard late at night. If one park near the rails, strange things will happen to the car. It is also reputedly where a serial killer dumped more than a dozen bodies with decapitated heads in Zombie Land.

From 1921-1942, between Mahoningtown and New Castle, over 15 bodies were found in the swamp and may have been the same serial killer who conducted decapitations in Cleveland around the same time. There are many stories of the Italian Immigrants who settled in the area also killing many farmers, authorities, and residents leaving them in the Killing Fields to decay. It was in 1907 when several Italian men in Hillsville, believed to be associated with the Italian mafia/mob who proclaimed that “No person in the Hillsville district, either Italian or American, will give the slightest assistance to any officer desiring the prosecution of Italian offenders.” and it was then that a Hillsville farmer allowed an officer named Sealy Houk to use his phone to effect an arrest of an Italian found to have killed his cow.

It is believed that the officer was killed and dumped in the “Killing fields” of the region, discovered by a train passing by. Three days after Houk’s body was discovered, three Italian mob men went into the fields killing and pouching animals, aggravating and attacking (murdering at least one – William Duff) farmers who tried to stand in their way.

The Mines:

There are said to be various mines in the area used by the mafia from Youngstown to dispose of bodies. While traveling through the area, we only saw signs for “Limestone” mines.

Skyhill Road Bridge:

(aka Frankenstein Bridge, Hookman’s Bridge, Ghost Bridge, Graffiti Bridge)

A few more miles down into Zombie land on Skyhill Road is a small bridge that was built in 1917 crossing off the Coffee Run River. It also has been replaced in 2013 changing the eerie attraction. It became to be believed to be haunted by the “Bridge People” and the “Hook Man”.

Apparently, they were mutated zombie-like people who lived nearby that were bothered by people hanging around the bridge so would hunt them down to maim or kill them. It is believed that if one writes someone’s name on the bridge, the “Bridge People” or “The Hookman” would go murder them. The bridge is covered with people’s names and symbols. The Original bridge had wood railings where the graffiti would be, but now a metal railing, the graffiti is on the asphalt itself. Oddly, underneath the bridge are lover’s dedications and love notes scrawled on the walls. The Hate is above, the Love below.

We also saw the corpse of a dead deer lying halfway on the ground and in the water, half-wrapped in a garbage bag like an offering to the Bridge people. Someone else writing about the Bridge also stated there was a dead deer but that was back in 2016, so a different dead deer. It is said a young boy leaped from the bridge killing himself as a suicide.

The Zombie Torch:

Right around the corner from the bridge west is the Eternal Flame dedicated to the Zombies that haunt the woods. The mutant colored metal pipe protruding from the ground is just a stone’s torch from the road – it is an iron pipe venting fumes from the natural gas field below. If one lights the torch it will anger the Bridge People and the Hook Man, summoning them to cause death unto the one who lit it.

The Blood House, Bridge People, Hook Man:

Deep in the woods near the bridge and torch is the purported home of the Bridge People and/or Hook Man. It is said also to have been the home of a wicked witch named “Mary Black” who snatched and murdered children of the area, burying them in the fields.

It has long been burnt down and demolished by authorities and no longer exists. Others state that the Blood House is located off of Erskin Quarry Road and had a small graveyard attached to it. Some say the Witch was a woman who went crazy and hung her children. Others say it all happened when some mental patients escaped and settled in the area.

Others say the “Bridge People” were mutant-like residents of the woods who suffered from “hydrocephalus” or “water on the brain” that settled in the area along the Mahoning River to avoid being harassed for their deformities. They were also nicknamed the “Light Bulb Heads”.

An escaped mental patient nicknamed “Zombie” who was a serial killer supposedly lived in the woods along this road. Some claim that his bloodied hospital gown was once found on the road and murdered local kids. Other paranormal investigators call the “Bridge People” the infamous legendary “Shadow People” of lore. There is some belief that the “Hook Man” came from the Killing of Seely Houk written about above.

The Railroad Bridge:

Along Coffee Run, at Robinson’s Crossing, just north of the Manoning River, within Zombie Land, not too far from all the haunted locations is a Railway Bridge still in use by CSX trains was the scene of a grisly rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl named Shannon Leigh Kos.

Her boyfriend and two other 20-year-old boys brought her there, raped her, and stabbed her to death. They attempted to burn her body, but her remains were found by the bridge three days later. The sick criminals – William George Monday (21), David Christopher Garvey (20), and Perry Sam Ricciardi II (20) were arrested and convicted.

There are purported rumors that Robinson’s Crossing was once a popular “lover’s lane” but police reported many arguments and spats, domestic violence calls, etc. were popular there as well as abandoned dates they had to come to escort home. Rumors of suicides at this spot as well as the other bridges are also common.

The Glowing Green Man:

There are legends of a green man who had been burned in an industrial accident that lived in the area. Others say he was a local handyman who was electrocuted and had a light green glow to his skin. According to Jim Mosley, the Green Man not only existed but was someone whom he had met on occasion through his wanderings in Zombie Land and spent many evenings drinking with him at the local pub. His real name was Raymond Robinson.

A zombie land facebook fan page exists here: https://www.facebook.com/ZombieLandHillsvillePA/ and t-shirts are sold at a local beverage shop.

Recommended Reading/Bibliography:

• Associated Press 2000 “Accused told police of Killing”. The Associated Press. Website referenced on 11/12/18 at http://www2.sharonherald.com/localnews/recentnews/0011/ln111600f.html

• Lawrence County Memoirs n.d. “Zombie Land – Hillsville PA” website referenced 11/12/18 at http://www.lawrencecountymemoirs.com/lcmpages/1073/zombieland-hillsville-pa

• Reddit 2016 “Gruesome Murder of a Girl I Knew NSFW” by u/nebbles1069. Website referenced 11/12/18 at https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/462b6r/gruesome_murder_of_a_girl_i_knew_nsfw/

• Penn Live e2016 “From Hell’s Hollow to Zombie Land: 13 western PA places with haunting legends. Website referenced 11/12/18 at https://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/10/haunted_western_pennsylvania.html

• Summers, Ken 2011 “The Strange History Behind America’s Creepiest Zombie Road Legends … and How You Can find them”. Website referenced 11/12/18 at http://weekinweird.com/2011/09/26/home-zombie-roads/

• Tinsley, M. Ferguson 2000 “This time, Zombie Land tale is true”. Post-Gazette Staff. Website referenced 11/12/18 at http://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20001031zombie1.asp

• Torisk, Emmalee C. 2013 “Urban legends haunt Zombieland” : Vindy.com. Website referenced 11/12/18 at http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/oct/29/urban-legends-haunt-zombieland/

• Warren, Louis S. unknown “The Hunters Game: Poachers and Conservationists in Twentieth-Century America”. Website referenced 11/12/18 at https://books.google.com/books?id=OfeB1wAdQHwC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=killing+fields+hillsville

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Lammas is a harvest festival and cross-quarter celebration in Anglo-Saxon and Western hemisphere countries particularly in folk culture. It is most commonly revered around August 1st but occurs between August 1st and September 1st. The holiday marks the annual harvest – usually centered around ‘wheat’ but can be observed around any harvest. It cycles around the wheat harvest though in origins. In Paganism, it is one of the eight sabbats in the Wheel of the Year as August 1st. In Christianity, it is common to bring a loaf of bread made from the new crop to church for Lammastide. This calendrically falls between Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox.

This loaf is blessed and used for magical rites in Anglo-Saxon culture, often broken into four bits that are placed at the four corners of the barn to protect the grain. Tenants also presented freshly harvested wheat to their landlords on or before August 1st.

King Arthur

England’s Mythology is imbued with the spirit of the legendary ruler “King Arthur” of their country in every aspect of its history. According to legend, Medieval histories, Romances, and the faith of the people, it was King Arthur who led the defense of Britain from the Saxon invasions during the 5th-6th centuries C.E. Some claim it is merely stories, others debate he actually existed. The tales within however are definitely saturated with folklore, literary invention, fantasy, and fables. Numerous documents claim he really did exist such as the Annales Cambriae, Historia Brittonum, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), Y Gododdin, Gildas, and many others.

Most of the tales depict a young boy turned great Warrior who mystically pulls a sword from the stone and is placed on the throne of Britain. Welsh folklore associates him with the Welsh Otherworld Annwn. He defeats the Saxons and establishes the British Empire ruling over England, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and Gaul. Arthur the boy was born at Tintagel, inherits roles from his father Uther Pendragon, guided by the wizard Merlin and becomes king, marries Guinevere, and rules with the magical sword Excalibur at his side. He has a final battle with Mordred at Camlann and is put to rest in Avalon (Glastonbury). The famous stories of Sir Lancelot and the Holy Grail were added into the storyline by 12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes.

The French storytelling takes the focus off of King Arthur and makes more importance of the Knights of the Round Table. The stories empowered the people and thrived as motivation from the Medieval Age onwards. After it died out in popularity it saw a resurgence in the 21st century through Hollywood, books, comics, movies, TV shows, and media.

Legends of King Arthur surround Glastonbury as many believe it to have been Avalon with links suggesting the medieval monks of the Glastonbury Abbey having a connection to Arthur and that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea during the 1st century. Archaeological evidence suggests the abbey was founded by Britons early 7th century C.E. even though the Roman and Saxons had occupied the site through its course in history. Many myths and legends place it as the setting for King Arthur’s tales and the Holy Grail. Archaeology tells us that Glastonbury fell into the hands of the Saxons during the Battle of Peonnum 658 C.E. as far west as the River Parrett and allowed the British Abbot Bregored to remain in power during the time. Bregored died in 669 C.E. and replaced by Berhthwald, an Anglo-Saxon Abbott for several years.

Legend has it that King Arthur’s tomb, as well as Queen Guinevere, are buried beneath the High Altar. This was recorded in 1191 C.E. by Giraldus Cambrensis in the De Principis instructione where the Abbott Henry de Sully discovered a massive hollow oak trunk containing two skeletons 16 feet beneath the altar, above it under the covering stone was a leaden cross with the unmistakable inscription “Hic jacet sepultus inclitus rex Arthurus in insula Avalonia” (Here lies interred the famous King Arthur on the Isle of Avalon). Archaeologists and Historians claim it was merely a publicity stunt at the time to raise funds to repair the Abbey from the fire.

 

White Spring
~ Wellhouse Lane, Glastonbury, England BA6 8BL, UK +44 7340 288392 * https://www.whitespring.org.uk/ ~

While backpacking Europe during the Summer of 2011 this was one of my favorite sacred spaces to visit, even more so than the infamous Chalice Well. The White Spring is a free-to-visit spring welling up in a Victorian pump house that has been converted to a temple and pilgrimage site. It offers calcium-rich spring water to all for free unlike the Chalice Well that charges high admission to enter their sacred garden.

It was the concept and dedication to the well that strengthened the birthing of my decision to be a Water Protector and Springs Guardian for the remainder of my life. This space was monumental for this change from a Protector of the Ancestors (Archaeologist) to Water Guardian as my life’s purpose.

 

Within a few feet from one another, the two Isle of Avalon mysteries wells forth from the Earth bestowing blessings, magic, and healing to its visitors and pilgrims. Each offers different healing properties, the Chalice Well being the Red spring rich with iron, the other white with calcite, both from the magical caverns beneath Glastonbury Tor, with rumors of Merlin’s magic. There is actually a third Blue Spring that has since vanished.

A temple has been built here at the White Spring offering the gift of pure water that is cavernous, mysterious, dark, Gothic, and magical as contrary to the Chalice Well in a well lit open-aired garden. The interior has three domed vaults standing at 16 feet height with beautiful bowed floors some say mimic the illusion of a hull of a boat moored at the portal to the Otherworld.

The pools within were designed and constructed based on sacred geometry following the Michael ley line that flows through space with shrines added honoring ancient energies and the Spirits of Avalon.

A company of volunteers watch over the Spring and temple who designed it, built it, and care for it on a daily basis. The site sees pilgrimages and visitors daily. Group ceremonies and meditations are also conducted daily during opening hours, including celebrations of the turning of the seasons, the full moon, and the new moon. Private ceremonies can be arranged. There is no charge or expectation of donations and all caretakers do not get paid.

 

 

The sanctuary is candle-lit and dark, the sound of the water flowing can meditatively be heard and is a guide for ceremony and contemplation. Talking or conversations is strictly discouraged as silence other than the Spring is desired, though songs are welcome and check with the well keeper if wanting to play musical instruments. No Cameras, mobile phones, or electronic equipment is permitted in the sanctuary.

Legend has it that Glastonbury is England’s most sacred site and is where the foundations of the earliest church in Britain was formed and may be the site of the earliest church in the world second to Jerusalem and was dedicated to Mary. (There is no archaeological evidence to support this legend)

The Glastonbury Tor or the Holy Hill of Albion is also believed to be England’s most sacred mountain and a place of Ancient Goddess worship. The Tor and its caverns beneath host numerous aquifers and springs that well forth from its base. Many of the springs have dried up except the Red Spring (Chalice Well) and the White Spring.

There is evidence of a monastic site at the summit of the Tor and archaeological excavations revealed it is likely that early Celtic Christian hermits once lived on the sacred site of the White Spring. In 1872 a well house was constructed over the spring creating a reservoir that was used by townsfolk who were suffering from cholera and therefore destroyed the beautiful combe that once was there.

A historic document by George Wright in 1896 stated “And what was Glastonbury like then? One thing that clings to me was the beautiful Well House Lane of those days before it had been spoilt by the erection of the reservoir. There was a small copse of bushes on the right hand running up the hill, and through it could be, not seen, but heard, the rush of running water, which made itself visible as it poured into the lane. But the lane itself was beautiful, for the whole bank was a series of fairy dropping wells – little caverns clothed with moss and vedure, and each small twig and leaf was a medium for the water to flow, drop, drop, drop into a small basin below. This water contained lime, and pieces of wood or leaves subject to this dropping became encrusted with a covering of lime. For a long time, I attended those pretty caverns with affectionate care, and Well House Lane was an object of interest to all our visitors”

 

The reservoir fell into disuse as the high calciferous waters often blocked the pipes and by the 19th-century water was piped into Glastonbury from out of town, the well house falling into disuse and forgotten. In the 1980’s it was re-opened and reconstructed being used for drinking water for the town. The walls, floors, water pipes, and chemical paint added in the ’80s was removed.

The high ceilings bowed floors, and original stone walls were uncovered unveiling the cathedral-like structure you see today. By 2004 a new owner took over the building and erected the sacred space you can visit now. The temple was consecrated in 2005. In October 2009 various pools were built inside based on sacred geometry. Its design and layout are always changing. The seasonal altar changes at each turn of the wheel. The bower that forms the Brigid shrine is rebuilt with fresh hazel for Imbolc and a February 1st celebration held in conjunction with Chalice Well and Bride’s Mound.

The White Spring is dedicated to the Goddess Brigid – the Celtic Fire Goddess and Guardian of the Sacred Springs within, and a perpetually burning Brigid Flame flickers her magic. A shrine in honor of the Lady of Avalon is within as well as a shrine in honor of the King of the World of Faerie at the portal to the Otherworld. Legend has it that the nun named Brigid who was said to be a child in 525 C.E. filled with the spirit of the Goddess Brigid who was born in Ireland from a Druidic father named Dubtach and a Christian slave mother named Brocessa. She was raised in both traditions and chose to enter a monastery – making her an Abbess as well as a nun. Legend states she lived and learned at the Beckery in Glastonbury before founding her abbey Cill Dara in Kildare Ireland.

The Lady of Avalon is seen at the White Spring as the Lady of ancient feminine primary power as Mother, Earth Mother, Mother of God, and Mother of us all. She is forever conceiving and birthing yet remains unchanged as herself self-fulfilled as the Virgin Mother. She is a dark lady like the earth – dark, womb-like, safe, hidden, mysterious, vast, abstract, and protective. She is also called the Black Madonna.

The King of the Faeries represents nature as wild, beautiful, majestic, diverse, interdependent, and powerful. He represents the Fae, the Otherworld, and is King of the World of Faerie as well as all the nature spirits of this world. He represents the unity of both worlds.

It is said that the White Spring is a portal to the Celtic Otherworld. It is said that Gwyn Ap Nudd was said to ride through here.

More Information: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-white-spring-glastonbury-england

 

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Legend and lore about the song will be posted soon.

Jackalope

The American Southwest boasts a cryptid and legendary creature known as the “jackalope” – a jack-rabbit hosting antelope horns. The name is simply the combination of a “Jack Rabbit” and “Antelope” as “jackalope”. Many of the taxidermy fake creations sold in stores around the Southwest are actually Jack Rabbits with deer antlers added to them. While a later invention, the “jackalope” is now a solid part of American western folklore.

The creature was invented by Douglas Herrick and his brother who were great hunters who possessed mad taxidermy skills, and they grafted deer antlers onto a jackrabbit carcass selling it to a hotel in Douglas, Wyoming. It was such a hit, they started making and selling them in a retail outlet in South Dakota.

Another taxidermist took over their craft selling the stuffed creatures as popular art pieces today. They have been added to photos, postcards, greeting cards, stuffed animals, and many other gifts if gift shops and became a subject to many stories, poems, shows, movies, video games, and almost made it onto the bills of the Wyoming legislature as the state’s legendary creature.

Historically, folklorists believe that the mythical beast was first discussed in legend as some historical sightings of horned hares were reported, most likely from rabbits infected with the Shope papilloma virus causing a horn or antler-like tumor to grow in various places on a rabbit’s head and body. The fabled creature dates back to the Colonial period of America.

There have been many stories of horned rabbits throughout the world, not restricted to the American Southwest or West. There was a 13th-century Persian work that depicts a rabbit with a single horn represented like a “unicorn”. The two-horned rabbit appears in Medieval and Renaissance folklore in Bavaria as the wolpertinger. Joannes Jonstonus’ 17th-century natural history text “Historiae Naturalis de Quadrupetibus Libre (The History Book of Natural Quadrangles) illustrated such as Animalia Qvadrvpedia et Reptilia (Terra) with Plate XLVII by Joris Hoefnagel (1522-1600) in the 16th century included the horned hare. They described the hybrids as real creatures but were rejected later by 18th-century scientists. Richard E. Shope, M.D. referenced horned rabbits afflicted with the Shope papillomavirus in a scientific journal dated to 1933 as “horned” or “warty” rabbits.

Legends of them also can be found in Asia and Africa as well as other parts of Europe. The Huichol legends of Central America also have references to horned rabbits as the deer getting horns from the rabbit as the deer and rabbit were to be paired as day signs in the calendar of the Mesoamerican period of the Aztecs – twins, as brothers, even the sun and moon.

The Chamber of Commerce in Douglas Wyoming issues Jackalope Hunting Licenses to tourists, good for the official jackalope season for one day – June 31st from midnight to 2 am. The hunter must have an IQ greater than 50 but not over 72. They have issued thousands of these gag licenses. Douglas also has an 8′ statue of a jackalope and the town hosts the annual Jackalope Days Celebration each June. Jackalopes are seen as dangerous creatures, hunters are advised to wear stovepipes on their legs to prevent being gored to death. They are said to mimic the human voice and are known to mimic the voices of cowboys gathered around campfires at night or singing along with their songs. They are supposedly only able to breed during lightning flashes and their antlers make the act difficult despite the fact that hares are known to be extremely fertile.

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Wandjini or Wandjina

For the People of the Land Down Under in Kimberley, the Wandjina are their representation of the “Supreme Creator”. They are also known as “The Sky Beings” or “cloud spirits”. They are the symbol to use for “fertility” and “rain”. Images of the Wandjina are painted in rock art throughout Western Kimberley and are not found anywhere else in Australia.

The Wandjina’s area is about 200,000 square kilometers of lands, water, sea, and islands in the Kimberley region of north-western Australia, dating back at least 60,000 years B.P. or older. The three Wandjina tribal groups are the Worora, Ngarinyin, and Wunumbul people. They are also called “Gwion Gwion” or “Gyorn Gyorn”.

They are amongst the most sacred of figures and extremely spiritual images to the Mowanjum peoples who comprise up the three language groups – the Worrorra, Ngarinyin, and Wunumbal. They are sometimes depicted in threes. The Wandjinias have large eyes on a face with no mouth. Legend states they have no mouths because that would make them too powerful. They have been said to have control over nature. One has been claimed to be the origin of the Milky Way. They have been known for their role in creating the world and universe. 

They sometimes are depicted with elaborate headdresses and each of these can symbolize a different kind of storm. Their eyes also represent weather storms. Their elegant elongated bodies featured in the Gyorn Gyorn images represent their long-ago ancestors before the Wandjinas who brought the laws of the land and can date upwards of 20,000 years B.C.E. These images can be found with Wandjinas over-painted on them with other imagery. When this occurs, they are sometimes called “Bradshaws”.

According to Aboriginal law, only Aboriginal people who went through the law are allowed to use Wandjinas and their representation. Only after years of initiation, ceremonies, and the tribal council can an Aboriginal artist win the right to depict Wandjinas in their art. Throughout Australia, modern art depicting the Wandjina can be found that is considered inappropriate art work.

It is especially inappropriate for a non-Indigenous person to depict Wandjinas without permission. Doing so is seen as mockery and denigration of the spiritual beliefs of the Worrorra people. Another inappropriate depiction of Wandjina was done in Perth around 2007 varying from stencil-work to spray painting of Wandjina driving a pink car. There were even Flickr blogs of people engaged in “Wandjina watching” documenting such graffiti found. The Wandering Wandjina really angered traditional indigenous people and a film called “Who Paintin’ Dis Wandjina” covers the Aboriginal reaction.

They are often seen as cloud and rain spirits as well. They were known to have created the landscape and its inhabitants of the Dreamtime, continually influencing both. When the spirits found the place for their death bed, they painted their images on cave walls and entered a nearby waterhole. These paintings were then to be refreshed by Aborigines as a method to regenerate one’s life force. Those who break the law of the land could see punishment from the Wandjina in the forms of floods, lightning, and cyclones.

The artistic style of Wandjina rock art appears from 3800-4000 B.C.E. It is said to have occurred after a millennium-long drought that gave way to a much damper and wet climate demonstrating more frequent monsoons. The depictions are often in black, red, or yellow and usually almost always on a white background. The Wandjina spirits are often depicted either alone or in a group, commonly of three, vertically or horizontally depending on the dimension of the rock being painted on, and sometimes found with figures or objects like yams or Rainbow Serpents.

Most of the time it shows large upper bodies and heads showing eyes and noses, without mouths. This is explained that they are so powerful they do not require speech and if they had mouths, the rains would never cease. The heads are often made of lines or blocks of colors with lighting depicted as coming out of transparent helmets. Each year, the paintings are repainted in December or January to insure the arrival of monsoon rains and some paintings at various sites can be seen as being over 40 layers deep. Newer images appear stockier and some even are painted with eyelashes.

Some modern theories and mythology claim that the Wandjina were ancient astronauts or aliens from outer space. They believe that extraterrestrial beings visited the Earth tens of thousands of years ago, had contact with the peoples living then, and some even believe they had a direct role in the creation of humans and the Earth. Some of these theories place Wandjina’s roles in the Dreamtime stories as proof.

The artistic depictions of aliens today and the Wandjina certainly have great similarities. The questions of why the Wandjinas were depicted with white skin instead of the Aboriginal black skin, why the eyes were dis-apportioned to the rest of the face with no mouth, and them being “sky beings” was another confusion that led to alien theories.

The “sky beings” or “spirits from the clouds” who came down from the Milky Way during Dreamtime and created the Earth and all of its inhabitants is certainly suspicious. The Wandjinas supposedly looked upon the inhabitants of Earth and realized the enormity of the task at hand so had to return home to bring more Wandjinas, with the aid of the Dreamtime snake, they descended and spent their Dreamtime creating, teaching, and being Gods to the Aboriginals whom they created.

They then disappeared, descended into the Earth, and have lived at the bottom of the water source associated with each of the paintings producing new “child-seeds” which are regarded as the source of all human life. Some returned to the skies and can be seen at night as lights moving high above the earth.

As a side note/observation, I once had a vision during a ritual of a group of white-robed white beings who only had eyes and noses (no mouths) (but they were normal human eyes and noses) who came and spoke to me about things … I could hear them like as if talking face-to-face to another human, but I heard them in my mind as they had no mouths. Curious if this could have been the wandjina?

 

References and Bibliography:

• Ancient Origins n.d. “Mysterious Aboriginal Rock Art Wandjinas – Extraterrestrial or not?” Web site referenced 7/5/18 at https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/mysterious-aboriginal-rock-art-wandjinas-extraterrestrial-or-not-00701
• Creative Spirits n.d. “What Are Wandjinas”. Web site referenced 7/5/18 at http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/arts/what-are-wandjinas
• Poleshift n.d. “Wandjina Rock Art in Kimberley Australia”. Web site referenced 7/5/18 at http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/wandjina-rock-art-kimberley-au
• Walia, Arjun 2019 “A 5000-year-old Aboriginal Cave Painting of the Wandjina Known as Sky Beings”. Web site referenced 3/18/2021: https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/12/30/a-5000-year-old-aboriginal-cave-painting-of-the-wandjina-the-sky-beings/
• Wikipedia n.d. “Wandjina”. Web site referenced 7/5/18 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandjina
• Youtube n.d. “Wandjinas”. Web site referenced 7/5/18 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBUd_WIjN9g

 

Oweynagat Cave – Cave of the Cats

– Gateway to the Underworld and the Morrigan’s Palace.
Rathcrohan / Roscommon, Ireland

GPS: 53.79677, -8.31038
Article/Research by Thomas Baurley/Leaf McGowan
Techno Tink Media and Research, 10 October 2017

One of my most favorite sites in Ireland is the “Cave of the Cats” underneath the realm of “Rathcrohan“. It is officially called “Oweynagat” and pronounced “Owen-ne-gatt”.

The Cave is also labeled “Uaimh na gCat”, Irish translating to “Cave of the Cats”. When I first visited this site we had a tremendously hard time finding it. We found where it was supposed to be, but it lay behind fencing on a farmer’s field. We knocked on the farmer’s door, and there was no answer. A neighbor saw us, asked what we were doing and who we were, and he showed us the entrance, giving us permission to enter.

It was a small hole under some Fairy thorn trees. The Site is actually a natural narrow limestone cave that hosts a man-made souterrain at its entrance. This is seen by all as the official entrance to the Otherworld and home to the Morrigan or Medh. In the Medieval Period of Ireland, it was labeled “Ireland’s Gate to Hell”. It is a particular sacred site for the Pagan holiday and festival of “Samhain” or Halloween.

It is said that during the Feast of Samhain, the dead, their God/desses, and Spirits, would rise from their graves and walk the Earth. This cave is one of the main places where Spirits and the dead associated with the Fae and/or the Morrigan, would re-surface including creatures, monsters, and the un-dead. There exists an Irish legend based on the “Adventures of Nera” where a warrior is challenged to tie a twig around the ankle of a condemned man on Samhain eve, after agreeing to get him some water would discover strange houses and wouldn’t find water until the third house. Upon returning him back to captivity would witness Rathcroghan’s royal buildings destroyed by the spirits. After this, he must follow the fairy host to the Sidhe where he meets a woman who tells him the vision he saw will happen a year from now unless his mortal comrades are warned. He leaves the Sidhe and informs Ailill of his vision who destroys the Sidhe in response.

Some believe the “síd” or the Sidhe of this tale is either the Mound of Rathcroghan or Oweynagat, the Cave of the Cats. It makes the most sense that the Cave of the Cats is where the destructive creatures and fae emerged. There was a triple-headed monster called the Ellen Trechen that went on a rampage across the country before being killed by Amergin, father of Conal Cernach. There have been tales of small red birds emerging from the cave withering every plant they breathed on before being hunted to their death by the Red Branch. There are also legends of herds of pigs with similar powers of decay emerging from the cave until hunted and killed by Ailill and Medb.

The name itself, “Oweynagat” is believed to refer to the Magical wild cats featured in the tale of “Bricriu’s Feast” that emerge from this cave to attack the three Ulster warriors before being tamed by Cúchulainn. Some also claim that the cave was named after Irusan, the King of the Cats, who is featured in Irish fairy tales and hailed from a cave near Clonmacnoise (her home). Another tale from the 18th century CE tells of a woman trying to catch a runaway cow that fell into this cave (nevermind the entrance being too small) and followed it into this cave. It is said the cow and woman emerged miles away in County Sligo, near Keshcorran. There is also a legend of a woman that was told to have killed a monster cat in this cave, turning the woman into a great warrior, and this is why it’s called “Oweynagat”, Cave of the Cats.

The Birthplace of Medb

It is also believed that this cave is the actual physical birthplace of Queen Medb. The legend states that the Fairy Queen/Goddess Étain who was fleeing her human husband with her fairy lover Midir came here. Midir wanted to visit a relative named Sinech (the large breasted one) who lived in the cave. Within the cave was said to be a great otherworldly palace where a maidservant named Crochan Crogderg (“Blood Red Cup”) lived, and she had granted Midir and Etain entrance. It was here that Crochan was believed to have given birth to a daughter named “Medb“.

The Entrance

Nestled under a fairy tree in a farmer’s field (private property) is a small opening that really only looks large enough for a house cat to fit through. But if a human gets down on their hands and knees, can shimmy into this small hole, they will be presented with a small chamber that connects to a passageway that continually increases to a massive tunnel wider and higher than one could fathom. At the inner lintel of this entrance is an Ogham inscription that bears the words “VRAICCI…MAQI MEDVVI” translating to “FRAECH” and “SON OF MEDB”. Some also translate this to mean “The Pillar of Fraech son of Madb”. This is also seen as the birthplace of Medb. A second ogham inscription, barely visible, reads “QR G SMU” but has not been translated.

This beginning chamber is actually a man-made souterrain at the entrance to a natural narrow limestone cave. The souterrain was originally contained within an earthen mound that was later damaged by a road construction project in the 1930s. The souterrain is made of dry stone walling, orthostats, lintels, and stones that measure approximately 10.5 meters from the entrance to the natural cave’s opening.

The Tunnel

After crawling on one’s hands and feet, the passage increases in width and height, eventually one can stand up, and eventually, the tunnel becomes wide and tall enough that a small Giant could move through it. This is the passage of the Fae and leads to the Morrigan’s Lair. As one continues down, they’ll find a caved in shamble that is behind a muddy pool of water. If one successfully climbs up and over it, the passage continues to another area that is caved in. Apparently, workers on the surface planted a utility pole that collapsed this section of the tunnel. Beyond this is believed to be the Entrance to the Otherworld, and the Morrigan’s Lair. This is actually a natural limestone cave that has been mapped approximately 37 meters deep.

The Morrigan

The Queen of the Dark Fae, the Goddess of the Underworld, of Darkness, and Battle, rules the world of the Fae from this place. It is believed that every Samhain, is pulled on a chariot out of the Cave of the Cats by a one-legged chestnut horse alongside various creatures such as those mentioned above. Some also say on occasion she leaves the cave with a cow, guided by a giant with a forked staff, to give to the Bull of Cúailgne. She is also known to take the bull of a woman named Odras who follows her into the cave before falling under an enchanted sleep upon awakening to see the Morrigan who repeatedly whispers a spell over her, turning her into a river, the same river that feeds the muddy pool at the shamble.

Apparently, the cave is seen as a portal through which the Morrigan would pass in order to work with Medb as Goddess of Battle. She drove her otherworldly cattle into the cave every sunset. The Morrigan was blamed to have stolen a herd of cattle who belonged to a woman named Odras, and upon following to Morrigan to retrieve them, was turned into a lake by the Goddess. As is the story of Nera, a servant of Medb who met a Fairy woman here in this cave. He married her, and she warned him of Medb’s palace being burnt to the ground next to Samhain by the creatures of the otherworld. Upon hearing this, Medb stationed her forces in the cave each Samhain to protect Cruachan from destruction.

Rathcrohan is the legendary burial grounds of the Kings of Connaught. The region covers approximately 518 hectares hosting more than 20 ring forts, burial mounds, megalithic tombs such as the Relig na Ri (burial ground of the Kings), Rath na dTarbh (For the Bulls), and the Rathbeg. The archaeological site is massive, with earthworks spread over the region with the Grave of King Dathi (Last Pagan King of Ireland) as a 2 meter high standing stone being one of the few physical landmarks left that can be seen.

This is also the site of the mythical battle of the “Tain Bo Cuailgne” that remains in the hearts, minds, and folklore of the people of Tulsk and Rathcroghan recorded in the Ancient Irish Epic of the Tain Bo Cuiailgne, the “Cattle Raid of Cooley”. The Tain Bo tells the story of Queen Maeve of Connaught and her armies that pursued the Grat Brown Bull of Cooley, the mighty warrior Cuchulain who does battle with the armies here, and his foster brother Erdia as he defends the Brown Bull and the province of Ulster. There are a “Tain Trail Cycling and Touring Route” that re-traces the journey that Queen Maeve and her armies traveled from her Royal Palace at Rathcroghan across Ireland to the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth, the home of the Brown Bull. Rathcrohan hosts over 60 National Monuments here.

Bibliography/References:

• Druid School: Oweynagat Cave of the Cats. Website referenced January 2012.

• Fenwick, J. et al 1977 “Oweynagat”. Irish Speleology 16, 11-14.

• Hannon, Ed 2012 “Visions of the Past: Oweynagat Cave”. Website referenced 10/10/17 at https://visionsofthepastblog.com/2012/10/01/oweynagat-cave-souterrain-co-roscommon/.

• Mulranney, R. n.d “Caves of Ireland: Oweynagat Cave of the Cats”. Website referenced 10/10/17 at https://cavesofireland.wordpress.com/home/caves/oweynagat-cave-of-the-cats-co-roscommon/.

• Waddell, J. 1983 “Rathcroghan – A Royal Site”. Journal of Irish Archaeology 1.

• Wikipedia n.d. “Rathcroghan”. Website referenced 10/10/17 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathcroghan.

 

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