Event report

Landscapes and Legends

Saturday 22 May 2010

Tutor: Tom Hughes

Legends are such an integral part of our lives that we accept them without questioning their origins, but during this course, we did and some fascinating theories were discussed.

Tom Hughes started the day by telling us the legend of the Dragon of Moston, where the dragon captures men and drags them into the mere, drowning them before he devours them. We wondered whether boggy ground is associated with tales of dragons, because bits of bog

bodies were found before they were properly identified. Other legends suggested other origins, some of them now more explicable in the light of twenty first century science.

In that frame of mind we looked at some of the symbolic features of the Old Medicine House and walked to the sinister marl pits in a nearby wood. Here Tom told the tale of Jenny Greenteeth and we talked about the psychological lure of water.

Back in the Old Medicine House we considered whether the Legend of Alderley might hold a memory of activity on the Edge. Alan Garner promised a possible explanation of this legend in the lecture ‘From Seven Firs and Goldenstone’, which he will be giving on 20th October at the Grosvenor Museum in Chester.

Tom also told us of legends that had arisen after fictional stories about real landscapes had been written, which led us to the conclusion that whether some legends contain a grain of truth or not, we still need to tell tales to unriddle the world.

Comments from participants at the Landscapes and Legends course – 22nd May 2010

‘A legendary day in a beautiful landscape.’  ‘A wealth of interesting stories and a treat to meet such a lovely group of people.’  ‘It’s so important not to lose our heritage and culture in this modern world.’  ‘An intimate atmosphere created by the small group.’  ‘A brilliant day. Fantastic stories. Lots to think about.’ ‘A real gem of an experience.’