December is a spooky time associated with the paranormal. It's the darkest month of the year, and also a favourite time for listening to ghost stories and fairy tales. While everyone is familiar with the holiday theme of Santa bringing gifts down the chimney, itself now impossible due to the design of modern houses, that is just one mythical and friendly spirit of December. There are the small elves called Santa's little helpers, the Christmas tree fairies, angels, enchanted flying reindeer, gnomes (some called gonks) witches, et al. I can only mention some of them.
During the Winter Solstice (21st December), ghosts and evil spirits from all over gather at a site called Stiperstones in Shropshire. Here they meet up and select a ruler for the year. It's overseen by the Devil who sits on a rock, called the Devil's Chair. It's said that if the rock sinks into the ground, England will collapse. The Devil always sits on the same rock and tries to break it, especially during stormy nights.
At Cornwall is a cave called Pendeen Fogou (Pendeen Vau), with the story of a phantom lady who appears every Christmas. The fogue is an ancient structure that leads deep underground, and a spectral woman in white appears. She holds a bright red rose, sometimes in her mouth, and beckons people to go with her into the cave. Anyone who follows her will experience misfortune and even looking at her will cause doom.
In Tarpot area of Cumbria, a very old local legend of a farmer and his horse vanishing without trace on Christmas Eve. He was returning home from visiting an inn, but then they were never seen again. Each year on the anniversary of the disappearance, both farmer and his horse are seen as apparitions.
Another recurring haunt is at Corcomroe Abbey in County Clare, a ghostly pair of lovers meet during Christmas. It's a tragic story of a poet named Cearbhall and a princess named Eibhlin, daughter of the king of Scotland. They both wanted to marry at midnight on Christmas Eve in secret because the king disapproved of Eibhlin with Cearbhall. The king followed them and murdered them both. Every year their ghosts are seen on Christmas Even night.
Again the Devil is believed to walk across Cromwell Bridge at Stony Hurst in Lancashire on Christmas Eve. It's never a good idea to look him in the eyes or if you do, legend says, he'll take your soul.
Lady Jane Grey haunts the location of Bradgate Park in Leicestershire. She visits the mansion and the grounds, which is where she was raised as a child. She returns there every Christmas Eve, often arriving in a coach pulled by a team of four spectral black headless horses.
Spooky church bells can be heard from places that no loner exist anymore. In Halam, Nottinghamshire, there was once a village named Radley that lies buried and lost somewhere in the valley. Church bells can be heard ringing on Christmas Eve from this area and no village in sight. Also in Preston, Lancashire, on every Christmas Eve, bells can be heard ringing from nowhere. It's believed to be ghostly sounds from a church that used to be there and sunk into the ground ages ago.
A strange parade of ghost pigs walk across the road every Christmas Eve in Calcutt, Wiltshire. They're described as small white pigs with red ears.
Have a wonderful Yule!
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