FOUNDING MYTHS

MYTHS AND CREEDS ARE HEROIC STRUGGLES TO COMPREHEND THE TRUTH IN THE WORLD. ANSEL ADAMS

AN ANCIENT CELTIC CIVILISATION

THE CELTS WERE THE FIRST TRUE PEOPLE OF BRITAIN, SETTLING MAINLY IN WHAT IS NOW NORTHERN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES. THEIR ANCIENT PRIESTS AND SORCERERS WERE KNOWN AS DRUIDS. MOST FAMOUS OF DRUIDIC MONUMENTS IS PROBABLY STONEHENGE (ALTHOUGH MYSTERY SURROUNDS THE DATING OF STONEHENGE, AS IT APPARENTLY PRE-DATES THE CELTS BY PERHAPS 1,000 YEARS). CLOSE BY IS THE MYSTICAL AND ANCIENT AVALON IN GLASTONBURY, THE LEGENDARY HOME OF KING ARTHUR & CAMELOT. IN NEARBY WINCHESTER ARE THE FAMOUS WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL & THE LEGENDARY GREAT HALL OF KING ARTHUR AND THE ROUND TABLE.

CROP CIRCLES
REGULARLY REPORTED PHENOMENA IN GREAT BRITAIN, CROP CIRCLES STILL REMAIN A MYSTERY. THIS PUZZLING AND MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA, INTRICATE SYMBOLS THAT SEEM TO APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE IN CROP FIELDS IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND STILL APPEARS REGULARLY, ALWAYS INVARIABLY OVERNIGHT. WHILE MANY CROP CIRCLES HAVE BEEN PUT DOWN TO ELABORATE HOAXES, MANY STILL REMAIN UNEXPLAINED.

SCREAMING LIKE A BANSHEE

RICH IN IRISH FOLKLORE, THE BANSHEE IS A TRULY CHILLING SUPERNATURAL CREATURE, REPUTED TO BE THE ANCESTRAL SPIRIT APPOINTED TO WARN MEMBERS OF CERTAIN ANCIENT IRISH FAMILIES OF THEIR TIME OF DEATH. ACCORDING TO TRADITION, THE BANSHEE CAN ONLY CRY FOR FIVE MAJOR IRISH FAMILIES THE ONEILLS, THE OBRIENS, THE OCONNORS, THE OGRADYS AND THE KAVANAGHS BUT MARRIAGE BETWEEN FAMILIES HAS ALLEGEDLY FURTHER EXTENDED THIS SELECT LIST. WHATEVER THE ORIGINS OF THE BANSHEE, SHE SUPPOSEDLY APPEARS IN ONE OF THREE GUISES: A YOUNG WOMAN, A MIDDLE AGED MATRON, OR A VERY OLD UGLY WOMAN A HAG. THE BANSHEE ALSO CAN APPEAR AS A WASHERWOMAN, APPARENTLY WASHING THE BLOODY CLOTHES OF THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO DIE.

ST MICHAELS MOUNT, CORNWALL

ST MICHAEL'S MOUNT AT PENZANCE IS A SMALL TIDAL ISLAND JUST OFF THE COAST OF CORNWALL. LEGEND HAS IT THE MOUNT WAS THE WORK OF CORNISH GIANT CORMORAN WHO BUILT A FORTIFIED HOME FROM WHERE HE COULD TERRORISE THE LOCALS LIVING IN THE COASTAL VILLAGE OF MARAZION. BUT ONE NIGHT, LOCAL LAD JACK CREPT OVER TO THE ISLAND AND DUG A HOLE DISGUISING IT WITH STRAW. WHEN JACK WOKE HIM, CORMORAN BLUNDERED INTO THE HOLE NEVER TO ESCAPE. WALK UP ST MICHAEL'S MOUNT, SEE JACKS HOLE AND PUT YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE NEARBY ROCK. IT IS SAID YOU CAN STILL HEAR THE GIANT'S HEART BEATING.

JACK THE RIPPER, EAST LONDON

THE SERIAL KILLER KNOWN AS JACK THE RIPPER WAS SCARILY REAL AND THE FACT THAT 5 LONDON PROSTITUTES WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED IN 1888 IS BEYOND DISPUTE. MORE MYSTERIOUS IS THE IDENTITY OF THE KILLER WITH SUSPECTS RANGING FROM ARTIST WALTER SICKERT TO AUTHOR LEWIS CARROLL. TOUR THE FOG-CLOAKED STREETS OF EAST LONDON TO REVIEW THE EVIDENCE FOR YOURSELF. WHILE WHITECHAPEL RETAINS SOMETHING OF THE NIGHT, BY DAY IT HAS A GREAT MIX OF HIP BOUTIQUES, DESIGNER BARS AND, ON BRICK LANE, CURRY HOUSES AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.