YORKSHIRE LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS OF WELLS by Laketempest 2010/11/03 01:00
England!

Springs and wells of water have, in all lands and in all ages, been greatly valued, and in some regarded with a feeling of veneration little, if at all, short of worship.
They have yielded their treasure to the sustenance and refreshment of man and beast, as age after age of the world's history has passed along, and have been centers around which village story and gossip have gathered for generation after generation. Little wonder, therefore, is it that legends and traditions abound concerning them. These are often extremely local, and therefore little known.

The names alone, however, suggest much. The memory of the mythical gods, satyrs, and nymphs of the ancient heathen times lingers in a few, as in Thors-kil or Thors-well, in the parish of Burnsall; and in the almost universal declaration . by which not over-wise parents seek to deter children from playing in dangerous proximity to a well . that at the bottom, under the water, dwells a mysterious being, usually named Jenny Green-teeth or Peg-o'-the-Well, who will certainly drag into the water any child who approaches too near to it.

The tokens of medieval reverence for wells are abundant. The names of the saints to whom the wells were dedicated yet cling to them. "There is scarcely a well of consequence in the United Kingdom," says the editor of Lancashire Folk-lore, "which has not been solemnly dedicated to some saint in the Roman calendar."

Thus in Yorkshire they have their Lady's Well or Lady Well, St. Helen's Well (very numerous), St. Margaret's Well at Burnsall, St. Bridget's Well near Ripon, St. Mungo's Well at Copgrove, St. John's Well at Beverley, St. Alkelda's Well at Middleham, etc. Dr. Whitaker remarks that the wells of Craven, which bear the names of saints, are invariably presided over by females, as was the case with wells under the pagan ritual, in which nymphs exclusively enjoyed the same honor
Marlou 2010/11/03 01:08
Wow! Great info. I d0nt kn0w if legend is true but s0mehow i believe it is true.lol.
OceanGoddes 2010/11/03 02:18
Good work hun /smiley Well i heard some of it but didn't understand until now/smiley you went into depth and i thank you for it. Keep it up
Laketempest 2011/01/05 18:14
Quote: OceanGoddes: Good work hun /smiley Well i heard some of it but didn't understand until now/smiley you went into depth and i thank you for it. Keep it up
thanks for liking it guys, ita an interesting legend.

jay6600 2011/01/10 03:28
Each year here in Derbyshire(england) We do well dressing each year varing from early to late summer its some kinda very old custom of how precious water was and in just drinking any water could get a visit from the blackdeath/smiley ...locally we have a myth that their a trolls live under the bridges that cross the rivers and you wouldnt want encounter one of them things .i think its just a old myth kept going to keep youngsters from play near the waters
Eternal_Knight 2011/01/11 10:43
Nice info lake n jake
Eternal_Knight 2011/01/11 10:43
Nice info lake n jake
Eternal_Knight 2011/01/11 10:43
Nice info lake n jake
Eternal_Knight 2011/01/11 10:43
Nice info lake n jake
_ShAnE_StArK_ 2015/05/04 08:50
Nice info
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