Folklore and myth have long been associated with nature and wildlife. Read on to find out Spooky Tales, Sinister Ingredients and Horrifying Spells linked to river-dwelling plants, fungi and animals.
Frogs, Toads and Newts
“Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog…” were the famous ingredients used by the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It’s been suggested that this sinister concoction was simply made of the medicinal plants used by herbal healers. ‘Eye of newt’ is thought of as an ancient term for mustard seeds and, ‘tongue of dog’ as the wildflower, Hounds-tongue.
Brambles
Folklore across Britain warns us not to eat blackberries after a certain date, ranging from Michaelmas day to the 11th of October, when it is said that the devil “puts his paw” upon them. In Yorkshire, it is said that the Devil ruins them by spitting on them!
Fungi
Folklore has many tales of Witches’ Butter, the yellow jelly fungi pictured. In Eastern Europe, witches’ butter found fruiting on your door frame was a sign of a spell cast upon your home. There are many other wonderful, creepy fungi to find – see if you can find the zombie-like Devil’s fingers and Dead-man’s fingers, emerging from the ground this Halloween!
Creepy Crawlies
The Devil’s Coach Horse, has long been associated with myth and superstition. Part of the Rove Beetle family, it has shortened outer wing cases, which means unlike other beetles it can move its abdomen freely – when attacked it raises it in the air, much like a scorpion! In folklore, it is thought to be magical and can curse a person by pointing its tail in their direction.
Bats
Britain has 18 breeding bat species, fortunately, all are insectivores, so you are safe from the vampires tonight! Despite their association with Halloween, by the end of October, most bats have gone to their hibernation roosts and won’t be seen till the Spring.
Happy Halloween!
doncatchment.wordpress.com 
You must be logged in to post a comment.