Myths, legends and ghosts in Great Britain

Some key vocabulary Myths Legends Ghosts

Haunted Places Key vocabulary: – ghosts – spirits – haunted – killed – associated with

Haunted Places Chillingham Castle is situated in Northumberland, in the north-east of England It is thought to be full of ghosts and spirits There is also a torture chamber full of horrible things

Haunted Places Glamis Castle in Scotland is thought to be the most haunted place in Britain One of the ghosts is the “Grey Lady”, who was killed in 1537 The castle has a small chapel in the garden, and no-one is allowed to sit in one of the chairs, because it belongs to the Grey Lady

King Arthur

The legend of King Arthur is one of Britain´s most famous stories It is about a good king who fights monsters and evil people His sword is called Excalibur and he has the Round Table where all his knights sit Some say that Excalibur was stuck in a rock, others that the Lady of the Lake gave it to Arthur

King Arthur The BBC has made a television series called “Merlin,” which is about Arthur when he was a teenager Let´s meet some of the characters!

King Arthur Arthur is a prince who will one day be king He lives in Camelot with his father He is quite arrogant, but is also strong, brave and caring

King Arthur Merlin is a boy who can do magic He works for Arthur He will be an important part of Arthur´s reign and he often uses magic to save Arthur´s life

King Arthur Guinevere is a servant in Arthur´s palace One day, in the future, she will marry Arthur and become his queen She is kind, caring and sensible

King Arthur Lancelot is a knight who is Arthur´s best friend In the legend, he is ugly – do you think he is ugly?! He is in love with Guinevere and their love will cause many problems

King Arthur Morgana is a friend of Arthur She also has magical powers She is caring, strong and passionate

King Arthur King Uther Pendragon is Arthur´s father, and king of Camelot He hates magic and kills anyone who practises magic Although he can be cruel and nasty, he loves Arthur very much and wants him to be a good king

King Arthur Here are some of the monsters and enemies that Arthur has to fight!

King Arthur The legend tells us that Arthur is badly wounded in a battle He asks one of his friends to throw Excalibur back into the lake As he is dying, a boat arrives to take him away It is said that King Arthur will return to Britain when the country is in danger

Robin Hood The legend of Robin Hood is also extremely well-known in Britain Robin Hood was a rich man who had his money taken away by the bad king of England, King John. He decided to steal money from rich people and give it to`poor people He is widely regarded as a hero

Robin Hood Once again, the BBC has made a television series about Robin Hood, so… let´s meet the characters!

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a young man who steals money to help the poor He is very brave, kind and principled He is a skilled fighter and brave warrior

Robin Hood Marian, or Maid Marian, is Robin´s girlfriend She helps him to steal money and fight his enemies She is very brave, passionate and determined

Robin Hood Guy of Gisbourne, the Sheriff of Nottingham and King John are the “bad guys,” Robin Hood´s enemies They are cruel and nasty to the poor

Robin Hood Robin has many friends to help him battle against the wicked Sheriff Their names are Will, Much, Djaq, Friar Tuck, Little John and Allan They live in Sherwood Forest to hide from the bad guys

Fairies Fairies are generally thought to be small, pretty people However, they are also thought to be extremely tall and potentially dangerous Which film is this fairy from?

Fairies The case of the Cottingley Fairies is one of the most famous fairy stories in Britain In 1917 two girls called Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright, who were cousins, took five photographs of fairies playing in their garden

Fairies Some people thought the photos were real, others said that they were fake The famous author Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories, believed that the photos were genuine However, in 1981 the girls (now old ladies) said that the photos were fake, that the fairies were made out of paper and held upright by hairpins But Frances always said that the fifth photo was genuine The mysterious fifth photo – is it real or not?

Green Man The Green Man is not only found in Great Britain, but is one of its most frequent symbols It is usually found on churches

Green Man This Green Man is in Cadiz This Green Man is in Rochester Cathedral

Selkies Selkies are creatures from Irish and Scottish mythology They are seals which can shed their skin to become humans Traditionally selkies become humans and fall in love with another human being However, after a certain period of time the selkie becomes a seal again and returns to the sea They are associated with romantic, sad stories

Banshees Banshees are from an Irish mythology When someone is dying, the banshee wails and screams They wear long dresses of white or grey and often have long fair hair It is said that if you see a comb lying on the ground, you should not pick it up, because a banshee has prepared a trap and is ready to take you away

Mermaids The word “mermaid” comes from the Old English word “mere,” meaning sea, and “maid” meaning young woman They have the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish They typically appear with a comb and a mirror While films like “The Little Mermaid” show kind mermaids, other stories say that they deliberately drown humans

Leprechauns Leprechauns are a type of fairy which are found in Ireland They look like old men, dressed in a green suit They are the same size as a small child They like to play tricks and tell jokes

Fairies and fairy circles A fairy ring is a circle of mushrooms, found mainly in woods and forests It is said that it is the home of fairies and spirits It is thought that if a human steps into the ring, they will become invisible and will not be able to leave the ring

Crop Circles Crop circles are detailed patterns which appear in fields across Britain It was thought that the devil had made the designs Some people think that aliens make the patterns!