Myths, legends and ghosts in Great BritainMyths, 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 fullof 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

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 potentiallydangerous

• 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 CadizThis 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

MermaidsThe 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!