We arrived late in the afternoon on Saturday. After a walk down the road and around a bit of coastline we returned to an amazing meal with my hubby's Aunt. After dinner she gave us a more extensive tour by car in and around some of the nearby communities and to witness a most spectacular sunset!
It wasn't long after arriving back at her place that we stumbled up the stairs to bed. It was a warm night and we had the windows wide open so we slept pretty well. The following morning, however, as we were headed out on another tour, a nearby neighbour stopped us to ask if had heard "the screaming in the night?" Whaaa! Apparently, at about 3:00 am, someone had started screaming for help from the nearby woods / shoreline. The RCMP were called and arrived to investigate but by then the screaming had stopped. Nothing has been found...yet.
There are bits of bog in the nearby woods and you can find yourself on solid rock with one step and in chest deep bog the next. I've written before about the stories people tell about being led astray and getting lost in the woods. In Newfoundland it used to be thought the fault of the fairies when people got turned around. Many of these stories and beliefs came with the people who moved here from southern Ireland.
"Most are not aware of the province’s fairy folklore. We’ve all heard a ghost story
or two, but to most, stories of “the good folk” are seldom heard, especially
amongst the younger generations. But our province has a past that was rich in
or two, but to most, stories of “the good folk” are seldom heard, especially
amongst the younger generations. But our province has a past that was rich in
fairy lore, particularly on the predominantly Irish settled , Avalon peninsula.
Stories and beliefs from the homeland followed our ancestors to this rugged island,
and there have been numerous self-proclaimed accounts of the Fae and
their interactions with family members and friends of the community.
Most stories involving fairies have been collected through
interviews throughout the 20th century.
Barbara Reiti, folklore PhD and former professor at MUN, is the author
of Strange Terrain: The fairy world in Newfoundland. Reiti gathered numerous
accounts of Newfoundlanders experiencing encounters with fairies, from
tales of horses’ manes being braided nightly, to fairies dancing
in a circle and luring travellers through the forest with sweet music.
Conception Bay seems to be a major hotspot, as well as several communities
around the Avalon like Avondale, Ferryland, and Witless Bay. They’ve been described
as everything from small children sporting red capes, to glowing balls of light."
- excerpt from Fairy-Tales: Berry Picking and the Fairy Lore Connection
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