Long before the Christian Church came to these islands and forbad belief in and communing with The Little People, the native population had a strong association with Fairies, Elves, Boggarts and any other number of elemental beings that were thought to inhabit the landscape around them.
Many folklore theoreticians today believe that the origins of these beliefs could go back to Stone Age cultures. They were certainly very strong in the Celtic communities of the British isles and lasted up until relatively recently in Ireland.
The folklore of Britain and Ireland has long fascinated me but recently it has begun to absorb me more than ever as I try to understand why the once widespread acceptance of faery folk should have all but died away.
It was this in mind that led me to plan a trip to Troller’s Gill near Skipton. Many years after the Celts populated these lands the Vikings came with a novel mix of trade and violent invasion. They settled widely in the north of England and their legacy remains in the many Norse place names that survive. Would you believe that Troller’s Gill is Old Norse for Troll’s arse ravine?
It is described as a sinister ravine, the home of the Barguest, (a terrifying spectral dog, said to have eyes as big as saucers). The caves and crannies of the gorge are believed to be the haunt of Trolls, bloodsucking Gnomes, flesh eating Boggarts, gargoyle like rock Sprites, deranged Goblins, predatory Pixies, maliciously twisted Imps and other nasties! On the face of it a trip to the place shouldn’t be confused with pleasant.
But despite several websites declaring the location too unnerving to be visited alone I was sceptical; after all climbers are keen to test their skills on the challenging rock faces and have their own dedicated websites recommending Troller’s Gill. Even more comforting was my youngest son’s robust assertion that: “Trolls don’t suck blood”
When does a paranormal Odyssey merge into a lovely family day out? I would contend that it came pretty close to doing so today. The sun shone throughout and the agreeable weather brought out those wanting to commune with nature and stretch their legs on such a fine Sunday in July. Unfortunately the little groups of people and the glorious sunshine did little to imbue Troller’s Gill with any kind of eldritch milieu. It was a beautiful place, no doubt and the views across the dales before you enter the gorge were stunning but I never once felt that a Troll was about to roll a boulder onto my head or that a deranged Goblin would attack me without warning!
Despite all that I did stop to reflect that the belief in the presence of all these awful faery folk at this particular spot would have persisted for centuries, probably a lot longer and this got me thinking about the nature of such entities.
There are a number of theories concerning faery belief and it’s decline. Modern psychology has suggested that a small percentage of the population exhibit what is known as ‘fantasy proneness’. Proposed by Wilson and Barber the theory allows for a around 4% of the adult population to be able to fantasise to such a degree that they begin to believe that they are experiencing ghosts, fairies aliens etc. Today such people may be eyed with suspicion but in more ancient cultures these highly imaginative people would have just as likely been revered a seers.
Another theory is that The Little People are in fact elemental beings that can transmute into any form they choose. In yesteryear they would appear as a Sprite or Elf, today it is more likely to be a UFO or alien being.
My personal favourite is the concept of the thought form; a psychological projection from the subconscious mind. This form is then maintained by a group belief or collective unconscious.
As for Troller’s Gill I’m going back there when the weather isn’t so clement and the absence of day trippers lends a more brooding presence to this undoubtedly remarkable place. To see it in fog or mist or when dusk starts to fall on an autumn afternoon would be an altogether different experience.