Enjoy this somewhat random selection of traditional folk wisdom and beliefs from Derbyshire and the Peak District. Most of what is written here now exists only in historical records, but some of it still remains and some, you may be lucky enough to hear firsthand.
HIT ME WITH YOUR WIGGIN STICK
Probably the most magical tree in Britain is the Rowan, or, if you’re from Derbyshire, the Wiggin and the use of a Wiggin Stick is well-attested in Derbyshire folklore.
A Wiggin Stick can be used to protect you against witches, the Evil Eye and all manner of dark magic. It can also break curses and protect babies from being swapped for a fairy changeling. It can even be used to ensure your butter churns properly! There are a number of ways a Wiggin Stick can be created: often, two sticks were threaded through each other to create a cross; sometimes a simple wand can be made or, it appears, just a sprig of Wiggin will do, depending on its ultimate use.
For more information and to find out the fascinating history of the Wiggin, check out our page, in our Folklore section, on the Magical Rowan.
Probably the most magical tree in Britain is the Rowan, or, if you’re from Derbyshire, the Wiggin and the use of a Wiggin Stick is well-attested in Derbyshire folklore.
A Wiggin Stick can be used to protect you against witches, the Evil Eye and all manner of dark magic. It can also break curses and protect babies from being swapped for a fairy changeling. It can even be used to ensure your butter churns properly! There are a number of ways a Wiggin Stick can be created: often, two sticks were threaded through each other to create a cross; sometimes a simple wand can be made or, it appears, just a sprig of Wiggin will do, depending on its ultimate use.
For more information and to find out the fascinating history of the Wiggin, check out our page, in our Folklore section, on the Magical Rowan.
LAMB LUCK
Take notice of the first lamb you see, in the spring. If it has its tail towards you, then you will have bad luck this year; if its head is facing you, then good luck will come your way!
Take notice of the first lamb you see, in the spring. If it has its tail towards you, then you will have bad luck this year; if its head is facing you, then good luck will come your way!
A Toothy Tradition
In parts of Derbyshire, some people would collect their lost teeth in a jar, throughout their lives. After they died, their jar of teeth would be buried with them, to ensure they had a full set in the afterlife.
In parts of Derbyshire, some people would collect their lost teeth in a jar, throughout their lives. After they died, their jar of teeth would be buried with them, to ensure they had a full set in the afterlife.
Who was Bill and who was his mother?
A common saying in Derbyshire that predicts oncoming rain, is: “It’s a bit black over Bill’s mother’s.” A typical Derbyshire resident would - and sometimes still do - wisely nod in the direction of the ominous black clouds - never pointing - and proclaim this mysterious saying. In the local dialect, it would sound more like “It’s a bit black ovut Bill’s mothuz.” You may also hear “It’s gerrin (getting) a bit black ovut Bill’s mothuz.”, when clouds are forming. This saying is not just from Derbyshire, though, but common to all the East Midlands counties; less so in Lincolnshire. You’ll also hear it in Staffordshire, Warwickshire and South Yorkshire, but rarely north or south of here.
This does beggar the question, who was Bill? Or, indeed, who was his mother?
As you would expect, this is not in the historical record. One Nottingham tradition has it that ‘Bill’s Mother’ ran a scrap yard in Sneinton. Every so often, when piles of unusable scrap piled up, she would burn it, causing great plumes of black smoke to engulf the area.
However, the most common interpretation holds that the ‘Bill’ in question is Kaiser Wilhelm II, otherwise known as ‘Kaiser Bill’. As the main antagonist of WWI, whenever a storm came from the east, people would knowingly claim “It’s a bit black over Bill’s mother’s.”
A common saying in Derbyshire that predicts oncoming rain, is: “It’s a bit black over Bill’s mother’s.” A typical Derbyshire resident would - and sometimes still do - wisely nod in the direction of the ominous black clouds - never pointing - and proclaim this mysterious saying. In the local dialect, it would sound more like “It’s a bit black ovut Bill’s mothuz.” You may also hear “It’s gerrin (getting) a bit black ovut Bill’s mothuz.”, when clouds are forming. This saying is not just from Derbyshire, though, but common to all the East Midlands counties; less so in Lincolnshire. You’ll also hear it in Staffordshire, Warwickshire and South Yorkshire, but rarely north or south of here.
This does beggar the question, who was Bill? Or, indeed, who was his mother?
As you would expect, this is not in the historical record. One Nottingham tradition has it that ‘Bill’s Mother’ ran a scrap yard in Sneinton. Every so often, when piles of unusable scrap piled up, she would burn it, causing great plumes of black smoke to engulf the area.
However, the most common interpretation holds that the ‘Bill’ in question is Kaiser Wilhelm II, otherwise known as ‘Kaiser Bill’. As the main antagonist of WWI, whenever a storm came from the east, people would knowingly claim “It’s a bit black over Bill’s mother’s.”
The Curious Case of the Village of Many Names
Just 3 ½ miles south of Bakewell lies the village of Youlgrave. However, you may see road signs in the area that point you towards Youlgreave; one will even direct you to Youlegreave. So,which one is it? Well, they are, of course, all the same place.
Youlgrave (the most common spelling) is believed to derive from Old English and mean a ‘yellow grove’. This could be interpreted in a couple of ways: firstly, a yellow grove could simply mean a grove of willow trees, the catkins giving it a yellow colour or, secondly, the ‘grove’ element might be a ‘groove’, which is an old term for open lead mining working, in this case, the yellow would refer to the colour of the local rock. Lead mining has been going on in the area, since, at least, Roman times.
Whilst the meaning of Youlgrave is little-contested, the spelling of it is a different matter. Over the years. A former village resident and historian discovered over 60 different spellings of the name over the years, including:
Giolgrave, Yolgrave, Jalgrave, Hyolgrave, Hyolegrave, Yolgreff, Yoleg, Yolegreve, Yolegrave, Youlgraue, Welegreve, Yoelgreve, Oelgreve, Yelegreve, Yeolegreve, Yolgreave, Yolgreve, Yollegreve, Jol’ve, Zolgrelf, Yollgreve, Yoligrewe, Yollegrewe, Youlgreve, Zolgreff, Youlgrave, Yolgreyva, Yolgreyve, Yeolgreave, Youlgreave, Yellegrave, Yollogreve, Yollograve, Yeollgreave, Youldgreave, Yograve, Isgrave, Yalgrove, Yolegreue, Jolegreue, lolegrave, Jholegreve, Yelegrave, Yellegrave, Iolgrave, Yholgreve, Yelgreve and Zolgreve.
But don’t let that put you off visiting!
Just 3 ½ miles south of Bakewell lies the village of Youlgrave. However, you may see road signs in the area that point you towards Youlgreave; one will even direct you to Youlegreave. So,which one is it? Well, they are, of course, all the same place.
Youlgrave (the most common spelling) is believed to derive from Old English and mean a ‘yellow grove’. This could be interpreted in a couple of ways: firstly, a yellow grove could simply mean a grove of willow trees, the catkins giving it a yellow colour or, secondly, the ‘grove’ element might be a ‘groove’, which is an old term for open lead mining working, in this case, the yellow would refer to the colour of the local rock. Lead mining has been going on in the area, since, at least, Roman times.
Whilst the meaning of Youlgrave is little-contested, the spelling of it is a different matter. Over the years. A former village resident and historian discovered over 60 different spellings of the name over the years, including:
Giolgrave, Yolgrave, Jalgrave, Hyolgrave, Hyolegrave, Yolgreff, Yoleg, Yolegreve, Yolegrave, Youlgraue, Welegreve, Yoelgreve, Oelgreve, Yelegreve, Yeolegreve, Yolgreave, Yolgreve, Yollegreve, Jol’ve, Zolgrelf, Yollgreve, Yoligrewe, Yollegrewe, Youlgreve, Zolgreff, Youlgrave, Yolgreyva, Yolgreyve, Yeolgreave, Youlgreave, Yellegrave, Yollogreve, Yollograve, Yeollgreave, Youldgreave, Yograve, Isgrave, Yalgrove, Yolegreue, Jolegreue, lolegrave, Jholegreve, Yelegrave, Yellegrave, Iolgrave, Yholgreve, Yelgreve and Zolgreve.
But don’t let that put you off visiting!