Northumberland Folk Tales

Northumberland Folk Tales gathers traditional stories shaped by the county’s borderland history, landscape and storytelling culture. Its characters include saints seeking refuge, ancient kings struggling over land and salvation, and communities facing one another with wit or weapons. The collection also features ghosts, witches, fairies, giants, dragons and warriors.

Among the named creatures are the Netherwitton worm, said to guard a secret well, and the Hedley Kow, a mischievous figure known for playing tricks on people. Other tales concern the Deurgar’s threat to lost travellers and werms associated with village wells. Malcolm Green retells the material as a professional storyteller, with thirty black-and-white drawings by Rachel Edwards accompanying the stories.