Speaking Fireball in Luton (Devon) September 11, 2014
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
Beach so liked the fireball stories from last month that he has been looking for some more and came across this incredible encounter from southern Devon, 1836. He was hoping for mad papists and great balls of flame, instead he got sincere yokels at midnight and omens. Still a great story. The author is a middle class Briton on a holiday on Devon’s beautiful southern coast. It goes without saying that he was not impressed.
It was but the other night that a farmer of [Luton, southern Devon] declared most solemnly that he was driving a load of furze from Little Haldun, for the purpose of burning a kiln of limestone, just at ‘the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn,’ when he saw a tall figure advancing towards him clad in a white cloak, which, when it arrived close to him, ‘lifted its head, and did address itself to motion, like as it would speak,’
What does this mean? The quotation is from Hamlet when the ghost appears. Presumably the experience was understood as an apparition who wished to address the man as Hamlet’s father did the prince of Denmark. So far there is, then, a standard, who-cares ghost story. Watch what the ghost does though.
[B]ut suddenly it turned towards the hedge and vanished from his sight: it was moonlight, and fair Luna’s beams reflected their radiance between the trees he could discern the apparition with most convincing eyes. He then looked over the hedge, presuming he should see something inside, when large ball of fire flew by him, and a voice issued from it, saying ‘Beware!’ All this did he avow as being ‘true Holy Writ.’
There is something of a history in Devon of supernatural beings changing shapes: the pixies on Dartmoor were, particularly, credited with becoming lights, rags, vegetation, diabolical horses and even little men dressed in green. In other parts of the country ghostlore and fairylore merge endlessly so why not here? Devon folk meanwhile often promised in the counties voluminous folklore to take ‘their Bible oath’ on questions when they wished to express sincerity. The narrator tells us that afterwards many of the villagers got together to discuss the omen of which nothing extraordinary ever seems to have happened: Luton is still standing today and no nineteenth century fires or plagues are recorded. Any other fireballs becoming ghosts or ghosts becoming fire balls: drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com, particularly if speaking.
