England attracts many tourists with its beautiful landscapes, luxury palaces, an unusual culture. Numerous legends of the British kingdom, emerging over many centuries, convey a true British spirit. Today, there are still many people who believe in the existence of otherworldly forces, ghosts. We have selected for you the five most famous legends of England. Among them are not only heroic, but also mystical, scary stories.
The Legend of Robin Hood
Many writers in their work turned to the legend of the glorious hero Robin Hood. Events in this story take place in the Middle Ages, when the Austrians captured King Richard the Lionheart. Instead, Prince John ruled. He dreamed of being king and governing England. To strengthen his position, he decided to increase taxes on the population.
What did such a government lead to? The poor began to starve, and the rich began to cash in. One Saxon nobleman Robin began to tell John about the infidelity of his policy. He did not want to change his mind. Robin became a terrible and dangerous criminal for John.
The stupidity of the prince made Hood hide in the forest. There he found like-minded people. They swore allegiance to Richard and were ready to fight against John. Young people began to save the poor. They attacked the rich convoys, they gave away the selected to poor people. A girl, Marian, entered Robin's group, love broke out between them.
No matter how hard John tried to kill Hood, he did not succeed. It goes on to say that Richard managed to escape from captivity and return to his homeland. John planned to kill his brother, but he did not succeed. Robin Hood came to the rescue. Richard again became the ruler, and Robin stopped hiding in the forest.
What do the legends of England teach? The story of Robin Hood teaches fidelity, courage. The British appreciate such desperate people and are ready to imitate them.
Legends of the Valiant King Arthur
There are many ancient legends about the Knights of the Round Table. Medieval heroes lived and died for the honor of the king, for a beautiful lady and native land. The legend speaks of the formidable king Uther Pendragon. He fell in love with a duchess and asked the magician Merlin to connect him with her. In gratitude, he gave the wizard his little son Arthur.
After Uther's death, chaos fell on the country, civil wars began. The wise Merlin told the barons one way out. A huge stone was erected at the square’s door. A sword stuck out in it to the middle of the blade. It was written below that the king of England will be the one who can draw a sword from a stone. It was only for Arthur who grew up and matured. He became the king. The story does not end there. The hero accomplished many more feats. The myth of Arthur tells of a man who changes himself, seeks the meaning of life, sees the goal and goes to it. It was with the help of Arthur that the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Round Table was born. The king gathered around him honest and loyal people who defend justice and remain faithful.
Chillingham Castle History
Have you heard of the haunted castle? Many legends are associated with the mysterious Chillingham Palace. It is one of the ten most terrible buildings in the world. There is an underground dungeon in which prisoners were kept awaiting sentence. At first it was the fortress of King Edward I (XII century). Then other kings stayed here. The castle was besieged more than once, but was never given to the enemy.
There are legends about the Chillingham castle in England: they say that ghosts live there. Someone here managed to see the Blue Boy or the spirit of Lady Mary Berkeley. The fact is that when the castle was reconstructed, skeletons of a boy and a man were found in one of the walls. There were scratches around this wall. They say that other ghosts were also seen in the torture room. Today, Chillingham Castle can be visited by tourists.
The Legend of Beowulf
The Beowulf myth is a story about kings, warriors, feasts, fights, and battle. This largest Anglo-Saxon epic is notable for a simple plot. Beowulf was a young knight from the Gaut tribe. One day he found out that King Gidelak was attacked by the monster Grendel. For twelve years it exterminated the vigilantes of the king. Beowulf decided to protect people from Grendel, went into a duel with him. First he killed the monster, and then his terrible mother.
Beowulf returned to his homeland, where he was showered with awards and thanks. Then he accomplished many more feats, after which the Gauts elected him their king. Beowulf once had to fight a dragon. The hero defeated the monster, but he died. The people burned his body on a funeral pyre. A mound was built at this place, where the treasure conquered by Beowulf was kept.
Phantom Jack the Ripper
The times of Victorian London were far from cheerful. In the city reigned dirt, unsanitary conditions, poverty, debauchery. This atmosphere led to the emergence of one of the most sinister legends - about Jack the Ripper. The fall of 1888 was remembered by Londoners for a number of terrible crimes. Maniac killed five prostitutes. He did this with sophisticated cruelty, taking out internal organs. About all the deeds, he admitted in a letter to reporters. In it, he himself signed as Jack the Ripper. He believed that he was purifying society from filth. Since then, this maniac has been credited with many murders, including those that he did not commit. The gloomy and bloody legends of England have always been interesting to people, but many secrets remain in this story.