Book description
In which part of North London were wild beasts once thought to roam
the sewers?
Why did 1920s working-class Londoners wear necklaces of blue beads?
Who was the original inspiration for the 'pearly king' costume?
And did Spring-heeled Jack, scourge of Victorian London, ever really exist?
Exploring everything from local superstitions and ghost stories to
annual customs, this is an enchanting guide to the ancient
legends and deep-rooted beliefs that can be found the length and
breadth of the city.
Steve Roud recently retired from his position as Local Studies
Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and has served as Honorary
Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been
researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint
author of the
Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore
. His other books include the
Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of
Britain and Ireland
, which won the Katherine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004,
Monday's
Child is Fair of Face ... and other traditional beliefs about babies
and motherhood
and
The English Year
, a month-by-month guide to festivals. He also compiles the Folk Song
Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer
databases of traditional folk and popular song.
