Tales of Wihtlore
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wihtlore.uk
Tales of Wihtlore
@wihtlore.uk
2.8K followers 440 following 1.8K posts
Tales and Folklore based around the ancient magics and cunning of the Wihtlore.

Welcome new followers, thank you for joining me. I tell tales, I speak lies, this is like breathing for me.

Don’t come to me for truth today, for it maybe a lie tomorrow.
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wihtlore.uk
Well I finally did it. On Friday night I played a gig and sang my songs about #UFOs, #Bigfoot and how we as GenXers need to remember how anti-establishment and left wing we used to be. Oh also about how if the #tribulation came around, who Jesus really would hate. #NewWave #LiveMusic #OriginalMusic
Mary and I dressed up just before our gig. I am dressed as a zombie guy and Mary as a goth chick with LEDs in her hair.
November 2, 2025 at 11:03 AM
wihtlore.uk
When the storm rolls in from Sandown Bay, the waves whisper names long buried beneath the cliffs. Locals say if you answer the call, the sea remembers you and takes you back to where you were never meant to leave. #Folklore #FolkloreThursday
The image shows a dramatic coastal scene on the Isle of Wight, likely near Sandown. A two-lane seaside road curves gently alongside the beach, bordered by a strip of grass and palm-like trees. The sea is calm but dark, reflecting the moody sky above. Heavy storm clouds loom over the horizon, with patches of brighter sky and sunlight breaking through. The contrast between the storm and the light creates a sense of both beauty and foreboding. A sign near the shore reads “Welcome to Sandown.”
October 23, 2025 at 3:03 PM
wihtlore.uk
Been away for a while, frantically writing and getting my musical “A Clockwork Heart” ready.

First table read today!

#steampunk #musical #queer #lgbtqia
A photo of the script and songbook for my new musical
August 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM
wihtlore.uk
Blessed Lammastide. #lammas

Drawing by me — The Lammastide.
A stylised drawing for Lammas.
August 2, 2025 at 8:47 AM
wihtlore.uk
Went for a walk and saw my old friend. #SandownClown #VentnorFringe
Me waking past a display for the Sandown clown.
July 26, 2025 at 9:06 AM
wihtlore.uk
Settling down to watch Catweazle, I may come up for air at end is series 1.
An image from the opening titles of Catweazle
July 6, 2025 at 8:22 AM
wihtlore.uk
Each sunset, the Sky-Scribe scrapes the day’s final truth across the heavens. Cunning Folk say the red smear is his warning of promises broken, or love unkept. If the sun sinks blood-orange, beware: for someone below has lied, and night will remember.

#folklore #vss365
A vivid sunset over the ocean, with the lower half of the sun dipping below the horizon. The sky is ablaze with deep orange, red, and golden hues, streaked with thin clouds that catch and reflect the warm light. The sea below appears calm and dark in contrast.
June 12, 2025 at 7:14 AM
wihtlore.uk
In the cloudy gloom, the #Speaker walks cloaked in gloom, voice like rusted chains. They say she speaks names the dead forgot, and the wind answers back. If you hear her call yours, don’t run. Don’t breathe. For in that moment, the earth remembers and so must you.

#vss365 #Folklore
A photo of the sun trying to break through the rain clouds overlooking the island.
June 8, 2025 at 11:26 AM
wihtlore.uk
And so I’m ready for my talk about All Colours Sam, The Sandown Clown.

I am terribly nervous, I am wracked with anxiety.

But the show must go on. One hour to go.

#Folklore #UFO #Mystery #IsleofWight
A photo of the stage and a screen showing the first slide saying “Mystery of the Sandown Clown (Declassified)”
June 7, 2025 at 4:56 PM
wihtlore.uk
Need to finish my script in the Sandown clown for my talk on Sunday.

No distractions.

Ooooohhhh look, crows in my garden.
One of the original drawings of the Sandown clown.
June 4, 2025 at 6:11 AM
wihtlore.uk
Slipped into the Hollow Hours again. Chronic illness winds itself meanly through everything: body, breath, even stories. I’m resting where the mist thickens and time stirs strange.

Back when the stars realign and the somewhen releases me.

Keep a lantern lit.
A photo of a red sign that says "Path Closed, Unsafe Conditions, Do not enter"
June 3, 2025 at 7:29 AM
wihtlore.uk
At this stage in my life, good socks and comfy slippers are all I want for my birthday.

That and amazing handmade cards by my kids.
Socks and slippers and cards. Nothing special but means everything to me.
June 1, 2025 at 8:01 AM
wihtlore.uk
They say the vine grows only where something was sealed, something that begged not to be forgotten. It creeps through cracks each year on the same night a child vanished, whispering in green tongues. No matter how often it’s cut, by dawn, it return thicker, and listening. #Folklore #FolkloreThursday
A photograph shows a dimly lit corner of an old interior space. A leafy green vine climbs up the join between a white wall and a dark, cracked wooden panel. The panel is part of a door or wall with faded gold trim. Below the vine, there are miscellaneous items including a black bin bag, a straw hat, a patterned blue-and-white duvet or sheet, a white umbrella, and white feathers. The atmosphere feels neglected and slightly eerie.
May 29, 2025 at 9:35 AM
wihtlore.uk
A rare site and a wonderful omen. A hare crossed my crooked path.

If a hare crosses your path, joy will follow before nightfall. Folk say it’s the moon’s own messenger, and its silent leap brings luck, love, or news long-awaited. #Folklore
May 22, 2025 at 7:42 PM
wihtlore.uk
The Pellars of the #IsleofWight call #foxgloves, #Deadmansbells — they know that the Elfen Folk may hide within in the flowers and disturbing them while one is in residence can have dire consequences. Admire from afar they say, but never touch. #folklore #FolkloreThursday
a picture of fox gloves growing by a fence in the middle of fields and the sea the background
May 22, 2025 at 9:28 AM
wihtlore.uk
Wegbrāde, mother of plants;
open to the east, mighty within,
carts ran over you, ladies rode over you,
brides cried over you, bulls snorted over you,
you withstood them all & you were crushed,
so may you withstand the poison & infection and the evil that travels round the land.

#FolkloreThursday
May 22, 2025 at 8:08 AM
wihtlore.uk
Today’s prompt is for #angerfish — everyone will be sharing pictures of females but I want to give a shout out to the males.

Size doesn’t matter little buddy.
(More info in the alt text)

#vss365
A picture of a male angler fish. Male anglerfish are significantly smaller than females, and some species have evolved into obligate parasites. They are not predatory and lack the luminous lure found on the females. Instead, they use their keen sense of smell to locate females. Once a male finds a female, he attaches to her with sharp teeth, and in some cases, they fuse together, with the male losing most of his internal organs except for the testes.
May 19, 2025 at 7:16 AM
wihtlore.uk
Something a bit different. Here is the single cover I have made for my band's new single -- @cybercryptrequiem.bsky.social (for anyone interested in check it out)

#NewMusic #Art #Single
May 14, 2025 at 9:50 AM
wihtlore.uk
In English lore, yellow dandelions were sun-gifts, blooming with cheer. Their milky sap was thought to heal warts or reveal truth. When brewed with burdock, they made a drink said to gladden the heart and guard against goblins that crept through hedgerows at dusk. #Folklore
This photo shows a single bright yellow dandelion flower growing in a patch of green grass. The flower stands out vividly against its surroundings, with its many narrow petals forming a full, round bloom. Around it lie thin twigs, some fallen dry leaves, and a cut or broken branch. The scene captures a moment of natural beauty; simple and untamed, where the cheerful dandelion pushes up through the lawn.
May 9, 2025 at 12:08 PM
wihtlore.uk
Extract from the #OldEnglish #Sacred #Herb #Charm

Weybread (plantain), you mighty plant,
You are the most revered among the earth,
You are wrapped in power,
You withstand the poison,
Bend over with tiny drops of water,
When a man blows upon you in the snow

#FolkloreThursday #Folklore
Certainly. The photograph shows a thriving plantain plant (commonly known as Weybread in Anglo-Saxon sources), growing at the base of a wooden fence beside a red-brick edging. The leaves are long, broad, and glossy with prominent parallel veins running their length—characteristic of the Plantago major species. The plant is flowering, with several tall, slender stalks bearing small, tightly packed greenish-brown flower heads tipped with white stamens, giving them a somewhat fuzzy appearance. The background includes grass, another plant with rounded leaves and white flowers (possibly mallows), and some bramble foliage creeping in from the corner. The scene is brightly lit with clear sunlight, casting soft shadows and highlighting the vibrant green of the Weybread leaves against the contrast of the wooden fence and red brick. Would you like a poetic interpretation of the image in the spirit of the Nine Herbs Charm?
May 8, 2025 at 4:15 PM
wihtlore.uk
#Vatican #Folklore
The “sedes stercoraria” was a throne with a hole, used to verify a pope’s manhood. A cleric felt beneath and declared, “Testiculos habet et bene pendentes!”…“He has testicles and they hang well!” A ritual to ensure no woman ever sat on Peter’s throne in disguise.

#Conclave
Certainly. Here’s a focused, richly detailed description of the image of the chair itself, written for the visually impaired: ⸻ Image Description (for the Visually Impaired): The image depicts an ancient chair carved from reddish marble. It has a square, upright design with a flat seat and a tall, rectangular backrest. The most striking feature is a large, circular hole cut cleanly through the center of the seat. The edges of the hole are smoothly finished, indicating deliberate craftsmanship. The chair’s legs are short and sturdy, making it sit low to the ground. Each armrest is thick and blocky, formed as part of the same marble slab. The stone surface appears worn and slightly mottled, suggesting centuries of age. The overall design is simple and functional, without ornamentation—stark in contrast to the ornate surroundings of the Vatican where it is kept. The chair rests on a slightly raised platform, and soft, ambient lighting casts gentle shadows that emphasize its solidity and the curious emptiness of the seat’s central void. This is widely identified as the sedes stercoraria, the legendary “testicle-checking throne” associated with papal folklore.
May 8, 2025 at 2:05 PM
wihtlore.uk
The dead don’t rest if you cut #hawthorn at midnight - stick of the dead. Saw a man do it once on the Downs; next morn, all they found were thorns in his bed and boots pointing toward the graveyard. Hawthorn don’t forget, and neither do the dead. - Old George the Rogue

#FolkloreThursday #Folklore
A spray of delicate hawthorn blossoms leans into the sunlight, each small white flower opening like a tiny five-petaled star. Their centers are sprinkled with dark pink-tipped stamens that look like tiny candle flames. Around them, bright green leaves catch the light like thin jade fans. Behind, the world fades into soft green shadows, as if the tree is whispering secrets to the breeze.
May 8, 2025 at 1:50 PM
wihtlore.uk
Beneath the elder’s scented bloom,
Takes the evil to its tomb.
Witches whisper in the shade,
Where ancient deals are done and made.
Sip the bloom, but ask with care,
The elder’s spirit lingers there.
Bless or bane, it’s hard to tell,
A friend to heal, or charm to spell.

#FolkloreThursday #Folklore
This image shows a large, oval-shaped wicker basket filled with freshly picked elderflowers. The elderflowers are tiny, creamy-white blossoms gathered in delicate clusters, with some light green stems still attached. The basket is placed outdoors on a wooden surface with sunlight casting gentle shadows across it. The flowers appear soft and fragrant, evoking a sense of late spring or early summer foraging in the countryside.
May 8, 2025 at 10:15 AM
wihtlore.uk
In Brading’s darkened villa, a cock-headed man was said to guard buried Roman secrets. By moonlight, he crows thrice: once for warning, twice for doom, and thrice to steal your shadow.

Children left corn at his mosaic feet, praying he’d never crow their name. #WyrdWednesday #Folklore #Roman
This image shows a section of an ancient Roman mosaic from Brading Roman Villa on the Isle of Wight. The mosaic depicts a curious and mysterious figure often referred to as the “cock-headed man” - a humanoid figure with a rooster’s head. He stands upright, clothed in a tunic with outstretched arms, facing a small structure that looks like a shrine or temple. To the right, there are several animals, including a goat and what appears to be a serpent or dragon, all arranged around a long, diagonal object, possibly a spear or pole. The artwork is made from small, colored stone tiles and is partially damaged, with some sections missing or faded. The cock-headed figure is unique in Roman mosaics and has inspired local folklore and speculation, with some linking him to ancient gods, protective spirits, or even mythical hybrids.
May 7, 2025 at 5:31 PM
wihtlore.uk
Left me ol’ hat here once, thinkin’ I’d be back by evensong. Never was. If you see it, leave it be. It holds a #trace of mischief and rain, and maybe me too. Small church, smaller sins.
- Old George the Rogue

#vss365
In a quiet corner of what might be the smallest church in the land, a straw hat with a dark brim rests on a wooden peg, as if waiting for its absent-minded owner to return. The wall behind it is thick and whitewashed, worn with age and stories. Nearby, a tilted mirror leans against the wall, catching a slant of light from a latticed window that peers out onto a patch of green. A basket lies beneath the window, draped in something forgotten. The room is still, steeped in a kind of gentle magic, where time lingers like a whisper and even a hat can feel like a relic of adventure.
May 7, 2025 at 5:19 PM