Popular Romances of the West of England

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

Popular Romances of the West of England

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

Robert Hunt's Victorian collection preserves the wild, romantic folklore of Cornwall and Devon, featuring giants, fairies, miners' tales, and local superstitions. This richly detailed volume offers students and lovers of regional legend a window into the ancient Celtic mind, capturing the enduring power of oral tradition amidst the encroaching light of modern civilization.

Summary up to 500 words

In 'Popular Romances of the West of England,' Robert Hunt compiles a vast treasury of folk-lore gathered over decades from the rugged landscapes of Cornwall and Devon. The work is structured into twenty sections, exploring a rich tapestry of subjects including giants, fairies, mermaids, lost cities, fire worship, demons, saints, holy wells, Arthurian legends, witches, miners, fishermen, death tokens, ancient customs, sham mayors, and miscellaneous superstitions. Hunt recounts his personal journey from childhood curiosity to dedicated collection, noting how the industrialization of railways and the spread of 'cold infidelity' threatened to erase these spectral spirits. He emphasizes that these tales were not invented but gathered from the 'old people' who still clung to their native intelligence and poetic imagination. The text details specific legends, such as the suicide of Tucker at Three Cross, the haunting face of the 'Ha-Af,' and the tragic pact of Yorkshire Jack and Sarah Polgrain. Hunt explains how Celtic ancestors, terrified by nature's mysteries, molded a Pantheistic religion where every rock and spring held life and death. The narrative weaves together historical context—Roman, Saxon, Danish, and Norman influences—with the persistence of ancient beliefs. Through vivid descriptions of Dartmoor's granite tors and Cornwall's stormy coasts, Hunt restores the 'giants and fairies' to their native haunts, providing a substantial overview of a culture that viewed the world through a lens of mystery and fear, long before the full force of science and education could dispel the spectres of romance.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/ebooks/robert-hunt_popular-romances-of-the-west-of-england.epub

Local file path

data/epubs/url-ec4a9e85d4d9b4be.epub

Removed after upload

Downloaded at

2026-07-02 23:12 UTC

Categories

• Folklore
• Romance