The Greatest Story Never Told

PRIFT

KIDNAPPED

DO AS I BID

WHATS IN THE SACK

GONE. LOST ALL OF THEM

WE NEED TO THANK THE GODS

THERE IS MUCH WE MUST LEAVE BEHIND

MOTHER

SHE HAS GONE

A STORM AND WRECK

THE SKY IS STILL FULL OF ODINS WRATH

I AM LORD WITLAF OF STALLINBOROUGH

GRIMS-BY

HAVELOCK AND REDBADT LEFT GRIMSBY

LIFE WAS GOOD

HAVELOCK WAS SAID TO HAVE GROWN TALLER AND STRONGER THAN MOST MEN

HAVELOCK BECAME A PORTER AT THE KINGS CASTLE

GOLDBERG AND HAVELOCK REFUSE TO MARRY

KING HAVELOCK AND QUEEN GOLDBERGA

new Tag

KING ALSI WAS FURIOUS

THE LEGEND STATES

LEAVE ON THE HIGH TIDE

new Tag

VIKING FOOD

VIKING TRAVEL

GRIMSBY TOWN'S SEAL

FAMOUS LONGSHIP

GRIMSBY ORIGINS

VIKING ORIGINS

LINKS TO SCANDINAVIA

RELIGION

WEAPONRY

GRIM, THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND

THE SEAL

THE BLUE STONE

GRIM RESTORATION

THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD

FRENCH ROMANCE

HAVELOK THE DANE

TATTOOS

BATHING

BEER

CHRISTIANITY

DISEASE

FOOD

FRIGG

GOD

HEIGHT

HELMET

BERSERKR

SLATRA

SKAL

KOPT

RANNSAKA

KLUBBA

LOPT

MEALS

SUPERNATURAL

GRIM - A Legend a Truth and a Secret

The Statue and the Legend

Re-enactment

Archaeology

The Grimsby Seal

The Stone of Grim?

Whistler book board, Havelok the Dane book cover and illustrations

Exhibition Film with G&H Crowdfunder

Gunn

1 Legends from Other Lands

Cyprus:  George Georgiou.  The story of the Hermit was told to us by my mother, told to her by her grandmother, and told to us when we were young.  We did not have TV or radio.There was a poor fisher girl who she saved a hermit from the sea.  He then disappeared.  No one but the fisher girl saw this man, though he reappeared at times of need.  He repaid her kindness with a box with a gold bracelet and ring.  He helped her rescue others from the sea and then, when the invaders 'Hajhaddin' attacked Cyprus, the hermit was there.  With special powers that allowed him to become strong and mighty, he destroyed the invading warriors and saved Cyprus from destruction.  

2 Saint-Quentin:  Valerie Davidson

In 287 Quentin, the son of Senator Zenon left Rome with 12 companions and arrived in Belgium (Gaule), where he preached Evangelism.  His reputation led to his arrest by the Roman Prefect Rictiovarus. Quentin was arrested and tortured but refused to give up his faith. On his way to Reims to be judged, they passed a town called Augusta Viromanduorum (which later became Saint-Quentin), where he escaped and started preaching again. Angry, Rictiovarus decided to end Quentin’s preaching once and for all,  Captured by soldiers, he was decapitated and his body was secretly thrown into the marsh which surrounded the Somme river.Fifty five years later, Eusebie, a rich blind woman went to Augusta Viromanduorum  from Rome after a vision.  Following prayers, she was led to the Somme river where Quentin’s body and head emerged miraculously intact. She wanted to bury him in Vermand but, on reaching the top of a hill, the body became too heavy to carry. Eusebie felt it was a wish from a superior being for the remains to be buried there and so she ordered a chapel to be built.  She instantly recovered her sight.The chapel was increased and built upon over the years and was the origin of the actual Basilique de Saint-Quentin which is now one of the largest gothic building in France. (Picture below)  

Turkey:  Tenzile Brown

Before the Ottoman Empire, a king built a high tower to keep his beloved daughter safe.  The only way to reach it was via boat.  Each day maids took her food, but no one else could enter it.  One day, a snake snuck into one of the food baskets and entered the tower, killing the king’s daughter.  Since then, the tower has been called ‘The Maiden’s Tower’. 

Poland:  Agnieszka Singh

The third largest city in Poland, Wroclaw, is also called a city of dwarfs.  When Wroclaw was a small village during the VI century, dwarfs were known for helping farmers with their crops in exchange for food and shelter.  When Wroclaw became a city, little gnomes weren't needed as much and moved underground.  At night they would come out and act mischievously, moving things around the town and playing games. Now there are hundreds of statues of gnomes around the city centre, Rynek.  Every gnome will have a name according to his/her achievement or mischief.  A map can be purchased in a kiosk where children can look for gnomes and place a sticker once found.  As a child, I believed the gnomes were real (well we won't really know for sure), but my uncle made me believe.  He had a little house made of Lego type of blocks with a tiny bell inside.  At 8 pm every evening, he said the gnomes would come out of the underground and misbehave. They would ring the little bell and as a matter of fact, all of us kids could hear the bell ringing. Years later, we found out that Uncle had a second little bell in his pocket, and that it was him being mischievous!  

Italy:  Diego Bruzzo

The Story of the Italian legend of  “La Befana”What is the story of La Befana?Known as the 'good witch of Christmas', La Befana presides over the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. In fact, her name comes from the Italian word for the Epiphany; 'epifania'.  Making her journey on January 5th, she rides atop a broom and climbs down the chimney of homes to deliver presents to the children inside.  So just like Father Christmas!Well behaved children find colourful candies in their stockings, while the misbehaved ones find coal – but don’t worry, it’s candy coal (edible and sweet!)  La Befana’s story dates back to pagan times and is closely connected with the Nativity story.  On their way to see the baby Jesus, the three Magi (wise-men) stopped into the old woman’s house looking for refuge from a cold night. Like a good host, she offered them food and shelter.  As they chatted they asked her to join them on their journey but, with too much housework to do, the old woman declined. Shortly after they left she realised her mistake. Filling up a basket with various gifts, she raced off in hot pursuit but even though she followed the same star, she was never able to find the baby Jesus. Today, she continues to search houses for the child, leaving gifts in her wake. Traditionally, children (or their parents) leave food out for the spirit along with wine, (preferably red) to help her on her way.  

Heba Youssef: Egypt

Egypt has an ancient city named Khemnu or ‘Eight-Town’.  The number eight in this place-name makes references to the eight deities (the Ogdoad) who are the main characters in this version of the creation story. The Ogdoad consisted of four frog-headed male gods and their serpent-headed female counterparts. This divine group represented the dark, watery, unknown, and eternal state of the cosmos prior to creation. Nun and Naunet represented water. Heh and Hauhet expressed the notion of infinity. Kek and Kauket stood for darkness. Amun and Amaunet reflected the concept of hiddenness. These eight gods existed within the watery chaos of pre-creation. The Egyptians believed that from these eight gods came a cosmic egg that contained the deity responsible for creating the rest of the world, including the primeval mound—the first land to arise out of the waters of pre-creation. In some versions of the myth, the egg was laid by a goose named “the Great Cackler,” while in other versions an ibis, the bird associated with the god Thoth, is responsible for the egg.Figure 4. An illustration of the Ogdoad, drawn by Faucher-Gudin from a photograph by Béato.  

Spain:  Manuel Rhodes

Anjanas Originating from Cantabrian mythology, Anjanas are good-intentioned fairies that dwell in nature. Just six inches tall, these delicate fairies are claimed to help injured or lost animals and people in the forest and heal damaged plants. They are said to reward the good and punish the wicked, and often even leave gifts at the doors of kind people in the village.[https://acis.com/blog/5-spanish-myths-and-legends/](https://acis.com/blog/5-spanish-myths-and-legends/)

Thelma Hairwadzi:  Zimbabwe

African mythology of the local Tonga tribe of the Zambezi Valley states that Nyami Nyami the River God who lives in Lake Kariba is believed to be a serpent-like creature. He is said to be about three metres wide, but nobody dares to guess at his length. Legends has it that the water stains red when he swims past. Chief Sampakaruma saw him on two occasions many years ago, but the river god has been in hiding since the white men arrived in the country. According to African mythology he lived under a large rock close to the present day Kariba dam wall. No tribesman would venture near it those few who did were sucked down with their canoes in the whirlpools and never seen again. They called the rock Kariwa, the "trap" and hence the name of the lake, Kariba. The rising water of lake Kariba covered the rock Kariwa and it now lies 30 metres below the surface annoying Nyami Nyami. The Tonga people also believe that Nyami Nyami is married and that the building of Kariba Dam wall would separate him from his wife, this would anger him greatly and the river god threatened the peace of the valley. [https://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/african-mythology.html](https://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/african-mythology.html)Picture By Larry Norton

Pakistan:  Yashfika Abdul Bari

The tale of Sohni Mahiwal is one of the most popular tragic romances of the Indian subcontinent, just like Romeo and Juliet in the west. The tragic tale of Sohni Mahiwal has been immortalised in folklore and literature, symbolizing a deep, passionate, and ill-fated love.Sohni was the daughter of a potter named Tula, who lived in the town of Gujrat, present-day Pakistan situated on the banks of the river Chenab in the Punjab region. She was extremely beautiful and was famous for her attractive and artistic pottery. She was renowned for her beauty and her skills in pottery. Her pots were so fine and delicate that they appeared to be made of silver.Mahiwal, whose real name was Izzat Baig, was a wealthy trader from Bukhara (now Uzbekistan). His caravan arrived in Gujrat, where he saw Sohni and fell in love with her at first sight. To stay close to Sohni, Izzat Baig gave up his affluent background, wealth took up the job of a buffalo herder, and started living a simple life. This earned him the name Mahiwal (buffalo herder).Sohni too fell in love with Mahiwal and they would meet secretly every night. Their love for each other was so strong that Sohni would cross the river Chenab with the help of an earthenware pitcher to meet Mahiwal, who lived on the other side.When Sohni's parents arranged her marriage with another potter, both Sohni and Mahiwal were heartbroken. Unable to bear the separation, Mahiwal left civilization and started living in a small hut across the river Chenab, which flowed near Gujrat.Every night, Sohni would swim across the river using a large earthen pitcher as a flotation device to meet Mahiwal. They would spend the night together, and before dawn, she would swim back home. This continued for many nights.However, Sohni's sister-in-law discovered her secret. In a plot to end this nightly rendezvous, she replaced Sohni's hardened clay pitcher with an unbaked one. That night, as Sohni set out to meet Mahiwal, the unbaked pitcher dissolved in the river's water, and Sohni started drowning.Seeing Sohni struggle, Mahiwal dived into the river to save her. But, unfortunately, both of them were overpowered by the strong currents and drowned,The story of Sohni Mahiwal is a beautiful yet tragic tale of two lovers who couldn't be united in life but found unity in death. Their story represents the power of love and the lengths people can go for their beloved.Mural of Sohni Mahiwal folk tale from Sui Simbli temple in Jammu  

American:  Liz Hudson

Johnny Appleseed was a real person who did a lot about agriculture in the pioneer days in the USA but grew into a bigger than life hero who went about planting apple trees all over the Midwest in the USA including the state of Ohio where I grew up. Hence how he got his nickname. His real name was John Capman.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-highsm- 41593)   Jonny Appleseed planted his first apple tree nurseries in the Allegheny Valley in Pennsylvania about 1798 and then began traveling west through Ohio where I lived, planting as he went. Walking for miles every day and sleeping outdoors, he kept well ahead of the pioneers, showing a knack for predicting where they would settle and planting nurseries in those spots.   The apple trees Jonny Appleseed planted produced mostly cider apples, not the dessert and cooking varieties. Cider apples are small and unpleasant to eat, but they can be used to produce hard cider, an alcoholic beverage that was a staple of the American diet, especially for pioneers who didn’t always have access to sanitary drinking water.   Within Appleseed’s lifetime, oral accounts of his activities began to circulate. Most of these focused on his wilderness skills and his remarkable physical endurance. Chapman was also memorable for his eccentric clothing: instead of a shirt, he usually wore a sack with holes for his head and arms, and on his feet were worn-out shoes or no shoes at all and a saucepan for a hat, probably not true! Appleseed died in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1845, having planted apple trees as far west as Illinois or Iowa. (Legend would later extend his travels all the way to California.) An idealized portrait of his life soon began to take shape, in which Johnny Appleseed served as a kindly benign symbol of the European settlers’ conquest of the American continent. There were significant departures from the facts of Appleseeds life. For instance, it was commonly asserted that he was trusted and respected by the native peoples that he encountered and was even revered by them as a kind of white medicine man. In reality, though, his relationship with the Native Americans seems to have been based on mutual suspicion, as was typical for the time, and he recounted stories of having narrowly escaped being captured or otherwise harmed by them.   Liz Hudson  

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