Category Archives: gothic and paranormal

Plough Monday and Molly Dancing: British Traditions

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The Oxford Dictionary of English Folk Lore describes a plough jag as, “One of the three main types of mumming play, found only in the East Midlands, and first reported in the 1820s. Performances were concentrated on Plough Monday,  but could … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Would You Recognize a Hunky Punk?

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

“Hunky Punk” is a West Country (UK) word for grotesque carvings on the side of English buildings, especially churches. The word originated in Somerset and is ascribed to the Old English word “hunkers,” which means haunches and “punchy,” which means … Continue reading →

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Pride 47, Prejudice 5

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

  Pride and Prejudice was originally entitled First Impressions, which is a much better title when one considers how Jane Austen bombards her readers with the theme of “impressions”: first, flawed, and founded. However, that is material for a future post. What … Continue reading →

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The Face of Jack the Ripper

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

On Friday, I included a post on The Brutality of Jack the Ripper. This is one of favorite sources on the crime. In 2006, BBC News brought us a look at “Jack the Ripper” by using modern day profiling techniques. … Continue reading →

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The Brutality of Jack the Ripper

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a BIG Matthew Macfadyen fan. So, needless to say, I am anticipating the premiere of “Ripper Street” on BBC America on January 19 at 9 P.M. And yes, I do realize “‘Ripper Street’ is … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, legends and myths, real life tales, Victorian era | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Poison, Passion, and Politics

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Regina Jeffers

The German scholar, Albertus Magnus, is generally credited with the discovery of arsenic in or about 1250. All sorts of poisons have been used since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Greeks had a fondness for water … Continue reading →

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Wimborne Minster’s Grandeur

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Known locally as the Minster, Wimborne Minster is the parish church of  Wimborne, Dorset, England. The Minster has existed for over 1300 years and is recognised for its unusual chained library (one of only four surviving chained libraries in the world). The Minster, … Continue reading →

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Body Snatching and Resurrectionists

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Body Snatching was the removal of bodies from graveyards, usually for the purpose of using the corpses as cadavers for the 19th Century medical schools. Those who practiced body snatching were referred to as resurrectionists or resurrection-men. As opposed to … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, legends and myths, real life tales, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Rame Head or Cornwall’s “Forgotten Corner”

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Rame Head is a coastal headland, southwest of the village of Rame in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. The area plays a prominent role in my Regency romance, The First Wives’ Club, which recently received an honorable mention in SOLA’s Seventh Annual Dixie … Continue reading →

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Northanger Horrid Novels

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

I wanted to introduce our visitors to what are known as the Northanger Horrid Novels, seven early Gothic examples of fiction. These books were among the many published by Minerva Press in the late 1700s and early 1800s. William Lane … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments