Category Archives: legends and myths

Very “Real” Estate ~ Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire ~ Church for Robin Hood and Maid Marian’s Wedding???

 In 633 A. D., King Edwin of Northumbria (King of Deira and Bernicia), a Saxon, whose kingdom at the time stretched from the River Trent, which marks the boundary between the Midlands and the north of England, to Edinburgh (Edwin’s borough), … Continue reading

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, British history, buildings and structures, kings and queens, legends and myths, medieval | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Very “Real” Estate ~ Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire ~ Church for Robin Hood and Maid Marian’s Wedding???

A Closer Look at “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy”

When writing any mystery, the author cannot just have a murderer and a victim. He/She must also have suspects, red herrings (false clues), motives, and deception. There must be a balance between the suspense and the story’s pace must be … Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, British history, gothic and paranormal, Industry News/Publishing, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Scotland, Ulysses Press, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Welcoming Jennifer Redlarczyk and Her Release of “A Very Merry Mix-up”

 Today I welcome a dear friend of this blog and of Austen Authors. Jennifer Redlarczyk, who is releasing a novelette as a prelude to her first novel, Darcy’s Melody, which will arrive soon.  Austen fans are in for a real … Continue reading

Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, excerpt, film adaptations, Georgian England, Guest Post, historical fiction, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, music, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 58 Comments

The Legend of Handfasting + Release of “A Dance with Mr. Darcy” + Excerpt + Giveaway

 Last Tuesday, we looked at the formal betrothals known as “handfasting,” But what of the mythical handfasting ceremonies purported by popular literature? In the late 18th Century, an idea arose in Scotland that “handfasting” did not refer to a betrothal, but … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, books, British history, customs and tradiitons, eBooks, excerpt, giveaway, historical fiction, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, marriage customs, marriage licenses, Pride and Prejudice, Scotland, Vagary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Drambuie: Scotland’s First Commercially Produced Liqueur

To fully appreciate how Scotland claimed drambuie as its own, one must possess a general knowledge of what is known in Scottish/English history as the Rebellion of ’45. James II of England and Ireland (James VII of Scotland) converted to … Continue reading

Posted in Act of Parliament, British history, commerce, Georgian Era, kings and queens, legends and myths, real life tales, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Scotland’s Merrick Murder Hole and The Old Grey Man

  This article first appeared on the Dark Jane Austen Book Club Website on March 11, 2013.  The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy Shackled in the dungeon of a macabre castle with no recollection of her past, a young woman finds … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, gothic and paranormal, Great Britain, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, mystery, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, Scotland, spooky tales, Ulysses Press, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Scotland’s Merrick Murder Hole and The Old Grey Man

Thomas Malory’s “Morte D’Arthur” Part II

Previously, I posted a detailed summary of Books 1 and 2 or Malory’s “Morte D’Arthur.” Today, I have chosen bits of the other books to discuss. Book XIII: This is the beginning of the Holy Grail legend. Arthur and his … Continue reading

Posted in Age of Chaucer, Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Saxons, ballads, British history, Canterbury tales, Great Britain, legacy, legends and myths, medieval, reading, religion, romance, romantic verse, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Getting Ready for October: The Screaming Skull of Bettiscombe Manor

Bettiscombe is a small village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, situated in the Marshwood Vale 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Beaminster. Dorset County Council’s 2012 mid-year estimate of the population of the civil parish is 70. This … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, castles, customs and tradiitons, gothic and paranormal, Great Britain, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency personalities | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Getting Ready for October: The Screaming Skull of Bettiscombe Manor

Owain Glyndŵr, National Hero and The Last Native Welshman to Hold the Title “Prince of Wales”

Owain Glyndŵr (c. 1349 or 1359 to c. 1415) was the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru). He led an unsuccessful revolt against Henry IV of England. Glyndŵr’s family was part of the Anglo-Welsh … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, legends and myths, Living in the UK, military, political stance, real life tales, Wales | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Owain Glyndŵr, National Hero and The Last Native Welshman to Hold the Title “Prince of Wales”

James Figg, Father of Modern Day Boxing

Born into a poor farming family, James Figg is considered the father of Modern Day Boxing. The youngest of seven children, Figg grew up in Thames Village, Oxfordshire. He had achieved renown as a master of the short sword and … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, Great Britain, legends and myths, Living in the UK, real life tales | Tagged , | 7 Comments