England attracts many tourists with its beautiful landscapes, luxury palaces, unusual culture. Numerous legends of the British kingdom, formed over many centuries, convey the true British spirit. Today, there are still many people who believe in the existence of otherworldly forces, ghosts. We have selected for you five of the most famous legends of England. Among them are not only heroic, but also mystical, scary stories.
The Legend of Robin Hood
Many writers turned to the legend of the glorious hero Robin Hood in their work. The events in this story take place in the Middle Ages, when the Austrians captured King Richard the Lionheart. Prince John ruled in his place. He longed to be king and rule over England. To strengthen his position, he decided to increase taxes on the population.
What did such a rule lead to? The poor began to starve, and the rich began to profit. One Saxonnobleman Robin began to tell John about the infidelity of his policy. He didn't want to change his mind. Robin became a terrible and dangerous criminal for John.
The stupidity of the prince made Good hide in the forest. There he found like-minded people. They swore allegiance to Richard and were ready to fight against John. Young people began to rescue the poor. They attacked the rich convoys, they gave away what was taken away to the poor people. The girl Marian entered Robin's group, love broke out between them.
No matter how hard John tried to kill Hood, he couldn't. Further it is said that Richard managed to escape from captivity and return to his homeland. John planned to kill his brother, but he did not succeed. Robin Hood came to the rescue. Richard became ruler again, and Robin stopped hiding in the forest.
What do the legends of England teach? The story of Robin Hood teaches loy alty, courage. The British appreciate such desperate people and are ready to imitate them.
Legends of the Valiant King Arthur
There are many ancient legends about the Knights of the Round Table. Medieval heroes lived and died for the honor of the king, for the beautiful lady and their native land. The legend speaks of the formidable King Uther Pendragon. He fell in love with a duchess and asked the magician Merlin to connect him with her. As a sign of gratitude, he gave the magician his little son Arthur.
After the death of Uther, chaos fell upon the country, internecine wars began. Wise Merlin told the barons one way out. A huge stone was placed near the doors of the temple in the square. A sword stuck in it to the middle of the blade. At the bottom it was written that the king of England would be the one who could pull the sword from the stone. This was only possible for the grown-up and matured Arthur. He became king. The story doesn't end there. The hero accomplished many more feats. The myth about Arthur tells about a man who changes himself, looks for the meaning of life, sees the goal and goes to it. It was with the help of Arthur that the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Round Table was born. The king gathered around him honest and loyal people who defend justice and remain faithful.
History of Chillingham Castle
Have you heard of the haunted castle? Many legends are connected with the mysterious Chillingham Palace. It is one of the ten scariest buildings in the world. It contains an underground dungeon in which prisoners were kept awaiting sentencing. At first it was the fortress of King Edward I (XII century). Then other kings stopped here. The castle was besieged more than once, but was never given to the enemy.
Chillingham Castle is legendary in England: it is said to be haunted. Someone here has managed to see the Blue Boy or the spirit of Lady Mary Berkeley. The fact is that when the castle was reconstructed, the skeletons of a boy and a man were found in one of the walls. There were scratches all around this wall. It is said that other ghosts were seen in the torture chamber. Tourists can visit Chillingham Castle today.
The Legend of Beowulf
The myth of Beowulf is a story of kings, warriors, feasts, duels and battle. This largest Anglo-Saxon epic is notable for its uncomplicatedplot. Beowulf was a young knight from the Gaut tribe. One day he learned that the monster Grendel had attacked King Hidelak. For twelve years it exterminated the warriors of the king. Beowulf decided to protect people from Grendel, went to a duel with him. First he killed the monster, and then his terrible mother.
Beowulf returned to his homeland, where he was showered with awards and thanks. Then he performed many more feats, after which the Gauts chose him as their king. One day, Beowulf had to fight a dragon. The hero defeated the monster, but he himself died. The people burned his body on a funeral pyre. A mound was built on this site, where the treasure conquered by Beowulf was kept.
Ghost Jack the Ripper
The days of Victorian London were anything but cheerful. Dirt, unsanitary conditions, poverty and debauchery reigned in the city. This atmosphere gave rise to one of the most sinister legends - about Jack the Ripper. The autumn of 1888 was remembered by Londoners for a number of terrible crimes. Maniac killed five prostitutes. He did this with sophisticated cruelty, taking out the internal organs. He confessed to everything he had done in a letter to reporters. In it, he himself signed as Jack the Ripper. He believed that in this way he cleansed society of filth. Since then, many murders have been attributed to this maniac, including those that he did not commit. The dark and bloody legends of England have always been of interest to people, but many secrets remain in this story.
