#folkorethursday — Public Fediverse posts

A Hob is type of household spirit, so-called in parts of northern England and southern Scotland, but similar to the brownie found elsewhere, or to the tomte or nisse in Scandinavia. Mostly considered lucky, as a good hob will help with the house or farm work, they can also be mischievous nuisances and hard to get rid of. They may be survivals of the Old English cofgodas, pre-Christian household gods.

Here in the far north east of England, they're usually known as hobthrushes. My favourite hobthrush story involves none other than St Cuthbert, bishop of Lindisfarne, who was bothered by a rowdy hobthrush while trying to meditate, and was forced to use all his ingenuity to trick the creature into leaving.

Some versions put the story in Cuthbert's later years on Inner Farne, but I prefer the location below, a small island where the saint was said to retreat from the arduous demands of bishopry, and which is still known as Cuthbert's Island, or Hobthrush Island.

#Folklore #FolkoreThursday #Northumberland #Storytelling #NorthumbrianFolklore #Lindisfarne #HolyIsland