It should come as no surprise that Castletown is full of folklore. But not many people realise just how rich the town is as a source of strange and mysterious tales.
Despite what the history books say, we learn from Manx folklore that the first inhabitants of Castle Rushen were the fairies. They lost possession of the castle to human beings, who then lost it themselves to the giants. It was only after a fierce battle that the castle was recaptured by the humans, who still control it today.
The giants did not flee far though, and there are many stories of encounters underneath the castle within its long and winding passages. One such tale describes an incredible journey down into the darkness, where a traveller explored the great halls and houses before finding the place where a giant lay sleeping. Wary of waking the giant, he quietly retraced his steps and escaped out into the open. So, if you spot any sealed-up entranceways in the castle grounds, you will know why!
The castle is also well-known for ghosts. Indeed, written reports of them go back as far as any such stories collected in the Isle of Man. Ghostly figures have been seen all over the Castle, from the ramparts to the cellars, spanning the centuries through to the modern day. The best stories you’ll hear though, will probably be in person – just ask a member of staff when you visit Castle Rushen, and they’ll undoubtedly have their own supernatural experience to report!
Out in the main town square, you are now where one tale tells us the famous Witch of Slieau Whallian met her end. After surviving being rolled down the hill outside St John’s in a barrel inlaid with spikes, she was brought to Castletown Square and put on top of a bonfire made out of three cartloads of heather gathered from every one of the 17 parishes in the Island. Her final demise was obvious to all, because her heart burst with an explosion as loud as a canon going off!
Leading off the square is Arbory Street, where a legendary charmer once lived. It was to them that Ned Quayle’s parents took their young lad after he had been chased by a fairy pig over the hills that resulted in a pain in his leg so bad that he was unable to eat. The charmer sent everyone way from the room, except the boy who lay on the floor. The charmer pointed to a plant in a book, made the sign of the cross over the lad, and recited a charm in Manx to expel the fairy poison. The pain immediately left young Ned, but he never dared go alone into the hills again.
Further along Arbory Street, you come to the old mill. This was once ‘The Witches’ Mill’; the infamous museum of witchcraft of the 1950s and 60s, run by Gerald Gardner, the founder of modern witchcraft through his creation of Wicca. There are many tales of him still in circulation, generally from locals who grew up frightened of the museum, or else were scandalized by sharing their town with a witch and his small coven.
An older story of the mill touches on something even more disturbing. A man who was walking into town one Saturday night was followed by a mysterious dog, all the way from his own doorstep to this mill, where the dog stopped and sat down. When the man later came back that way, a strange woman had taken the dog’s place, and she set off to walk beside him in silence as he continued home. Too frightened to even look at her, he said nothing until they reached a house about a mile on. When she suddenly stopped, he felt brave enough to look around at her. Silently, she smiled, and opened her mouth to reveal the largest teeth he had ever seen in a human or animal!
These and many more stories from this area and the rest of the Isle of Man can be found in ‘A Guide to the Folklore Sites of the Isle of Man,’ available from all good Manx bookshops.
Written by James Franklin, Online & Educational Resources Officer at Culture Vannin, which promotes, supports and celebrates the unique culture of the Isle of Man. Culture Vannin
