The Redcap’s Bloody Rampage.
The Border between England and Scotland was, for a long time, a dangerous place. Controlled by what were essentially crime families in fortified manor houses, who refused to accept the rule of either England or Scotland, and who were constantly skirmishing with each other. This area was also sometimes referred to as the debatable lands, and is marked on the map below in brown.
There is a common misconception that Hadrian’s wall denotes the border between these two countries, but that is not true, this roman relic actually lies wholly within England, with the actual border being to its north, running from Marshall Meadow Bay on the east coast, to the Solway Firth in the West.
It seems inevitable that such a violent region would be home to a race of murderous and evil of goblins known as Redcaps, but sometimes referred to as Powies, Bloody Caps or Redcombs.
The 19th-century folklorist William Henderson describes them thus, "a short, thickset old elf with long prominent teeth, skinny fingers armed with talons like eagles, large eyes of a fiery red colour, grisly hair streaming down his shoulders, iron boots, a pikestaff in his left hand, and (perhaps not surprisingly) a red cap on his head".
They made their home in the ruins of castles, favouring any old building with a particularly wicked or unpleasant history. Travellers deciding to rest in the lair of these bloodthirsty beings should beware, the Redcap would throw stones at his victims and do everything in his power to kill them, if he was successful he would dip his hat in their blood. It was believed that should his bloody headgear every dry out he would die, so he had plenty of incentive to keep up his gruesome rampage.
A Recap could not be overcome by mere human strength. The only means of defence against them was to quote scripture or brandish a crucifix, which would cause the being to vanish in flames leaving only a large tooth behind. Longshot Nelson and the Disjoints, have a very creepy Redcap song that you can enjoy, click the Youtube link below.
Until next time stay spooky my friends.