Peterborough Folklore by Francis Young (review)

In Peterborough Folklore, Francis Young highlights the contributions of Peterborough, which has been on the periphery of folklore studies in England's Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire counties. He explains that Peterborough's history as a small cathedral city with shifting boundaries has led to its liminal position. As a result, Peterborough's distinct folklore has been overshadowed in folklore collections of the larger neighboring communities. However, Young also points out that Peterborough's geographic position in and near various boundaries has made it a "cultural melting-pot" (3). Young's study highlights the unique folklore of Peterborough, as well as its context in the folklore of the surrounding counties.

The book is organized according to themes, including pagan and Christian origins, and magic and miracles (chapters 1 and 2, respectively), a historical overview of Peterborough folklore from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day (chapter 3), a calendar of Peterborough events throughout the year (chapter 4), and an appendix with a local mummers' play. In support of these choices, Young says, "Folklore rarely fits into neat categories and therefore it is always a challenge to organise the material for a study such as this" (17). Young investigates the historical foundations of Peterborough folklore and specific examples of place and practice. His photographs document Peterborough sites and artifacts that he discusses in each chapter. By using his own photographs, Young also helps minimize costs for his book's independent publisher, Lasse Press.

In the introduction, Young provides background on Peterborough's shifting political associations with the larger bordering counties of Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, and Huntingdonshire, even though Peterborough has been a county unto itself since 1889. To clarify his approach, Young explains, "For the purposes of this book, 'Peterborough' is defined as those ancient parishes of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, and Cambridgeshire now within the boundaries of Peterborough Unitary Authority" (4).

Throughout the study, Young references three folklorists—Symon Gunton, John Clare, and Charles Dack—who were the primary recorders of Peterborough folklore from the latter seventeenth century through the early twentieth century. The work of contemporary folklorists is also discussed, but Young especially emphasizes the three earlier ones. Young's decision appears to be based on all three having personal connections to Peterborough, either born and raised in the area like Gunton and Clare, or established there as an adult like Dack (14). Young explains how their unique personal investment in Peterborough resulted in crucial resources for later folklorists.

Chapter 1, "Paganism, Christianity and the Legendary Origins of Peterborough," focuses on the county's transition from Anglo-Saxon paganism to Christianity. Young takes a reserved approach to the topic, stating, "[A]ny discussion of paganism in England must always be tempered by the reflection that we know very little about Anglo-Saxon religion before Christianity" and that attributing paganism remains speculative (19). Throughout this chapter and the rest of the study, Young maintains an effective critical distance from his primary and secondary sources. His discussion of various recordings, sightings, and interpretations for each story and theme highlights the porous nature of the folklore. Yet, there is evidence that warrants distinction, such as Peterborough's account of the wild Hunt being the earliest one in England (30).

In chapter 2, "Magic, Miracles and witchcraft," Young discusses the historical influence of these subjects on practices, beliefs, and artifacts in Peterborough up through the present day. One of the most interesting examples is the late-fifteenth-century Peterborough Lapidary, "the longest medieval treatise on the properties of stones and minerals" (48). As Young observes in his analysis, the Lapidary also presents a neutral to positive response to the use of magic in various forms, including witchcraft, counterwitchcraft, and astrology. His discussion of the Lapidary is useful because it illustrates that local perspectives on supernatural practices and effects were not rigidly negative. Toward the chapter's end, Young examines practices that indicate some Peterborough residents still believed it wise through the help of charms to protect themselves from the "supposed witchcraft of others" (60). However, he points out that present-day beliefs in...