THE KidsRuLe! GUIDE TO… Key Stage Curriculum2 Supports the • MONSTER COMPETITION! • LOLS! • TURNIP CARVING! • NUNS VS SNAKES!PLUS fantastic beasts Where to find a host of mythical monsters while out and about at our sites Spooky tales for a trulyHalloweenterrifying Ghosts witches& On the trail of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table FORMAGAZINETHEYOUNGMEMBERS! Play our game to see if you can be the first to complete the 12 Labours of Hercules! Epic quest it’s all incode!norse n t ail &Dungeonsdragons What Norse god or aregoddessyou? QUIZ TIME
LAND OF
5 things to spot Can you find these five things hiding in the pages of this issue?
LEGENDS
Green Man Giants’key ExcaliburswordDragon cauldronWitch’s
2 What’s inside? Here’s what you can find in this issue of Kids Rule! Read about the legend of St Hild and the snake stones at Whitby Abbey Page 4 Discover our fantastic beasts and where you can find them Page 6 Embark on a legendary journey of discovery on our King Arthur trail Page 8 Learn all about the myths and legends from English Heritage sites across the country! To start your quest, complete the introduction by filling in the five missing words below… Mouth Seasons Table Kings Norse MISSING WORDS Answers(inorder): 1Seasons2Norse 3Kings4Table5Mouth Myths and legends are an important part of our history, as they give us clues about how people used to live. But what’s the difference between the two? A myth is a story that’s made up (though there may be some factual basis to inspire the story), often to try to explain the world around us, such as why we have different . Myths can feature gods and fantasy creatures, and some people believed that the stories were true. Tales about Roman and gods and goddesses are examples of myths, as are stories of ghosts, witches, giants and mythical beasts. A legend is a story about the past, with characters such as and heroes. They are often based on real events but have had fictional elements added on. The story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round is an example of a legend. Many myths and legends have been around for thousands of years, from before people started writing them down. They would have been shared by word of – spoken out loud and then passed on.
• A turnip • A sharp knife • A spoon • A craft knife • A chopping board • A pencil • Battery-operatedtealight You willYou will need:need:
Create a traditional carved jack-o’-lantern for Halloween
NO TURNIP?No problem! Justdraw a picture ofa turnip with yourspooky face designand send us a photo(see details below)! Send us your photos! Watch how to carve a turnip in our spooky spooky face on the carefully cut it out Step 4 Place your battery-operated tea light inside the turnip and turn it on. Pop the lid on and enjoy your spooky lantern!
s
the turnip with
youtu.be/XxT49g662Skvideo! Step 3 Draw your
These days it’s popular to carve pumpkins to make lanterns at Halloween, but did you know British people used to make lanterns from turnips? These were put near doorways on 31 October to frighten away evil spirits. There are various explanations for the tradition but one is that it came from a folk tale about a man called Jack who was cursed by the devil to roam the earth with only a carved turnip to light his way. When British and Irish people went to live in America in the 19th century, they took the tradition with them but used pumpkins instead, as these were easier to carve. Follow our guide to making a turnip lantern below – just ask an adult for help with the cutting. When you’ve finished making your turnip lantern, please ask a grown-up to send us a photo to ourmedia.co.ukmembersmagazine@andwe’llsharethebestinournextissue!
pencil, then
with a craft knife.
Step 2 Use the knife to score around the inside edge of the turnip and loosen the flesh. Scoop out the flesh using the spoon, leaving a 5mm thick wall. Step 1 Decide which side of the turnip to use for the face. Cut a small amount off the base to steady the turnip. Then cut the top of the turnip off – keep it for a lid. It’stime!hammer
200764
DESIGN A LANTERNTURNIP
Read the spooky witch and ghost stories linked to our sites for Halloween Page 12 Look inside a temple dedicated to the Roman god Mithras Page 10 Play our game to see if you can complete the 12 Labours of Hercules Page 14 Quiz godWhichtime!Norseareyou? Page 16
s How the abbess of Whitby Abbey is said to have got rid of a plague of snakes
St Hild and the snake stones legend
ss s s day, oh Lord Hild lives at Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire, which she founded in AD 657. She rises early to pray with the other nuns who live there. The great-niece of a Northumbrian king, Edwin, Hild is now the abbess in charge of the abbey. She has plans to turn it into a great centre of learning with many holy books to match. Christianity is becoming popular, and people come from far and wide to meet Hild. Many hope to become monks and nuns at the abbey themselves.
The abbey is special because there are both monks and nuns who live and pray here. Hild visits the monks, who have been copying pages from the Bible. So the Lord said to Serpent…the Don’t get me started on snakes!
Sigh, learningI’monthejob!
It would be an honour to serve the Lord and learn from you The more the merrier!
The abbey is thriving under Hild’s just and wise leadership. But there’s just one problem… a plague of snakes!
There are so many snakes,Ican’tadderthemallup!
Please make them slither
snakes,longyou’rehissstory!
So
Hild’s prayers are answered! The snakes around Whitby curl up and turn to stone. The nuns and monks are very grateful to Hild for what she has done.
Rocks shaped like headless snakes can still be found on Whitby’s shoreline today, but we now know they are ammonite fossils, which are millions of years old!
Hild doesn’t know what to do. After all, she doesn’t know anything about catching snakes. Instead, she goes to the church and prays, asking God to get rid of the snakes.
Dear Lord, may you remove their heads and cast them into the sea!
The abbey’s servants and guests celebrate by throwing the stone snakes down on to the shoreline below.
Sssuperb!
The nuns at Whitby Abbey are too scared of the snakes to leave the special stone huts where they live, so they ask Hild for help.
TodiscovermoreaboutStHildandWhitbyAbbey,gotowww.english-heritage. org.uk/whitbyabbey
They should make you a saint for doing this! thither!
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A dragon in the heraldic shield at St Mawes Castle The dragon is the symbol of Wales. It is used to represent the Welsh ancestry of Henry VIII as part of his heraldic symbol at St Mawes Castle, one of many coastal forts created by the king. On it, the dragon of Wales and the lion of England are supporting a shield decorated with Henry VIII’s royal coat of arms.
The giants at Stokesay Castle
In Greek mythology, the hero Bellerophon rode his winged horse Pegasus and defeated a monstrous chimera – a creature made up of parts of different animals. If you head to Lullingstone Roman Villa you can see the story in one of the villa’s mosaics, created from thousands of tiny tiles. The Wildman at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens
1
5 Pegasus and a chimera at RomanLullingstoneVilla
Long ago, two giants shared a greattreasure that was kept in a chest lockedwith a golden key at Stokesay Castle inShropshire. The giants lived on either sideof the valley and used to throw the key toeach other. But one day the key landedin the castle’s moat – never to be seenagain. Why not complete the family trailon your next visit to see if you can huntdown the lost key? S
You’d think that anyone would be spooked by the thought of a giant, hairy man carrying a tree wandering around their home. But the Middleton family, who owned Belsay Hall in Northumberland, adopted this mythical Wildman as their symbol – you can find him on their crest, carved above the castle’s entrance and as a statue.
6 LOL! Howdoyoutalktoagiant?Youusebigwords! E
Wyverns at Wrest Park Wyverns look a lot like dragons but they have two legs rather than the usual four. To see one for yourself, head to Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, where you can see two of them in the coat of arms of the de Grey family, who built the house. There’s also a statue of a wyvern in the kitchen garden. Look carefully and you can also find them around the house. WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM
HEM
4 7
A griffin at Carlisle Castle Deep inside a room in the keep ofCarlisle Castle you’ll find carvings fromthe 15th century, thought to be madeby prison guards and representingemblems of local noblemen andfamilies. One of these is a griffin,a magnificent hybrid creature thathas the body, legs and tail of a lionwith the head and wings of an eagle.It was used as an emblem by theDacres, a powerful local family.
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T lbshd www.english-heritage.oorg.uk/kids-myths-legends N YSN 3
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A chinthe on the Chindit Memorial The chinthe is a guardian lion from Myanmar, where it’s often found at the entrances to Buddhist pagodas and temples. But you can ai Chindit Special Forces, a military r h with Britain against Japan during the Second World War. T See if you can spot these eight mythical monsters while out and about at our sites eht R
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The mythical Greek sphinx wasbelieved to be a wise creature whoguarded knowledge. At ChiswickHouse in London, you’ll find a pairof them flanking the gates, keepinga watchful eye on everyone whoenters. Head inside and you’ll seeanother sculpted from lead, sittingin the Lower Link building.
o ehdoeeo OW IT’ UR
Sphinxes atChiswick House
L O L !nametheWhat’softheknightwhomadetheroundtable?Cumference!Sir K I N G A R T H U R DiscovertheEnglishHeritagesiteswithaconnectiontothelegendofKingArthurandhisKnightsoftheRoundTableO N T H E T R A I L O F
RoundArthur’sKing CumbriaTable, earthworkcircularmysteriousThisisbetween3,000and4,000 yearshundredfewAold.yearsagopeoplestartedtolinkitwiththelegendofKingArthurandmeetingsofhisknightsattheirroundtable.It’salso jouststhatsuggestedbeenmayhavebeenheldhere.
Stone,Arthur’s Herefordshire chamberburial5,000-year-oldThishasbeenassociatedwithKingArthursincethe13thcentury.Accordingtolegend,itwasherethatArthurkilledafearsome ofimpressiontheleftwhogiant,hiselbowsononeofthestonesas taleAnotherdeath.histofellhe backwardsfellgiantthethatsaysontothelargestonecoveringthemonument,breakingitintwo.
protectedfortressthiscenturies,ForEnglandfrominvasion.ItwasherethatArthurwasbelievedtohave son,possiblehisMordred,defeatedinabattleoverwhoshouldbeking.SirGawaine,Arthur’sgreatestknight,waskilledinthefight.Inthe15thcentury,Gawaine’sskullwasbelievedtobepreservedinthecastle’schapel.
KentCastle,Dover
rulerstheofstrongholdawasTintagelofCornwallbetweenthe5thand7th Geoffreycentury,12ththeIncenturies.ofMonmouthassociatedthesitewith ineventsearlyandMerlinwizardthethestoryofKingArthur.Inspiredbytheseassociations,Richard,Earlof castlenewfabulousabuiltCornwall, wasItcentury.13ththeinTintagelataplaceofroyalmake-believeratherthanwarfare.
WiltshireStonehenge, beganStonehengeofconstructionTheinabout3000BC.Butaccordingtothe12th-centurywriterGeoffreyofMonmouth,thestonecirclewasbuilt orderstheon485ADindaysingleainofKingArthur.WiththehelpofMerlin,themassivestonesweremovedfrom PlainSalisburyonrebuiltandIrelandasamemorialtothepeoplewhodiedatthehandsofAnglo-Saxoninvaders.
StoneFoldMitchell’s ShropshireCircle, probablycirclestoneprehistoricThisconsistedof30uprightstones(15survivetoday).LegendsaysitwasherethatArthurdrewExcalibur,his showingthusstone,thefromsword,hewastherightfulking.Anothertalesaysthatawitchwasturnedtostonehere,andthecirclewasbuilt escape.herpreventtoheraround
Castle,Tintagel Cornwall
HISTORICENGLANDARCHIVE
2 Legend of Mithras Behind the altar stood a sculpture of the god Mithras killing a sacred bull in a cave. He wears a hat from Persia because the Romans were inspired by a Persian god called Mithra.
3 Feast for the gods After killing the bull, Mithras is said to have shared a feast with a sun god called Sol. To celebrate this, the members of the cult held tasty and plentiful feasts in the temple.
The temple was on the edge of a village, near a fort where some of its worshippers lived. The names of three local soldiers who were members of the temple were found written on its altars.
theyRomansWhatdidthesayaswereleavingthecolosseum?Seeyoulatergladiator!
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4 By candlelight The temple was dark with no natural light in order to recreate the cave from the myth of Mithras. The rooms were lit using candles and oil lamps, making the temple feel mysterious.
5
Discover how the followers of a Roman cult worshipped their god at a temple near Carrawburgh Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall
1 6 2 3 4 LOL!
5 An initiation A new member of the cult approaches the main area of the temple to meet the other members. He has just gone through a secret ordeal to prove he is worthy of joining the cult.
6
NOW
To find out more about Carrawburgh Roman Fort and Temple of Mithras, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/carrawburgh
Levelling up Members of the cult were graded at seven levels. To progress to the next level, they had to face physical and mental challenges. Those who reached level seven were known as ‘fathers’.
Look inside…
THEN 1 Secret society
The Temple of Mithras
it’s a kind of magic What do you calla Roman emperorwith a cold?Julius Sneezer!
Find out more about Roman beliefs at english-heritage.org.uk/www.romans/religion
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Found at RChesters oman FortThe Romans believed inmany different gods andgoddesses. People went totemples, made sacrificesand burnt incense tohonour the gods andkeep them on their side,as they could have agood or a bad effect onyour life. Juno was oneof the most importantgoddesses in Rome.
Found at Wroxeter Roman City Roman people were very superstitious. Many of them believed in the Evil Eye, the cause of all bad things. The Evil Eye was given by a sideways look. To protect themselves people tried to distract or fool the Evil Eye. This amulet in the shape of an eye was used as a decoy.
E tt
LOL!
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN h ve i d stone
JetJetplaqueplaqueam a ringinerv Statue of Juno
Found at Wroxeter Roman City Human bone was thought to be very powerful It was used for different kinds of magic, including fertility magic, as it was believed it could help women get pregnant. Finger and toe bones were easy to obtain from cemeteries – this one had a hole drilled into it.
M gg What the Roman objects in our collection tell us about their beliefs in gods, superstition and magic
Found at Lullingstone Roman Villa Jet, mainly used for jewellery, was thought to have magical and protective powers. This plaque made of jet has two sections and might have been used for predicting the future: you could answer a simple question by dropping a feather or spinning a coin and seeing which section it landed on.
Found at Richborough Roman Fort Images of gods appeared on everyday items, such as jewellery. Intaglios were carved stones set into rings. People might choose their favourite god to appear on the stone. This one is of Minerva.
Drilled human human finger bonefinger bone
12
Archaeologists are still not sure why this stone circle in Somerset was built 4,500 years ago. A colourful legend tells how on a Saturday night a wedding party was dancing in the meadow. The fiddler stopped playing at midnight because he didn’t want to perform on Sunday, the holiest day of the week. His place was taken by a handsome stranger, who was the Devil in disguise. He played faster and faster until the dancers fell over and were turned to stone!
In May 1236, an event of wonder supposedly unfolded near Roche Abbey in South Yorkshire. A monk called Matthew Paris described how ‘bands of well-armed knights’ appeared from the ground near the monastery. This ghostly army then had a tournament, or mock battle, for three days. The spectral knights then disappeared back into the earth.
Built 700 years ago for the monks of Pershore Abbey, Leigh Court Barn is all that remains of a grand complex of buildings in Worcestershire. A local fable tells how the ghost of a man called Coles, who lived there in the 17th century, can be seen riding past the barn on a coach drawn by four horses. Swift as the wind, these fearsome beasts had fire flaming from their nostrils. Crikey!
Feeling brave? Then readon to discover these spookystories of ghosts, ghouls andwitches at our sites
Findmorebone-chillingstoriesat mythsmap. english-heritage. org.uk TOVER OYOU
In the early 15th century, a monk from Byland Abbey in North Yorkshire copied down 12 terrifying ghost stories. Most of them involve ghosts asking for prayers so that they can find peace in heaven. However, one of the stories actually takes place within the abbey’s own cloister. It involves a corpse that would rise from its grave at night and wander over the moors. The terrified monks dug it up and threw it in a nearby lake.
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Several spooky tales are associated with Binham Priory, which was home to a community of monks. In the 13th century, one of the monks went mad and after his death was buried wrapped in chains, in the belief this would stop the corpse rising from its grave. In 1935 the spectre of a monk was reported to have been seen on a ledge near the church’s door.
The impressive ruins of Bollingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire date back to the 13th century. A legend from the 17th century says that the castle is haunted by the spirit of a hare. The phantom hare would run between the legs of important local people, sometimes knocking them over. Even when it was chased into the cellars with no means of escape, the hare was never captured. A later legend says it was the ‘familiar’, or animal companion, of a witch.
Local legend in Cornwall says that these three stone circles are a group of men who were turned to stone as a punishment for playing the ancient team game of hurling on a Sunday. The story also goes that it’s impossible to count how many stones there are in total. Why not have a go yourself?
LOL! What’s a witch’sThefunfairfavouriteride?scary-go-round!
board
LOL! cookZeusWhatdidusetochips?AncientGrease!epic quest It’s monsteramash!
you need to start playing! STEP 3 completingseeChallengeafriendtowhocanbethefirsttobecomeimmortalbythe12Labours! STEP 2 Download and print out theboard and playing pieces andread the instructions 14 STEP 1 Go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/kidsmyths-legends and click the link for the12LaboursofHerculesgame Challenge a friend to
you
our epic board game! Follow the instructions below to learn more about the story and get
our
and
One of the most famous stories to come out of ancient Greece was that of the 12 Labours of Hercules. A son of Zeus, Hercules had superhuman strength, but he was driven mad by a goddess and killed his family. He was sent to serve a king as a punishment. During this time, the king sent Hercules to perform a series of difficult tasks, called Labours, which included capturing or slaying a series of fearsome monsters (see right). Thankfully, Hercules was up to the challenge and, in return, was made immortal. Now it’s your turn to see if can be a hero like Hercules and complete the 12 Labours by playing everything play awesome game see who can be the first to complete the 12 Labours of Hercules!
YOU diD it! 15 OU i Last issue we challenged you to get creative and design an amazing invention. Here are the winning entries! This magazine is published on behalf of English Heritage by Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group company) www.ourmedia.co.uk For English Heritage Louise Dando, Johanna Lovesey, Tom Dennis, Tony Dike, Richard Leatherdale, Tom Moriarty, Fran Haywood For Our Media Ltd Group editor Matt Havercroft, Group production editor Oliver Hurley, Senior art editor Steve Gotobed, Account director Esther Procee, Account manager Joanne Robinson, Director Julie Williams, Editorial director Dan Linstead, Design director Will Slater Contributors Michael Carter, Andrew Roberts, Helen Dorritt, Adam Rees Illustrations Wesley Robins Now you’ve read all about the myths and legends associated with our sites, we’d like you to draw a monster inspired by one of the stories on our myths map at mythsmap.english-heritage.org.uk. Once you’ve finished your drawing, go to uk/kids-myths-legendswww.english-heritage.org. to enter. We’ve got a goody bag worth £100 to give away to the designer of the most amazing monster and we’ll feature the best of your beasts! Enter our competition for your chance to win a brilliant £100 goody bag! ies! Terms and conditions The closing date and time for entries is midnight on Wednesday 4 January 2023. For full terms and conditions, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/kids-myths-legends COMPETITION ageIzzy,8 What incredible inventions! Draw your own mythical monsterDESIGN A paper or straw bridge In our last issue we asked you to design a paper or straw bridge. Here’s one of our favourites! g RUNNERUP ageJoel,11 RUNNERUP Joshua,age6 WINNER! Ethan,age8
16 4 What’s favouriteyouraccessory? A A magical spear B A bow and arrow C A net D A cloak of falcon feathers 5 Where would you like to live? A Up a tree B In the mountains C On a rock D In the garden What doesThor wearunder his Thunderwear!robe? LOL! Sunday Sol, goddess of the sun Monday Mani, god of the moon Tuesday Tyr, god of war Wednesday Odin (sometimes known as Woden), god of wisdom Thursday Thor, god of thunder Friday Frigg, goddess of marriage Did you know that most of our days of the week are named after Norse gods and goddesses? The only day that isn’t named after a Norse deity is Saturday, which comes from Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture! Days ofDays of the deitiesthe deities Legendary Legendary fact! fact! 6 Who do you enjoy spending time with? A A pair of wolves B Your family C Giants D Goblins Are you askadi?secret Which norse god are you? AreyouOdinindisguise? Channel your inner superhuman with our quiz 1 What’s Afavouriteyouractivity? Reading poetry B Skiing C Playing tricks on people D Riding in a chariot 3 Which of these do you prefer to eat? A Salmon B Wild boar C Chocolate D Apples 2 What’s Afavouriteyouranimal? Raven B Eagle C Snake D Cat Mostly As? You’re Odin! Odin rules over the Aesir tribe of gods newquestsgoesgoddesses,andandonlongtolearnthings. Mostly Bs? You’re Skadi! You’ll know Skadi if you see her: she’s a giant goddess who huntinggoesin mountains.the Mostly Cs? You’re Loki! Watch out if Loki’s about –he’s a intoshapeshiftedandtrickstercheekyonceahorse. Mostly Ds? You’re Freya! Freya’s chariot is drawn by cats, her cloak helps her fly and she uses magic to affect the future. e ?
