The Chapters
Select a volume below to uncover the strange history, forgotten folklore, and peculiar origins hidden within Britain’s most beloved everyday sayings.
Hearth & Home
Pull up a chair to the fire and lock the door against the night. Explore the deep-rooted superstitions that govern the domestic world, from opening an umbrella indoors to sweeping the floor after dark.
Read Volume ✦Weather Lore
Long before satellites and barometers, our ancestors read the sky. Uncover the ancient art of forecasting the seasons through the clouds, the wind, and the behaviour of local wildlife.
Read Volume ✦Love & Marriage
The path to the altar has always been paved with peculiar traditions. Delve into the romantic and sometimes rather bizarre old wives’ tales that dictate courtship rituals and wedding day omens.
Read Volume ✦Health & Old Remedies
Step into the village apothecary of the past. Uncover the fascinating origins of your grandmother’s favourite cures, cautionary tales, and magical thinking hidden within everyday health sayings.
Read Volume ✦Garden & Nature
Just beyond the garden gate lies a world of omens and wild magic. Learn to read the signs hidden in the hedgerows, from counting magpies to planting crops by the phases of the moon.
Read Volume ✦Kitchen Wisdom
The heart of the house has always held its own set of strict rules. Explore the culinary superstitions, old food sayings, and hearthside rituals that seasoned the daily lives of our ancestors.
Read Volume ✦Village Life & Work
From the blacksmith’s forge to the local tavern, unearth the old trade idioms, money sayings, and the surprisingly dark history behind the phrases coined by everyday workers.
Read Volume ✦Childhood & Bedtime
Tuck yourself in, but be prepared for a fright. Rediscover the cautionary tales, your grandmother’s warnings, and the surprisingly grim origins hidden beneath innocent nursery rhymes.
Read Volume ✦