The latest results from the National Folklore Survey for England
A quarter of people say the summer or winter solstices are of spiritual significance to them personally, according to the National Folklore Survey for England.
In the results, one in four people also said that they have visited a prehistoric stone circle. Almost 5% of these timed their visit to coincide with a solstice or equinox.
The results come as part of the latest release of findings from the National Folklore Survey for England, that looks at beliefs around the natural world.
As well as stone circles, three quarters of people had visited a place in England that was associated with a legend or story they had heard or read about. And 40% of people – approximately 16 million people between 16 and 75 – had heard of a story or legend surrounding a spring, cave or other natural feature of their local area.
To continue reading, please visit my Substack page here.
David Clarke is Associate Professor in the Department of Media Arts and Communication at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. He teaches media law and his research specialism is contemporary legend. Previously he worked as a journalist for The Sheffield Star and Yorkshire Post and spent four years working as a Press Officer in local government. His PhD in Folklore and was completed at the National Centre for English Cultural Tradition, University of Sheffield, in 1999. From 2008-13 he acted as consultant and curator of the MoD UFO files project with The National Archives. His books include The Angel of Mons (2004) and How UFOs Conquered the World: the history of a modern myth (2015). In 2018 he co-founded the Centre for Contemporary Legend at Sheffield Hallam University. This blog covers his twin research interests in journalism and folklore. The views expressed in the contents are entirely his own.
drdavidclarke.co.uk 