London Archives - Bone and Sickle

Swan-Upping and Other Curious British Customs

June 18, 2023 boneandsickle birds, Britain, curiosities, EPISODE, folk customs, folklore, history, holidays, local legends, London, Midsummer, Victorian

Explore some curious British Customs with us, including those of Midsummer, swan-upping, egg-hopping, St. Bartholomew’s knives, and the violent tradition of[…]

The Hellfire Clubs, Part Two

April 19, 2022 boneandsickle caves, Devil, diabolism, England, EPISODE, folklore, Francis Dashwood, ghost stories, ghosts, Hellfire Caves, Hellfire Club, legends, local legends, London, magic, occultism, paganism

The best known of the 18th-century Hellfire Clubs, one founded by Francis Dashwood, is largely remembered today because of the[…]

Hellfire Clubs, Part One

March 30, 2022 boneandsickle Britain, criminals, Dublin, England, EPISODE, folk tales, folklore, Hell, Hellfire Club, history, Ireland, legends, London, seduction, sex

The Hellfire Clubs of 18th-century Great Britain were gatherings of upper-class libertines dedicated to hedonism, blasphemous jests and taboo activities[…]