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04 Apr 16 - 05:43 AM (#3783257) Subject: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: Rain Dog BBC Radio 4Extra repeated a programme last Wednesday about The Green Children of Woolpit. It was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 2010 Sometime in the Twelfth Century two children appeared from a pit on the edge of a field in the Suffolk village of Woolpit. They were coloured green and spoke a unknown language. They sickened until they were allowed to eat green beans. The boy died but the girl revived and grew up learning English, marrying a man from Kings Lynn, and speaking of the place she and her brother had come from. Susannah Clapp and Richard Mabey investigate the story and its remarkable enduring appeal to villagers, visitors and a succession of folklorists and writers It is available on the BBC iplayer for a further 25 days The Green Children of Woolpit |
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04 Apr 16 - 06:09 PM (#3783430) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: GUEST,# For those interested, it might be worth finding out about hypochromic anemia. |
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05 Apr 16 - 09:01 AM (#3783500) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: Jack Campin The "green sickness" aka chlorosis explanation has to be urban myth. Anaemia doesn't make you green, it only makes you less pink - it was given the name "green sickness" by wild exaggeration in the 19th century. Nobody in the Middle Ages would have made that connection. There are peoples in Amazonia whose traditional way of life discoloured their skin with green mould, the same sort of biology that makes sloths green. There might be a remote chance that was involved. |
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05 Apr 16 - 02:19 PM (#3783532) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: Llanfair I heard that story on 4extra, my favourite radio station, it was most interesting, but inconclusive. I hadn't heard this story before, or anything similar. |
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05 Apr 16 - 07:29 PM (#3783586) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: GUEST,.gargoyle It is strange that BBC restricts listening times...to little windows. PBR - has universal podcast of all their programs...anytime...anywhere the local govt permits. Sincerely, Gargoyle Brittania est insula. Second lesson after Picum Nicum. |
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06 Apr 16 - 07:41 AM (#3783696) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: Thompson You can listen to BBC programmes on TuneIn Radio and various others. |
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06 Apr 16 - 08:52 AM (#3783726) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: JohnH The term "green" could be an exaggeration. They might just have been sallow skinned. Living in a windowless hovel would work wonders for the complexion. BTW I live in Woolpit and none have been seen recently. |
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07 Apr 16 - 07:22 AM (#3783967) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: Waddon Pete There are many theories about the Green Children, and numerous versions of the story including the ones mentioned here. The most believable is that they were children of Flemish weavers who came over for the wool trade. This would explain their language difficulties and JohnH has mentioned their complexion.... All fascinating stuff. Apparently there is some genealogical information somewhere.... Ah sweet stuff of mystery! (Please...no songs...) Peter |
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07 Apr 16 - 07:26 AM (#3783969) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: Jack Campin (Please...no songs...) I got the greens real bad |
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07 Apr 16 - 07:33 AM (#3783972) Subject: RE: Folklore: The Green Children of Woolpit From: Waddon Pete Thanks Jack! |
