| Awd Goggie | |
|---|---|
 M. Wilson's illustration from Borley Rectory | |
| Background | |
| Type | Cryptid |
| Continent | Europe |
| Country | Scotland and Northern England |
| One-Time? | No |
| Theories | · Cryptid · Entity · Nursery Bogie |
Awd Goggie is a creature used by parents around Yorkshire to discourage children from going into woodland orchards unsupervised. It usually took the form of a massive caterpillar. It could move invisibly through the trees and descend on any children who tried to steal the ripe fruit he protected, swallowing them whole.[1]
Appearance[]
Awd Goggie often takes the form of a giant hairy caterpillar.
Lore[]
Awd Goggie is said to inhabit orchards and forests, or any place where fruit ripens. Be it the cultivated variety or wild berries. Awd Goggie will lie in wait for a disobedient child to wander off alone in order to steal some of the fruit, at which point Awd Goggie will lunge at the unfortunate victim, dragging his/her body off to eat in the safety of his lair.[2]
It is considered the lord of 'the vineyard' and serves at the "great tree" which all sacred flowers grow from. Only one sighting is known from the 20th century, at the infamous "Most Haunted House in England," Borley Rectory.
Modern Sightings[]
One of the most intriguing and known cases concerned the Borley ‘bug’, a hideous form observed in one of Britain’s most haunted buildings, Borley Rectory which sat on the Essex/Suffolk border until it was destroyed by a fire in 1939. Artist Margaret Wilson encountered the critter on 22nd August 1938 whilst she was painting and stated: "Looking up I saw the queerest object with impelling eyes advancing toward me at about eye level. It seemed to be coming out of a mist. It was accompanied by a wasp on its left..." Margaret struck at the creature but when it hit the floor it disappeared. After the incident she claimed it was around three-inches long, entirely black with huge eyes and resembled no other British insect. While it could have been an invasive larvae Wilson wasn't familiar with her account describes something semi-transparent at points resembling ectoplasm, which swam through the air without wings.[3]
Possible Explanations[]
There are several explanations as to what the creature could be. Theories include:
- A nature spirit of Celtic origin
- A "bogie story" meant to scare children
References[]
An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures by Katharine Briggs pg. 14
Gallery[]
Photo Gallery[]
