Saturday 2 December 2017

The snow-white soldier of Grand Falls - A December ghost story.




Newfoundland Regiment Soldiers, n.d.
Section commander: Eric Ellis (seated 2nd row, 3rd from left); Hussey (seated 2nd row, 4th from left); Henry Ethelburt Moss (back row, 4th from left) Courtesy of the Rooms Provincial Archives Division (A 8-34), St. John's, NL.



At the end of December few years back, I got a Christmas gift of the sort I most appreciate, an intriguing Newfoundland ghost story, this time from the community of Grand Falls. I included it in one of my previous books, Haunted Waters (available as an e-book here.) 

The email was from a man named Terry from central Newfoundland, mentioning a ghost he had seen when he was 10 or 12 years old.

“We left my uncle’s house in Grand Falls late one night to return to Bishop’s Falls,” he started the tale. Terry’s father and mother were in the car, along with his sister. As they drove out of Grand Falls heading back towards their home, they drove past an old graveyard.

“I was in the backseat of the car looking out the window,” remembers Terry, “and just below the giant crucifix in the middle of the cemetery, I saw a snow-white soldier walking past.”

I asked Terry if he looked like a modern soldier, or if he had to guess, what era or war the soldier looked like he was from.

“He looked like a WWI soldier,” says Terry. “He had the old type WWI helmet, with a rifle slung under his arm, like he was walking a long time and just carrying it, not like he was ready to use it.”

“He had his rifle with the butt stuck under his arm, and the barrel pointing towards the ground,” Terry describes. “Every time I go moose hunting with people and see an old .303 rifle, I can see him carrying it.”

“He was all white, that is what caught my attention at night,” he says, thinking back on the event. “He had his head low, like he was looking at the ground, and his face wasn’t visible. He wasn’t floating, or sailing, or mist-like, he was just white and walking by that crucifix.”

“It made such an impression I never forgot it,” Terry claims. “All I can remember is after I saw the ghost, I sat down low in the seat so I couldn’t see out the window anymore.”

He remembers telling family members at the time, and being told, “Don’t be so foolish, it’s in your mind.”

Needless to say it was many years before Terry looked at that graveyard after dark.

“When I was a teen-ager I spent many a night sitting on the curb by that cemetery hitch-hiking home, but never alone,” he says. “I’ve been with my wife for over 23 years, and she can tell you today I swore to her when I first met her that I saw a ghost in that cemetery. She works in Grand Falls, and some nights she gets off work at midnight or so, and you couldn’t pay her enough to look in that cemetery when she drives past it.”

Certainly, young men from Grand Falls with names like Frampton, Goodyear, Goudie, Hann, and others, all served in the Newfoundland Regiment during the first Great War. Many of them never returned home. Is it possible that a battle-weary ghost still walks the graveyard in Grand Falls?

“I always wondered if anyone else had ever seen it,” Terry questions, “because no-one I ever mentioned it to had seen it.”

“I would just like to know if anyone else has ever seen it.”

If you feel you might have some light to shed on the subject of the mysterious soldier of Grand Falls, drop me an email at info@hauntedhike.com.

Thursday 16 November 2017

Dale Jarvis at Burin Expo 3, Saturday Nov 18th!



Ghost stories are found in every corner of Newfoundland and Labrador, a place so steeped in history and tradition that some inhabitants never, ever, want to leave. And no one knows them better than storyteller and folklorist Dale Jarvis. 

On November 18th, come to the Marystown Hotel for Burin Expo 3, and, if you dare, Dale Jarvis will introduce you to some of his favourite legends and ghost stories, and delve into the lore behind some of our folk beliefs and fears.  He'll tell some tales, answer your questions about the paranormal, fairylore, and the supernatural, and will then be signing and selling copies of his most recent book, “Haunted Ground: Ghost Stories From The Rock” published by Flanker Press.



About Dale:

By day, Dale Jarvis is the provincial folklorist for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. By night, he is the proprietor of the St. John’s Haunted Hike ghost tour and a raconteur of local tales. Dale tells ghost stories, stories of the fairies and little people, tales of phantom ships and superstitions, and legends and traditional tales from Newfoundland, Labrador and beyond. Dale has performed at storytelling festivals across Canada, the USA, and in Europe, and is the author of several books on ghost stories, the supernatural, and local folklore.


Monday 13 November 2017

Red Eyes and the Webber’s Claw - Urban Legends with Dale Jarvis



Red Eyes and the Webber’s Claw - Urban Legends with Dale Jarvis
Engaging Evenings at The Rooms
Wednesday, November 15th
The Rooms, St. John's
7pm
(free with admission to The Rooms)

A legend has been described a tale believed to be true by some, false by others, and both or neither by most. This province is full of examples; almost every town has a story which is partly true and partly not. No one knows them better than folklorist and storyteller Dale Jarvis. Some are migratory legends which crop up in different forms in different communities. Some are legends tied to a very specific place and which are largely unknown outside of their home communities. 

In this presentation Jarvis will introduce you to some of his favourite Newfoundland and Labrador historical and contemporary legends. You will meet intriguing characters past and present, delve into the lore behind some of our folk beliefs and fears, and explore the folklore and archival research behind his most recent book “Haunted Ground - Ghost Stories from the Rock.”

Thursday 12 October 2017

The Legend of St. Brendan the Navigator. #FolkloreThursday



A couple summers ago, I had the privilege of telling stories for two nights in a fabulous location - the parlour of the Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada. The building, which is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador, was the perfect spot for telling some local legends. Given its oceanside location, I elected to tell stories of sea monsters, of which we have a great tradition in this province.

One of the written accounts of a miraculous aquatic beastie off the shores of Newfoundland may date back to around the year 560 AD. It involves one of Newfoundland’s possible first European tourists, St. Brendan the Navigator, who made a seven-year voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in a curragh, a wood-framed boat covered in sewn ox-hides, travelling to a new land and returning home to tell his tale.

While exploring the North Atlantic, the good Saint’s brethren begged him to stop somewhere and celebrate the Easter mass.

“God,” said Brendan, “is able to give us land in any place that He pleases.”

Sure enough, when Easter came with no land in sight, a miraculous event took place. After sailing for days without sight of land, an island suddenly came into view, very little wood or grass upon it, and no sand on the shore.

The monks spent the night in prayer outside the vessel, Brendan remained on the boat. The next morning, after the priests had celebrated Mass, the brethren took out some uncooked meat and fish, and put a cauldron on a fire to cook.

When the cauldron began to boil, “the island moved about like a wave.” The monks rushed back to the boat, where St. Brendan pulled them back onboard. As he did so, the “island” lifted up its great tail, and swam off into the distance.

“Fear not, my children,’ said the saint, “for God has last night revealed to me the mystery of all this; it was not an island you were upon, but a fish, the largest of all that swim in the ocean, which is ever trying to make its head and tail meet, but cannot succeed, because of its great length. Its name is Jasconius.”

Jasconius the whale was not the only sea creature the monks came across during their travels. One day a sea monster appeared swimming after the boat, spouting foam from its nostrils. Fearful that the beast meant to eat them, the monks cried out to the saint for help.

As the monster drew near, raising up great waves that threatened to swamp the boat, St. Brendan, raised hands to heaven and earnestly prayed: ‘Deliver, O Lord, Thy servants, as Thou didst deliver David from the hands of the giant Goliath.”

No sooner had the saint said these words that a second monster rose into view, this one spouting flame from its mouth instead of foam. It attacked the first sea creature, cutting into three pieces, before vanishing back under the briny depths.

As an addendum to the story, the monks found the pieces of the first monster washed up later on a nearby island, and under Brendan’s direction, they cut away enough fresh meat to last them for three months.

In 1976, British adventurer and historian Tim Severin built a replica of the saint’s curragh, and sailed it from Ireland to Newfoundland, demonstrating that the legendary voyage could have been possible. Sea monster steaks, however, might not be appearing in St. John’s restaurants anytime soon.

Friday 22 September 2017

Fan email for "Haunted Ground" - and some ghostly drummers!



It is official: Haunted Ground: Ghost Stories from the Rock is now in stores, and people have been picking it up and already sending me feedback, which I love.

The book includes a section on contemporary and historical legends, including modern urban legends like the Webber of Western Newfoundland, and Glovertown's creepy Red Eyes. It also has a discussion of one of my favourite Newfoundland legends, the tale of the Phantom Drummer of Conception Bay North, who appears in a couple different incarnations in communities along the Baccalieu Trail.

So it was with great delight that I got the following email, from a fan who asked to be kept anonymous:
Hi Dale. So I picked up a copy of Haunted Ground today. After reading the synopsis on the back, I was drawn to the story "the phantom drummer of conception bay". You see, I grew up in Kelligrews, CBS, I'd like to say about 20 years ago while I was a young teen, my family experienced something that to this day we cannot explain. A family of 5 (along with our pet dog) were startled (in fact myself and the dog were woken from our sleep) by a noise that we can only associate to loud drummers almost like a marching band (the symbols were there too!) marching down our street in the middle of the night. When my father hesitantly looked out the window, nobody was out there but we could still hear it. The next day my father asked our neighbours about this, nobody else heard it and it was brushed off. Why did an entire family along with their dog, hear this and nobody else seemed to? Could it have been related to this drummer?!!! 
Thought I'd just pass it along as I just finished that chapter in your novel and to this day have never heard of another story with drummers. Also, I'd like to say thanks for this great read!
The writer went on to say, "I spoke with my oldest brother last evening about this and said I forgot to mention that this 'group' were chanting as well. He vividly remembers them saying 'don't shout, don't cry out' over and over and this lasted for a couple of minutes."

I love it!

Do you know a Phantom Drummer story from your community? Email me at dale@dalejarvis.ca. Or, come say hi at the Haunted Ground book launch, happening September 27th, at 7pm, at Chapters in St. John's! I'll be there to tell a few stories, and sign your books!


Sunday 10 September 2017

Haunted Ground - A book update!



Hello all! Things are moving along quickly now, and I'm pleased to announce the official book launch for "Haunted Ground - Ghost Stories from the Rock" will be Wednesday, September 27th, at Chapters in St. John's!  

The Facebook event listing is here:

If you plan on coming, check in there, and invite a friend!

The book has already been made an Editor's Pick in the fall edition of Atlantic Books today! (p64) "This is one creepy book," it starts! You can read the full description online here.

See you on Sept 27th! 

Thursday 3 August 2017

Do you remember Colcannon Night suppers? #FolkloreThursday


Evening Telegram (St. John's, N.L.), 1894-10-30: Adv. 5 Page 5
What people today think of as Hallowe'en traditions (trick or treating, and dressing in costumes) is relatively new to Newfoundland and Labrador. In the not-that-distant past, October 31st was Colcannon (or Cauld Cannon) night. Colcannon was both the holiday, and the potato and cabbage dish served traditionally on that day.

I'm working on an article about Colcannon night, and Colcannon night suppers. If you have a memory, recipe, or story about Colcannon, and would be willing to chat with me about it, send me an email at dale@dalejarvis.ca.









Sunday 23 July 2017

The Moving Mop and the Mystery Lady of the Twillingate Lighthouse.

Aerial view of Long Point Lighthouse in 1991
Photograph courtesy Canadian Coast Guard

The Moving Mop and the Mystery Lady of the Twillingate Lighthouse
By Dale Jarvis

The lighthouse buildings at Long Point were constructed in 1875 with the light first lit in 1876. The Long Point light has attracted a few strange stories over the years, but the most curious involves an old mop. This common, household object was kept at the base of the tower. It was not a kitchen mop, but an old tar mop: a long handled mop with a round, brush-like head. It was apparently designed for tarring a roof, but it was never used for that purpose.

When a new light keeper arrived at the light in 1980, he was told by one of the light keepers who had been there for a long time that this tar mop had always been there. The tar mop sat, resting on the bracket that supports the bottom part of the staircase. The reason why it was never removed from the premises was that for some reason it has a strange tendency to move around, all by itself.

According to reports the mop was known to reverse its position on the bracket. One day it would be shoved in facing one way, and the next day, or two or three later, it would be shoved in facing the opposite direction. There was no explanation for who did it, how it happened, or why. The mop had a mind of its own and kept moving.

Another story dates to the early 1900s. A light keeper was attempting to do some work near the top of the tower. Although the old clockwork systems was accurate, there were some problems the keepers used to run into. The cables and weights had a habit of tangling as they went up the two levels of the lighthouse. When the cables knotted, the keeper had to take the weights off the cables wherever they were hung up, free the cable, put the weights back on, and then restart the system.

Perhaps the keeper was engaged in some work like this at the top of the lighthouse shaft, just at the point where you go into the upper part where the lamps and the lens assembly are stored. Whatever it was that he was doing, he fell.

It was about twelve metres from where was perched to the floor below. The floor, you should note, was a brick floor, not a wood floor that might have had a bit of give. Tumbling down, there was nothing there that he could have held onto. Today, there are supports which were added in the 1980s, but at that time there was nothing for him to slide down or catch hold of.

The keeper certainly would have died or at the least would have been critically injured were it not for a very strange occurrence. Just before he hit the brick floor, he landed in the arms of a lady dressed all in white. When he turned back to thank her for saving his life, she disappeared into thin air.

The story was handed down the line from one light keeper to another. The man swore he was caught, and to this day there is no idea who the woman in white might have been, or how an earthly woman could have possibly caught a full grown man falling from such a height.




Dale Jarvis is an author, storyteller, and professional folklorist who splits his time between St. John’s and Clarke’s Beach, Newfoundland, Canada. The proprietor of the St. John’s Haunted Hike ghost tour, Dale tells ghost stories, supernatural stories, legends and traditional tales from Newfoundland, Labrador and beyond. The Haunted Hike runs every Sunday to Thursday during the summer, and is online at www.hauntedhike.com. You can like us on Facebook, or better yet, come along and let us tell you a tale!





Monday 19 June 2017

Title and cover art reveal for the new ghost story book by Dale Jarvis!

As many of you know, I've been working on a new compilation of ghost stories, to be published Fall 2017 by Flanker Press. Now, I can reveal the title: "Haunted Ground - Ghost Stories From The Rock."

Even more fun, I'm delighted to be able to share with you the cover art for the book, designed by the talented Graham Blair.  Graham did the layout for my previous book, Any Mummers 'Lowed In, and I'm pleased to have him back working on this new project.


Stay tuned! I'll keep you informed on possible release dates, signings, and live performances, hopefully all coming your way in time for Hallowe'en 2017!

Can't wait till then to hear a good ghost story? Well, the St. John's Haunted Hike is back up and running for it's 20th anniversary! Check us out at www.hauntedhike.com.

Friday 2 June 2017

You asked for it, so it's back: The Haunted Hike - Unearthed!



2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the St. John’s Haunted Hike! Join the Haunted Hike founder, storyteller, and folklorist Dale Jarvis, for a special behind-the-scenes tour exploring the history of the Hike since 1997. In this more informal tour, Dale will walk you through the research and the background of the stories that have gone into the Hike over the past twenty years, talk about stories which have been changed or replaced, answer your questions about local folklore, paranormal activity, and supernatural belief, and share some stories not featured on the regular Hike. It is a tour for fans of the unexplained, local history, and those curious about how the Hike really works. Bring your camera and your questions!

“The Haunted Hike - Unearthed!” will go ahead regardless of weather, so come prepared! Tour lasts approximately an hour and a quarter.

$20, limited to 16 participants. Pre-registration required.

Tour time:
2 pm, Saturday, June 10th, 2017


Questions? Email Dale at info@hauntedhike.com

Wednesday 24 May 2017

The grave of Private William C. Norman, continued!

The blog post I wrote about Private William C. Norman's memorial stone in the Clarke's Beach UC Cemetery got picked up by the local paper:
"Just read your article in the Telegram and Pte Norman was my great uncle , my grandmother's eldest brother. I visited his grave in Bajus last May and was intrigued by the inscription on his headstone there. 'Sleep on dear heart not forever will you dwell in Flanders Fields.' I didn't see anything like that on other war graves He is the only war grave in the Bajus church yard. Very well kept in the tiny village of Bajus de Nord. Attached are pictures of his grave. If you enlarge the first one you can see the inscription."
I asked Lorraine's permission to share the photos of the gravesite, and here they are, below. Thanks, Lorraine!








Thursday 11 May 2017

The Mystery of Pte. William C. Norman’s memorial, Clarke's Beach



In the United Church Cemetery in Clarke’s Beach, there is an intriguing memorial to a First World War soldier, Private William C. Norman. It is a double inscription stone, with the left side etched in memory of his father, the right side bearing the inscription:

Pte. William C. Norman
Beloved son of
Robert J. & Emma J. Norman
Killed in the Great War
Greater love hath no man that this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

The Biblical quotation from John 15:13 (King James Version) is fairly standard for a military memorial, but what what caught my eye was the decorative motif at the top of the marker.

The open book and downward pointing finger motif is common enough, as is the inscription on the left open page: “Asleep in Jesus.” What is unusual is a rather rougher-carved version of the Newfoundland Regiment caribou insignia. Many of the Newfoundland Regiment markers you will see in NL graveyards, or in war cemeteries in Europe, follow a fairly standard style. The carving on Norman’s marker is different, and I was curious to find out why.

William Charles Norman of Clarke’s Beach did not show up in any of my first searches of the Regimental Records. An internet search revealed the reason why: William C. Norman had never been in the Newfoundland Regiment.

Instead, Norman, a carpenter, had been living in Toronto at the time of his enlistment.  He was 5' 6 1/2" tall with a fair complextion and blue eyes. According to his attestation papers, he had served in the Queen’s Own Rifles for 20 months previously, and was assigned to the 83rd Battalion (Queen's Own Rifles of Canada) as part of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force, regimental number 669305.

He signed up January 25, 1916 and was sent overseas in May. He served in the trenches for only three weeks, when he was killed on January 6, 1917 as the result of a grenade training accident (premature burst). He is remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and page 88 of the Newfoundland Book of Remembrance.




Norman was buried in the north-east section of the Bajus Churchyard, Pas de Calais, France, and is listed as serving with the 3rd Battalion Canadian Infantry (1st Central Ontario Regiment).

As far as I can tell, his is the ONLY Commonwealth War Grave in the Bajus churchyard:



His marker in Clarke’s Beach, designed by Chislett’s Marble Works of St. John’s, was probably arranged by his mother, Emma Jane Norman, upon the death of her husband Robert James in 1927. Emma survived husband and son by a number of years, passing away February 11, 1941.



The Newfoundland Regiment carving remains a bit of a mystery. Was it inscribed by Chislett's, unaware that Private Norman had served in the Canadian Forces? Or was it added later by someone locally, perhaps by someone unfamiliar with the specific meaning of the insignia? If you know anything about this story, email me at dale@dalejarvis.ca.


May 24, 2017: UPDATE HERE!

Wednesday 10 May 2017

The Tomb of John and Isabella Fergus, Mercer's Cove, Bay Roberts.




I blogged recently about a Jack ‘o Lantern which was said to haunt Big Island in Bay Roberts, and I suggested that Big Island was the same spot as Fergus Island. Local historian Mike Flynn backed me up on this, and today I found this reference to back it up:
“By 1560, Bay Roberts was used by Jersey fishermen, and Spaniards were there, too, perhaps from as early as 1588. Reports that the original name was Bay of Robbers because of the many pirates in the 1500s and 1600s have not been substantiated. Jersey fishermen referred to the area as Roberts Bay and used places later known as Beachy Cove and Big or Fergus Island.”
“History: Bay Roberts.” Decks Awash, vol. 20, no. 01 (January-February 1991) p 3-13.
The name Fergus Island comes from one John Fergus, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, who opened a mercantile establishment at Bay Roberts in 1812. John Fergus, along with his daughter, Isabella, are buried nearby, at the old Wareham’s Lane Cemetery, Mercer’s Cove, Bay Roberts.

Unlike any other grave in Bay Roberts, John and his daughter Isabella share an above-ground tomb, a reminder of their relative wealth in the community in the early 19th century. A tomb is generally a burial receptacle or container where a body or bodies are stored above ground. The Fergus tomb is a pretty good example of what is known variously as a box tomb, slab tomb, box grave, or chest tomb.

You can read all about the different types of possible tombs here:
The inscribed text on the Fergus tomb is very faint, and hard to read, but the stonepics.com project gives this as the text:

"Sacred to the memory of Isabella Fergus, native of Glasgow, Wife of William Donnelly, Merchant, who died 19th June 1843, aged 36 Years."

and:

"Sacred to the memory of John Fergus, Merchant, native of Glasgow, who died 15th July 1835, Aged 53 years."

Friday 5 May 2017

Is the St. John's Arts and Culture Centre haunted?



A few years ago, I got an email from a woman by the name of Jaimie, asking me if I knew any ghostly tales about the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre building in St. John's, specifically concerning the basement.

“I’ve spent the last couple of weeks cloistered down there on the library side, working on a project and if you haven’t already got something, I have a story to share,” she wrote.

It sounded like too good a story to pass up. I got in touch with Jaimie, and asked her about her experiences.

At the time, Jaimie had been working in the archives on a project which involved a lot of trips back and forth through the collection.

“I’ve always found the basement to be a little creepy,” she describes. “I can hear voices and whispering and little snatches of song and such sometimes, but always assumed that it was just activity carrying through the ductwork from the children’s library, which is directly over my head, or the theatre.”

Jaimie figured it was just her imagination. Then one day she heard the noises again, on a day when the theatre was empty and the children’s library had closed.

“I was moving a truck of books from one area towards another area,” she says, “and I ended up passing by a whole bunch of shelving units (those neat rolling ones), when passing by one of the aisles between the units, I saw someone standing there.”

Jaimie turned her head, expecting to find a lost library patron; “as we occasionally do,” she explains. Instead of another person, she found herself looking at nothing but an empty aisle and a pale grey concrete wall.

“The person that I’d seen was wearing dark colours,” she describes. “I had the impression of something resembling a nun’s habit.”

“Well, needless to say, I finished off that truck, got back in the elevator and went upstairs, where I commiserated with a co-worker about the general creepiness of the basement,” Jaimie adds.

The co-worker informed Jaimie that the site apparently once housed a boy’s orphanage, hinting that this might explain some of the ghostly goings on.

The co-worker did indeed have some facts correct. The site of the current Arts and Culture Centre was formerly the site of the Shannon Munn Memorial Orphanage. In 1918, Sir Edgar Rennie Bowering and Mrs Mary Munn presented the property, to be known as the Shannon Munn Memorial, to the Church of England Orphanage.

The current theatre and library building was opened on May 22, 1967 as the province’s principal Centennial Year project. The building was designed by the Montreal architects of Ameck, Desbarets, Lebensold and Sise and the St. John’s firm of Campbell and Cummings.

Is the basement of the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre home to a singing ghost? You’ll have to make the trip there and be the judge of that yourself. But as Jaimie puts it, “I’m definitely not the only one who finds it creepy down there!”

Photo: "Dance School - ballet" credit Karen King Parsons,

Thursday 4 May 2017

The Jack 'o Lantern of Big Island (Fergus Island) #FolkloreThursday



I've been doing some research on stone cairns, markers, and navigational aids in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, which are sometimes called "American Men." I came across this intriguing story about a Will o' the Wisp, locally called a Jack 'o Lantern or Jacky Lantern, which made his home on one particular cairn of rock.
When father was a boy his mother used to warn him of Jack o’ Lantern. Jack o’ Lantern was supposed to live on top of the American Man (the name given to the cairn on top of Big Island in Bay Roberts). The island was not visible from the house as the view was blocked by Big Head…. Jack o’ Lantern was of course marsh gas and was really visible. I have seen him. Father was scared and believed in the tale attached to what he saw. However he did not always obey when threatened. Grandmother would say, “There’s a light on Big Head; it’s after you.” Jack o’ Lantern just appeared on Big Head. He then progressed down the harbour, being very noticeable over the bogs at Running Brook. He then went to the bogs in French’s Cove and from there crossed to his home on top of the American Man on Big Island. (Bay Roberts) Q67-774
Quoted in: J.D.A. Widdowson,'Aspects of Traditional Verbal Control: Threats and Threatening Figures in Newfoundland Folklore' (St John's: Memorial University Ph.D. Thesis, 1973), page 233-234
From the geographical clues in this, I'm assuming Big Island is what is now called Fergus Island, located near the Bay Roberts Shoreline Heritage Walk. Mike Flynn, local historian, tells me many people from the east end of Bay Roberts refer to Fergus Island as Big Island, and that he also remembers reading about a cairn on the isle.

Does anyone have a memory of a cairn or marker on the top of Fergus Island? Or better yet, know of a historical photo that would show it? Drop me a line at dale@dalejarvis.ca


Photo: Diving at Fergus Island on the Shoreline Heritage Walk. Source: Wikipedia


Tuesday 2 May 2017

Looking for info on stone cairns and "American Men" in Conception Bay. #amwriting



I've blogged a little bit before about "American Men" - stone cairns or markers like the ones at Spectacle Head, Cupids, and at Spider Pond, Spaniard's Bay.  Today, I was up to the top of the ridge on the southside of Harbour Grace, to look at a more recent stone cairn, erected by the appropriately named Stone family.

I've also come across something of a mystery.  I found an article in The Trident newsletter, published by the Newfoundland Historic Trust in February 1974. The article features a very rough map that shows an "American Man" somewhere between Spaniard's Bay and Harbour Grace.



Dos anyone know of an American Man somewhere in the Bishops Cove-Upper Island Cove-Bryant's Cove area?

Or is it possibly an error on the part of the map-maker who has placed the Cupids American Man in the wrong place?

Or, even better, do you know of other cairns or markers in that section of Conception Bay that I'm missing? Let me know! Email me at dale@dalejarvis.ca 

Sunday 23 April 2017

Vote for the theme for World Storytelling Day


Calling all storytellers and lovers of a good story: here it is, the list of possible themes for World Storytelling Day!

Now, we need your help to pick the themes for the next two World Storytelling Days! Check out the list, and PICK TWO of your favourite themes. Voting closes on 7 May 2017.

https://goo.gl/forms/61tIwhBHtFhB9pmu2

Please vote, and then share this message/link with your storytelling contacts.

Dale Jarvis
WSD Webmaster

Sunday 26 March 2017

Submit your theme idea for World Storytelling Day 2018-2019!



To get the ball rolling on possible themes for World Storytelling Day 2018 and 2019, here are some of the suggestions which have been made so far. Please add to this list by commenting below! When we have a good list, we’ll vote on our top two favourites.

All that glisters is not Gold
And so they said...
Balance
Birth
Bliss
Breath
Connections
Courage
Death Shall Die
From out of the shadows
Harmony
Home
Hope
Journey
Joy
Lost and Found
Luck
Once upon a Planet
Pleasure
Sweet, sour, and bitter
Sweet and Sour
Timelessness
Transition Tales
Travel
Wings
Wise Fools
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
List of previous themes:

http://www.freewebs.com/worldstorytellingday/themes.htm

Also, a request from the World Storytelling Day webmaster - I could use some help! If you are comfortable with social media and websites, it would be great to share some of the work of moderating the website and facebook page. Contact Dale Jarvis at dale@dalejarvis.ca if you want to volunteer. Glory awaits you!

Saturday 11 March 2017

Dale’s Folk Tales - Teaching Heritage Skills at the 2017 youth heritage forum!



Dale Jarvis is a storyteller, author, and folklorist, living and working in Newfoundland, Canada.

By day, he works as the Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer for the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, helping communities to safeguard traditional culture, the first full-time provincially funded folklorist position in Canada.

By night, Dale is the proprietor of the St. John’s Haunted Hike ghost tour and raconteur of local tales. As a storyteller, he performs ghost stories, stories of the fairies and little people, tales of phantom ships and superstitions, and legends and traditional tales from Newfoundland, Labrador and beyond. His repertoire includes long-form folk and fairy tales from the island, with a wide-ranging knowledge of local legends, tall tales and myths. Author of several books on Newfoundland and Labrador ghost stories and folklore, he is a tireless promoter of local culture, and has performed at storytelling festivals across Canada, the US, Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway. 

The Heritage Tomorrow NL Forum is taking place on Saturday, March 25th at the Lantern, Barnes Road, St. John's, and Dale will be leading the Storytelling Heritage Skill Training! Want to learn how to tell a traditional tale? Dale will show you how, even if you have never told stories before! The Forum is for people between the ages of 18-35 that are passionate about heritage.

Register at http://www.hfnl.ca before March 22nd to let us know you’re coming!

Registration is only $10, which includes lunch, coffee, and amazing Icelandic pastries from Volcano Bakery! If you have questions, please contact: heritagetomorrownl@gmail.com.

photo: Storyteller Dale Jarvis (right) with musician Delf Hohmann.
Photo by Chris Hibbs.

Thursday 2 February 2017

The Candlemas Day Token of Cobbs Arm. #FolkloreThursday


The name of Candlemas Day is derived from the tradition of blessing the annual supply of church candles on that date. According to the Dictionary of Newfoundland English, Candlemas Day is a day for festivities, with singing, dancing, drinking and a meal. There is also the tradition of the Candlemas Cake, which can be an actual cake, or the name for the party held on that special day.

In local folklore, February 2nd is a day which will foretell the weather for the months ahead. As the old Newfoundland saying goes, "if Candlemas Day be clear and fine, the rest of winter is left behind; if Candlemas Day be rough and grum, there's more of winter left to come."

One Candlemas Day in the community of Cobbs Arm was apparently rough and grum indeed. While the locals of Cobbs Arm were enjoying their Candlemas Cake and all the good fun that came with it, a heavy blizzard came on. All the people present decided to stay in the lodge where it was warm and safe, except one contrary soul who felt like going home.

By this time, the blizzard was so bad that it was impossible to see a hand placed in front of one's face. But this man's mind was made up in spite of the foul weather, and he would listen to none of the people who tried to dissuade him from his journey. He lit his lantern, stepped out the door, and vanished into the howling whiteness.

The next morning when everyone left the lodge, they found out that the man had not arrived safely home. A search party was pulled together, and the citizens of the community began to hunt for the lost man. Eventually they found his body out on the bog, frozen stiff in the icy grasp of death. The lantern was still clenched between his white fingers. General consensus was that he must have lost his bearings in the storm, and that he froze to death alone in the night.

Ever since, many people claimed to have seen his light, and it is said that his soul is still wandering the bog in early February. One typical sighting was reported in 1963. A young man drove from Summerford over to Pikes Arm to pick up his girlfriend. He was driving in his own car, a 1950s model Volkswagen. The twosome parked on a small road across from a bog. It was a very quiet, deserted little road, and there was not another car to be seen.

As the two sat talking to each other, they noticed a light out on the bog coming towards the car. As the light came closer, they thought that perhaps someone was lost. The light came right up close to the car and shone right through the windows.

The young man jumped out of the old Volkswagen and asked," Do you need help? Are you lost?" When he did this, the light travelled around to the back of the car and suddenly vanished. There was not a soul in sight.

The young man jumped back in the car and madly back to Pikes Arm. When they reached the girl's house, the scared couple related their tale, and both of them swore it to be true. After they had told their story to the young woman's family, her grandfather informed them that they were not the first to see the strange light, and shared the story of the Candlemas Day ghost, much as I have now shared it with you.

Thursday 26 January 2017

The Mermaid Sisters of Beachy Cove, Newfoundland. #folklorethursday



Recently, I got a note from ceramic artist and art teacher Wendy Shirran. In collaboration with designer and illustrator Veselina Tomova, she is working with 22 Grade Three students in Paradise NL to create a series of ceramic relief tile murals based on a traditional Newfoundland folk tale, song, or poem.

Wendy was looking for a story about selkies, mythological creatures who live as seals in the sea but discard their skin to become human on land. While the stories are popular in Irish, Scottish, and Faroese folklore, selkies are not a common part of the folklore of Newfoundland and Labrador, so I suggested a mermaid story instead.

Mermaids have a long history in this part of the world, though the stories often do not end happily ever after. I took a couple different versions of traditional Newfoundland stories and put them together, hopefully in a format to inspire a new generation of young ceramic artists and designers! My story is below, and you can download a pdf version here.


The Mermaid Sisters of Beachy Cove, Newfoundland


Once upon a time, there were two mermaid sisters. They lived in a place called Beachy Cove, in Conception Bay, not far from St. John’s.

The sisters were very beautiful creatures, half woman and half fish. From the waist up, they looked like human women. But from the waist down, they had long tails like fish. Their faces and arms were lovely, and they had long blue hair hanging down their backs.

The mermaids would rest on the beach at night and comb their hair. With one hand they would comb out their long blue hair, all the while admiring themselves in the mirrors they held in their other hands.

One night, a fisherman went for a walk along the beach. As he walked along, he saw two mermaids sitting on a rock as plainly as he ever saw anything in his life. He tried to get closer to get a better look. But as he did, he kicked a pebble and it clattered along the stones, making a noise.

The sisters heard the noise, and were startled. They turned, and saw the fisherman. Then, with a splash of water and a flick of two great fishy tails, the girls dove down to their crystal caves below the sea, and were lost to sight.

From that day on, the fisherman went back to the beach, hoping to see the mermaids. Eventually, the sisters became curious about this man who came every day. When the fisherman would go past in his boat, they would come up by the side of the boat and talk to him.

These mermaids were the daughters of the sea and would bring him both good luck and bad luck. The older sister was bad and would cast magic spells to play tricks on him. But the younger sister was good, and would work her magic to cancel out the evil of her sister.

One day, the older sister used her magic to sing up a great storm. The fisherman’s little boat was caught in huge waves, and was about to crash into the rocks. But just when it looked like the fisherman would die on the rocks, the good mermaid appeared, climbed over the side of the boat, and steered the boat safely through the waves to the shore.

After that, the fisherman never saw the mermaids again. But he lived to be an old man, and told his grandchildren about the two sisters, and how the good sister had saved his life. And now it is your job to go and tell that story to someone else.

Adapted from several traditional Newfoundland mermaid legends by Dale Jarvis.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.