Interesting Facts

The skeleton of a 7ft long dog have been unearthed in the remains of ancient Leiston Abbey in Suffolk. (There is speculation that it could be the skeleton of legendary devil dog Black Shuck who terrorised 16th century England. Accounts of the animal form part of the folklore of Norfolk,Suffolk, the Cambridgeshire fens and Essex Folklore tells of a 7 foot hell hound with flaming eyes. For centuries, the beast, which came to be known as Black Shuck, struck fear into the hearts of all who crossed its path.)

People making a wish with their spare change literally throw away just under 3 million pounds every year, according to the "Fountain Money Mountain" report. (Tourists regularly throw a copper or two into wishing wells and fountains, and a study has shown they spend an average of 31 pence at tourist sites such as Rome's Trevi Fountain. A wishing well is a term from European folklore to describe wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted. The idea that a wish would be granted came from the idea that water contained deities or had been placed there as a gift from the gods, since water was a source of life and oftentimes a scarce commodity. The tradition of dropping pennies in wells, ponds and fountains stems from this. Coins would be placed there as gifts for the deity in thanks. I have tried installing one in my garden, but it doesn't seem to be working yet.) Original photo by Dystopian_Optimist