Folklore
Every culture has a set of traditions, ideas about its origin, particular ways of doing things and acceptabe behaviour.  Folklore is the way that these are taught, remembered and passed down from generation to generation.  It comes in many forms, including story telling, music, dance, legends, proverbs, jokes, customs and popular beliefs.

The Yorkshire Dales has a rich folklore and there are many tales throughout explaining why things are the way they are.  For example, the image shows the Carling Stone protruding from the Wensleydale lake, Semer Water.  According to legend, the lake conceals a legendry sunken village.  A hungry beggar was refused alms in all but one cottage and so he damned the village thus: "Semer Water rise, Semer Water sink, and cover all save this lile house, that gave me meat and drink."

Another legend tells of the barguest that haunts the area around Trollers Ghyll near Appletreewick. A barguest is a fearsome spectral hound which is said to guard either a grave, sacred site, or hidden treasure. It is supposedly as big as a small bear, yellow in colour and has large black eyes. Sometimes they are headless. In the last one hundred years, five deaths have been associated with the Trollers Ghyll barguest. One of the most interesting stories concerns John Lambert, a loudly outspoken sceptic. He went hunting for it in Trollers Ghyll at night, armed only with a walking stick: he was found dead the next morning.