Hello one and all!
The folktale of the Cauld Lad of Hylton takes place in the Hylton Castle, in Sunderland (located in the North East of England). It is one of the most persistent tales, and different variations has spawned over the centuries. In this article I'll tell one version of events that allegedly took place in the early 17th century CE.
The Cauld Lad of Hylton
Once there was a stable boy called Roger Skelton, who worked in the Hylton castle. Baron Robert Hylton ordered the lad to have his horse ready the next morning for an important journey, but Roger overslept. The baron, furious with his tardiness, woke him up and launched into an argument with the stable boy. The aristocrat's anger seethed and he grabbed a nearby pitchfork and struck Roger. The lad died on the spot.
The boy's body was found in a nearby pond, but when suspicions centered on the baron he produced an alibi. An old farmhand swore that the stable boy had slipped while he had fetched a tool from a high shelf, and then fell on the pitchfork. He went on to say that he saw the baron try to resuscitate the youngster but to no avail. And so, the baron was tried but eventually pardoned.
Soon after Baron Hylton's pardon strange things started to occur around the castle. If the maids left the kitchen neat and tidy, it would be in complete disarray the next morning. If a room was left untidy the opposite would happen: they would return the next day to find the silver polished, the dishes washed and everything in place. Those who were brave enough to stay awake and listen would hear noises in the rooms and singing:
Wae’s me! Wae’s me!
The acorn’s not yet fallen from the tree
that’s to grow the wood,
that’s to make the cradle,
that’s to rock the bairn,
that’s to grow a man,
that’s to lay me!
After the old baron had died and his son had taken over, the spirit was heard saying "Cauld! I’m so cauld!" Thereafter the servants called him the Cauld Lad (Cold Lad). Many exorcisms were attempted but none could rid the castle of the ghost.
After some time a cook, braver than most, took up residence in the castle. He stayed up one night and walked into an empty room, where the Cauld Lad stood naked and shivering. He felt sorry for him and resolved to tell his wife about the ghost's plight. She started to make a cloak and, when it was finished the cook laid the cape somewhere where the spirit would stumble upon it. Then the man hid in a cupboard nearby.
Soon the distinctive wail started to ring out in the space and various items flew around the room. Then the familiar song started:
Wae’s me! Wae’s me!
The acorn’s not yet fallen from the tree
that’s to grow the wood,
that’s to make the cradle,
that’s to rock the bairn,
that’s to grow a man,
that’s to lay me!
But when the boy found the cloak new words sprung forth in the song:
Here’s a cap and here’s a hood!
The Cauld Lad of Hylton will do no more good
The singing grew quieter, then faded. The prophecy had been fulfilled: a cruel man had killed him, but two gentle souls had sought to help.
Thank you for reading!
The folktale of the Cauld Lad of Hylton takes place in the Hylton Castle, in Sunderland (located in the North East of England). It is one of the most persistent tales, and different variations has spawned over the centuries. In this article I'll tell one version of events that allegedly took place in the early 17th century CE.
The Cauld Lad of Hylton
Once there was a stable boy called Roger Skelton, who worked in the Hylton castle. Baron Robert Hylton ordered the lad to have his horse ready the next morning for an important journey, but Roger overslept. The baron, furious with his tardiness, woke him up and launched into an argument with the stable boy. The aristocrat's anger seethed and he grabbed a nearby pitchfork and struck Roger. The lad died on the spot.
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| Hylton Castle. |
The boy's body was found in a nearby pond, but when suspicions centered on the baron he produced an alibi. An old farmhand swore that the stable boy had slipped while he had fetched a tool from a high shelf, and then fell on the pitchfork. He went on to say that he saw the baron try to resuscitate the youngster but to no avail. And so, the baron was tried but eventually pardoned.
Soon after Baron Hylton's pardon strange things started to occur around the castle. If the maids left the kitchen neat and tidy, it would be in complete disarray the next morning. If a room was left untidy the opposite would happen: they would return the next day to find the silver polished, the dishes washed and everything in place. Those who were brave enough to stay awake and listen would hear noises in the rooms and singing:
Wae’s me! Wae’s me!
The acorn’s not yet fallen from the tree
that’s to grow the wood,
that’s to make the cradle,
that’s to rock the bairn,
that’s to grow a man,
that’s to lay me!
After the old baron had died and his son had taken over, the spirit was heard saying "Cauld! I’m so cauld!" Thereafter the servants called him the Cauld Lad (Cold Lad). Many exorcisms were attempted but none could rid the castle of the ghost.
After some time a cook, braver than most, took up residence in the castle. He stayed up one night and walked into an empty room, where the Cauld Lad stood naked and shivering. He felt sorry for him and resolved to tell his wife about the ghost's plight. She started to make a cloak and, when it was finished the cook laid the cape somewhere where the spirit would stumble upon it. Then the man hid in a cupboard nearby.
Soon the distinctive wail started to ring out in the space and various items flew around the room. Then the familiar song started:
Wae’s me! Wae’s me!
The acorn’s not yet fallen from the tree
that’s to grow the wood,
that’s to make the cradle,
that’s to rock the bairn,
that’s to grow a man,
that’s to lay me!
But when the boy found the cloak new words sprung forth in the song:
Here’s a cap and here’s a hood!
The Cauld Lad of Hylton will do no more good
The singing grew quieter, then faded. The prophecy had been fulfilled: a cruel man had killed him, but two gentle souls had sought to help.
Thank you for reading!
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