The legend is most famous in the town of Ashburton, where he was said to have slept in the darkness under the King’s Bridge. While the Redcap sounds scary, there was a way of defeating him: It was said that if someone recited the scriptures in front of him or brandished a crucifix, he would scream in pain and disappear in a ball of fire, leaving one long, ragged tooth behind.Ĭutty Dyer was either a water sprite or an ogre who stalked the waters of the River Yeo or Ashburn, depending on who you ask. If there were no bodies, he would lie in wait in the old ruins, looking for unfortunate travelers, who he would kill with a rock and exsanguinate. Prowling between the abandoned castles along the border, he would hunt for bodies left behind by war or raiding and use their blood to dye his cap. He had long, unkempt hair, red eyes, thin fingers with nails like talons, and long teeth. One of these creatures was the Redcap, a sinister being which took the form of an old man with iron shoes. Alongside these, there also appeared many stories of malevolent spirits and creatures who took advantage of the hostile land to wreak havoc on the people who lived there. Over time, myths and legends about evil criminals and their horrific deeds sprang up. Raiders frequently passed from one country into the other, committing crimes they knew they wouldn’t be punished for when they returned home. For hundreds of years, the continuous war between England and Scotland made the Anglo-Scottish border a lawless and dangerous place.

Old scary dolls hunting people