Their interests inevitably turned to ‘bird nesting’ – looking for birds’ eggs in trees was a popular child’s pastime 60 years ago. What the police discovered inside the trunk of the Wych Elm, buried beneath the skull, was the almost complete skeleton of a woman. How To Contribute; Queries; Home; Blog; Links; Material Collected; Local Names; Events; The Compiler « Previous Item. The earliest report we have so far is from 1962. He was very ill. The tree was by far the most common elm in the north and west of the British Isles and is now acknowledged as the only indisputably British native elm species. March 2009 The police soon found her alive and well. He had just gone past Hagley Wood when the figure of a cavalier walked across the road in front of him. BEAT THAT! A Herefordshire man told me today that smallholders in the Golden Valley used to use wych elm [Ulmus glabra] to make a ‘jelly’ that was fed to pigs. Closed Tuesday. Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? Its pliancy was also put to use in a variety of ways. First, Professor Ronald Hutton from Bristol University told me: “I know the facts of the Hagley Wood case well, and there is absolutely nothing in them to suggest the involvement of witchcraft in any form. Elm mythology and folklore. GRAFFITI on a Hagley monument that has become part of local folklore has been mysteriously changed. Along with its mixtures of green, red, brown and gold, Wych Elm has a chatoyancy that is … Now the long hard work began. It was whilst climbing on an old, gnarled Wych Elm that Bob Farmer noticed something strange. Following the last ice age, as woodland became dominant, Wych Elm stood out as one of the success stories. The central theme of the opera has the ghost of Bella appearing to the two boys (depicted as grown up) who found her, and recount her grisly death. She suggested that the severed hand was evidence of ritual activity by a coven of local witches. Where The Wych Elm Grows - Read online for free. As well as the Macabre, wych elm’s other conceptual concern is folklore. As a schoolboy in the 1970’s I used to accompany my mother to work during the school holidays. Wych, from wych elm, is an ancient word referring to pliability, a quality making it ideal wood for building bows. The Witch Elm. The Wych Elm, Tana French. The Wych Elm is botanically called Ulmus glabra. It certainly isn’t part of witchcraft practice (or the folklore associated with it). One of them matched the description of Bella. He estimated that she had been dead between 18 months and 2 years. Pound of Hagley arrived on the scene to make sure that no potential evidence was disturbed until C.I.D had been called and Professor James Webster, the forensic scientist, had been called to the scene. The Bigger picture Their large distinctive shapes feature prominently in many English pastoral paintings by Constable (eg his famous “The Haywain” painting) and his contemporaries. No definite ritual elements were present”. Where to find wych elm. In the 1990’s my wife Carolyn witnessed the apparition of a strange looking dog as she drove home one night. The youngest of the group, though, had trouble dealing with the discovery and soon told his parents, who then told the police. Having grown up in Weston-super- Mare, near the home of occultist Aleister Crowley, or ‘The Great Beast 666’, Caitlin’s imagination was captured by the creepy stories and myths surrounding their hometown. Last modified December 3, 2018, Re: Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? One of the boys begun climbing the tree to look for birds eggs and upon reaching the topmost branches, looked down to find the tree was curiously hollow. Witch Hazel in Bloom . History & Folklore; Wych Elm £20.00. He was having nightmares about a skull in a tree. “Because of its rich foliage and sap, the Elm is sacred to Saturn, Roman god of agriculture. She was 5ft tall with mousy brown hair and irregular teeth in the lower jaw. 'Finish your articles re the Wych elm crime by all means. A company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland – company No. Historical research carried out by Philip Heselton suggests that similar rituals were carried out by covens around the country (Hesselton, 2000). So, who was the skeleton and how did it come to end up in a hollowed out tree? Was Bella a Dutch native who was acting as a German spy? Wych-elm in Hagley Woods. The ‘Hand of Glory’ is largely a fiction favoured by a certain kind of popular scholarship (Montague Summers is a good example of this). Flowers. In Greek mythology, the hero Orpheus, having rescued his beloved wife Eurydice from the Underworld by enchanting everyone there with his harp music, paused to play her a love song, at which spot the first elm grove was said to have sprung up. Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? So, what do we know about the case of ‘Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm”? With the aid of a branch Bob managed to dislodge whatever it was. Like the oak, they often had very specific customs and folklore attached to individual, named trees such as the Tenor, Bass and Alto elms on Humberside, or the Dancing elms of Devon around which May Day dances were held (these trees have all sadly succumbed to Dutch elm disease). The article was seen by the opera composer Simon Holt, who was immediately hooked by the story, and went on to write and compose an operatic libretto called ‘Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?’ The opera premiered in 2003 to good reviews. The witch in the Wych Elm? ... After deciding to climb a tree, they stumbled across the remains of a woman inside the hollow wych elm… Related birds would show their gender with their singing theme. WOOD, Juliette, & OATES, 1998, Caroline A Coven of Scholars, Folklore Society Communication, March 2009 Who put Bella in the Wych elm? One gentleman, Warwick Plant was a young boy during the second world war. In Scotland the stick used to play shinty, called a caman, can be made from a variety of woods, with elm being a popular choice as it often has a natural bend already in the wood. The huge amount of publicity generated by the case (which ultimately saw me being interviewed on both Irish and Spanish radio!) The tragic tale of a unsolved murder and the question that sparked a generation of urban legends As time passed, speculation began to grow. Interestingly the road runs through a very important regional Mesolithic site. A young couple driving home after an evening out in Birmingham were terrified when they encountered the figure of a man dressed in grey lying down in the middle of the road. It was while I was investigating a local reported haunted house that I stumbled on who the ghost of ‘Bella’ may have been. Many English cabinetmakers consider Wych Elm to be the finest English hardwood. The novel is a folk horror story set in Netherton and Dudley and is loosely based around the local Bella and the Wych Elm mystery. The stories I heard as a child at the public house opposite Hagley Wood suggest this may be so. He told me: “It is certainly an intriguing case, but from what I know of the details I see no evidence for ritual/witchcraft involvement. The famous Who Put Bella in the Witch Elm graffiti, which has been on the Wychbury Hill obelisk for decades, now reads Hers Put Bella in the Witch Elm. Investigations carried out by my group, Parasearch, uncovered other witnesses to unnerving experiences along the same stretch of road between Hagley Wood and the nearby Iron Age hillfort of Wychbury. By strangeremains on April 2, 2018 • ( 1 ) In February 2018, Dr. Caroline Wilkinson, forensic anthropologist and Director of the Faces Lab at Liverpool John Moores University, revealed her facial reconstruction of ‘Bella in the Wych Elm‘. … An identity card of a woman had been found in the wood, but hopes that this would lead them to uncover the identity of the victim soon failed when the card’s owner was found alive and well, if a little puzzled as to how her identity card had ended up in Hagley Wood, a place she claimed never to have visited. HESELTON, Philip, 2000, Wiccan Roots Capall Bann The following edition was used to create this study guide: French, Tana. Reaching into the hollowed out tree he caught sight of something white in colour. In 1944 the case took a new twist. comm), Dr. Juliette Wood is a respected folklorist, Director of The Folklore Society and author of many books on folklore, including ‘A Coven of Scholars’ an analysis of Dr. Margaret Murray and her witchcraft theories. SKIP TO 41 MINUTES IF YOU DON'T LIKE INTROS AND JUST WANT TO GET TO THE STORY In the 1940s in England, a woman's skeleton was discovered inside of a tree. After a skeleton was found stuffed inside the hollow of an elm tree in Hagley, near Birmingham, the mystery of ‘who put Bella in the Wych elm’ was never solved. ), The comments by Dr. Wood concerning the burial of suspected witches in trees in folklore was also confirmed by historian and folklorist Jeremy Harte. David Taylor would be interested to hear from anyone who may have information to add to the Bella mystery or anyone who may have had a strange experience in the areas described. Following the last ice age, as woodland became dominant, Wych Elm stood out as one of the success stories. comm). SC143304, with registered offices at The Park, Findhorn Bay, Forres, Moray, IV36 3TH. #occult #Oldham #Lancashire #Springhead #witch http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/folklore/th-pob-hole-springhead/, It's going to be a quiet solstice this year, happy memories from 3 years ago when we were at #Callanish on the Isle of Lewis @atopham #Solstice, https://facebook.com/events/s/summer-solstice-at-stonehenge-/581183132524229/?ti=cl. Another theory that has become popular to explain the mystery involves wartime espionage. Was she the same Dutch woman who was murdered by Van Ralt? @warhorseonstage #RemembranceSunday, It's time for a fab-boo-lous #CURATORBATTLE! Perhaps some things are better left unknown. A SMALL boy stood beside a large, overhanging tree in a Hertfordshire garden in the 1880s. But as is so often the case, the road was deserted. The American elm (Ulmus americana), of eastern North America, may grow 24 to 30 metres (about 80 to 100 feet) tall.It has dark gray, ridged bark and elliptical leaves. The Festive Season is a time for spooky stories, this one has it all; murder, Re: Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Today there are still more questions than answers about one of Worcestershire’s most notorious murders. It was at that time that Jack mysteriously came into some money. In French folklore, the elm was considered the “tree of justice”. About 5,500 years ago, the population of Wych Elm was drastically reduced. Our Mysterious Britain & Ireland site uses cookies to improve your experience. I am routeliny approached by the media wanting a fresh angle on the Bella case, such is the allure the story still generates. Collecting the folklore and uses of plants. Perhaps people who knew elms well were reminded of their own mortality when remembering the elm’s reputation for dropping large boughs without warning on otherwise still, warm days; “Elm hateth man, and waiteth” as the old saying goes. Unfortunately this report was never followed up at the time. HUTTON, Ronald, Personal Communication. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The Wych Elm is a lovely family pub situated in Burntwood. As a result of Dutch elm disease, wych elm is now rare. Many years later Peter decided to ask his father about his memories of Bella in the Wych Elm so he could record them for posterity. As I approached, our eyes met. In Scotland wych elm is the more common species of elm. WOOD, Juliette, 1999, Margaret Murray and the Rise of Wicca, 3rd Stone magazine (Issue 34, April-June) Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? (Hutton, pers. According to historian Professor Ronald Hutton, (Hutton, 1999) Operation Cone of Power was a magical attempt to keep the Nazi threat from the shores on Britain. The Festive Season is a time for spooky stories, this one has it all; murder, folklore and spies, it also happens to be true. This wych elm, with its few embedde Una could take no more and the couple split. comm. The leaves are ovoid and the flowers are yellowish. Oct 9, 2016 - Explore Elizabeth Ann Molloy's board "Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?" In Issue 60 of white Dragon Magazine, David Taylor of Parasearch writes about some of the theories and possible solutions in more detail. The inner bark was especially efficacious when chewed or boiled into a liquor to treat colds and sore throats, while the boiled bark was also used to treat burns. But after the case became known, in an unsettling development, variations on the words WHO PUT BELLA IN THE WYCH ELM? This was obviously going to take some time, so volunteers were asked to guard the scene overnight. In a hollow tree trunk of a wych elm, one of the boys found a skull but because they were trespassing on private property, the boys put the skull back and made a pact that they would keep quiet. Due, in part, … I cannot help feel that the close proximity of all these ghostly reports to ancient sacred sites is significant. Oddly, “wych” became “witch” in many cases, but eventually, the graffiti just stopped. (Davies, pers. There have been countless newspaper and magazine articles about it, not to mention TV and radio programmes, two books and even a play and an opera! And then one day Bella stopped coming to the pub. Interestingly there is a report from the Hagley Wood area at the right time of a car parked by the side of the road with a man in military uniform in the drivers seat. Notwithstanding elm’s legendary associations with death and the Underworld, people also looked to elm for medicinal cures. Today the same question is asked in white paint daubed on the obelisk on top of nearby Wychbury Hill. Had she been parachuted into the Hagley area as previous reports suggest? In April 2005 another twist to an already strange case was added. It was deadly quiet. Intermittent colours in woollen yarns (by which a weaver could more easily create a pattern in the weave) could be introduced by way of an early form of tie-dyeing. The following day, Professor Webster, Superintendent Sidney Inight and Deputy Inspector Williams arrived at the wood. She worked in the restaurant of a pub near Hagley, Worcestershire, and I would happily play in the fields outside or read and draw comic book adventures in a quiet corner of the busy kitchen. In 1941 whilst serving in the Home Guard in the area, Mr. Basterfield was called out to investigate a parachute alert in the Clent Hills/Hagley Wood area. The discovery of the severed skeletal hand near to the body led the police to contact Dr. Margaret Murray, a leading folklorist of the time. Along with the skull were found several human bones, a cheap wedding ring, a bottle, a pair of crepe-soled shoes and some rotten material. In the annals of witchcraft and occult practice, it was believed that a severed hand, called a ‘Hand of Glory’ could detect buried treasure. It is hardier than the English elm, so is found much further north and west, and in parts of Scotland. However, like alder wood, elm wood withstands wet conditions very well, making it a popular choice for the building of boat and barge hulls, bridge foundations, and cartwheels. This theory became the central theme in a popular book on the murder in the 1960s by Donald McCormick (McCormick, 1969). The ‘covens’ of the 1940s were more likely to be the nature covens (early versions of modern paganism) started by Gerald Gardner and certainly not black magic. Perhaps we will never know the truth. Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a very common shrub in our region that is often overlooked. He looked disturbed and complained of not being able to sleep. A thorough search was made of the area, but nothing was found. Bella out of the tree? In honour of #Halloween, today's theme is #SpookiestObject! Any hope of uncovering the woman’s identity through her clothing were soon dashed. They would recount how lights would be turned off, glasses would fly off shelves, doors would open by themselves, shadowy figures would be seen and cold draughts would be felt. Episode 50: Filipino Folklore feat. Who put Bella in the Wych elm? I saw it in 2003 when it came to Birmingham. This wych elm, with its few embedde Steve Zaragoza. To help track down any vital clues the local Home Guard, Scouts and other volunteers were drafted in to search the wood. Today, children still hear this story which ensures that the mystery of the unfortunate woman in the Wych elm will endure for many years to come. The Interesting Natural History, Folklore of Witch Hazel. As well as their widespread use in hedges, their stature made them imposing landmarks and boundary markers, and travelling preachers and judges would often pronounce from beneath them. In the 1980s a husband and wife were driving home late one night when they too encountered the figure of a spectral cavalier by the side of the road. The rest of the skeleton had probably been removed by wild animals. 01543 682261 Closed today Pub Opening Hours Monday. The inner bark was particularly effective when chewed or boiled into a syrupy liquor to treat colds and sore throats, coughs, diarrhoea, internal bleeding, and fever whilst the boiled bark was also used to treat burns. The elm’s wood bends well, or distorts easily, depending on which way you look at the situation, and indeed the ‘wych’ in wych elm refers to its wood being pliant, and not to witches, who were said to shun elm trees. He had volunteered to guard the remains of the body in the tree overnight to protect the scene of crime. The documents suggest that that Hitler was still hoping to invade Britain in 1941, a year after being defeated in the Battle of Britain. Gerald of Wales, a 13th century Anglo-Norman nobleman who wrote extensively on Welsh customs, noted that the archers of South Wales favoured elm for their bows. The tree likes Sun to half-shade at the location and the soil should be sandy to loamy to strong loamy. (Harte, pers. The free monthly guide to live music and events across Bristol’s most influential, independent venues. Our vision is of a revitalised wild forest in the Highlands of Scotland, providing space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive. Decades later, they remain unsolved and have now become part of local folklore. Episode 49: Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? Does the ghost of Bella still haunt the area today? Smaller than those of the wych elm at 4–9cm in length. The police began to check the 3,000 reports of missing women in a 1,000 square mile radius. He soon realised that he had made a dreadful mistake, and what lay on the ground before them was a human skull! His parents owned a nearby public house. The Body in the tree It is interesting to note that both the yew’s and the elm’s mythology is intimately bound up with death and the transition into the Underworld, and that both woods were used to such deadly effect in mediaeval warfare. (This article is a much expanded version of the authors contributory chapter on the Bella case in ‘Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths Around Worcester’ by Anne Bradford, published by Wharncliffe Books, 2008). In 2008 I received several reports of a phantom child being seen along the Oldnall Road only a few miles from the A456/Hagley Wood. feat. Powered by  - Designed with the Hueman theme. The lead detective, Detective Rafferty, who intimidates Toby, tells Toby that they discovered an entire human skeleton in the process, and that the skeleton in question was Dominic Ganly, a former classmate of Toby’s. However, it has some interesting natural history and folklore associated with it. Why this should be was to lead to further macabre speculation. He told his father who in turn told Chris Lambourne, the local police sergeant. The police, investigating, found a woman’s skeleton there, clearly hidden in the tree after death, but no further clues were found. The Witch Elm takes place in Ireland, and is narrated in the first person. I think we can safely say that the witchcraft theory is no more than speculation, based primarily on hearsay and supposition. It seeks a companion of strength and is excellent for destructive spells, protection, and defensive magick. This was enough to declare the area a crime scene, and police reinforcements were called in from Hagley. Wych elm facts. He began to see Van Ralt more frequently and drink heavily. She was never seen again. Some have speculated that Bella was one such regional victim. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. and why? Before his call up papers arrived he had lived near Hagley Wood and was a Special Constable. Climbing up an ancient old wych elm tree, 15-year-old Bob Farmer saw something truly terrible. A skull is found in the Wych Elm which takes this finely crafted novel into the events of the past as experienced by the participants looking back from the present day. Bella in the Wych Elm succeeds at this right from the beginning. Other witnesses have come forward with reports of a strange black shape seen by the side of the road. Is this the face of ‘Bella in the Wych Elm’? Failing that, it could easily be heated, bent and set to the required shape. Who put her there? The coroner declared a verdict of murder by asphyxiation due to the rags discovered in the mouth. The spy who came in from the cold? VAT No. He was dressed like one of the old cavalier soldiers – the big hat, boots, red uniform and sword. Van Ralt told Jack to get into his car and drive the couple to the Clent Hills. Recent research by local historian Joyce Coley suggests that this verdict is wrong, as the rag in the skulls mouth had been put there by the young boys to aid getting the skull back into the tree. Elm trees in Britain can grow to become some of the tallest and largest native trees. Despite the English elm's name, wych elm is the only elm that is regarded as being truly native to the UK. 18/12/2020. One April morning in 1943 four lads found human remains inside a wych-elm in Hagley Woods. I got out and looked for the body on the road. 18,038 were here. But it is not just cavaliers who haunt this stretch of road. It looked similar enough to the European Wych Elm that the name was applied to the New World plants. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Jack helped hide the body in the tree. The tree likes Sun to half-shade at the location and the soil should be sandy to loamy to strong loamy. She was author of several books on witchcraft traditions in Europe. Part of a rural planting verse. He can be contacted at: david.taylor@pasrasearch.org.uk, References: Another letter to the press came from a woman calling herself ‘Anna of Claverley’. This seems incredible! Jack confessed that he met up with van Ralt at a pub near Hagley called the Lyttleton Arms and found his arguing with a Dutch woman. McCORMICK, Donald, 1969, Murder by Witchcraft, Arrow Books Around Christmas 1943, graffiti began to appear on the walls of empty buildings in various parts of the West Midlands area. It is hardier than the English elm, so is found much further north and west, and in parts of Scotland. , Th’ Pob Hole, Springhead - where a local witch Nan o’ Pob committed suicide and her ghost terrorised the next three generations. The skull was still there, together with a bone sticking out of a hole in the tree. Also around this time reports of screaming coming from the woods were received by the police, but nothing suspicious was found upon investigation. German files area for a fab-boo-lous # CURATORBATTLE the old cavalier soldiers the... Paranormal with a group i founded over 20 years ago called Parasearch on. Monthly guide to live music and events across Bristol ’ s identity through her clothing were soon dashed out! 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