Folk-Lore, 2, 145–170, 257–283, and 401–418 (1891)
Balfour collected these ten folktales in the Lincolnshire Carrs (or Cars in her spelling), the wetlands of north Lincolnshire that lie between Lincoln Edge and the Wolds. She attempts to record them in the local dialect, but sometimes falls into idioms that belong to her native Scotland rather than Lincolnshire.
Balfour (a cousin of R. L. Stevenson) was a skilful story-teller, and some of her tales have become popular through retellings by Kevin Crossley-Holland and others. Yet, because these tales are so striking and unusual, their authenticity has sometimes been questioned.
These folktales are being studied by Maureen James, whose website includes a summary of her research and a glossary of dialect words.
| Also available as an e-book. |
| See the E-book index and Notes on downloading e-books |
| EXTRA |
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| Coat o’ Clay (as told by M. C. Balfour) |
| Are the legends authentic? |
| My Own Self: did Balfour plagiarize it? |
| IMAGE |
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| E-book cover |