h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Wolves of Hexham - A11090125
Author: Matt James - (FR.UGVol.PRep.S) - U168592

A nice little article for bedtime reading

Comments welcome as ever

MJ

Yikes, Matt! What a story. I wish I had not read it just before turning in It is a brilliant telling, I had never heard of it before so will have a root about tomorrow and see if I can't find you some tidbit to add. I'd like to know a bit more about these heads thingies.

For now the only comment I have is on the use of 'excited'. It doesn't sound quite right. How about something along the lines of 'terrified' or maybe something meaning 'shrill'?

W

great, as if my insomnia wasn't enough already


well told story

both, it raised my hackles too

Have changed that excited W. Look forward to seeng what you can dig up...no pun intended

It appears this is not the only mystery surrounding Northumberland and carved stones Hmm. Curioser and curioser.



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/06/040621074009.htm

Rock 'Face' Mystery Baffles Experts

Description of the heads:
"When cleaned, both heads were seen to be about the size of a small
tangerine. Both were very dense and heavy, but each had a very distinct
appearance. The first head had a vaguely skull-like appearance with the
carved lines and pits of features only faint and vestigial. Nevertheless,
its features were vaguely masculine, if gaunt and bony, and were crowned by
a typically Celtic hairstyle with faint stripes running from front to back
on the crown. The carved stone itself was greenish grey and glistened with
quartz crystals.

The second head was more rounded and infinitely more expressive. The
features were those of a formidable old wall-eyed woman with a strong beaked
nose with hair combed severely backwards off the forehead into a bun. Unlike
the skull-head the old woman, or hag, showed traces of red or yellow pigment
on the hair.”



http://www.world-mysteries.com/gw_rb7.htm

"Although tests were undertaken at Southampton and Newcastle Universities to try and confirm the age of the heads, the results of those tests remain unknown. "



http://phenomena.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Stone+Forest&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=&obj_id=1591

Some references that could be interesting:

The Hexham Horror by Paul Slattery - this apprently links Aleister Crowley into the story but I cannot find a copy of it anywhere.

Other references: Nationwide, BBC 1976; The Evening Chronicle, 23 January 2003; Interview with Dr. Clare Sommers, 5 August 2004; Mystery Animals of Britain and Ireland by Graham McEwan, Robert Hale Ltd., 1987.


I don't know if you want to pursue the whole "continuous mystery" aspect of the story. There seems to be a plethora of avenues to go down if you choose to - from urban monsters to werewolf stories through occult artefacts etc. You may decide to keep this one as a taster entry though. I like it as it is and it certainly piqued my interest. Can't see me hotfooting it to Nortumberland anytime soon, though



W

Ok...I'm scared now

Just one thing...in your last paragraph you have

garden, however

It may look better with a semi colon instead of a comma.



*goes back to bed without looking underneath it*

guys.

I found that info too W, but I wanted to concentrate on the wolf and beast, rather than the heads themselves in the Entry so left the detailed description out. I've got the bit about the Uni tests (vaguely, but its there) and I think I'll leave out any Crowley link Dodgy ground there me thinks...

oh, don't worry VV, there's no wolf under your bed, just the Bogeyman A2969661 RARR!

That's great, Matt. I think you're right to keep it focussed.

*screams*


Mummmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

sound VV.

hi,it is a weard place northumberland i was born in Corbridge 2 miles from hexham and it has more mysteries than most of the british iles.LIKE LONGLOST roman legions lost on foggy moors longtime psat and still marching or long gonee pack animals long gone but still been heard if the wind is from the right direction.SOME of the tales can do more than a bucket of senna pods.So more horrors please great stuff.

There'll be more weird and woderful from me in the future, don't you worry

Oh blimey. Thanks for that, MJ !

When you say Hyde became uncontactable do you mean he disappeared back into the woodwork, as it were, or something more sinister?

ah, well that's the rub miss Jules Let's leave it up to your imechanation

Great story Matt - didn't this inspire someone to write a story about it ? Only a half memory and it may be wrong.

Maybe not - can't find anything anyway.

There was a report about the incident on 'Nationwide' in 1976, perhaps you recall that (I'll add a footnote to include that info )

Everyone happy with this?

Great romping scary tale.

I'm perfectly happy with it as it stands.

W