£650.00
Numbered limited Edition of 150 copies. Slipcased edition
1 in stock
Description
The Toadmen were a clandestine rural fraternity famed for their mysterious powers, including the control over horses. The author first learnt of their powers form his grandmother as she recounted an incident from when she was a girl. She had heard how the horse-and-trap of a squire unpopular with the farmworkers was “reisted” ie stopped dead, so the horse would not be budge. The place chosen was a level crossing, where the road crossed a railway track. The horse-and-trap was run down by the Granville Special Express, a fast boat train and the squire killed. Such is the reputation of the Toadmen, who would both heal and hex, and whose path was considered particularly perilous,
Drawing upon folklore and other texts, and private communication from actual Toadmen Mr. Pennick describes the practice of Toadmanry and places it in the context of the toad in folklore, alchemy, medicine and European religion. All statements are carefully referenced to assist further research.
