- Dark heart of Dunwich
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The Dark Heart of Dunwich is piece of a Suffolk folklore, the origins of which appear to lie in the twelfth century.
The legend tells of how Eva, a Dunwich maiden due to be married to the son of a local landowner, fell instead for a good-looking local cad, who had his way with her and then deserted her, running off to sea. After waiting in vain for her lost love to return, she cut out her heart and hurled it into the sea. However, according to the legend, she was unable to die, and still haunts the area, particularly around the (constantly shifting) beach, where the land meets the sea. The heart itself, believed to be similar in appearance to a wooden heart, is believed to wash up occasionally, and bring great misfortune onto anyone who picks it up and keeps it.
References
- 'Dunwich: A ghost story' A.Durham, S.Corbett
- Men of Dunwich, Rowland Parker (Alastair Press, 1978), ISBN 1-870567-85-4
- Memories of Bygone Dunwich, Ernest Read Cooper (Southwold: F. Jenkins, 1948)
Categories:- English folklore
- Culture in Suffolk
- History of Suffolk
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