The Green Children of Woolpit, folklore or fact? - Deborah Hyde

A pair of children with green-tinged skin, speaking no known language, emerging from a pit on the edge of a Suffolk village in the 12th century... Were they lost travellers, fairy folk, or something even stranger?


In this captivating talk, writer and folklorist Deborah Hyde revisits one of Britain’s most enduring and eerie tales: the Green Children of Woolpit. As recorded by two medieval chroniclers, the story of the strange siblings, who claimed to have come from a place of eternal twilight, has fascinated and baffled readers for centuries.


Are these accounts glimpses of folklore, misremembered history, or encounters with something inexplicable?


Join Deborah as she carefully unpicks the threads of the story, tracing its roots, variations, and the possible truths hidden behind its luminous green glow: this is a deep dive into a tale that refuses to fade with time.


A specialist in belief, folklore and the supernatural, Deborah is a writer, broadcaster and producer who explores the strange corners of culture with wit and academic rigour. She has appeared on Strange Evidence, Mysteries at the Museum and the hit BBC podcasts Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist, and was Editor-in-Chief of The Skeptic for a decade.



For deatils of other festival events and to get involved please visit the festival website.

 


Sunday 3 Aug 202516:30 Book Now