Of Witches and Deathbeds

There's a hill on the Isle of Man (where I hail from, as regular readers will know) called Slieau Whallian. Folk legend has it that they used to put suspected witches - women and men - into spiked barrels at the top of this hill to see if they survived being rolled down. If they did the unfortunate victims must be witches and were killed. I'm sure you get the twisted logic.

Whether any of this actually happened, I don't know. I do know it's a very peaceful and lovely hill now. And I also know the tale is a good setting for a fantasy story. One in which things don't quite go to plan for those meting out this "justice". Having written such a story, I'm delighted to report that Electric Spec have bought it for their February edition. The story is called, unsurprisingly enough, Slieau Whallian.


Also, my entry into the 20th Sam's Dot Drabble Contest (Deathbed Confessions) - a fantasy piece called The Summoning Words - has been accepted and should be appearing there later this month.




Image: Slieau Whallian © Copyright Jon Wornham.