The Green Boggart of Hindley Green

Fact or fiction?

I once saw our ragmon's horse take boggarts down Windermere Road and smash into the wall on the Frying Pan. All the kids went and nicked his donkey stones and those glittery balls on a lastic they gave for woollens. Did you know that Jack O Lanterns were the lights used by boggarts to get travellers onto the mosses and bogs thinking it was a safe path way, by then they were sucked under and lost forever.

And there's more

Hangin' t'Boggart

The Green Boggart in Hindley Green

In Lancashire there used to be mosses known by colour, such as the Green Moss (Astley) The White Moss (Skelmersdale), the Red Moss (Clitheroe) and naturally the appropriate Boggart was the Green,White, Red as the case might be.

JINNY GREENTEETH

Jinny Greenteeth was supposed to be the wife of the Green Boggart. She seemed to spend most of her time lolling in the moss streams with her long green hair streaming in the current.

JACK O' LANTERN (the bog light)



Jack o' lantern was the decoy used by the Boggart to entice unwary travelers into the Moss, Who, when they saw the lights thought they were travelling on firm and safe ground Until it was too late, and they were sucked into the moss.
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The Green Boggart would often get bored, and used to relive his boredom by playing pranks On people and there animals. One trick was to make himself very small and creep into the ear of a horse; frightening it so much it would gallop madly in any direction open to it. This madness in old times was known as "Takking Boggarts". He also used to visit houses where they had not taken the trouble to protect themselves with a charm or spell, he would make himself invisible and enter the house then all sorts of strange things he would make happen, such as pots and pans, crockery and ornaments would seem to fly off sideboards, chairs would move and water would throw its self onto the fire, and doors would open and shut themselves.

http://www.hindleygreenra.com/oldfacts.htm

This is an article by Lorna Smithers on the subject.

Lancashire Boggarts

Some smashing info there RMJ.

Imont gran used to tell him not to get too near to the edge of the boating lake in Southport. as Jinny Green teeth would drag him in. She gets about that lass

It appears that Nanny Greenteeth was the more common term around Wigan. It certainly was in Abram.