The boggart is an English bogie, found in parts of the North and Midlands. For the last century folklorists (and artists and fiction writers) have described the boggart as a house goblin. But this has been to misconstrue the sense of ‘boggart’ in popular tradition. There it proved a keystone in supernatural folklore, and was regularly used in place-names and in legends tied to the landscape. We, afterwards, turn to look at how the word was unintentionally recast by folklorists (and derivative writers), who brought us the boggart of Harry Potter and of Spiderwick.

This talk is hosted by Crediton Library, in Devon, as part of a series of monthly history talks. For guests joining from the local area, some mention will also be made of Devon parallels.

Crediton Library is a charity. If you can, please choose the 'Pay What You Like' ticket option where the price you pay will go directly to supporting the work of the library in the community. Any amount is valuable to us, thank you. If you are unable to make a donation, then a free ticket option is also included to ensure that nobody misses the chance to attend the talk.