Scotland is a land of myth, storytelling and legend. Due to television adaptations of novels such as Outlander, there has been a growing interest in Scotland’s mythical past. Last year, the University of Glasgow hosted a night at the Hunterian Museum to celebrate Scotland’s role in fantasy fiction. Visitors were invited to reimagine Scotland as the host for fiction such as J M Barrie’s Peter Pan and Harry Potter, and get up close and personal with real creatures which may have inspired the Loch Ness Monster.
The success of shows such as Outlander hasn’t just inspired The Hunterian. Accross the country, people are making the most of Scotland’s mythical status. A Highland Trail has been set up, charting eight cities over thirteen days, at a time where fantasy is all over pop culture, with Game of Thrones, Supernatural and more setting the tone. There is even a game on Bitcasino called Dwarfen Gold, which celebrates fantasy characters. This is great news for the Highlands, and the rolling greenery of the country, but what about Glasgow? There must be some myth left for the biggest city in the country.
In fact, Glasgow is now host to GIFCon, the Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations, which is supported by the University of Glasgow and their recently inaugurated MA in Fantasy Fiction. For fantasy fans, it is a chance for fans of the genre to meet those who think academically about fantasy and myth, and to engage in wider conversation. If you’re not convinced that Glasgow is the most mythical place to hold a fantasy convention, you only have to take a visit to Glasgow Necropolis, which is home to 50,000 individuals who died between 1831 and 1851 when it was declared full, seemingly due to a change in legislation, which made burial profitable.
There was a recent revival of the legend of the Vampire of the Southern Necropolis. Jenny Wi’ The ‘airn Teeth has been said to roam the gardens for centuries. A hag with large iron fangs, she sinks them into trespassers’ skin before dragging them back to her lair. In 1954, a policeman was called to the cemetery where he found scores of children patrolling the graves. They had fashioned weapons to look like stakes, and armed themselves with knives and dogs. When the policeman enquired as to what they were doing, they declared that they were hunting for the “Gorbals Vampire” which had apparently eaten two young boys.
Whilst it is widely believed that the story of Jenny the Gorbals Vampire was invented by parents to deter children from wandering into the Southern Necropolis, could it be that there was some truth in that night? The children seemed adamant that they had witnessed a sighting of the vampire and were visibly perturbed.
Glasgow is an old city, full of ancient buildings and myth, much like the rest of Scotland. However, it is rarely recognised for its legends as much as Edinburgh or the Highlands. Perhaps it is time to recognise the popularity of Scotland as a country of fantasy fiction, and put Glasgow on that map.