Black Annis

Anise... anise... through the accuser's lens, a strange sensation, wasn't it? But it surely caught your attention. Now, let's dive into the eerie tale of the 18th-century poet John Eric Junior. His verse set the soul of mortal man recoiling—reaching its darkest depths as it recounted the terrifying Black Alice.

Black Alice was said to roam the woods, her arms gnarled into iron claws, digging out her cave beneath an ancient oak tree. This cave became known as "Black Alice's Bower," a place everyone avoided. Legends told of Alice ambushing intruders, dropping down from tree branches and snatching them away.

Alice wasn't content to wait for prey; she would actively hunt. On occasion, she'd drag a few sheep back to her lair, but her real hunger was for human flesh. She would peer through cottage windows and, with her long, sharp talons, snatch children from their beds, disappearing into the night with them. The children would never return—only their bloodstained bones left behind, strung up to dry on the branches of the oak tree.

Her gruesome deeds were so infamous that it was said that villagers built their homes with small windows, hanging charms and herbs to ward off the witch. Whether these measures were effective remains a subject of debate. However, one particular charm would ultimately prove to be fatal for Alice in 1941, as recounted by an evacuee.

The story tells of two children sent to collect firewood on Christmas Eve. Weighed down by bundles of wood, they found themselves near Alice's Bower. As one child peered into the cave, Alice emerged, towering above them, her talons twitching in anticipation. The children ran, dropping their firewood, but Alice’s claws snagged their bundle.

Though injured, the children reached their cottage, only for Alice to follow. Just as she lunged at them, their father appeared, wielding a wood axe. With a swing, he struck Alice in the face, causing her to stumble back, blood pouring from the wound. She tried to flee, but it was too late. In the distance, the sounds of Christmas bells rang out, signaling the end of the terror.

Was this tale true, or merely a legend spun to frighten children? We do know that Black Alice’s Bower existed, as described in local maps and writings. A cave once topped by an old oak tree was located in the Glenfield region, though it was later filled in as the area was developed. On a visit by local historian William Calorie, the old tree still stood, though the cave’s entrance had been long closed.

The story of Black Alice may be a blend of myth and history. It’s likely that Alice was based on a real historical figure—Black Agnes Scott, a nun and Dominican who cared for the sick and maintained a leper colony in a cave. However, as anti-Catholic sentiment surged during the Protestant Reformation, the peaceful Agnes’s image may have been distorted into the monstrous figure of Black Alice. Agnes passed away in 1455 and was buried in St. Leonard's Church.