Poems

Appendix

Furness Abbey Legends.

The Pyper.

The name “Pyper” originates from the following story that is set in the period following the completion of Furness Abbey Church. A certain land owner and salt worker lived in Salthouse Village. He used to breed horses and break in young horses that had been running wild in the forest; he sold these at fairs. He was known as the pyper because he was always playing his bagpipes.

One day he took a young horse he was breaking in to Dalton smithy to be shod. After the shoeing he stayed a long time drinking in the ale house while playing his bagpipes. In the evening as he was riding his horse home past the abbey gates, he heard the monks singing in the church. He rode through the open door, up the nave and into the quire. When he reached the high altar the horse suddenly dropped to its knees, its new shoes falling from its hooves. The pyper fell senseless to the ground. The monks nursed him until he had recovered from his shock. The pyper then decided to save his soul by giving his land, his horses, and all that he owned to the monastery, where he stayed for the rest of his life. The monks then took possession of the pyper’s land.

From “The History of the Hamlet of Salthouse” by W.B. Kendall, published by the Barrow Naturalists’ Field Club, 1948.

Horse Closes.

This legend relates to one of the miracles of St. Cuthbert, written by Reginald, a monk of Durham. “The Abbot of Furness being about to set out on a journey to the shrine of St. Cuthbert in Durham Cathedral, selected on the previous evening those horses which he intended should carry him and his retinue to that city. In the night a thief attempted to steal one of the chosen horses, but the horse was so surrounded with hedges that he could not lead the horse away.

Having with great difficulty cut a path through them, he returned to the horse, and endeavoured by main force to pull it through the opening he had made. In vain were his efforts. Until the sun rose the thief persevered in the attempt, and at last returned to relinquish his project. To his astonishment he found that his hands were fast to the reins, and that it was out of his power to stir from the stable.

There in the morning he was found by the abbot who was loud in his praises of “the Holy Cuthbert” in defeating the designs of the robber who would have stolen the steed specially dedicated to his service. The would be thief, was allowed  to depart, but the event was told to the monks of Durham and handed down to them as one of the many miracles wrought by their favourite saint.”

From “Churches, Castles, and Ancient Halls of North Lancashire”  Vol.1 by E.Roper