Tiddy Mun is a legendary marsh spirit from English folklore, specifically tied to the fens and "carrs" of South and North Lincolnshire and the Isle of Ely.
Physical Characteristics and Behaviour
- Appearance: He is described as a small man, no larger than a three-year-old child. He has long, tangled white hair and a matted white beard, and he wears a long grey robe that makes him nearly invisible in the evening mists.
- Sound: He is known for a shrill laugh or screech that resembles the cry of a peewit (northern lapwing).
- Nature: Tiddy Mun was considered a "limpety lobelty" figure (walking with a limp) who lived deep within green, still water holes. While not inherently malevolent, he was a powerful guardian of the wetlands.
The Legend of the Curse
The most famous tale involving Tiddy Mun centers on the 17th-century drainage of the fens by Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden.
- Conflict: Angered by the destruction of his watery habitat, Tiddy Mun allegedly cursed the local villagers.
- Manifestations: The curse was blamed for livestock falling ill, homes collapsing, and the spread of "ague" (malaria).
- Appeasement: To lift the curse, villagers would perform a ritual at the first new moon, pouring buckets of water into the dry dykes while chanting: "Tiddy Mun wi'out a name, tha watter's thruff" (the water is through). If they heard a peewit's cry in response, they knew the spirit was satisfied and the floodwaters would recede.
Origins and Significance
- Modern Legacy: The folklore was first documented in detail by M.C. Balfour in 1891. Today, the legend persists as an early example of ecological storytelling, representing the "spirit of the land" reacting to human environmental changes. In 2022, a bridge over the River Nene at Guyhirn was officially named Tiddy Mun Bridge.