Stories of the Border Marches

"Stories of the Border Marches" by John Lang is a collection of historical tales from the English-Scottish border, rooted in folklore. The book presents different legendary characters and stories associated with the borderland’s troubled past, including supernatural beings and notorious outlaws. These narratives mix truth and myth, looking at ideas like courage, tragedy, and the supernatural within a setting of destructive war. It starts with a preface that considers the appeal of these old stories, while regretting that they are being overlooked by modern times. The first story is "The White Lady of Blenkinsopp," and introduces readers to a haunting legend of a woman associated with treasure and an ancient castle, but who had a sad romantic story, leading to her disappearance and the legend that followed. The story combines mystery and the supernatural as it tells about the history of the castle, the violent lives of those who lived there, and the ghost that haunts it. The collection then merges history and legends, inviting readers into the lore of the borders.