Tiddy Mun

Many areas have their own legends about mysterious small creatures who either help, hinder or play tricks upon the local population.  The title Tiddy Mun might be translated as small man, the local equivalent of leprechaun, but most probably refers to the old English word, Tydd, which means tide.  The Tiddy Mun, according to legend, could hold back the tide, and do all sorts of other things in the fen like making people get the aigue, or malaria, or prevent it.  It’s no wonder that the fen people tried to keep Tiddy Mun happy, one of the ways being to throw water into the dykes chanting:  “Tiddy Mun without a name, there’s water for you, water for you.”  It is said that when the fens were drained Tiddy Mun went away, leading to all kinds of disasters, but was eventually drawn back by the fenlanders;  his call is said to be still heard in the cry of the lapwing as it makes its way across the empty fields and marshes.