''The Witches and the Grinnygog'' is a children's novel by the writer Dorothy Edwards, published in 1981 and shortlisted for that year's

Whitbread Prize The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first sponsor, the Whitbread company, then ...

for a children's book. ''The Witches and the Grinnygog'' is a story of pre-Christian traditions, considered in the

middle ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

to be

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...

, surviving into the modern world, and deals with various themes related to English

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, ghosts and time slips.

Plot summary

When an ancient English church is moved to a new site, one stone – a strange statue, the Grinnygog – is found to be missing. It is accidentally found by a woman who, not realizing its significance, gives it to her elderly father as a pseudo

garden gnome Garden gnomes (german: links=no, Gartenzwerge, lit=garden dwarfs) are lawn ornament figurines of small humanoid creatures based on the mythological creature and diminutive spirit which occur in Renaissance magic and alchemy, known as gnomes. T ...

. Shortly thereafter, three eccentric old women (who seem to be looking for something lost or hidden many years before) arrive in the town.

References

1981 British novels British children's novels Witchcraft in written fiction 1981 children's books Faber and Faber books {{1980s-child-novel-stub