Nanny Rutt
Encyclopedia
Nanny Rutt is a character in a cautionary tale
associated with Nanny Rutt's well, an artesian
spring in Math Wood, near Northorpe
, in the parish of Thurlby, Lincolnshire
. The story goes that a named girl went into the wood, to the well and disappeared having been taken off by Nanny Rutt.
, varies depending on who is telling the story. There are, however, some features that are common to all versions of the tale. The following is the central parts of the story, supplemented by additional details that may or may not be included, depending on the individual story teller.
The story begins with a young girl, given different names in versions, who had arranged to meet with a lover at the well in Math wood. The girl sets off into the wood in the early evening, but on her way, meets an old woman wrapped in a shawl that casts a deep shadow on her face in the evening light. A conversation between the old woman and the girl ensues, and she is warned about the dangers of the wood at night, as well as those of eloping without the permission of her parents. Ignoring these warnings, she continues on her way, and finds her way to the source of the well, deep inside the wood, where she had arranged to meet her lover. Here she waits for a long time, and by the time she realises he is not coming it is very dark. Tears from the rejection in her eyes cloud her vision which already poor due to the darkness of the woods, and she soon become hopelessly lost. Eventually, she stumbles upon a clearing in the woods, which holds an overgrown stone building, little bigger than a small shack. In the doorway stands the old woman, her shawl now pulled back to reveal a hideous face lit by the ghostly moonlight. As she turns to run she stumbles and falls. The old woman’s shadow falls on her as she advances, freezing her body with a paralysing chill, and her throat goes dry as she tries to scream. The girl is never seen again.
. It is probably not coincidental that le rut is a French word derived from the Latin rugitus meaning 'sexual drive'. The word occurs too, in English but is there used for male non-human mammals, especially of the deer
group and goats. The males are said to be 'in rut' while female mammals are 'on heat'. The French word applies to either sex and may include people. Rodin
included it among the sin
s scattered on a version of his 'Gates of Hell
' . Nanny Rutt's first name is perhaps a little less explicit.Goat
s are sometimes used as a byword for male sexuality but a nanny goat is a female one. The word 'Nanny' is also used both as a colloquial term for a grandmother, and can also mean childminder
.
It may be possible to suggest an explanation for the story of the disappearance. Perhaps at some date a girl took her developing sexuality
into Math wood, met someone who complement
ed it and was soon taken off to a home for un-married mothers never to return to Northorpe. An explanation was required for the other young people and at a time of reticence about sexuality, Nanny Rutt was invented. If this happened when the use of the French language in England was remembered, the story is medieval. Nanny Rutt could also be based on a real woman who once lived in the woods.
Cautionary tale
A cautionary tale is a tale told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. First, a taboo or prohibition is stated: some act, location, or thing is said to be dangerous. Then, the...
associated with Nanny Rutt's well, an artesian
Artesian aquifer
An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. This causes the water level in a well to rise to a point where hydrostatic equilibrium has been reached. This type of well is called an artesian well...
spring in Math Wood, near Northorpe
Northorpe
Northorpe is a growing hamlet in the parish of Thurlby, in South Kesteven, southern Lincolnshire and is about a mile south of Bourne.Northorpe is near to Elsea and Math Woods, the latter of which is rumored to be haunted by Nanny Rutt, but they are still popular places in which to walk dogs...
, in the parish of Thurlby, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. The story goes that a named girl went into the wood, to the well and disappeared having been taken off by Nanny Rutt.
The story
The story of Nanny Rutt, being an oral traditionOral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
, varies depending on who is telling the story. There are, however, some features that are common to all versions of the tale. The following is the central parts of the story, supplemented by additional details that may or may not be included, depending on the individual story teller.
The story begins with a young girl, given different names in versions, who had arranged to meet with a lover at the well in Math wood. The girl sets off into the wood in the early evening, but on her way, meets an old woman wrapped in a shawl that casts a deep shadow on her face in the evening light. A conversation between the old woman and the girl ensues, and she is warned about the dangers of the wood at night, as well as those of eloping without the permission of her parents. Ignoring these warnings, she continues on her way, and finds her way to the source of the well, deep inside the wood, where she had arranged to meet her lover. Here she waits for a long time, and by the time she realises he is not coming it is very dark. Tears from the rejection in her eyes cloud her vision which already poor due to the darkness of the woods, and she soon become hopelessly lost. Eventually, she stumbles upon a clearing in the woods, which holds an overgrown stone building, little bigger than a small shack. In the doorway stands the old woman, her shawl now pulled back to reveal a hideous face lit by the ghostly moonlight. As she turns to run she stumbles and falls. The old woman’s shadow falls on her as she advances, freezing her body with a paralysing chill, and her throat goes dry as she tries to scream. The girl is never seen again.
Assessment of the story
The date of origin of the story is obscure but it was current in the 1920s and is likely to be earlier. Parents used to use it to warn their children against wandering in the wood. In this respect, Nanny Rutt was a form of the BogeymanBogeyman
A bogeyman is an amorphous imaginary being used by adults to frighten children into compliant behaviour...
. It is probably not coincidental that le rut is a French word derived from the Latin rugitus meaning 'sexual drive'. The word occurs too, in English but is there used for male non-human mammals, especially of the deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
group and goats. The males are said to be 'in rut' while female mammals are 'on heat'. The French word applies to either sex and may include people. Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
included it among the sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s scattered on a version of his 'Gates of Hell
Gates of hell
The Gates of Hell are various locations on the surface of Earth that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld...
' . Nanny Rutt's first name is perhaps a little less explicit.Goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s are sometimes used as a byword for male sexuality but a nanny goat is a female one. The word 'Nanny' is also used both as a colloquial term for a grandmother, and can also mean childminder
Nanny
A nanny, childminder or child care provider, is an individual who provides care for one or more children in a family as a service...
.
It may be possible to suggest an explanation for the story of the disappearance. Perhaps at some date a girl took her developing sexuality
Human female sexuality
Human female sexuality encompasses a broad range of behaviors and processes, including female sexual identity and sexual behavior, the physiological, psychological, social, cultural, political, and spiritual or religious aspects of sex...
into Math wood, met someone who complement
Complement
In many different fields, the complement of X is something that together with X makes a complete whole—something that supplies what X lacks.Complement may refer to:...
ed it and was soon taken off to a home for un-married mothers never to return to Northorpe. An explanation was required for the other young people and at a time of reticence about sexuality, Nanny Rutt was invented. If this happened when the use of the French language in England was remembered, the story is medieval. Nanny Rutt could also be based on a real woman who once lived in the woods.