In September 1954, about 200 schoolchildren (some as young as 4) invaded the Southern Necropolis in the Gorbals, armed with sharpened sticks, stones, and penknives. When the police arrived, they were told that everyone was there to kill a 7ft vampire with iron teeth who had eaten two of their schoolmates.
Genuinely scared, the children patrolled the grounds looking for the vampire. The next night, another massive crowd of children scaled the walls after the gates were locked. Gravediggers, cemetery officials, and the police couldn’t keep the throngs of children out of the grounds. A journalist at the scene was begged by the children to help them: “Hiv ye come tae shoot him, Mister? Kill him sae we can sleep tonight!”.
One of my favourite cases of mass hysteria, the whole ordeal was blamed on scary comic books, and compelled the MP for the Gorbals to introduce the Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/3-4/28/contents) the following year.
A poem read to the children “Jenny wi the Airn Teeth”, by Alexander Anderson about a bogle that eats naughty children may also have a lot to do with it!:
“…Jenny wi’ the airn teeth,
Come an’ tak’ the bairn:Tak’ him to your ain den,
Jenny wi the Airn Teeth, A. Anderson
Where the bowgie bides,
But first put baith your big teeth
In his wee plump sides;”
References
The Scotsman, 18th March 2016.https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/gorbals-vampire-and-monster-hunt-shook-glasgow-1480233
Scottish Poetry Library https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/jenny-wi-airn-teeth/
