“The Hobyahs are coming!”
This episode we have a fairy tale like story that’s meant for children… and may be the most traumatic and violent I’ve covered yet.
Meet the family: an old woman, an old man and a little girl living in a remote valley with their dog Turpie. Awww!
Meet the Hobyahs – numerous terrible monsters that live all around the valley. Less awww.
A story (possibly) originating from Scotland, going via America, back to England and out to Australia – a truly international tale of terror.
Shudder in horror, recoil in fear, become really quite alarmed at the unexpected direction this story takes.
For children, probably not for adults.
Spoilerific trigger warning
Warning: More spoilers lie below! Scroll at your peril.
Illustrations from Joseph Jacobs’ “English Fairy Tales”
As per the discussion section this story was included in Joseph Jacobs “More English Fairy Tales”, which are neither (all) English, nor (all) Fairy Tales.
These were illustrated by Devon born painter John D. Batten and it’s fair to say that his drawingsare some of the best known public domain images of many of these stories – you’ll have seen that on the website and on my social media feeds I make liberal use of them!
Here’s a small gallery of some of my favourites, in no particular order, including stories which may very well appear in a later podcast episode
The Hobyahs in Pictures
Batten’s cartoonish lizard like Hobyah’s are the most common portrayal of them, however as the story leaves them undescribed you are free to imagine something completely different – as the Victorian [here meaning “of the state of Victoria”] Reader version does – providing an alternative view of the Hobyahs.
Quite a few other versions are knocking around ithat aren’t in public domain.
Personally I imagine them a bit like talking velociraptor like creatures, which I purposefully didn’t say in the podcast to let you form your own image of them!
John D. Batten‘s version:
The Australian Reader version:
The Australian version and more details
This excellent blog page: Storytelling Research Lois – The Hobyahs has the full Australian version of the tale and lots of the detail I included in the discussion section about the history of the tale, as well as links to other tellings of the tale.
If you’re interested in delving deep into this one then I couldn’t suggest better than this: well worth checking it out.
Selected Sources
- The Hobyas in the Journal of American Folklore, 1891 – the original version
- The Hobyas in More English Fairy Tales – Joseph Jacobs’ version
- Storytelling Research Lois – The Hobyahs – a great website with lots more details
Musical credits for Episode 46: The Hobyahs
Intro music from the incredibly talented Alice Nicholls Music
Outro music and other various by Josh Keely and Mitch Newman
Other music, used under various Creative Commons and public Domain licenses:
Damiano Baldoni
Bewitched Hell
The one who spread the sadness
Woodspider
The Hag’s Spree
Doug Maxwell
Dramatic Swarm
Brian Bolger
Black Mass
Lionel Schmitt
The Killer from Asylum
Hide and Seek
Tales from Asylum
Myuu
Devour
Daniel Birch
Roaming the streets at night
Sound Effects
Silver Illusionist
Scolex
A teacher read “The Hobyahs Are Coming” to my class, when I was a very little girl, in New Zealand.
In my nightmare that night, I sat bolt upright screaming and screaming and screaming my lungs out, eyes wide open in terror – but not awake!
My sister, sleeping in the same room thought I was being murdered, and was frightened and dived under the bedcovers.
My parents dashed in, but could not awaken me!! They tried everything!!!
They phoned the doctor, who told them to be extremely gentle in word and actions and do nothing violent to ‘snap me out of it’ as my life was in jeopardy.
Instead to run a warm bath and put me in it, and gently swish the water up and down talking soothingly. It may help touch my senses in a different way, and he would drive straight over.
Between my parents and the doctor’s administrations – after some while they broke through my ‘night terror’ safely and brought me back to reality.
They listened as I sobbed and screamed the story of the “Hobyahs Are Coming” from my nightmare – night terror as the doctor told me.
The doctor told them I was so traumatised by ‘The Hobyahs are Coming,” story that in my sleep terror my heart could have stopped beating, if they didn’t bring me out of it gently.
The neighbourhood awoke to my relentless screaming.
My parents met with the school next day.
I am not brave enough to listen to it even now, and felt sick when I happened upon the title this evening. And I’m now 67 years old.
My plea – Please don’t read the Hobyahs Are Comming, to little children.
Thank you.
Vicky
I live on a small island in south west Ireland with my husband and cat, have faith in Jesus Christ. In Him I trust.