Moorland myths
Before you begin
- The person leading the activity should explain the 'Mythical movers instructions' below to everyone.
Play the game
- The person leading the activity should choose a person to be the ‘Moves master.’ The Moves master should read out the names of mythical creatures from the ‘Mythical movers instructions', then do the action for each one and the rest of the group should do the same. After ten seconds, everyone can stop doing the action and walk around the playing area normally.
- When the Moves master calls ‘Flying Scotsman!’ everyone should freeze, while the Moves master should pretend to be an eager tourist, trying to take a picture of a mythical creature.
- After ‘Flying Scotsman,’ the Moves master should call ‘There’s no-one here!’ Everyone can walk around normally again, while the Moves master should pretend to be a grumpy tourist.
- Whoever is caught moving a few seconds after a call of ‘Flying Scotsman’ is out. They may take over from the Moves master, if they would like a turn being a mythical creature.
Name |
Move |
Maestro’s actions |
Reason |
|
Unicorn |
Gallop around with your hand on your forehead with a finger pointing out like a unicorn horn. |
n/a |
Unicorns are the national animal of Scotland. A powerful and graceful creature whose main enemy is the lion. |
|
Haggis |
Hop on one leg or move with one leg higher than the other. |
n/a |
Wild haggis are small four-legged creatures that hail from the Scottish Highlands. The legs on one side of the creature are smaller than those on the other. |
|
Brownies |
Do a cleaning action – sweeping, dusting or tidying. |
n/a |
A Brownie is a small household spirit. They only come out at night and do helpful farming and household chores. |
|
Ghillie Dhu |
Crouch down low and walk around like an angry little fairy. |
Optional – if the Maestro is an adult. They can walk or run through the group. |
Ghillie Dhu is a small fairy who lives deep within Scottish forests. He is kind to children, but hates adults that trespass in his forest. |
|
Nessie |
Wiggle on the floor like a worm, or wiggle whilst standing/sitting down. |
n/a |
The Loch Ness Monster is a creature that lives in the Loch Ness. “Nessie is the only mythical creature that has been photographed. Luckily for us most humans don’t believe the pictures are real, but a few smart ones keep visiting to see if they can prove Nessie and other mythical creatures exist.” |
|
Flying Scotsman
|
Freeze |
Act like you have a camera. Look out to try to find any mythical creatures so you can take a picture as evidence. |
“Oh no, the tourists are coming with their cameras. They can only see us if we move. Stay still so they can’t catch us on camera and prove we exist.” Note: the Flying Scotsman is one of the most famous trains in Scotland. It normally only goes from London to Edinburgh, but has been known to travel as far as Inverness near the Loch Ness especially for tourists. |
|
“There’s nothing here” |
Walk around |
Act disappointed. Pack away your camera. |
“It’s safe. The train has gone. Nessie didn’t let us down this time. The tourists have left with no pictures of us.” |
Reflection
The group have pretended to be mythical creatures from Scottish folklore. Was it difficult to remember how each mythical creature moved? Who got spotted by a tourist on the Flying Scotsman?
The mythical creatures of Scotland are very different to those of other countries. Can anyone name a creature from another country’s folklore? Where might myths and legends like these come from?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Active games
The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.
To change the game, each player could be assigned one of the mythical creatures from the list at the start. The Moves master could also be chosen at random. The person leading the activity should also make a note of who does what.
When a mythical creature is called out, the people assigned that creature should be the only ones who do that action. This means that everyone will have to remember what creature they are, but it should be easier to remember what action to do. Everyone should continue to freeze for ‘Flying Scotsman!’ and resume moving for ‘There’s no-one here!’
Make it accessible
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
Everyone should choose their favourite mythical creature and write their own story or fairytale about that creature. Each story should include something about how the creature moves. If anyone is feeling creative, they could invent their own mythical creature to write about.
Allow young people to take on the role of the Moves master, so that this game can be enjoyed independently.