Doctor Who: 10 Myths And Legends That Should Be Explored

2. Boggarts

When you mention the word Boggart, the immediate connotation is the shape-shifting spirit in Harry Potter that takes the form of what the person facing it fears the most. But the Harry Potter iteration of the Boggart is a case of J.K. Rowling adapting British mythology for her own universe. Boggarts in folklore are considerably different. Household Boggarts will follow families wherever they flee and are said to hide under the bed and place a clammy hand over people as they sleep, as well as carrying out pranks like souring milk and making dogs go lame. Frightened yet? It gets worse. Other Boggarts inhabit large areas such as fields and marshland (effectively creating sentient locations or genius loci) and are much more malevolent. The genius loci type of Boggart is said to abduct and devour children; and children going missing in marshland areas of period Britain would be the perfect mystery for the Doctor to investigate. And a Boggart would be a great challenge for the Doctor if the Boggart in question is a genius loci and he is having to negotiate or fight with a place. Especially if the aspect of the myth where naming a Boggart makes it more dangerous is included. Alternately, the story of The Farmer And The Boggart where a farmer enrages a Boggart by cheating it out of half of a crop it was promised could be adapted as the inciting incident for the mystery the Doctor investigates.