Petty Egypt

Petty Egypt was one of four magical woods with which John Uskglass surrounded his capital of Newcastle. The name is an odd one - one suspects a corruption - but it appears to mean "little", or perhaps "lesser" or "lower", Egypt. And why Egypt? We cannot guess.

As is notorious, these strange woodlands had the power to destroy and consume any person approaching the city with the intention of doing it harm. It is perhaps wisest not to dwell much upon how they did it. Mr. Strange, in his article on the place and importance of the Raven King in the history of English magic, defended the actions of John Uskglass in creating such woods - which he admits have, to us moderns, a decidedly sinister character - by reminding us that Uskglass was a man of his age. The defence of a medieval town was a matter of great importance to the inhabitants and most of the methods they employed - boiling oil and pitch poured from above, etc - seem to us barbarous. It may be that future ages will condemn our own methods of warfare as equally grotesque. [38]