Cutty Dyer: The Mythical Water Sprite of Ashburton's Dark Waters. #CuttyDyer #folklore #Sprite

Depending on who you ask, Cutty Dyer was either an ogre or a water sprite that roamed the waters of Ashburn or the River Yeo.
The town of Ashburton is the site of the most well-known legend, where it is claimed that he slept in the shadows beneath the King's Bridge.
He kept an eye out for drunks or kids who ventured too near to the river's edge, then he would jump on them, drag them under, and gorge himself on their warm blood.
The story of Cutty Dyer dates back to at least 1879, when it was first reported in a local newspaper.
However, even at that time, it was believed that great-grandparents of those who were affected by the mythology had also frightened him as children.
Cutty Dyer was frequently employed as a bogeyman to terrify kids into doing appropriately and avoiding the river.
One night, two guys said they saw him standing waist deep in the sea, his fangs like a shark's and his bright red eyes like saucers.
Only when he reached out and touched one of them did they start to run away, terrified and motionless.
Luckily for Ashburton's residents, lore also claims that Cutty Dyer left when the town got lamps.