the luck of edenhall

The Luck of Edenhall is a glass cup from the fourteenth century with a long history of mystery and superstition. It is currently held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London but it once belonged to the Musgrave family of Edenhall in Cumberland, and was said to have brought them great luck.

According to The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of various Countries, published in 1833, the cup was believed to be a sacred chalice which once belonged to fairies.

A butler from the Musgrave Estate came across a group of fairies with the chalice near St. Cuthbert's Well in the garden near the house. After a struggle, the butler stole the chalice from the fairies and the fairies flew away.

But not everyone is so sure.

According to an article published in The Gentleman’s Magazine in 1791, the butler didn’t steal the chalice; the fairies simply left it behind when they were startled. As the fairies flew away, they called out a warning to the butler:

“If this cup should break or fall
Farewell the Luck of Edenhall!”