SOURCE: Clarke, David. “Rumours of Angels: A Legend of the First World War.” Folklore 113 (2002): 151-73.

In the following essay, Clarke asserts that Arthur Machen's “The Bowmen” was inspired by the Angel of Mons legend, which offered encouragement to the British troops during World War I.

It's true, Sister. We all saw it. First there was a sort of a yellow mist like, sort of risin' before the Germans as they came to the top of the hill, come on like a solid wall they did—springing out of the earth just solid, no end to ‘em. I just gave up. No use fighting the whole German race, thinks I; it's all up with us. The next minute comes this funny cloud of light, and when it clears off there's a tall man with yellow hair in golden armour, on a white horse, holding his sword up, and his...