Among other things, Piers Haggard’s 1971 The Blood on Satan’s Claw was crucial in shaping the folk horror tradition. Near the end of part two, “Home Counties Horrors,” of his influential 2010 BBC documentary, Mark Gatiss shifts from discussing the dominant Hammer films of the 1960s to articulating a “new” kind of horror film that avoids what he calls “the gothic clichés.” “Amongst these,” he claims, “are a loose collection of films that we might call folk horror.” Haggard himself, whom Gatiss interviews, says, “I suppose I was trying to make a folk horror film.”
And there’s so much more: buried demonic remains, a cult of villagers who rape and murder, witchcraft, strangely animate claws, self-mutilation, black fur spreading over human bodies, and invocations of Behemoth!
In honor of the milestone 50th anniversary of what has become an indisputable cult classic, we are thrilled to present ten original essays that explain why The Blood on Satan’s Claw continues to engage fans of all kinds. We hope you enjoy!
