The Three Ravens Podcast
Three Ravens is an English myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux. Each weekly episode explores a historic county in England, delving into its history, folklore, and traditions, including ghosts, mermaids, mythical monsters, and half-forgotten heroes. The podcast also features bonus episodes on folk remedies, cryptids, folk songs, and famous witches and wizards, as well as an interview series called Local Legends.
Episodes
Local Legends #65: Frankie Archer
On this very special episode of Local Legends Martin is chatting with the brilliant British folk singer-songwriter Frankie Archer!To mark the release of her debut album, The Dance of Death, Frankie made time to come on the podcast to discuss how she has ended up making the music she has, which fuses centuries-old traditional melodies with modern electronic production, synthesizers, and manipulated
Bushy Bride and Mother Holle
For today's episode of the Lang Fairy Tales, we're proceeding on apace through the Red Fairy Book, and we've got another double bill of stories.First up is the excellently named Bushy Bride, a Norwegian story which exploits the fairy tale obsession with very, very long noses - and has some very curious features. There is a charming dog called Little Snow, though!We follow that on with Mother Holle
July Update: Well Dressing & Rush Bearing
In this month's update episode we're chatting all about the folkiness of summertime - including Well Dressing and Rush Bearing!Though that's not all, as, in addition to sharing some of our own news, we're working through the story of Swithin, the English weather saint who once had a very holy hole, Swan Upping, the origins of cricket, Canada Day and America's birthday, too. Then we share the openi
Magus #12: Cornelius Agrippa
This month on Magus, for our penultimate episode of the series, we're exploring the life and work of the father of Western esotericism, Cornelius Agrippa!Born into a Europe wracked by wars, he attends university in Cologne at thirteen, earns his MA by sixteen, and then he abandons the Holy Roman Empire for France.There, under the noses of the House of Valois, he begins to establish a hidden brothe
LIVE @ Great Dunmow BookFest
For this episode, we go where no podcast has gone before - welcome to Three Ravens Live @ Great Dunmow BookFest!During a one day festival where an entire Essex town famous for giving out sides of bacon to married couples turned itself into a bookshop, we were warmly welcomed to Jack's 1952, an outdoor goods shop who gave us a space in their basement and several dozen camping chairs to record a fre
Rapunzel, The Nettle Spinner, and Farmer Weatherbeard
On this week's Lang Fairy Tales episode we have another triple-bill - though these ones are all slightly wonky...We begin with Rapunzel, a tale with its roots in ancient Persian mythology, although what the Langs do with it leaves a little to be desired!Next up it's The Nettle Spinner, another Charles Deulin legend out of Flanders which seems to speak to the power of the Protestant work ethic in t
Forgotten Melodies #12: Nature Songs
Get ready to escape to the lake isle of Innisfree, because for the penultimate episode of Forgotten Melodies we're talking all about Nature Songs!We explore the English trees and plants which have inspired folk musicians, poets and all true Romantics, and the songs which use them as motifs.First, we look at stone cold classic A North Country Maid, and its oak, ash and bonny ivy.More oak and ash ab
LIVE @ Leominster Festival
Recorded on steamy summer's evening in the John Abel Room of Grange Court, welcome to Three Ravens Live @ Leominster Festival!While Hereford might try to steal all the glory - literally in some cases - "Lemster" was just as grand a place in the Medieval era, famed most of all as a market town rich in wool. This recording, made on Thursday 11th, explores that historic rivalry, along with the tale o
The Enchanted Canary
On this week's Lang Fairy Tales episode we're encountering a tale by folklorist Charles Deulin, The Enchanted Canary.Positioned as a legend out of Flanders, it sees a prince head out to find a wife whose skin is not white or pink...Perhaps wisely, he goes south, following his dream of an orange grove, waylaid by witches, bricklayers, and his own inability to follow advice.A surprisingly rounded st
Three Ravens Bestiary #25: Ogres
Let's strip away the meat of mythology and render down the fat of folklore to cook up a delicious chat all about Ogres!The word itself was coined by Chrétien de Troyes during the 12th century, and was used to talk about the brutish Britons on the other side of the channel - but from the Ancient Egyptian "Cannibal Hymn" of Pharaoh Unas to the Greeks and Romans with Polyphemus and Orcus, the name of
Dapplegrim and The Twelve Brothers
We present a double bill of tales from the Red Fairy Book today!First up, we've got the Norwegian tale of the cleverest (and possibly the most ruthless) horse out there, Dapplegrim, and the lucky human he teams up with.We follow it up with The Twelve Brothers, collected by the Brothers Grimm - and spoiler alert, this one contains ravens!They make a great contrasting pair, with plenty to discuss, a
The Golden Branch
Today's Lang Fairy Tale is another Madame d'Aulnoy spectacular, The Golden Branch!So spectacular is this tale, in fact, that it was adapted for the stage as part of James Robinson Planche's 19th century 'fairy extravaganzas', lavishly costumed musical displays of whimsy which must truly have been a joy to behold. But will this be the decider for Martin for or against Madame d'Aulnoy? We discu
Magic and Medicines #25: Familiars and Animal Magic
We're growling, purring and hissing our way into this month's Magic and Medicines episode to talk all about Familiars and Animal Magic!We start by talking about animistic beliefs in early societies, along with associations of animals with particular deities, before diving into Medieval and Renaissance ideas about witches' familiars documented in witch trial materials.With Vinegar Tom, Sacke-and-Su
LIVE @ Chiltern Open Air Museum
Welcome to a warm summer's evening in a Medieval barn, complete with twilight birdsong, for Three Ravens Live @ Chiltern Open Air Museum!Set across 45 acres of the Chiltern Hills, "COAM" rescues endangered historic buildings and reconstructs them at its picturesque site - one where a working historic farm and traditional craftspeople continue Buckinghamshire's old folk occupations and ensure they
The Ratcatcher, The True History of Little Golden Hood, and The Three Dwarfs
Today, for our 50th Lang Fairy Tales episode, it's time for another triple - and this trio of stories are ones most people might already know.The Ratcatcher is a fairly straight take on the Pied Piper of Hamelin, albeit with a Transylvanian Twist.The True History of Little Golden Hood marks the Lang's second attempt at Red Riding Hood - and it's pretty great!The Three Dwarfs meanwhile starts promi
Magus #11: Merlin
This month on Magus we're discussing maybe the most influential wizard of all time, and a true original - it's only flippin' Merlin!We track his development through prehistory via the archetype of the "Lord of Ecstasy" - a deific entity who appears in mythologies from all over the world.In addition to exploring his British precedents in the form of the Northern and Scots Lowland wild man of the wo
June Update: Midsummer Madness
In this month's update episode we're chatting all about Midsummer - which is not the same thing as the Summer Solstice...After chewing through some key ideas to do with "Litha" from across different cultures, including the significance of St John's Eve and Day and the hunting of the mythical Fern Flower at the solar maximum, we share a bunch of our news and the opening chunks of May's two Patreon
Kari Woodengown
After our triple bonanza on Thursday, we've got just one fairy tale today: a Norwegian Cinderella fable called Kari Woodengown!With questionable fashion choices, an unappealing prince and the very best animal friend a girl could wish for, we very nearly gave Kari Woodengown three out of three ravens...but not quite.Still, it's an enjoyable adventure - though we should warn you that there's a brief
The Voice of Death, The Six Sillies and Drakestail
It's our first triple bill of stories from the Langs' Red Fairy Book today, and boy do we have a smorgasbord of fun little tales for you!Our first selection is The Voice of Death, a Romanian tale collected by Petre Ispirescu. It's a strange little tale which defies classification, even with the entire ATU Index at our backs. A little more philosophical than the usual, but one we both liked.We foll
Forgotten Melodies #11: Soldiers and Sailors
Keep watch for that Captain trying to slip you the King's Shilling, as on this month's episode of Forgotten Melodies we're talking all about Soldiers and Sailors!We're discussing two different kinds of broadside at once today - both ballads and rows of cannon, with explorations of the contexts of three old folk songs we've recorded.The first, William Taylor, sees us folding together two folk class
LIVE @ Ditchling Bookshop - May 2026
A lovely, intimate Three Ravens Live event at Ditchling Bookshop.Opened by Amanda Smith on Valentine's Day in 2026, Ditchling Bookshop is an magical independent haven - and it has its own fairy museum!We discussed Sussex history and folklore, with particular reference to Ditchling, Westmeston and Plumpton. Our conversation ranges from the skyborne wisht hounds to cart-stopping witches and snake oi
Graciosa and Percinet
We're back at the mercy of Madam d'Aulnoy again today with a story of witch-foiled love between a naive princess and a fairy prince, Graciosa and Percinet.Rooted in 17th century French theatricality, this one has been made into pantomimes, plays, works of art from across the centuries, and it's also slightly tamer in the Lang version than the original.Ultimately though, does it all just boil down
Three Ravens Bestiary #24: Imps
It's time to uncork the bottle of mythology and folklore to talk about a true English original - Imps!Beginning their lives as horticultural metaphors, the Anglo Saxon 'ympe' appears in all sorts of moralizing, overtly Christian texts, including those written by Alfred the Great - only by the 17th century if you had an imp of your own you could be hanged for the crime.How did this all come about?W
"A Very English Chat" with David Crowther
For today's episode we have something very special for you - a collaboration between Three Ravens and The History of England Podcast about 15 English Objects.Since St George's Day 2026 A Very English Chat has been encouraging respectful conversations to overcome growing hatred and division around our national identity.The brief is simple: what five objects - anecdotes, artefacts, emotional connect
The Little Good Mouse and The Three Princesses of Whiteland
Two more tales from the Langs' Red Fairy Book in this episode: The Little Good Mouse and The Three Princesses of Whiteland.The Little Good Mouse is a Madame d'Aulnoy literary fairy tale with questionable morals, dreadful kings and...turkeys? The Three Princesses of Whiteland, on the other hand, is a Norwegian story collected by Asbjornsen and Moe. Its themes are quite familiar from previous tales
Magic and Medicines #24: Wicca
This new episode of Magic and Medicines has perhaps been a long time coming - we're finally talking all about Wicca!We trace earlier ideas which informed the path scholars call a 'magico-religion' back to the early 19th century, when historians first hypothesised about the existing of an ancient, secret witch cult.Through texts like Charles Leland's Aradia, via Frazer's The Golden Bough, to the hi
Local Legends #64: Dr Simon Young
This week on Local Legends Martin is chatting with author, historian and globally-renowned fairy expert Dr Simon Young.After training as a Medieval Historian, Simon gradually became a 'Supernaturalist' - someone who spends a lot of time collecting and comparing data, often from historical sources, detailing interactions between human beings and the supernatural. From boggarts to fairies, Simon's r
The Wonderful Birch and Jack and the Beanstalk
Today's Lang Fairy Tale episode features another pair from the Red Fairy Book: The Wonderful Birch and Jack and the Beanstalk.The Wonderful Birch is a lesser known Cinderella story with some truly bizarre details, a messy timeline, and some fairly eyebrow-raising logic. It's a Russian tale which may not score very highly in our brand new fairy tale ratings...Still, if The Wonderful Birch left us s
Magus #10: Dion Fortune
For this month's episode of Magus we're raising up the Divine Feminine and discussing the life and works of Dion Fortune!Both Violet Mary Firth in Llandudno in Welsh Caernarfonshire, she claimed always to be from Yorkshire - just like the claimed she could astral project, psychically communicate with the living and the dead, and seek advice within the Otherworld from the Illuminati of 'Hidden Mast
LIVE @ Treadwell's Books - May 2026
The Maytide mischief continues with today's release - a live conversation with Dr Christina Oakley-Harrington, founder of Treadwell's Books.Treadwell's is an esoteric bookshop in London specializing in occult and spiritual topics like magic, witchcraft, and world religions.We were thrilled to return to one of our favourite places in London for a light-hearted discussion about May Day folklore, sto
May Update: Beltane and Need Fires
In this month's update episode we're chatting all about Beltane - which is happening right now - as well as "Need Fires" and why they're so special.After recapping the key traditions associated with Beltane, and discussing the wider traditions of using 'Virgin Flames' to purify livestock and people, we share a bunch of our news, two awesome pieces of music sent in by listeners, and we have also in
The Enchanted Pig and The Norka
Our Lang Fairy Tale episode for today is a double bill, The Enchanted Pig and The Norka.The Enchanted Pig is a very well known Romanian folk tale, which appears in many different forms, and it's a whole lot of fun! The story compares to East of the Sun and West of the Moon - and possibly wins out against it? Collected by the father of Romanian folklore Petre Ispirescu, we think it's one of the goo
Forgotten Melodies #10: Protest Songs
Rise up comrade, and rage against the machine, as on this month's episode of Forgotten Melodies we're talking about Protest Songs!With Eleanor still recovering from her operation, we brought back-up this time, in the shape of Katie Sommers, Eleanor's long-time partner in puppet theatre company Rust & Stardust. If you're a regular listener than you will hear Katie's singing voice regularly, but
Local Legends #63: Philip Carr-Gomm
For this week's very special, seasonally appropriate Local Legends episode we have something really special for you - a good long chat with Philip Carr-Gomm!Philip lives locally to us here in Sussex in Southern England, and is a psychologist, psychotherapist, and author who served as the Chosen Chief of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) for 32 years. He is widely recognized for his work
Princess Rosette
Our Lang Fairy Tale for today is another Madame d'Aulnoy story, Princess Rosette. Also known in some places as The King of the Peacocks or The Black and the White Bride, it's packed full of whimsy, but what is it actually about?We get lists of fun foods and wonderful creatures, sojourn with side characters with nothing to do, and end up with a kind of take on The Goose Girl.Considering d'Aulnoy is
Three Ravens Bestiary #23: Giants
What's that coming over the hill with fists full of sheep and improbably large trousers on? It's a new episode of Three Ravens Bestiary of course, all about the mythology and folklore of Giants!We begin with a brief chat about Gigantism, the rare medical condition which makes people grow larger than normal - and other examples of very large human ancestors, from extremely tall Egyptian pharaohs an
LIVE @ Farnham Literary Festival 2026!
For our first Three Ravens Live Show release of 2026 we have a recording from Farnham Literary Festival in March, all about the history and folklore of Surrey! Recorded at Farnham Town Hall, a stone's throw from the town's Norman castle, we begin by offering a whistle-stop tour of the ways in which the historic county of Surrey has been shaped by conflicts, including Bronze Age tribal clashes, Vik
The Master Thief
For today's Lang Fairy Tales episode we have a tale with its very own ATU number - The Master Thief! First recorded, to our knowledge, by Herodotus in the 5th century B.C. the story became popular in Europe due to a single writer in the Italian Renaissance who popularised the "Rise Tale" - the story of someone from a more modest background outwitting the rich to become rich themselves.In this case
Magic and Medicines #23: Exorcism
We're back in the saddle after Eleanor's operation and talking all about the history of Exorcism! One of those complex kinds of topic we so enjoy discussing on Magic and Medicines, belief in Exorcism is rather predicated on personal faith, including in Demons or other supernatural entities. It's also a tradition impossible to separate from the seminal movie The Exorcist of 1973 due to that film's
"The Black Thief and Knight of the Glen" and "Brother and Sister"
And we finish our week of releases with another double bill - including one story that's pretty great, and another that loses its way a bit... The more successful of the two is the first Irish legend to feature in the Lang collections, The Black Thief and Knight of the Glen, performed by Martin, which is a shaggy dog story featuring thrilling flights of fancy and a surprisingly clever plot.Then co
"Soria Moria Castle" and "The Death of Koschei The Deathless"
On today's episode of the Lang Fairy Tale Project we have a double bill! First comes Soria Moria Castle, performed by Eleanor, which feels like a story built out of parts of other possibly better tales. Does it have original things to offer, besides a witch with a nose so long she can stir soup with it?Then it's time for The Death of Koschei The Deathless, read by Martin, which features many eleme
Magus #9: Sir Isaac Newton
For our April 2026 episode of Magus we're plunging elbow-deep into the Enlightenment to talk about the magical life of Sir Isaac Newton!Arriving on this planet during the first few months of the English Civil War, Newton was abandoned by his mother, raised by his dead father's parents, and was a vengeful, mischievous child.After a fist-fight in a churchyard during his early teens Newton turned thi
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Our Lang Fairy Tale Project continues with a well-known classic, The Twelve Dancing Princesses.Should stargazers be allowed to turn invisible and hang out in young ladies' bedrooms? This is a question rather ducked by The Brother's Grimm, and it remains unanswered in Nora and Andrew Lang's "Red Fairy Book."Martin performs the story today, after which we dig into it. For example, should it be desir
The Princess Mayblossom
The Lang Fairy Tale Project is BACK - although we're mixing things up with a new format for The Red Fairy Book.Rather than just reading the stories then saving our thoughts about them all for a big chat at the end we're now reading the stories to one another and discussing them episode by episode.We begin by setting some context - especially around Andrew Lang only contributing one tale to this en
April Update: Fools and The Festival of Hilaria
On this month's update episode we're chatting all about April Fool's Day - which is happening right now!After recapping the key traditions associated with Spring pranking from Scotland to Iran, we share a bunch of our news, including about our new FREE digital magazine, Quarters!The first edition, The Fool, is 72-pages long and includes interviews with Ben Edge, Rory Waterman, and tonnes of cool s
Forgotten Melodies #9: Drinking Songs
We may have missed releasing the episode on St Patrick's Day, but it's always happy hour somewhere!On this month's episode of Forgotten Melodies we're priming the pubs and pouring out several rounds of refreshing chat about Drinking Songs - while also discussing the history of alehouses in Britain!The new arrangements of classic Drinking Songs in this episode include Bring Us In Good Ale, All For
Local Legends #62: Peter Stevenson
The final of the three very special interviews Martin conducted with some of the biggest names in Welsh folklore and ghostlore, in this episode it's this inspirational Peter Stevenson!As we chat about from the outset, Peter is, as far as anyone we know of can tell, the greatest living authority on Welsh folk tales. Author of books including Welsh Folk Tales, Welsh Folk Tales for Young and Old, Wel
Local Legends #61: Dr Delyth Badder
The second of three very special interviews with some of the biggest names in Welsh folklore and ghostlore, in this episode it's author, folklorist and collector of antique Welsh texts, Dr Delyth Badder!As we discuss at the outset, we learned of Delyth's work through her book The Folklore of Wales: Ghosts, which came out the year Three Ravens launched. Her co-author, Mark Norman of The Folklore Po
Local Legends #60: Mark Rees
The first of three very special interviews with some of the biggest names in Welsh folklore and ghostlore, in this episode it's author, journalist, cultural historian and self-proclaimed punk, Mark Rees!We begin with some merry badinage, discussing who Mark is and unpacking some of the important lessons we've learned from him and others across Series 7 - though the main event is a lovely chat that
Local Legends #59: Francesca Simon MBE
For this week's Local Legends interview, Eleanor is chatting with author Francesca Simon MBE.We were pretty amazed when Francesca agreed to join us - she's very well known, the author of over 60 books, including the award-winning Horrid Henry series.Henry and his horrid exploits are hardly the only string to Francesca's bow, though. She’s written a lot of other fiction too, often inspired by
Three Ravens Bestiary #22: Leprechauns
On this month's episode of the Three Ravens Bestiary we're talking all about Leprechauns, hot on the heels of St Patrick's Day!We begin by setting some context, particularly around the cultural changes that took place across the 19th century in Ireland, from the sensational success of Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies in 1808 via the "Great Hunger" of the mid-century up to the birth of the Gaelic Leag
Series 7 Episode 13: Carmarthenshire
For our final County Episode of Series 7 we're chatting about the heritage and folklore of the largest Welsh historic county, Carmarthenshire! A county that still exists, it's home to one of the truly ancient settlements of Britain, Carmarthen, which continues to thrive today having been consistently occupied since the Bronze Age.Elsewhere on this bumper-sized season finale we're talking about the
Local Legends #58: Will Millard
On this week's episode of Local Legends Martin is chatting with award-winning broadcaster, anthropologist and author Will Millard. Will has presented major BBC Two anthropology series, including Hunters of the South Seas and the BAFTA-Cymru award-winning My Year With The Tribe, where he lived with the Korowai people of West Papua. His work for BBC Wales focuses on British heritage, including serie
Magic and Medicines #22: Homeopathy and Herbal Medicine
Get ready for some vigorous shaking of bottles, because in today's episode of Magic and Medicine we're talking all about Homeopathy and Herbal Medicine!Although herbal medicine has very deep roots, stretching back to Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China, theories about disease and its transmission have been pretty varied over time.From foul, stinking miasmas to the adorably named 'animalcul
Series 7 Episode 12: Merionethshire
On our penultimate County Episode of Three Ravens Series 7 we're off to the heartland of Welsh language-speaking in Merionethshire! Abolished in 1974, its flag, showing three goats rampant above the dawning sun, still flies in the area, which is filled with monuments like Harlech Castle, Tomen y Mur, some of the deepest slate mines in Wales, and a town guarded by demonic flaming cartwheels. Taking
Local Legends #57: Dr Jack Hunter
On this week's episode of Local Legends Eleanor is chatting with anthropologist and author of The Folklore of The Tanat Valley, Dr Jack Hunter, all about Montgomeryshire.In addition to being an academic, teacher and very prolific writer, Jack has a fascinating variety of research interests. He’s explored spirit possession and shamanism, he’s a research fellow for the Parapsychology Foundation, and
Magus #8: Hildegard of Bingen
For this month's episode of Magus we're going Medieval and talking about the one and only Sibyl of the Rhine, Hildegard of Bingen!Born at the tail end of the 11th century, during the religious fervor following the First Crusade, Hildegard was given to an order of Benedictine monks through a pretty strange quirk in the Holy Roman Empire's tax code. Even in infancy however she reported visions of th
Series 7 Episode 11: Montgomeryshire
On this week's episode we're winning like Gwenwynwyn and exploring the historic Welsh county of Montgomeryshire!We talk medieval drama in the early days of the kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn, up to the creation of Montgomeryshire and the crowning of Owain Glyndwr as Prince of all Wales.Digging up some shiny trinkets along our way, we gaze at the highest waterfall in the UK, Pistyll Rhaeaedr, and row o
March Update: St David's Day, Ostara, and New Beginnings
In this month's update episode we're chatting all about St David's Day - which is happening right now!After recapping the key traditions associated with St David's Day, and Ostara, the pagan sabbat which takes place at the Vernal Equinox, and a bunch of our news, we have included the opening chunks of February's Patreon Exclusive episodes.Before which we ended up talking about the new Wuthering He
Local Legends #56: David Rowe
On this week's episode of Local Legends Martin is chatting with the author of The A-Z of Curious Flintshire, local historian David Rowe. Born and raised in Tyneside, David’s love affair with Flintshire started fairly innocuously at first, as he explains in this conversation, but before long it had become clear he was addicted.While having a wife and family, and working for long periods overseas, i
Forgotten Melodies #8: Love Songs
What's your favourite Love Song?On this month's episode of Forgotten Melodies, to cap off February, we're chatting about our own, and digging into and performing three iconic folk songs about love. These new arrangements are of Cupid the Pretty Plough Boy, Green Bushes and No John No, including our friend Katie Sommers singing soprano parts, plus Martin, Ben and Eleanor chatting about the history
Series 7 Episode 10: Flintshire
On this week's episode of Three Ravens we're headed to a Welsh county with two separate sections - historic Flintshire!The county where Edward I began his conquest of Wales, the prehistory of Flintshire is just as interesting as what's happened more recently. And more recently the county was the place where the global price of lead was set - it is a major mover and shaker as counties go, with or w
Local Legends #55: Cath Little
On this week's episode of Local Legends Eleanor is chatting with the brilliant author, storyteller, and champion of Cardiff, Cath Little! Cath is especially interested in re-imagining tales from The Mabinogion. She shares her stories all over the place: in libraries, museums, castles, cafes, fields and schools, not least because schools and education are very important to Cath. She was a secondary
Three Ravens Bestiary #21: Centaurs and Pegasus
For our first episode of the Three Ravens Bestiary for 2026, we're talking all about Centaurs and Pegasus!We begin in Dark Age Greece, way back before Homer, when horse-riding cavalry suddenly became a factor in human life. Representations in art leave us in no doubt - the combination of a horse with a man makes for a terrifying foe, though that's only the start of the story.Starting with Homer, d
Series 7 Episode 9: Glamorganshire
For today's episode, we're venturing to the south of Wales to historic Glamorganshire.We talk about the county's very ancient life, including the discovery of the oldest bones in Western Europe, and its development into industrial glory, and later, industrial depression.Glamorganshire is a real treasure trove of folklore, from extremely stabby fairies to helpful ghosts and suspiciously nice snakes
Valentine's Magic
It's Valentine's Day, so it's the perfect time to try out a little love magic!That's why we invited Dr Icy Sedgwick, author of Bring Me Love: Finding and Keeping Love Using Divination and Folk Magic, to come and chat to us all about love spells, cunning folk and ways to dream about your destined lover.It's a great chat, involving magical subscription services, cheese-based romantic decision making
Local Legends #54: Russ Williams
On this week's episode of Local Legends Martin's flagged over Griff, the trusty Ford Fiesta, belonging to travel writer and folklorist Russ Williams. Author of the WTF blog and Where The Folk: A Welsh Folklore Road Trip, Russ trained as a journalist, had a jaunt overseas in Australia, and felt hiraeth calling him. He's now based in Cardiff, but North Wales will forever be home.Which is very handy
Magic and Medicines #21: Spiritualism
Magic and Medicines is BACK - just like the ooky-spooky ghosts summoned up by believers in this episode's topic - Spiritualism!As we discuss, philosophically speaking 'Spiritualism' is a big old tradition, involving any belief system rooted in concepts of souls, spirits, or supernatural forces. In the 19th century however, during the Second Great Awakening in upstate New York, Spiritualist ideas f
Series 7 Episode 8: Caernarfonshire
This week we're chatting all about the heritage and folklore of the historic Welsh county of Caernarfonshire, and telling the tale of a very good dog.We begin with two of the county's saints, both connected to a key legend from The Mabinogi, before leaping headlong into the county famous for being the heart of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. We have dramatic coastlines, two of the most stunning castles in
Local Legends #53: Horatio Clare
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Eleanor chats with writer Horatio Clare about land and legend. Although Horatio has had a really versatile career, he’s probably best known for his award winning nature and travel writing, and the beauty of his descriptions of place. Luckily for us, he also grew up on a farm in the Brecon Beacons, so was deeply steeped in the mythology and stories of the na
Magus #7: Hermes Trismegistus
For this month's episode of Magus we're finally discussing the life of the first Magus ever, Hermes Trismegistus!An ancient Egyptian sage written about by Cicero and early Christian church fathers, he is the literal reason why the magical practices of Hermeticism and Alchemy came into existence. He was still being referenced by the likes of Isaac Newton during the European Enlightenment, and his w
Series 7 Episode 7: Brecknockshire
After a break from releasing regular county episodes, we're back with a bang for the second half of Series 7. The first historic Welsh county on our journey is Brecknockshire, which has now been divided up into lots of other counties, and no longer exists.We start out by talking about Brychan Brycheiniog, the 5th century king who gave his name to the original area, and his many, many saintly child
February Update: Imbolc and the Feast of Lights
In this month's update episode we're chatting all about Imbolc - otherwise known as the start of Spring!In addition to speaking about the Celtic deity Brige, Candlemas traditions, Candle Magic, and a bunch of our news, we have included the opening chunks of January's Patreon Exclusive episodes.These include our episode about Havelock The Dane, and part of Martin's telling of this largely forgotten
Discussing The Blue Fairy Book
To cap off the end of our release of the stories from The Blue Fairy Book, in this episode we look back at who Leonora and Andrew Lang were, why anybody should care, and then we go back and trace the provenance of these tales.Beyond just identifying where they seem to have come from, we also explore how the Lang fairy stories work a little like a kaleidoscope, with the same pieces of coloured glas
'The Story of Pretty Goldilocks'
So, turns out we somehow forgot one: The Story of Pretty Goldilocks!And this one is really good - it gives Martin plenty of excuses to do silly animal voices, Charming is a better version of Trusty John, and there's not a bear in sight - let alone three!We hope you enjoy, and do check out today's other release, which is a discussion between Eleanor and Martin about all the stories in The Blue Fair
'A Voyage to Lilliput Chapters 4 and 5'
To conclude our readings from the Blue Fairy Book, we warmly present the second part of a trilogy of episodes retelling 'A Voyage to Lilliput.Adapted from the first book of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, in this one Gulliver goes to war, stealing fifty war ships in a single afternoon of swimming - but trouble soon starts to rear its head.Because Gulliver, unwilling to enslave the Blefuscudi
'A Voyage of Lilliput Chapters 2 and 3'
To conclude our readings from the Blue Fairy Book, we warmly present the second part of a trilogy of episodes retelling 'A Voyage to Lilliput.Adapted from the first book of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, in this one Gulliver is searched and measured by servants of the Lilliputian Emperor, all before it is concluded that he may do this strange nation service.Specifically, as a war machine in
'A Voyage To Lilliput Chapter 1'
To conclude our readings from the Blue Fairy Book, we warmly present the first part of a trilogy of episodes retelling 'A Voyage to Lilliput.Adapted from the first book of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, in this one, we travel with young surgeon Lemuel Gulliver from England, by sea, to somewhere beyond Van Diemen's Land.There he encounters a race of people that appear, to Gulliver, only six
'The Red Etin'
Brace yourself for one of the Lang's dialect stories from north of Hadrian's Wall: The Red Etin!Though the Etin itself is Irish, strangely. Still, thank goodness for another Youngest Son who isn't a total fool.Also, fix your buckets everybody!If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translat
'The Black Bull Of Norroway'
A take on the East of the Sun and West of Moon tale type from north of the border.When the Black Bull of Norroway turns up to whisk the youngest daughter off to seek her fortune, she'd better not move a hand or a foot when the air turns blue...This story is written in dialect, so in the spirit intended by the Langs, we have narrated it in dialect, with apologies to our Scottish friends.If you are
