Gone Medieval Medieval Hallowe'en
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Oct 31, 2025 Join Amy Boucher, a folklore and local heritage researcher, and Alix Chidley-Uttley, a folklorist specializing in regional legends, as they explore the chilling world of medieval ghost stories and the eerie significance of Halloween. Learn about corpse roads, yew trees in graveyards, and the Wild Hunt's role as a moral critique. They discuss how medieval tales blended with Christian beliefs, revealing deeper meanings about death and community. Discover their favorite ghost stories that not only entertain but impart moral lessons.
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Herla's Wild Hunt
- The Herla tale describes a king who bargains with a fairy and joins an eternal, eerie Wild Hunt after accepting a hound that won't leave his lap.
- The story mixes wonder and doom to explain phantom processions and restless dead in the landscape.
Why Halloween Became Sacred
- The 31st October–1 November period became a focused time for commemorating saints and personal dead from late antiquity into the medieval era.
- Churches formalised this liminal season as a period for prayer, fasting, cemetery visits and intercessions for souls.
Religion And Folklore Interwove
- Folklore and Christianity coexisted and often blended, with the Church adopting local practices to stay relevant.
- Community rituals (rowan, fires, soul cakes) layered religious meaning onto older seasonal customs.