Series 6 Episode 12: Hertfordshire

On this week's episode - the penultimate of the series - Eleanor is luring us out into the rolling farmland and woodlands of Hertfordshire, to dig deep into its history and folklore, and wake the ghost of a fiery, horse-riding highway-woman!

We start off chatting about the relative 'Nothing Day' that is the 2nd of June, running through some broader beliefs about the month and the grim fate of St Elmo (he of St Elmo's Fire).

Then, we hurry into Hertfordshire, and discover how what might appear to be quite a sophisticated Home County is hiding lots of wonderfully strange stuff!

We start with some chat about Knebworth and Hatfield House - two absolutely stunning stately homes - as well as the strange Templar origins of Baldock, the 17th century tale of how the Devil helped a Hertfordshire farmer to mow his field of oats, Hertfordshire Pudding Stones, the strangeness of the shell grotto at Royston Cave, and much more besides, all before Eleanor serves up a perennial sweet treat that originated in 'Herts' for this week's County Dish.

After that, it's full-on Folklore Time - from the haunted and enormous 'Great Bed of Ware' to the legend of the Six Hills, and several other Devilish tales, such as those of Grim's Dyke, the 'Devil's Hopscotch', and his fiddle-playing on Bushey Heath, Braughing's 'Old Man Day' and plenty else, all enriched with some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with Dr Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrouk of the University of Hertfordshire's MA course in Folklore Studies.

Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's telling of "The Wicked Lady" - a generally quite cosy mystery, and one which brings back a returning Three Ravens favourite character, for a sizzlingly hot ghost story that may or may not feature a flatulent dog...

We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a Magus bonus episode all about the mythology and legacy of Morgan Le Fay, all before the full interview with Owen and Ceri comes out on Saturday!

The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

Three Ravens is a myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.

In each Monday episode we explore a historic county, digging into heritage, folklore and traditions, then we tell a new version of a legend from that county. Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays and Saturdays.

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