The Blindboy Podcast English Myth and Folklore with Dr Martin Shaw
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Jan 28, 2026 Dr Martin Shaw, writer and mythographer who explores myth, folklore and Christian thought. He discusses how stories bind people to landscape and ecology. He recounts his long walkabout and bardic training. He traces river goddesses, place-name memory, Cornish revival and links between myth, Christianity and local identity.
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Myth As An Ecological Language
- Myth and folklore encode ecological knowledge and help humans read the land's signals.
- Martin Shaw says stories keep humans aligned with biodiversity and landscape cycles.
Cormorants, Salmon, And Seasonal Signs
- Blindboyboatclub describes cycling the Shannon in violent rain and spotting cormorants.
- He links that sighting to salmon returning and seasonal change via mythic knowledge.
Seasonal Powers As Personified Deities
- Irish myths personify seasonal change as figures like the Kyloch and Brigid.
- These personifications function as mnemonic stories for environmental transitions like Imbolc.
