The Folklore Podcast

Historian Ronald Hutton debunks the shamanistic pagan roots often attributed to the Wild Hunt. The podcast explores the origins and transformations of the Wild Hunt, its connection to witchcraft and the witches Sabbath, and its decline by the 16th century. It also discusses the medieval tradition of 'the rides' and their influence on the development of the early witch's Sabbath stereotype. The absence of night roving spirits in early trial records and a new definition of the Wild Hunt are explored. The podcast challenges traditional labels and discusses the need for new terminology.

This episode contains adult language and is not suitable for listeners under the age of 18. Welcome to Episode 3 of “Family Matters” - a folk horror roleplaying adventure set in the fictional village of Solemn Vale. Located somewhere in the South West of England, an idyllic facade of rural bliss masks a dark and sinister side of a community riddled with malevolence and corruption. Solemn Vale is a narrative driven storytelling game where the players tell abhorrent tales of horror and the supernatural, making it a perfect mechanism for us to explore, through storytelling and narrative, ways of incorporating folklore into the everyday. If you want an easy-to-understand hint into the style of the game, think about the classic folk horror stable of films such as The Wicker Man or Blood on Satan’s Claw. Produced in collaboration with Red Moon Roleplaying Music by ProtoU, courtesy of CryoChamber Storyteller: Matthew Dawkins Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon to help us keep producing content

This episode contains sexual content and is not suitable for listeners under the age of 18. Welcome to Episode 2 of “Family Matters” - a folk horror roleplaying adventure set in the fictional village of Solemn Vale. Located somewhere in the South West of England, an idyllic facade of rural bliss masks a dark and sinister side of a community riddled with malevolence and corruption. Solemn Vale is a narrative driven storytelling game where the players tell abhorrent tales of horror and the supernatural, making it a perfect mechanism for us to explore, through storytelling and narrative, ways of incorporating folklore into the everyday. If you want an easy-to-understand hint into the style of the game, think about the classic folk horror stable of films such as The Wicker Man or Blood on Satan’s Claw. Produced in collaboration with Red Moon Roleplaying Music by ProtoU, courtesy of CryoChamber Storyteller: Matthew Dawkins Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon to help us keep producing content  

Welcome to Episode 1 of “Family Matters” - a folk horror roleplaying adventure set in the fictional village of Solemn Vale. Located somewhere in the South West of England, an idyllic facade of rural bliss masks a dark and sinister side of a community riddled with malevolence and corruption. Solemn Vale is a narrative driven storytelling game where the players tell abhorrent tales of horror and the supernatural, making it a perfect mechanism for us to explore, through storytelling and narrative, ways of incorporating folklore into the everyday. If you want an easy-to-understand hint into the style of the game, think about the classic folk horror stable of films such as The Wicker Man or Blood on Satan’s Claw. Produced in collaboration with Red Moon Roleplaying Music by ProtoU, courtesy of CryoChamber Storyteller: Matthew Dawkins Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon to help us keep producing content Please note that this content is not suitable for children.

Folklore Podcast creator Mark Norman presents a series of short bonus articles looking at Easter traditions in various parts of Europe, researched and written by members of the podcast volunteer team. Contributors: Selene Paxton-Brooks, Pola Sciavone, Joana Varanda and Lara C Cory. Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

In the last episode of The Folklore Podcast to be recorded out of the confines of a house, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Hedge Druid Stephen G. Rae (known as The Bard of Cumberland) discusses his path as a druid with podcast volunteer Joana Varanda. The conversation takes in such diverse elements as Cumberland and Tibetan folklore, yeti, boggarts, being a druid and more, along with some traditional folk tales. Music: Celtic Impulse Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon for additional content. Visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

John Billingsley: ​Soft Power: the emergence of modern apotropaics in Albania   In the traumatic political upheavals that followed the overthrow of Albania’s Communist state, Albanians found that traditional apotropaics may have had metaphysical efficacy, but couldn’t protect them from capitalist evils. The result was the creation of a new apotropaic device that cynically reflects capitalist disposable culture as well as universal sentiment, and has an echo in contemporary western culture.

​Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman presents a study of the serpent-like creature of UK folklore, The Lambton Worm, and its place in the wider lore of dragons and similar creatures. Featuring guest contributions and a look at a new audio drama featuring the beast. Folk singer Roly Veitch performs the traditional song associated with the worm (click here to visit his website), Director Steven Sloss discusses the audio drama (available here).Musical guest: L.M. Cooke​Artwork donated by Laura Page. Visit her website here​Click here to support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon.

Author Edward Parnell joins The Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman to discuss his book 'Ghostland', which examines the intersections between folklore, folk horror, the landscape and literature. Musical guests: The Last Inklings Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast for exclusive extra content

In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, we hear from author of dark historical fiction Anna Mazzola about her book 'The Story Keeper'... A dark tale of folklore and disappearances on the Isle of Skye. Audrey Hart travels to Skye and to the mansion of a reclusive folklorist to collect the folk and fairy tales of the local people. It is 1857, the Highland Clearances have left devastation and poverty, and the crofters are suspicious and hostile, claiming they no longer know their stories. Then Audrey discovers the body of a young girl washed up in the bay beneath Lanerly, and the crofters reveal that it is only a matter of weeks since another girl disappeared. They believe the girls are victims of the restless dead: spirits who take the form of birds Anna discusses her research and the ways that she negotiates history and folklore to produce fiction based on historical fact and narrative. This episode is closed with music from singer/songwriter Sharron Kraus. To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast