Our Numinous Nature

Chris Semtner is an artist, author, lecturer & curator at The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. In Part II of our Edgar Allan Poe podcast, we begin with an archival recording of "The Black Cat." Then we pick back up where we left off, with "the imp of the perverse” and exploring the psychology of the criminal mind through his villainous characters. After describing a prophetic scene about shipwreck & cannibalism from Poe's only novel, Chris explains the literary genres beyond horror that Poe founded or advanced: the detective story, science-fiction, and perhaps the southern gothic. We then turn back to the biographical, with Poe's death and his mysterious last few days on the streets of Baltimore. From African-American hoodoo to spiritualist mediums, we hear what the paranormal was like in his time, and end on modern sightings of his ghost.  Check out The Poe Museum and Chris' books. 1954 archival reading of Poe'sThe Black Cat performed by Marvin Miller 1939 archival reading of Poe’s The Raven performed by Nelson OlmstedMusic:"The Raven"Written & Performed by The Ivy League Trio"Quiet Mysterioso; Diver's Dream; Four Cuts"Written & Performed by The Crawford Light OrchestraSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Chris Semtner is an artist, author, lecturer & curator at The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. After a reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "A Tale of The Ragged Mountains," we hear part I of Chris' interview on Poe's life, opening on the most poetic topic in the world, the death of a beautiful woman. From there, we get biographical with Poe's upbringing: The Great Dismal Swamp; boyhood on the James River; Charlottesville's Ragged Mountains; the museum's courtyard garden; his wealthy foster family in Richmond; and southern dueling culture. Chris describes Poe's aspirations as a poet & the tension this caused with his foster father, followed by his brief stints at university & West Point. We end this to-be-continued episode on Poe's idea of "The Imp of the Perverse!" Stayed tuned for Part II...Check out The Poe Museum and Chris' books. Reading from The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan PoeMusic by: "The Fall of the House of Usher"Written & Performed by The Ivy League Trio"Regency Minuet"Written & Performed by The Crawford Light Orchestra"Annabel Lee"Written & Performed by The Ivy League TrioSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

For this holiday special we begin with a traditional English Christmas feast as described by a family friend, highlighting a strange historical black dessert called a plum pudding or simply a Christmas pudding. Being topped with a holly sprig, we then learn the origins of some ancient plant-lore. But the meat of this sumptuous episode is a reading from a deeply mysterious and haunting, 14th-century Arthurian legend that takes place at a Christmas feast; one rudely interrupted by an axe-wielding Green Knight who demands a volunteer to join him in a deadly game. Merry Christmas! Reading excerpts from Folklore of Kent by Fran & Geoff Doel;  English Botany Or, Coloured Figures of British Plants · Volume 2 by James Sowerby; and Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics; Embracing the Myths, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-lore of the Plant Kingdom by Richard Folkard.Main reading from Sir Gawain and The Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage."Sweet was the Songe the Virgine Sung" 16th-century Christmas CarolPerformed by Ernst Stolz & Katrhine Brandt"Dove's Figary or Chestnut" English Country DancePerformed by Ernst Stolz"Be Merry, Be Merry I Pray You"Medieval English CarolPerformed by Ernst Stolz "What Child is This? (Greensleeves)"English Folk SongPerformed by Ernst StolzSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Rasmus Boström is a professional hunter & outdoor gear ambassador in Älvdalen, Sweden. After readings about Scandinavian bear hunting folklore & shape-shifting in the Old Norse sagas, we learn about a regional language & the area's hunting culture. From there it's hunting history with wolf-posse laws & bear spears. Rasmus then describes the Swedish brown bear & taking part in scat-gathering studies. After some background information about the modern bear hunt with hounds, he tells a harrowing story about tracking a wounded bear. For the last third we switch to a handful of other outdoorsman topics: bird hunting from skis; Ullr the Norse hunting god; marten trapping with deadfalls; a first time hunt custom, and invasive mink hunting on small islands in the name of sea bird conservation. Outdoor gear & apparel: Astro Sweden & Bearskin on YouTube.Reading excerpts from The Lycanthropy Reader: Werewolves in Western Culture edited by Charlotte F. Otten and Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend edited Reimund Kvideland & Henning K. Sehmsdorf.Art reference images: "Return of the Bear Hunter" by Adolph Tidemand"Wild Bird Hunters" by Knud BergslienUllr [Norse hunting god] on the Böksta runestone"Hårgalåten"Swedish folk songPerformed by Nyckelharpa Tunes"Vid Stormyren"Written by Eric SahlströmPerformed by Nyckelharpa Tunes"Säkkijärven polkka"Finnish folk songPerformed by Nyckelharpa TunesSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

In this enlightening discussion, Philip Lufolk, a skilled blacksmith from Storvik, Sweden, dives into the fascinating world of Viking craftsmanship and mythology. He explores the intricate process of forging historical artifacts from bog iron, such as Thor's hammer and the völva staff. Philip shares captivating tales of dwarves as master smiths and the mythological significance of these creations. He also reflects on ancient rituals, burial practices, and the cultural heritage embedded in Sweden's landscape, connecting the past with the present.

Anna Björg Þórarinsdóttir is the manager of The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft in The Westfjords region of Iceland.  We begin on the country's origins as a Viking settlement, followed by life in the traditional turf houses. From there we learn that belief in elves is still relevant today and how spirits in the land have shaped not only Icelandic legends, but the ethos. We hear of a nearby farm built over a heathen temple where an ominous Viking-era stone was discovered. In story form, Anna tells the rich history of the island's 16th-to-17th-century sorcerers: the religious temperament of the time, their persecution, and her own ancestral involvement. This opens up further synchronicities around her position at the museum & growing up in a New Age household. For the remaining time, it's an all out deluge of folklore and magic: spirit guides called Fylgja, hunting & farming folk magic, The Helm of Awe, the Yule Lads, a pair of human skin pants, and finally, a grotesque milk-stealing wool-worm known as the Tilberi! Learn more about The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft & follow Anna on Instagram.Reading excerpt from Icelandic Folk Legends: Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws and Things Unseen by Alda Sigmundsdóttir  Music Credit:"Ragnarok" [The End of the Gods]Performed by Ensemble: SequentiaCourtesy of 𝔐𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔞 𝔐𝔢𝔡𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢 "Á fellr austan um eitrdala" [The Prophecy of the Seeress]Performed by Ensemble: SequentiaCourtesy of 𝔐𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔞 𝔐𝔢𝔡𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢 "Leikr elds ok ísa" [The song of Fire and Ice] Performed by Ensemble: SequentiaCourtesy of 𝔐𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔞 𝔐𝔢𝔡𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢Untitled Kravik LyrePerformed by Lyre of the CrossroadsCourtesy of Lyre of the CrossroadsSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Kathryn Parker & Olivia Lloyd are owners of The Veiled Mirror, an online store of antique jewelry & curiosities with a penchant for the romantic, dark and macabre based out of Richmond, Virginia. To start this tour of Victorian culture [1837-1901], we begin with a crafting fad, ornate floral wreaths made of human hair. From there we touch on mourning etiquette; the comical paraphernalia of secret society initiations; The Aesthetic Movement; showing off with a pineapple; & the accessories of women's fashion as eccentric as live insects. Switching to the personal, the ladies share a handful of haunting anecdotes; one about researching a man's calling card found in a bin of 1920's clothing; another about unwittingly removing a "witch bottle" from an abandoned farm house. We end on further memories of urban exploration.  Follow The Veiled Mirror on Instagram & check out their website's current collection at theveiledmirror.com.Music Provided by The Library of Congress"The Strife is O'er, the Battle Done"Performed by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina & Trinity Quartet"War Song of the Normans"Crusades HymnPerformed by Reinald Werrenrath & Victor Male Chorus"Black-Eyed Blues"Composed by Don KendallPerformed by Roy Bargy & Benson Orchestra of Chicago"The Green Fields of Virginia"Ford, Ward H., performerCowell, Sidney Robertson, 1903-1995, collector."Nina Gitana"Composed by Reginald De KovenPerformed by Reed MillerSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Elizabeth "Beth" Morrison is a specialist in secular manuscript illumination & a senior curator of manuscripts at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California.  On this long distance episode we begin with how medieval people made & illuminated manuscripts from the animal hides to the bone black ink.  From there we focus in on a medieval genre of book called a Bestiary, an encyclopedia of animals real and fantastic. We discuss their strange, sometimes shocking, often moralistic Christian ideas about the likes of beavers & elephants, lions & crocodiles, unicorns & dragons, including tidbits on how to hunt a unicorn or the origin of the phrase, "having a monkey on one's back." From there, Beth describes the behind-the-scenes of museum art transportation as well as a past exhibition on the medieval life of women. We end on Beth's personal story about an extremely uncanny synchronicity.  Check out the Getty Museum & Beth's book from the Getty's 2019 Bestiary exhibition.Reading excerpt from The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts; Being a Translation from a Latin Bestiary of the Twelfth Century made and edited by T.H. WhiteMusic provided by Sibil•la Ensemble"Douce Dame Jolie" Written by Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300 – 1377) Performed by Sibil•la Ensemble "Codex Rossi: Che ti çova nascondere il bel volto" (c.1300's)Written by Anonymous Performed by Tímea DaradicsCourtesy of Sibil•la Ensemble"Tels rit au main qui au soir pleure"Written by Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300 – 1377)Performed by Kristia MichaelCourtesy of Sibil•la Ensemble"O Rubor Sanguinis"Written by Hildegard von Bingen (1098- 1179)Performed by Sibil•la EnsembleReference Images:Unicorn illumination from bestiary Beaver illumination from bestiary Bonacon illumination from bestiaryDragon illumination from bestiaryJeanne Montbaston's tree of penises Example of Maria Sybilla Merian's insect paintingsSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books<

Claudia Pfeiffer is the Deputy Director & Head Curator of the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia. We begin on their recent exhibition about the art of the dog collar: a haunting cast from the eruption of Vesuvius; an ancient "Beware of Dog" mosaic; spiked collars & regal collars. Claudia describes some of the most striking paintings from the exhibition: a theatrical Amsterdam dog market; a mastiff baying a poacher; a lion hunt; & an allegory about the father of cynicism.  From there we switch from dogs to horses and hear about their anatomy & movement as captured by art, including Muybridge's famous horse photographs. To wrap up this dog-lover & art history-lover episode, Claudia tells the lore of Barry the St. Bernard and his iconic barrel flask.  Plan a visit to The National Sporting Library & Museum Music provided by Ars Lyrica Houston"Les Indes Galantes - Entrée les Sauvages"Written by Jean-Philippe Rameau Performed by Ars Lyrica Houston"Fandango from Quintet No. 4, G 448"Written by Luigi BoccheriniPerformed by Ars Lyrica Houston"Propiñán de Melyor and Si habrá en este Baldrés"Written by anonymous Performed by The Crumhorn CollectiveCourtesy of Ars Lyrica HoustonReference Images:Cast of Pompeii watch dog"Beware the Dog" Pompeii mosaic The Amsterdam Dog Market  by Abraham Hondius [c. 1671-1672]Steer & Mastiff Pulling a Cart by Sid Franckett [1910]The Poacher at Bay by Richard Ansdell [1865]The Lion Hunt attributed to Paul de Vos [1590-1678]Alexander and Diogenes by Sir Edwin Landseer [1860's]The Anatomy of the Horse by George Stubbs [1766]The Horse in Motion by Eadweard Muybridge [1878]Example of improper horse gallop by George StubbsSalmon and Trout on a Riverbank by John Bucknell Russell [1874] Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler by Sir Edwin Landseer [1820]Support&a

Justin Torone is a curiosities collector & the co-owner of Rest In Pieces oddity shop in Richmond, Virginia. After a reading about the historical significance of cabinets of curiosity, Justin begins with lore from the cemetery across the street for his shop.  Then we get deep into methods for preserving animal bones: dermestid beetles; articulation; degreasing, maceration, boiling, & later, wet specimens. We find out who the shop's audience is and how they acquire their vintage taxidermy & specimens. From there we leave the animal kingdom & turn to the human as Justin describes the most audacious highlights from his collection: folk art mourning mummies; an "overmodelled" skull; & a medically bisected fetus. All of which begs the question of legality, further illustrated by a university's illegal skeleton auction & a much more nefarious oddities black market. To bring this macabre feast to an end, Justin tells the story of how be become acquainted with a paranormal con-woman who asked him to jeopardize his morals.  Check out Rest in Pieces oddity shop and their great Instagram account. Reading excerpt from Cabinet of Curiosities: Collecting and Understanding the Wonders of the Natural World by Gordon Grice.Music provided by Windhand"Three Sisters"Written by WindhandPerformed by Windhand "Boleskin"Written by WindhandPerformed by Windhand"Aition"Written by WindhandPerformed by WindhandSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com