

The Three Ravens Podcast
Three Ravens
Three Ravens is an English myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.In each weekly episode, released on Mondays, we explore a historic county, digging into the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Across our first six series we ventured around England's 39 historic counties twice, taking turns to tell a new version of a legend from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it may have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past.Our Bonus Episodes are then released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Forgotten Melodies about folk song types with original performances from us, and Magus, which is about the lives of the most famous witches and wizards in history).On Saturdays, we then release episodes of our interview series Local Legends, with each episode featuring a chat between us and an acclaimed folklorist, author, podcaster or historian, deepening discussions about that week's county.In between series, since March 2025 we have also launched our Lang Fairy Tale Project, for which we are recording and releasing the 700+ stories collected by English academics and authors Nora and Andrew Lang, published in over a dozen volumes from the end of the 19th century and changing children's literature forever.With entire other Bonus Series to enjoy, including our comic retelling of the legend of Gawain and the Green Knight, original narratives such as our upcoming series Dog Days about the supernatural adventures of young playwright Christopher Marlowe in Elizabethan London, and our annual Haunting Season every October, there's tonnes of fun to be had in our back catalogue of over 300 episodes. In addition to which, we also release a range of exclusive content on Patreon, where supporters also enjoy ad-free listening, including monthly 'One Off' episodes covering a range of folky topics, editions of the Three Ravens Newsletter, and over two-dozen episodes of the Three Ravens Film Club, through which we discuss folk horror films from across the decades, and more.For a guide of where to start, click here - but our advice is to just pick an episode that sounds interesting, then hit 'Play' and join us around the campfire to listen in...Three Ravens Series 7 will launch in September 2025, and will be all about the heritage and legends of the 13 historic counties of Wales. For press or collaboration inquiries or learn more about our book, published in hardback by The History Press, and the podcast in general, visit our website. Join our Patreon here, and find links to our social media channels and sponsor Three Spirit Drinks here. Use Voucher Code THREERAVENS for a 15% discount. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 1, 2025 • 17min
Prince Hyacinth And The Dear Little Princess
In the second episode of our "Fairy Book Project," Eleanor tells Prince Hyacinth And The Dear Little Princess - a story about the bliss of ignorance, dubious fairy wisdom, and about how truly enormous noses can obstruct the path of true love...If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 28, 2025 • 26min
The Bronze Ring
In this first episode in what we have been calling our "Fairy Book Project," Martin tells The Bronze Ring - a story about the nature of nobility, talking mice, evil sorcerers, and why you should always be nice to old ladies...If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne. Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English. They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+). Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.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 Proud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 26, 2025 • 59min
Local Legends #37: Pete Castle
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by folk musician, editor of Facts & Fiction magazine, and author of books including Derbyshire Folk Tales, Pete Castle.If you’re part of the storytelling world then you will likely know of Pete already. Likewise, if you are an English folk musician, as, after a career spanning almost 50 years, including the release of literally dozens of albums, Pete is a bit of a national treasure in both fields.Like a true, traditional bard or raconteur, as part of his musical performances, Pete weaves stories and folky anecdotes into his sets. And as if this wasn't all enough to chat about already, there is also his writing!Pete's books including Derbyshire Folk Tales, Nottinghamshire Folk Tales, Where Dragons Soar: Animal Folk Tales of the British Isles, and Folk Tales of Song and Dance - on top of which he is also the long-time editor of Facts & Fiction, the world's only storytelling magazine.To learn more about Pete and his work, do visit his website at petecastle.co.uk, and otherwise gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire for a chat about the Derby Ram, the English folk music scene from the late 70s onwards, rival groups of lead miners going to war with one another, Little Red Hairy Men, and so much more!We really hope you enjoy it, and will be back on Monday with the first instalment of our Lang's Fairy Tales project!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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 24, 2025 • 1h 34min
Magus #3: Giordano Bruno
On this month's episode of Magus we are travelling all about Renaissance Europe and up through the layers of the heavens to undertake divine revelations into the life, times, and accomplishments of Giordano Bruno!From Bruno's early life as a Dominican priest, forced to flee one of six popes he thoroughly annoyed, right up to his horrid execution in the Campo de' Fiori, we're running through a wild highlights reel of his accomplishments - both in the development of his pioneering mnemonic memory systems through to creation of his occult philosophy, rooted in 'Egyptian Magic.'It's a wild journey, ranging from forbidden texts, hidden in the walls of a latrine, back through time to the birth of Renaissance Magic care of the likes of Pico and Ficino, into the heart of the French and English courts, to all the Universities where Bruno made himself so unpopular, wizardry aside this would still be a fascinating story. Yet, Giordano Bruno also preached a unique gospel, informed by the mythology of Hermes Trismegistus, which involved using hieroglyphics to talk to angels, flirting with Queen Elisabeth I, writing pretty ripe poetry, and trying to debate the failings of Christianity with the Pope himself...With examples of Bruno's wilder mystic beliefs as well as examples of how he shaped Renaissance science and culture, and even inspired aspects of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, if you know nothing about Bruno then this one is going to be a face-melter. And if you do, we bet the wealth of a mid-rank Medici that there will be things in this episode that will still surprise you! 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 21, 2025 • 1h 47min
Series 6 Episode 8: Derbyshire
On this week's episode of Three Ravens we're off to the land of the Dark Peak and the White, exploring to history and folklore of Derbyshire!We start off by chatting through traditions associated with Easter Monday festivities, and the live of St Anselm, who we conclude ought to be the Patron Saint of Jerks, all before we depart for Derbyshire in England's East Midlands.With Martin having absolutely rinsed the county's history last year, we dig into some strange and unexplored corners, including the 18th century Derbyshire mill owner assassinated by the King of Sardinia, the county's mysterious second sunset, the Ashbourne Road Shoe Tree, Crich Tramway Village, and more - all before Eleanor discusses the history of the Bakewell Pudding, the Bakewell Tart, and Derbyshire's 'Bride's Pie' for this week's County Dish.After that, we're deep into folklore, and discuss hardy perennials of Derbyshire legend, including the Little Red Hairy Man, Old Tup, a rather amazing shapeshifting, werewolf witch who almost gobbled the heir to the English throne, and so much more - not least some pretty freaky ghost stories - all enhanced by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with beloved folk musician, storyteller, and editor of Fact and Fiction magazine, Pete Castle.Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's telling of "Crooker" - a perhaps lesser known legends of a rather hungry and not very pleasant water demon said to live in the River Derwent...We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Magus bonus episode about Giordano Bruno, and our Patreon Exclusive Film Club episode about 1968's The Witchfinder General, all before the full interview with Pete 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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 19, 2025 • 1h 3min
Local Legends #36: The Herefordian Historian
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by blogger, museum worker, tour guide, and all-round champion for Herefordshire, The Herefordian Historian.Real name Tom Quinsey, The Herefordian Historian was born in Swansea and is an identical twin. His parents, who are both from Herefordshire, eventually settled back there before Tom turned 10 years old - but even before then he had developed a passion for history.At first, prompted by the film Titanic, he was preoccupied by boats, steam engines, and all things maritime, only then, while Tom was studying Creative Writing at the University of Portsmouth, he developed an interest in the stories of the county he calls home.Out of this new interest his new superhero alter-ego was born: The Herefordian Historian, with Tom's blog being a brilliant repository of history, legends and all sorts of Herefordshire curiosities, which he has been maintaining since the lockdown.All the while, Tom has also become Hereford Waterworks Museum’s writer and editor, and he is also a member of the Mayor of Hereford’s Guild of Guides, so there really couldn't be a much better or more passionate person we could hope to speak to for this episode!To learn more about Tom, including his writing and his other work, do visit his website at herefordianhistorian.co.uk, and otherwise do please join us around the Three Ravens campfire for a chat about angry ghosts shaking cathedrals, thousands of years of territorial conflict across the Welsh Marches, little drummer boys saving cities with peas, and so much more!We really hope you enjoy it, and will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode all about the history and folklore of Derbyshire!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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 17, 2025 • 1h 3min
Forgotten Melodies #3: Fair Songs
For this month's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode we're talking all about Fair Songs - in particular, Scarborough Fair, Brigg Fair and Widecombe Fair - and the histories behind these iconic tunes.The episode of course features new takes on all three of these songs, 'Scarborough Fair,' 'Brigg Fair' and 'Widecombe Fair,' and this time it's not just Eleanor and Ben singing, but our friend and collaborator Katie Sommers, too! Boosted along by her fine soprano, we chat through what we know about where each of these songs came from, along with the history behind each fair in turn - from Scarborough, one of the 'Great Fairs' that drew people to Yorkshire from all across Europe, to the gypsy/horse trading origins of Brigg Fair, to the scrappy, upstart, terrier-racing silliness of Somerset's Widecombe Fair, Uncle Tom Cobley and all!With discussions of musical modes, what 20th century British composers like Benjamin Britten and Vaughan Williams did to popularise these songs, and plenty of silliness, too, be sure to bring some money and let's revel in all the fun of the fair!As always, we really hope you enjoy the episode, and if you've seen our grey mare then do let us know it's whereabouts, if you'd be so kind...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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 14, 2025 • 2h 52min
Series 6 Episode 7: Herefordshire
On this week's episode of Three Ravens we're heading into disputed territory: Herefordshire in the Welsh Marches, which is a county with so much history and folklore!We start off by going over all Queer Eye and giving April 14th a makeover, concluding that, while we could make this 'Nothing Day' about gardening, or ice skating on bone-bladed skates, it really ought to be a day devoted to the celebration of Justin. Be that the ancient pre-Christian philosopher, or the Justin's in your life. All with dubious historical justification. After that, we hurry on into Herefordshire, where we may have gone a bit overboard...In terms of the county's history, we whip back to pre-Roman times to talk about the contested tribal status of what later became Herefordshire - and why all the fighting over it never really stopped - while also chatting about some of the stunning heritage sites in the county, from Hereford Cathedral's fractious history and Chained Library to King Arthur's Stone and Cave, the Nameless Church, and more - all before Martin plies us with cider, prehistoric cheese, and several pudding options, for this week's County Dish.After that, it's Folklore Time, and we've got plague spreading 12th century vampires, we've got vengeful ghosts, we've got fairies, miracle babies, Dribbling Kings, and so much more, all enriched by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with blogger and all-round lovely person 'The Herefordian Historian.'Then it's on to the main event: Martin's retelling of "Black Vaughan" which has been reframed as a Spenser & Associates mystery - hence the epic length of this episode - so prepare to get a bit spooked while also having a good old giggle.We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Forgotten Melodies bonus episode about Fair Songs, all before the full interview with The Herefordian Historian 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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 12, 2025 • 1h 7min
Local Legends #35: Matthew Vaughan
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by storyteller, library manager, and Secretary of the Leicestershire and Rutland Guild of Storytelling, Matthew Vaughan.Matt has been a storyteller for well over a decade. Since 2011 he has also worked in East Midlands’ Public Library Services, and, in addition to working as a storyteller in Early Years, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Colleges, Universities, Youth organisations, the Care, Health and Heritage Sectors, and in Prisons, he tells stories in libraries as part of his job. As Matt explains in the episode, he particularly enjoys performing international folk tales, along with Wonder Tales of all kinds, and he also has a particular interest in the stories of working folk of Britain and the wild places of our islands. To learn more about the Guild and the Story Tree project as mentioned in the episode, do visit leicesterstorytelling.com. If you are interested in learning more about Matt’s work or would like to book him to tell stories to you or your school group or community organisation, please do get in touch with him via his profile on the Society for Storytelling website, sfs.org.uk. Otherwise, settle in around the cosy confines of the Three Ravens campfire for a conversation which ranges from the drowned villages beneath Rutland Water to the politics of how to hang a horseshoe, from the smallest man in history to one of the biggest, via witches, poachers, and dastardly highwayman, with a true Local Legend, Matthew Vaughan!We really hope you enjoy it, and will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode all about the history and folklore of Herefordshire!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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 10, 2025 • 1h 4min
Three Ravens Bestiary #16: Mermaids
For this week's Bonus Episode we're basking on slippery rocks, swishing our tails, and looking into the magic mirror of Mermaid history and folklore, combing our hair all the while!We start off chatting about the plethora of 19th century Mermaid-themed media, from paintings and plays to poems and songs, all of which paved the way for our modern perception of merfolk. Then though, we swim against the current, back through time, to discover the ways in which Mermaids were first represented in human society. This includes through art, literature, and religious beliefs, on Ancient Babylonian pottery, in Ancient Egyptian mythology, and throughout Ancient Assyrian temples and palaces where mer-people were even worshipped as gods! As time moved on however, through Ancient Greece and the Classical Age, we explore the ways in which divisions formed between increasingly Christianised 'Sea Mother' icons and their dark counterparts, the 'Monstrous Women,' which rose to particular prominence through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.In addition to taking a quick Mermaid World Tour to look at representations of 'Fish Men' and 'Fish Women' in cultural traditions from Scandinavia, Russia and China to New Zealand and the Americas, we then dive deep into oysterbeds of legend to examine the pearls of Mermaid lore that fell out of favour during the Enlightenment.From nationalistic anthems to fairy tales, sea shanties to some of the most famous myths in all of human history, the episode covers, in essence, the Mermaid's place in the cultural consciousness from the birth of civilisation right through to today, where ideas of Mermaids are continuing to evolve and change.Which beggars the question, are Mermaids immortal? Considering that they have been part of human life since before we could write, there's no reason to believe they won't outlast us too.Oh, and Martin has some truly noxious Mermaid puns to jolly it all along as well, so consider yourself warned!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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE THREE RAVENS ACAST SURVEY - PLEASE DO! IT'LL HELP!!!Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.