Podcasts about The Three Ravens

On the week's episode we're digging into the history and folklore of Lincolnshire, and disturbing a monster in the woods that lives beside a half-forgotten well...We start off discussing St Dunstan's Day, including Dunstan's life as an English folk hero, and what the historical record tells us he actually did, all before we advance to Lincolnshire.Once there, we chat about the some county trivia before Eleanor guides us through the counties three 'Parts' - Lindsey, Holland, and Kestevon, from ancient bog bodies to ghost ships, parasitic serpents to a couple of very naughty imps, all before Eleanor slices up some pork shoulder in pretty innovative ways, while also offering up cake and cheese, for this week's County Dish.After that, we do our best to avoid the sinister 'Shag Foal,' recall some deeply unsettling ghost stories, challenge a corpse to a game of cards, turn a blind eye to Lincolnshire's poachers, and so much more - all enriched by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with Dr Rory Waterman and Dr Anna Milon of the Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project.Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's take on the legend of "Nanny Rutt" - a tale of a sinister female predator who might know it's better to catch a fly with honey, yet whose appetites are for somewhat headier fare... We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Three Ravens Bestiary bonus episode about Hellhounds, all before the full interview with Rory and Anna 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined around the campfire by Emma Heard, the creator of perhaps the country's preeminent folklore blog, Weird Wiltshire!As Emma and Martin discuss during this conversation, Emma launched Weird Wiltshire during the pandemic. Originally intended as a means for Emma to explore her interests in folklore and paranormal activity, it then took off, with Emma, before long, sitting on a Twitter following of tens of thousands of people.The blog itself is an incredible resource for people interested in strange and esoteric tales, but Emma's decision to leave Twitter, or ‘X' as it has become, and start again over on BlueSky speaks to who she is as a person.Yes, she's fun. Yes, she's a really talented writer, who works really hard on her blog. But, at the same time, she is a really principled person. And all this makes her really likeable, and Weird Wiltshire this wonderful digital space that people use as a bit of an escape hatch when one is necessary.To learn more Emma and Weird Wiltshire, do check out her website at weird-wiltshire.co.uk, though, for now, gather in close and listen in to a chat which ranges from UFO and Crop Circle activity in Wiltshire to the county's ancient stone circles and barrow tombs. Its creepy little fairies to ghosts that haunt pubs, department stores, and woodlands - including a surprising number of headless ghosts - with a true Local Legend, Emma Heard.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 Lincolnshire!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this month's episode of Magic and Medicines, Eleanor is guiding us through the history of Alchemy, from turning base metals into gold to the truth behind the Philosopher's Stone to much more besides!We start off talking about how several traditions we might recognise as 'Alchemy' grew up in isolation in the ancient world, including in Ancient China, Ancient Greece, and across the Middle East.From the supposed works of Hermes Trismigestus via Zosimus of Panopolis (who may actually be a hippopotamus in disguise) and other influential forefathers of Alchemy, including Mary The Copt - whose inventions are still being used today - we dig into the core principles of Alchemy: using Materialist magic to reshape reality.Through the Renaissance, via John Dee, Cornelius Agrippa, and absolutely not Nicolas Flamel, it is not until the Enlightenment that the entire tradition hits the skids. But why? And how did 'Chemistry' split off from 'Alchemy,' forcing its forebear into obscurity? Then, what about those people who still advocated for Alchemy through the 20th century and into the modern day? Could they possibly be believing in scientific processes that are only now being proved possibly principally correct?It's a fascinating topic, and one of the 'Big Ones' in the story of magic, so let's reorder some elemental nodes together, bring the humours into alliance, and see if we can't maybe all get filthy stinking rich with the knowledge theoretically gifted to us by our ancestors' angel husbands...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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, on the first of the 'Final Five' episodes in our second lap around England's 39 historic counties, we're digging into the sacred ritual landscape of Wiltshire, and getting weird!We start off discussing St Pancras Day, including Pancras' martyrdom in 4th century Rome when he was a mere teenager, before his bones went on tour with St Augustine, all before we wander to Wiltshire in England's South West.On the history front, we discuss the astounding history of the ancient capital of Old Sarum, the moving of Salisbury Cathedral during the 13th century, two key Arthurian legends connected to the county, and more - all before Martin eschews some delicious-sounding Wiltshire delicacies before settling on a waistline-expanding option for this week's County Dish.Next, like many an antiquarian of yesteryear, we start digging into the county's folklore, chatting through the bonkers history of The Odstock Curse, Wiltshire's staggering depth of UFO/UAP phenomenon, a rather grim ghost story pertaining to Longleat house and estate, and so much more - all enhanced by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with Emma Heard, the amazing human being behind Weird Wiltshire.Then it's on to the main event: Martin's telling of "The Old Creature" - a story which connects the 1906 excavation of Manton Round Barrow to missing fingers, sinister hauntings, and a wider array of unexplained, possibly cosmic paranormal phenomenon that continue to plague the county even now...We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Magic and Medicine bonus episode about Alchemy, and our Patreon Exclusive episode for May 2025 about the history of Morris Dancing, all before the full interview with Emma 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on a break at the moment to get married and enjoy a bit of time either side of our wedding, but, to fill the gap, this is the second of two new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We have entitled this episode Three Tragedies, because these stories all involve the impacts of loss – be that the loss of an idea, the loss of a way of living, or the loss of a person whose absence has rippled across time ever since. They include our second-lap Devon story, Kitty Jay's Grave, our recent Essex story, The Rage of Boudica, and our rather sad ghost story from our Series 6 Leicestershire episode, Route 616 – so have a hanky ready if you're inclined to get weepy.We really hope you enjoy them, and we'll be back on Monday with our next County Episode all about the history and folklore of Wiltshire, which will be the first of 'The Final Five' episodes marking the end of our second lap all around England's 39 historic counties!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fourth episode of our "Fairy Book Project," Martin tells The Yellow Dwarf - a picaresque adventure about fire-breathing basilisks, how mermaids champion the course of true love, and the dangers of indulging children...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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the third episode of our "Fairy Book Project," Eleanor tells The Tale Of A Youth Who Set Out To Learn What Fear Was - a surprisingly macabre ghost story about stampeding beds, how older people can often be quite rotten to younger ones, and the benefits of bravery...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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on a break at the moment to get married and enjoy a bit of time either side of our wedding, but, to fill the gap, this is the first of two new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We have entitled this episode Three Weird Tales because these are tales about such strange folkloric concepts, there's no easy to just explain them away. They include our second-lap Cambridgeshire story, The Tale of a Toad Man, and our recent Buckinghamshire and Rutland stories Cassian, The Milton Keynes Vampire, and The Oakham Poachers.We really hope you enjoy them, and we'll be back on Monday with the next tale in our "Fairy Book Project," The Tale Of A Youth Who Set Out To Learn What Fear Was...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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Three Ravens we're off to Rutland to explore the history and folklore of England's smallest county - on the back of a dinosaur!We start off chatting about a couple of beautifully obscure traditions that take place around this time each year, including one involving a jacket on a flagpole and another relating to a Secret Society in Somerset, after which we ramble on to Rutland!We begin with a sad fact: Rutland may actually be about to disappear! In addition to which, we talk about some traditional Rutland sports, including Nurdles and Leg Wrestling, the incredible Uppingham Fossil Wall, the Cecil family's rather grand country manor, and a whole bunch of ghosts - all before Eleanor welcomes us to a picnic beside Rutland water for this week's County Dish...Next, with our dinosaur still in tow, we whip over to Exton Park for some miniature historic naval battles, say a quick hello to the ancient pagan Braunston Goddess, discuss Oakham's macabre history of crime and punishment, and more, all enriched by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with Matthew Vaughan from the Leicestershire and Rutland Guild of Storytelling.Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's folk-horror inflected telling of "The Oakham Poachers" - a tale remembered in a murder ballad, featuring a mythical creature living in Empingham Old Wood...We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Three Ravens Bestiary bonus episode about Mermaids, all before the full interview with Matt 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by the hosts of the Eerie Essex podcast, Ailsa Clarke and Bethan Briggs-Miller!Ailsa and Bethan have been at this here podcasting malarkey since the pandemic, and it's highly likely that you are already familiar with Eerie Essex. If you've never had the pleasure to listening to them though, well, you're in for a treat! In this episode Ailsa, Bethan and Martin talk about everything from lasagne to garden centres to demonic possession, getting lost in underground caves, and Matthew Hopkins, Witch Finder General.As you will hear, both Ailsa and Bethan have really interesting backgrounds and educational journeys to where they are today, but part of the reason we love Eerie Essex though is because of its warmth. Yes, episodes frequently contain ideas that might make you soil your britches with fear. And yes, the research Ailsa and Bethan engage in is really thorough. But, more than anything, it's the cosy, generous, very funny tone of their podcast that we find to spellbinding.If you want to know more about Eerie Essex and listen to the podcast, just search for Eerie Essex on your favoured podcast app and you'll find it. Alternatively, if you would like to know more about, and possibly visit, the East Anglian Folklore Centre, for which Bethan is serving as Co-Director, you can learn more about it at eastanglianfolklorecentre.co.ukFor now though, gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire for a conversation which ventures from caves full of smuggler's treasure to a forest full of nightmares, from rural to urban, and from the Roman era right up to the modern day.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 Rutland!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Bonus Episode, Eleanor leads us through the libraries of early medical history to guide us through Leech Books and early medical texts! We start off talking about the book generally thought to be the oldest 'English' medical text, Bald's Leech Book, discussing how the Medieval mind perceived of ailments - namely as issues interlinked with spiritual and supernatural problems, not just physical ones.We then leap back to discuss Ancient Chinese medicine, its roots in the work of the mythical 'Yellow Emperor,' and how Classical writers like Hippocrates and Galen developed and refined concepts like Humorism. From the works of fundamentally important Medieval writers such as Ibn Sina and Hildegard of Bingen to the advent of Protestant medicine, as practiced by the likes of Andreas Vesalius and William Harvey, it's a slightly squishy and bizarre journey through mankind's understanding of the body, from ancient times to today. Yet, considering that some of the remedies proposed by these writers are still in use today, it's a bit simplistic to suggest that they were just 'wrong' about medicine and how the body worked.So, let's raise our scalpels and peel back the layers of what they got right and wrong and why, and open up questions about what modern physicians might perhaps benefit from learning if they look back towards the half-forgotten past...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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Three Ravens we're off to Essex, exploring the history and folklore of a county that has everything. Apart from mountains...We start off discussing April Fool's Day, which has a surprisingly long legacy, after which we embark for Essex!We begin by talking about a bunch of strange historical quirks in the county, including lots of things to do with ponds - ones in which dead pirates have oak trees growing out of their chests, or where, for centuries, people have been drawn out into Epping Forest to end their own lives, or the one where Matthew Hopkins, Witch Finder General, began his reign of terror ducking witches. All before Martin gets salty, jammy, and slightly fishy in pursuit of this week's County Dish...Next, we dig into some folklore, including six different dragon legends, a contender for the title of 'England's Most Haunted House,' Ralph of Coggeshall and more, all informed by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with Ailsa Clarke and Bethan Briggs-Miller, hosts of the brilliant Eerie Essex podcast.Then it's on to the main event: Martin's telling of "The Rage of Boudica." So, if you're even partway Roman, you'd best start running now!We really hope you enjoy the episode, and we will be back on Thursday with a new Magic and Medicines bonus episode about Leech Books and Early Medical Texts, all before the full interview with Ailsa and Bethan 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by author and storyteller Tom “The Tale Teller” Phillips.Leicestershire born and raised, Tom is the county's most celebrated storyteller - even the Leicestershire Guild of Storytellers told us, directly, that he is the person to talk to about Leicestershire's lore. And just a fraction of his knowledge and passion is on show in his collection Leicestershire Folk Tales for Children - but that's only part of the story.Having trained and worked as a primary school teacher with a passion for legends, and with experience, too, as a gardener, groundskeeper and cleaner, over 15 years ago Tom began his work as a professional storyteller and has gone from strength to strength.Through his use of puppets, traditional storytelling techniques, and a head full of tales, he has been enrapturing audiences of all ages. He then wrote his second book, with the third now on its way, as we discuss during the episode.As such, gather round the Three Ravens campfire for a warm, open, friendly conversation which ranges from Black Annis and Richard III to Lady Jane Grey, haunted country houses, and kidnapping giants.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 Essex!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our second episode of Magus, we are delving into the deep dark cave of history to the unravel the mysterious life of Mother Shipton, a Tudor era prophetess with links to folkloric sites all over England, from Knaresborough to the Rollright Stones to Somerset and beyond.Our journey starts in the English Renaissance, where we explore how the concept of a witch had been presented and appeared in legal cases and famous stories, up until the reign of Henry VIII - during which it's said Mother Shipton lived and died, seemingly attracting the ire of the crown!Yet, considering the lack of historical detail relating to the woman also known as Ursula Southeil, getting to the bottom of who she may have been soon becomes a moot point, as, despite the work of generations of historians, from the Jacobean era onwards, following the period of 'Witch Hunt fever' in England Mother Shipton quickly became a political tool and means of making money.Appearing as a stock character in 17th century pantomimes, with her visual representations based on woodcut images of Mr Punch, records show how things soon spun out of control, throwing much of what we think we know about her into question.For example, was she really born in a cave? Was her father the Devil, or a necromancer, or perhaps the wizard Merlin? And what about her prophecies, almost all of which kept on coming uncannily true?Prepare yourself for an episode full of surprises, from flying goats and fifteen minute bouts of flatulence to mass hysteria and bucket-loads of bare faced lies. But sitting behind it all is a serious point: if history is written by the victors, what have the English ruling classes had to say about Mother Shipton across the last five centuries? And with this in mind, do all the things people believe about Mother Shipton have anything to do with her actual life and legacy, or everything to do with our own historic fears and prejudice?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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Three Ravens, we are diving deep into the pink river of Leicestershire's history and folklore - and Eleanor has written a real weepy story, so brace yourself for that one!We start off discussing the Nothing Day that is the 24th March - a day which used to be something, all before the Julian calendar happened, and the Archangel Michael got a bit big for his boots. After which we lollop into Leicestershire!We start with some curious aspects of the county's heritage and culture, including its significant and vibrant immigrant populations, the Hallaton Treasure, the gargantuan legacy of Daniel Lambert, the "Fattest Man in England" as he once was, the rather evil 'Leicester Boy', and more, all before Eleanor gets us all in a jumble for this week's County Dish...Next, we dig into some folklore, including the Birstall Shagdog, the Griffin of Griffydam, some of Leicestershire's strange traditions such as the "Whipping Toms" and Bottle Kicking, all informed by some excerpts from Saturday's full Local Legends interview with Leicestershire local, author and storyteller Tom "The Tale Teller" Phillips.Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's story "Route 616," which is sad and beautiful and revolves around post-war bus journey!We really hope you enjoy it, and will be back on Thursday with both a new Magus bonus episode about Mother Shipton and our Patreon Exclusive Film Club episode for April about The Cry of the Banshee, all before the full interview with Tom 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by academic, storyteller, author, and bona fide expert in Buckinghamshire's folklore, Dr Terrie “Red Phoenix” Howie.Terrie, who performs as “Red Phoenix” when she's leading workshops or telling stories, would be an absolutely worthwhile guest for this episode just from a storytelling perspective. She has performed all over the country as well as internationally, and has been a professional storyteller for over 25 years.However, as you will hear during our conversation, Terrie has made two additional, really important contributions to the modern folklore landscape. The two are interrelated, and both are very interesting.The first is her PhD research, which set out to prove the impacts storytelling has on people. Because, as we can all probably say, and many of the people we've interviewed for Local Legends have attested to this, there's no doubt that storytelling has power – for adult audiences, not just for children – and Terrie has gone out of her way, at personal cost, to prove as much.The second, which, as she explains, came sort of hand in glove with the PhD, was that she set about collecting, for the first time ever, a proper corpus of folklore and folktales from Buckinghamshire, and her book, Buckinghamshire Folk Tales, is just one of the products of all of that work.As such, settle in for a deep and fascinating conversation which ranges from dragons to demon summonings, bull riding Anglo Saxons to vampires, and engages with really big ideas - not least how each of us creates an identity through telling our stories of ourselves.We really hope that you enjoy it, and will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode, in which we will be lolloping through the history and folklore of Leicestershire!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's bonus episode, we have something very special for you - the second installment of our new series, Forgotten Melodies, which is all about folk music, featuring explorations of types of folk song and original recordings which put fresh spins on trad tunes!In this episode we are talking all about Ben's absolute favourite kind of folk song, the Sea Shanty, as well as 'Songs of the Sea' more generally - including three brand new versions of classics of the genre, "Haul Away Joe," "Santiana," and "Spanish Ladies." If you've never heard of a Sea Shanty then don't worry - as ever, Eleanor and Ben will talk us all through the song-types' musical features, and Martin will become increasingly befuddled by nautical terminology!We'll be chatting through their history, too, from the roots of the form in African and African American work songs to which kinds of nautical musics were prohibited by the Navy, the reasons why shanties died out (and so quickly roared back into popularity) as well as other rum-soaked mysteries. Such as, why did pirates definitely not play concertinas? What does it take to make something 'ship shape and Bristol fashion?' And what exactly does it take to stop a cat? This one has it all: stolen wooden legs, sandy bottoms, and plenty of 'Drawing Room Safe' terminology that is very likely to make you giggle! We really hope you enjoy it, and will see you on deck, sailor! Once you've swabbed the galley, shivered your timbers, and paid the Shanty Man his dues, of course! Gyaaaargh!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Three Ravens, we are chatting all about the history and folklore of Buckinghamshire, a county once believed - completely wrongly - to have very few folktales... We start off chatting about St Patrick's Day, discussing his weird life amongst pirates and of generally annoying people, all before he became Patron Saint of Ireland, after which we bounce on over to Buckinghamshire!After discussing how this week's Local Legends guest Dr Terrie Howie changed the game in terms of how people view the legends of the area, we start to delve into some strange facets of the county's history, including how Alan Turing and the codebreakers of Bletchley Park were haunted by a caffeine-hungry spectre, the strange and sinister doings of The Hellfire Club, and Buckinghamshire's very own dragon story.Then Martin not just double or triple carbs it, but presents the possibility of a four carbohydrate County Dish, while also getting quite alliterative...Next, we chew over some folklore, including one of the first UFO reports in British history, which occurred in Buckinghamshire, relay the details of some of the county's rather annoying, hedge-jumping fae beings, tell the tale of a spooky Green Man/ghost/Bishop hybrid, and throw a bone to the Black Beast of Aylesbury - all enhanced by some excerpts from Saturday's full Local Legends interview with Terrie.Then it's on to the main event: Martin's story "Cassian, The Vampire of Milton Keynes," in which the good folk of Buckinghamshire work together to show the divine power of a well written letter...We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Forgotten Melodies bonus episode about Sea Shanties, all before the full interview with Terrie 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by author, academic, and storyteller Dr Anthony Nanson, who has written three books just about Gloucestershire's folklore!Born in Lancashire, Anthony is a storyteller who has had a pretty amazing career. He has toured internationally as well as all over the UK, and, with his wonderful wife Kirsty Hartsiotis, is also a founder member of performance company Fire Springs. Aside from Gloucestershire Ghost Tales and Gloucestershire Folk Tales for Children, as co-written with Kirsty, he has authored over a half dozen books including Gloucestershire Folk Tales, Words of Re-enchantment, Exotic Excursions, and Deep Time.He has a PhD in Ecological Storytelling and Storywriting from the University of Gloucestershire, a Master's degrees in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and a Diploma in Publishing. On top of which, he also teaches creative writing at Bath Spa University, and his academic and creative work have appeared in numerous magazines, journals and periodicals across the last 30+ years.All of this helps to make him an incredibly interesting person. And, as if that weren't enough, he's extremely warm, friendly, and funny, too!As such, we hope you enjoy this ranging conversation, which includes topics as diverse as mysteriously disappearing hilltop caravans, the Greek hero Theseus, those things that distinguish storytelling from theatre, and, of course, Gloucestershire's folklore.Otherwise, we will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode, in which we will be bustling through the history and folklore of Buckinghamshire!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's Bonus Episode, we're wandering wild places to explore the history and folklore of Trolls, which, though they sound pretty ancient, are a surprisingly modern folkloric creation!We start off chatting about the modern perception of Trolls, including the quite sinister online iteration we all know as the "Internet Troll" and the mass-produced toys, invented in the 1950s, now an animated film franchise more associated with pop music than pagan fiendishness. Then though, we wind back the clock, discussing how Trolls first appear on record, in scant scraps of Old Norse, and start to discover a problem: that Trolls were not 'one thing' but actually a whole class of kinds of things, the word used interchangeable with several others, with associations ranging from incest to kidnapping to the moving of mountains. Thankfully, as we track across time, we explain how and why Trolls came into clearer focus, particularly as a counterpoint to Christian Scandinavians. From the formation of nations such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden through to the Enlightenment era, during which Trolls almost become a kind a ghost, through to the 19th and 20th centuries, it emerges that Trolls have become a symbols capable of representing very different ideas over time.So, is a Troll the same thing as a werewolf? At some points, yes! How about a form of Giant? Absolutely, but not always. With answers to these questions and many others, including the links between Trolls and street walkers, their associations with barrow tombs, and the reasons why they're so scared of church bells, it's a stranger episode of the Three Ravens Bestiary than most.Nonetheless, we hope you really enjoy it, and as the spring sun starts to shine, know that you're safe from Troll-kind so long as you stay well out of dark and savage places...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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Three Ravens, we are chatting all about the history and folklore of Gloucestershire, a county of three halves... We start off discussing the strange tradition of Penny Loaf Day, born out of premonitory nightmares and 13th century standards of measurement, after which we gallop over to Gloucestershire!After chatting through some amazing aspects of the county's history, from the Iron Age grave believed to be that of Queen Boadicea to the invention of the lawnmower, the underground tunnels of Gloucester to the terrifying Cotswold Lion, Eleanor throws aside any thoughts of lactose intolerance and gives us perhaps the cheesiest array of County Dish options on record...Next, we chew over some folklore, including the Coombe Hill Sea Serpent, the county's three giantesses Ystwyth, Hafren, and Gwy, and Pig Face Day, along with some weird cures - all supplemented by some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with author, folklorist and storyteller Dr Anthony Nanson, who offers up a spooky Civil War-era ghost story to shiver your timbers...Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's story "The Fairy Inn of Cam Long Down" in which the path of illicit love risks being knocked off course by a fae maiden in a place out of time...We really hope you enjoy it, will be back on Thursday with a new Three Ravens Bestiary bonus episode about Trolls and this month's Patreon Exclusive episode - a new Spenser & Associates mystery - all before the full interview with Anthony 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by local historian David Longman, whose work chronicling Bedfordshire's 149 churches has thrown up some fascinating and very funny stories!Before embarking on this particular project, David had spent 39 years working as a teacher and headteacher in middle schools in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire. Outside of his life in education, where his classroom specialism was history, David was ever a keen amateur photographer, and, after travelling the world photographing the last working steam locomotives, he drew his camera's focus closer to home.David began photographing Bedfordshire's parish churches in 2017, and as he did he started to notice certain architectural features and to collect associated legends. Soon, in addition to gathering stories from across the county, he found himself giving regular talks to community groups and organisations about it all, which he continues to do to this day. So, from castrated monks whose testicles regrew thanks to God, profoundly scandalous rectors, tales of ghosts, the Devil, and the so-called 'Keysoe Miracle,' David has some wonderful stories to tell - while also sharing an insider's view of Bedfordshire, which he rightly calls a "Secret County."We really hope you enjoy the conversation, and otherwise will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode, in which we will be galloping through the history and folklore of Gloucestershire!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Bonus Episode, Eleanor explains the strange science of Ley Lines, from the very origins of related theories in the ancient world to the various places invisible earth energies hold in the modern consciousness. We start off talking about the very earliest versions of something we might recognise as a Ley Line appeared in writing, in the form of Ancient Chinese 'Dragon Veins,' before we unpack how natural philosophers in various fields of Western esotericism began developing theories of Ley Lines through into the 20th century, when the movement really took off.From 19th century hobbyists to 'New Age' UFO-centred theories of 'orthotenies' and magnetic earth signatures, more quantifiable ideas like infrasound and Sick Building Syndrome to dowsing and attempts by modern Druids to trace and activate new leys, it's a pretty ranging episode that throws up an awful lot of questions - as well as a surprising number of answers! Including conspiracy theories involving Nazi occultism, studies into the uncannily regular placement of department store chains, to the seeming patterns found in Black Shuck sightings, it's a conversation that joins a lot of dots.Whether those connections actually mean anything is something else entirely, of course...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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you so much for your patience everybody, and now the wait is over: we are BACK for Series 6 - and have so much cool stuff coming your way! In this little introductory episode we outline the plan as it stands between now and the end of June (when Series 6 will end) and provide the usual Episode 0 explainer about what Three Ravens is for new listeners, while also chatting through some exciting extra bits and bobs - not least the new serialised narrative we're going to be releasing over the summer...With plenty of news and updates, it's hopefully a cheerful jumping off point for Series 6. And, while we're here, we really hope you can join us at 7pm on Thursday 6th March for our Second Birthday Livestream as this very week Three Ravens will turn two years old!We're growing up so fast!Learn more about Rust & Stardust here: https://www.rustandstardust.co.uk/ 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the first episode of Three Ravens Series 6, we are making a right old fuss about an often overlooked county when it comes to folklore - Bedfordshire, the county of John Bunyan, little blue spacemen, and mysterious Medieval serial killers... We start off chatting about both St Winwaloe's Day, which is surprisingly saucy actually, and all the madness of Shrove Monday, after which we bustle across to Bedfordshire!After chatting through some amazing aspects of Bedfordshire's history, as represented by three pretty jaw-dropping historical finds, including the Dunstable Swan Jewel, a magical Viking sword, and a bunch of long-hidden skeletons, Martin then sits us down for Afternoon Tea, revisits the topic of Clangers, and introduces us to Chocolate Toothpaste, all of which are contenders for Bedfordshire's County Dish!After that, we get stuck into some folklore, including the spooky afterlife of the airmen who died in the R101 airship disaster, the now-leveled ancient henge arena and worship ground where the Celtic god Lugh drank the wellsprings of revelation, and discuss Bedfordshire's plethora of Shucks - all supplemented by some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with local historian David Longman, who has a very naughty rector he wants to warn you about...Then it's on to the main event: Martin's story "The Devil's Fingermarks" which combines the Dark Lord himself with horse-stealing Georgians, Horace Walpole, William Beckford, and a rather haunted gothic castle!We really hope you enjoy it, will be back on Thursday with a new Magic and Medicines bonus episode about Ley Lines (and for the Three Ravens Second Birthday Livestream on YouTube!) all before the full interview with David 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the last of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We've entitled this episode Three Watery Graves, for reasons which will quickly become apparent, if they aren't already. Each is also a ghost story, so if you're in the mood for that sort of thing then you've come up trumps with this one!They include our second-lap Westmoreland story, The Somnambulist, and our second lap story from neighbouring Cumberland, The Last Touch, and our recent Cheshire story, The Cursed Fisherman of Hoylake, so we hope you've brought your waders.We really hope you enjoy them, if you're a Patreon supporter then we'll speak to you again on Thursday for our Film Club episode about 2017's The Ritual before our monthly newsletter for March comes out on Saturday. Then though, we'll be back next Monday for our first episode of Series 6!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the fifth of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We've entitled this episode Three More Devils because... well, Old Nick has been at it again!They include our first-lap Hertfordshire story, The Blind Fiddler of Anstey, our second lap Shropshire story, A Game of Cards, and our recent Dorset story, an English classic found with regional variations up and down the country, The Devil's Three Jumps.We really hope you enjoy them, if you're a Patreon supporter then we hope you enjoyed last week's Patreon Exclusive episode all about East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and we will be back with our final compilation episode of the run next Monday!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the fourth of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We've entitled this episode Three Remarkable Beasts because these tales are all about pretty weird creatures. They include our Hampshire story from Series 4, The Wherwell Cockatrice, our recent Surrey story, Captain Salvin and his Flying Pig, and our second lap Northumberland story, The Laidly Worm.We really hope you enjoy them, if you're a Patreon supporter then we will speak to you on Thursday during our February Patreon Exclusive episode all about East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and will otherwise be back with another new compilation episode next Monday!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the third of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We've entitled this episode Three Murders, as these stories are all about people being “done in” by nefarious means. They include our second-lap County Durham story, The Cold Lad, our recent Huntingdonshire story, The Witches of Warboys, and our Oxfordshire story from Series 4, The Taste of Lightning.We really hope you enjoy them, and will be back with another new compilation episode next Monday!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the second of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We've entitled this episode Three Tales of Friendship for obvious reasons. These stories are about pals – the bestest of buddies – or about forging friendships, because, in times like these, what's much more important? They include our first-lap Rutland story, Three Eggs a Penny, our first-lap Buckinghamshire story, A Promise Kept, and our recent Worcestershire story, The Malvern Ogre.We really hope you enjoy them, and will be back with another new compilation episode next Monday. Or, if you're a Patreon Supporter, on Thursday with our Patreon Exclusive episode for January, and our new episode of the Three Ravens Film Club about 2020's The Night House, all before our February newsletter 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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the first of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We've entitled this episode Three Tales of Chivalry because, following on from our 25-part retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight, we imagined listeners might be jones-ing, for some shining armour and talking horses. As such, this episode contains three of our more knightly stories, including our second-lap Cornwall story, The Once and Future King; or The Mad Man's Dream, our second lap Northamptonshire story, Dionysia The Female Knight, and our live retelling of The Many of Adventures of Arundel the Horse, and His Blundering Knight, Sir Bevis of Hampton, as performed at The Chichester Festival last summer.We really hope you enjoy them, and will be back with a new compilation episode next Monday. Or, if you're a Patreon Supporter, on Thursday and Saturday with new episodes of the Three Ravens Film Club!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by author, folklorist, musician and songwriter Paul Weatherhead, whose book Weird Calderdale is a must-have for fans of Yorkshire folklore!Paul is a native of the Calder Valley in Yorkshire, and was brought up in Hebden Bridge. After finishing school and his BA, Paul spent several years teaching in Greece, Moscow and Northern Siberia before he returned to Calder Valley in the late 1990s. With a longstanding obsession with the weird history of the area he grew up, he wrote Weird Calderdale, the first edition of which was released in 2003 which went on to become a local best-seller.After earning his MA, Paul's writing then began to be published in various magazines and journals, including Psychology Today, The Skeptic, Northern Life and Psychedelic Scene. He frequently writes on topics including mass hysteria, delusions, weird history and folklore. And on the mass hysteria and delusions front, his latest book, released in September 2024, is called Social Panics and Phantom Attackers – A Study of Imaginary Assailants, which was co-written with renowned sociologist Robert Bartholomew: a mega-interesting topic which we discuss in some depth during this episode.As well as his research interests, Paul is a musician and songwriter, playing electric mandolin with cult folk rock band The Ukrainians for many years, as well as composing solo work consisting of comic folk horror songs inspired by 60s psychedelia, 80s video nasties and the Hebden Bridge Times.All of which makes Paul the ideal person to speak to about Yorkshire, and about folk music, too. To learn more about Paul and his work and books, and to read his excellent blog, do be sure to visit his website at paulweatherhead.com.Otherwise, settle in for a chat which engages with topics including local witches battling Cliff Richard, Yorkshire's zombies, the Halifax guillotine, local anti-hero Tom Bell, unidentified flying objects, and so much more!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 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's bonus episode, we proudly present the first installment of a new series, Magus, all about the legendary lives of the most famous witches and wizards in history, and their legacies in the magic of the modern day.In this first episode we are exploring the mythical life and magical accomplishments of King Solomon, including some of the iconic objects associated with him, such as the Seal of Solomon and the Lesser Key of Solomon, while also digging into the history of how the legends about him have come to be.Via early Jewish mystic writings to Arabian folktales and Medieval European grimoires, we're sifting through sand, rifling through parchment scrolls, and seeking the truth behind forged texts, disputing revisionist accounts of the past and discussing archaeological evidence to separate fact from fiction. For example, what was Solomon's Temple said to be like, and why can nobody find it? Did he really have a flying throne to whizz about on jolly adventures? What was his relationship like with the Queen of Sheba, and why is it said the Kingdom of Israel fell to pieces after he died? From super-destructive magical worms to demons forced into manual handling work, a litany of pagan deities being worshiped in buildings right alongside armies of busy sex workers, we're weaving a wild tangle of stories, spells, mysteries and enchantments that we hope will enlighten and entertain. Also, if anyone has any ideas as to what to get 700 wives as anniversary presents, please send your answers on a postcard. Ideally one enhanced by an angel-summoning arcane wax seal...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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the icing on the cake of our Series 5 finale, we split Eleanor's chunky new mystery story "Old Stinker" into three parts, and this is its' suitably lycanthropic conclusion! If you missed the first two parts, GO BACK! The tale begins in Series 5 Episode 13, continued with "Old Stinker Part II" and ends here, with Finn, Oona and Mr Timms taking a trip to the funfair - though what they find there is more than just dodgems and a coconut shy...We won't say more about it here, but we hope you enjoy it, and do hang around at the end to hear Eleanor speak about her inspirations for the story, as well as the surprising amount of the tale which is based in folklore and in fact!Otherwise, we will be back tomorrow with the first episode of our new Bonus Series Magus, about the legendary life of King Solomon, all before Saturday's Local Legends interview with Paul Weatherhead to round out Series 5 in style!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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As part of our Series 5 finale, we've split Eleanor's tangled mystery story "Old Stinker" into three parts. This is the second. If you missed the first section, do check out yesterday's Yorkshire episode, in which Oona St Clair, in her new job working for 'Heritage Management' company Spenser & Associates, found herself drawn to Wold Newton, alongside her boss, Finn, and his friend and fellow assistant Mr Timms.What lured the trio to Yorkshire were reports of missing pets and grave robbery, but as the team continue in their investigation and their list of suspects expands, Oona begins to wonder quite how many of the case's disparate threads might be connected...We hope you enjoy the episode, and be sure to check back tomorrow for its concluding part - all before Thursday's first episode of our new Bonus Series Magus, about the legendary life of King Solomon!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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our Series 5 finale, we're talking about the history and folklore of England's largest county, and Eleanor is telling a story so epic we've split it into three ridings! Or, should that be three parts?!We start off chatting about St Hilary of Poitier, a right pain of a saint known for his pedantry and not much else, after which we yomp on to Yorkshire and get a bit literary!We discuss all sorts to do with the county's past, not least the legacy of the Brontë Sisters, Whitby and its enduring Goth Weekend, and its claim to possess England's oldest pub, and plenty else, all before Eleanor offers up a silver platter of tasty County Dishes, including Yorkshire Pudding, Ilkley Cakes, and, of course, Parkin.As for folklore, interspersed with some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with Yorkshire-based folklorist, author and musician Paul Weatherhead, we talk about UFO abductions, demonic cats guarding treasure on lonely hilltops, screaming skulls, greedy dragons, lumbering giants, and much more besides.Then it's on to the main event: the first third of Eleanor's sharp-clawed mystery story, "Old Stinker."Fingers-crossed you enjoy the episode, be sure to check out the second part of Old Stinker tomorrow and its conclusion on Wednesday, and we'll also be back on Thursday with the first episode in our new Bonus Series Magus, about the legendary life of King Solomon, all before the full Local Legends chat with Paul 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 (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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's bonus episode, we proudly present the first installment of a new series, Forgotten Melodies, which is all about folk music, featuring explorations of types of folk song and original recordings which put fresh spins on trad tunes!In this first episode, we are talking all about the seasonally-appropriate Wassail tradition, and are joined by our friend and collaborator Ben Harber, who, with Eleanor, delivers brand new versions of "Here We Come A-Wassailing" and "The Bottom of the Punch Bowl," talking through the song-types' musical features.If you're unfamiliar with what a Wassail even is, you're in the right place, as we're chatting through the earliest records we have, from Anglo Saxon drinking games to Geoffrey of Monmouth and Shakespeare weaving Wassails into the fabric of English Literature.But, while modern perceptions of Wassailing might relate hundreds of regionally varied folk songs to waking up apple orchards after winter, is that the purpose they have always served? Is there any difference between a Wassail Bowl and a Loving Cup?And why oh why, on a Wassail, do people pin bits of toast to fruit trees?As ever, we'll do our best to get to the bottom of these mysteries, and several others. All while trying to appease the Old Apple Tree Man, in the hope he might show us the way to buried treasure!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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, for our penultimate County Episode of Series 5, we're talking all about the history and folklore of Cheshire, a legend-rich county whose identity and boundaries have been in near-constant flux ever since its founding.We start off discussing Epiphany and Twelfth Night traditions, also touching on Wassailing, which we will be going into much more depth on during Thursday's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode.After which we wander the Cheshire Plain and dig into the county's rich mines of folklore!We chat through all sorts, not least the county's traditional teapot-shaped outline (and which bits of it have been lost to other counties and regional authorities) plus a whole bunch of Cheshire's haunted historic houses and natural features, as well as plenty else, all before Martin presents us with not just a County Dish this week, but a full-on County Three Course Meal, plus some traditional Cheshire snack options too!When it comes to folklore, we've got lashing of lore, too, including local cryptid "The Wirral Kraken," tales of hitch-hiking witches, the Devil transforming into a hedgehog, mermaids, Ginny Greenteeth, and so much more.Then it's on to the main event: Martin's unsettling telling of "The Cursed Fisherman of Hoylake."We really hope you enjoy it all, and we'll be back on Thursday with our first ever episode of Forgotten Melodies, featuring two new versions of traditional Wassails from Ben and Eleanor, so be sure to bring some mulled cider along and let's wake some trees up from their winter slumber!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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by the absolutely lovely, incredibly talented writer, folklorist and podcaster Dr Icy Sedgwick, whose show Fabulous Folklore is absolutely brilliant.While her podcast has been running for nigh-on six years, Icy has been blogging about folklore for much longer, and she has written several books, including the excellent Rebel Folklore: Empowering Tales of Spirits, Witches and Other Misfits from Anansi to Baba Yaga, which came out in 2023. Though that collection is only the very tip of the "Icy-berg" as she has also published short story collections, novels and novellas in an array of genres, from Westerns to Fantasy books to Gothic horror, and many others.In terms of the ‘Dr' bit, Icy's PhD is in Haunted House movies, which, if you weren't already convinced, makes her, firstly, super-cool in an of itself, and, secondly, a very Three Ravens-y type of person. An expert in folklore, ghosts, and a diverse range of genre fiction? Yes please!Moreover, for our purposes this week, Icy is the perfect person to speak to about Northumberland as she was born there, is still resident there, and she has lived in the county for almost all of her life, developing detailed and ranging knowledge of the county's heritage and stories.So, settle in for a good ol' chinwag which covers so many topics, from life as a jobbing writer to the joys and challenges of discussing folklore on social media, Icy's capacity to bend time, and some wonderful stories, from Silky, Northumberland's Swiss Army Knife-ghost, to The Laidly Worm, the Simonside Dwarves, and all sorts of other appropriately fabulous stuff.To learn more about Icy, read her blog, buy her books, and find links to he social media channels and the Fabulous Folklore Podcast, do visit her website at www.icysedgwick.com.And otherwise, we will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode, where we will be digging into the history and folklore of Cheshire!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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas might be over, but that doesn't mean they're getting a moment's peace, as, for this week's Bonus Episode, we're peering through the veil and into the history and folklore of Elves, from their earliest recorded mentions through to today!Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, we start off chatting about the modern perception of Elves, which, in most of the Western world, sees them linked to Santa Claus and Tolkien's Middle Earth mythos. Yet, as we quickly uncover, despite the 'White Ones' being all magical and shimmery and shiny, they actually have a very shady history that is inextricably linked to tales of abduction, sexual violence, and, from the 18th century on, they have a significant role in ethno-nationalism, too.Despite becoming a byword for 'fairy' or even 'demon' by Shakespeare's day, as we dive back to the beginning we find that Elves really were distinct creatures, mentioned in some of the earliest North European literature that has survived across the millennia, as well as in Anglo Saxon medical texts, some of the very first Scottish witch trials, and, of course, the Icelandic Eddas, Beowulf, and tonnes of fascinating Medieval writing. From ancient border ballads to myths of early kings, legends of Wayland and Erik The Red to saucy old Chaucer, we're really running the gamut with this one! Yet, how did the rather terrifying, often God-like Elf become synonymous with household pixies? And what did the Christian church to do transform perceptions of Elves into something to be pitied rather than feared? Plus, how could using the lavatory with extreme prejudice serve as a useful defense against Elf-kind - in addition to silver crosses and pentagrams?As ever, we have at least some of the answers - though, fair warning, there's still plenty to fear when thinking about Elves, so leave some butter outside your door, and be sure to steer clear of wild places at sunrise and sunset...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/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.