The Folklore Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 46 - HUSH LITTLE BABY Sep 26, 2018

Show notes

The lullaby as a song type is found in cultures all over the world. Whilst the familiar interpretation is as a gentle song to lull a child to a restful sleep, in this episode podcast creator and host Mark Norman offers some alternative readings where the lyrics and back-story are somewhat darker and more likely to induce nightmares. The episode also features a guest talk from Armenian folklore researcher and lecturer Hasmik Matikyan on the lullaby as a form of work song, drawn from her own cultural experiences and interviews.

Episode 45 - AN INTRODUCTION TO NORSE MYTHOLOGY Aug 22, 2018

Show notes

The mythology of the Norse peoples is a rich and varied one, but little is found in the archaeological record to tell us much for certain. Some things we speculate about, others we get from primary sources. But what are these sources?In this episode of the podcast, Noah Tetzner from the "History of Vikings" podcast gives a basic introduction to the area of Norse mythology, discussing the mythic landscape and beliefs from the Scandinavian regions.

Episode 44 - GRIND THE CORN Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

A guest lecture from the great British folklorist Jeremy Harte who examines the character of the miller in folklore. Recorded live at the Folklore Society Conference at the Museum of English Rural Life in 2018.

Access all episodes of the podcast for free at www.thefolklorepodcast.com

Episode 43 - WOMEN AND FAIRIES AT WORK Jun 07, 2018

Show notes

This episode features two guest speakers, recorded live at the flagship conference of The Folklore Society in 2018, held at the Museum of English Rural Life in Reading and examining aspects of rural life and folklore from around the world.

Rosalind Kerven presents "Spinners, Servants and Midwives: Women at Work in British and Irish Folk Narratives" and Jo HIckey-Hall speaks on fairy lore in her paper "Wilt gie us the lend of thy plough and tackle?: Fairies at Work".

Full details of the guests and other episodes of the podcast can be found at www.thefolklorepodcast.com

Episode 42 - A LIVERPOOL CUNNING MAN AND HIS MAGICAL MANUAL May 16, 2018

Show notes

This guest talk was recorded at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic's Ritual Magic conference in May 2018.

William Dawson Bellhouse (1814-1870) was many things - magician, surgeon and galvanist to name but three. His personal magical workbook, the survival of which is uncommon among 19th century cunning folk, is now in the collection of the New York Public Library. The book provides a window into Bellhouse's methods, derived from both popular tradition and printed works including the Heptameron and the works of Agrippa. Its contents provide us with insights into the spiritual toolkit of a practitioner of ritual magic working at the time.

Episode 41 - WITCH BOTTLES May 01, 2018

Show notes

This episode of the Folklore Podcast is the first featuring expert presentations from the Hidden Charms 2 conference in Salisbury - a conference organised by Brian Hoggard of the Apotropaios website with John Billingsley and Jeremy Harte. The conference featured a day of talks on protection magic, charms, concealed apotropaic objects and similar themes.

In this talk, "Witch Bottles - Findings from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic" - collections researcher and museum manager Dr Peter Hewitt discusses some of the bottles held at the museum, and argues that we may use folklore to help to decode the meanings that these bottles have for us in the modern world. Dr Hewitt suggests that their uses were far more varied than just as protective devices.

To access a transcript of this episode, join the Folklore Podcast Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Episode 40 - FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW Apr 04, 2018

Show notes

In the winter of 1855, after a heavy fall of snow, residents across a large area of the county of Devon, in the South West of the UK, awoke to find a mysterious trail of prints in the snow. Looking like an hoof, the single-file line of prints allegedly covered a distance of some 100 miles, ignoring obstructions in their path and continuing over high walls hayricks and even the roofs of houses. No satisfactory explanation has ever been given for the event, which became known as the Great Devon Mystery.

Although the case has been widely reported, interestingly it is not the only time that this has happened. Very similar lines of marks have been found in different parts of the world over the last 175 years or so. It's just that the other cases are much more obscure.

In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, creator and host Mark Norman compares and contrasts cases from 1840 through to 2009.

Episode 39 - CRAVING SUPERNATURAL CREATURES Mar 15, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of the Folklore Podcast, creator and host Mark Norman is joined by guest Dr Claudia Schwabe, assistant professor of German at Utah State University. Amongst other things, Claudia teaches classes on fairy tales and in this interview she discusses the content of her forthcoming book "Craving Supernatural Creatures" which examines German fairy tale creatures through the lens of American Pop Culture.

Episode 38 - MIRROR MIRROR Mar 01, 2018

Show notes

Of all the objects in your house, the mirror probably has more superstitions attached to it than any other. It may be used for divination. It may be a portal to another dimension. And woe betide you if it should fall off the wall and break.

In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, folklorist Mark Norman - the creator and host of the podcast - looks at the mirror through history and in various cultures to explore some of the more obscure folklore attached to it.

Research assistance provided by Tracey Norman.

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon to earn more content and rewards at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Episode 37 - ALIEN BIG CATS Feb 21, 2018

Show notes

This episode presents a recorded folklore talk from the archives of the podcast creator and host, Mark Norman.

Alien Big Cats was recorded in September 2013 at the Folklore Society conference 'Beasts in Legend and Tradition'. The talk, presented by writer and folklorist Steve Patterson, examines the zoological phenomenon of out of place cats in the landscape. Whilst there is plenty of evidence to suggest that big cats do live in the British landscape, Steve discusses the ways in which these cases feed into the folklore narrative of the creatures before moving on to discuss the image of the cat in mythology.

To access bonus content and support the running of the Folklore Podcast, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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