TopPodcast.com
Menu
  • Home
  • Top Charts
  • Top Networks
  • Top Apps
  • Top Independents
  • Top Podfluencers
  • Top Picks
    • Top Business Podcasts
    • Top True Crime Podcasts
    • Top Finance Podcasts
    • Top Comedy Podcasts
    • Top Music Podcasts
    • Top Womens Podcasts
    • Top Kids Podcasts
    • Top Sports Podcasts
    • Top News Podcasts
    • Top Tech Podcasts
    • Top Crypto Podcasts
    • Top Entrepreneurial Podcasts
    • Top Fantasy Sports Podcasts
    • Top Political Podcasts
    • Top Science Podcasts
    • Top Self Help Podcasts
    • Top Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Top Stocks Podcasts
  • Podcast News
  • About Us
  • Podcast Advertising
  • Contact
Not in our directory?
Add Show Here
Podcast Equipment
Center

toppodcastlogoOur TOPPODCAST Picks

  • Comedy
  • Crypto
  • Sports
  • News
  • Politics
  • True Crime
  • Business
  • Finance

Follow Us

toppodcastlogoStay Connected

    View Top 200 Chart
    Back to Rankings Page
    Fiction

    The Three Ravens Podcast

    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.

    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’

    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.

    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.

    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in… 

    About our Bonus Series 🌙

    From 2023-2026 we released six different Bonus Series covering the following themes:

    • Magic and Medicine – Eleanor’s 26-part exploration of the history of magical belief and folk practice.
    • Three Ravens Bestiary – Martin’s A-Z of mythical creatures, legendary monsters, and things that go bump in the night.
    • Dying Arts – Eleanor’s 13-episode series about endangered and heritage crafts from their earliest origins to their fates since mechanisation.
    • Something Wicked – Martin’s 13-part exploration of historic True Crime stories with folkloric twists.
    • Forgotten Melodies – Eleanor’s 13-episode foray into the history of folk music and song types featuring original recordings and new arrangements by us and our musical collaborators.
    • Magus – Martin’s 13-part series about the magical lives of the most famous witches and wizards in history and their legacies in the magic of the modern day.

    The Lang Fairy Tale Project 🧚

    Launched in 2025 to help us bridge gaps between main series, we began by sharing readings from us of the iconic stories found in the Blue Fairy Book compiled by Andrew Lang.

    From the Red Fairy Book onwards, we have also spent time digging into the stories, their histories and relationships to tale types, and are engaged in an ongoing mission to celebrate the woman truly behind the 12 coloured fairy books – Andrew’s wife Leonora, whose impact on children’s literature and fantasy fiction cannot be understated.

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨

    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David’s Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Three Ravens

    • Apple Podcasts
    • Google Play
    • Spotify

    Latest Episodes:
    The Lovely Litha Midsummer Super Solstice Special! Jun 12, 2025
    Show notes

    On this week's Bonus Episode - the last one of Series 6 - we're talking all things Midsummer!


    Folding in the history of the term 'Litha' which is sometimes also applied to the day, we're talking Gerald Gardner and the birth of Wicca, the parts Aleister Crowley, the Druids, and the Rosicrucians had to play in the revival/creation of pagan traditions, and reminding ourselves what being a "pagan" means and why!


    We also unpick knotty changes in the English calendar, including the layers of festivals as mentioned by the Venerable Bede and initiated by the early Christian church. Though, at the same time, what vestiges of Roman custom might we have carried forward?


    What about prehistoric celebrations, linked to megalithic monuments like Stonehenge?


    And then there's the shift from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, which meant moving just about every festival to a new place in a rejigged month... Midsummer is a total mess!


    Yet, surely it's incredibly simple? The Celts understood; it's the longest day, and therefore a day for worshipping sun and heat.


    In which case, why is Beltane the modern fire festival, and Midsummer about... nature spirits like the Oak and Holly King?


    It's a rich topic, we hope you enjoy our chat about it, and that you also like Martin's story written specially for the episode, "John Barleycorn."


    Like the folk song says, we all drink his blood and know that he must die!


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    The Pedlar of Swaffham | Series 6 Episode 13: Norfolk Jun 09, 2025
    Show notes

    In today's episode of Three Ravens, it's series finale time, and Martin is guiding us through the history and folklore Norfolk!


    We begin by acknowledging quite what an extraordinary journey we have been on in just over two years, and then discuss Appleby Horse Fair which is happening right now - get along to it if you can!


    Then, we navigate to Norfolk and chat through all sorts of wonders to do with the county - from the prehistoric landscape of the Grimes Graves flint mines to the feverish revelations of the first female writer in English literature, Julian of Norwich, with a joyful stop-off at Cromer for some dressed crab, and much more besides.


    For this week's County Dish, the last one of the series, Martin plies us with cheese, seafood, and some weirder options, including Norfolk Milk Punch and Norfolk Dumplings (a.k.a. 'Fillers' and 'Swimmers') which sets us up nicely for the final leg of our jaunt!


    In terms of the county's folklore, we have ghosts - including one very dramatic one, and another that's absolutely terrifying, chat about Black Shuck (of course), the Fenland Secret Society of the Goose Feather, a Georgian 'Wild Boy' called Peter, plus plenty else, all enriched with some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with award-winning writer, storyteller, and all-round hero of the modern English folk tradition, Hugh Lupton.


    Then it's on to the main event: Martin's telling of "The Pedlar of Swaffham" - one of England's best-known folk tales, and perhaps Norfolk's most famous. Although this version of the story might not pan out quite as you'd expect...


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    Dr Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrook | Local Legends #41: Hertfordshire Jun 07, 2025
    Show notes

    On this week's episode of Local Legends, the penultimate for Series 6, Martin is joined around the campfire by folklorists, academics, and Folklore Society big-wigs, Dr Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrook.


    They are the masterminds behind the University of Hertfordshire’s Masters degree course in Folklore Studies. It’s a one of a kind qualification, and we speak about it during this chat.


    Outside of that, though, Ceri has written and edited several books, and her primary research interests are, and I’m quoting here, “the heritage and material culture of ritual and folklore in the British Isles, from c.1700 to the present day.” Very cool.


    And then there’s Owen, who is a British historian who specialises in the history of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, and popular medicine. And Professor Ronald Hutton described Owen not too long ago as Britain's "foremost academic expert on the history of magic." He's a notable figure in the field, everybody, so doff your caps accordingly!


    You can learn more about the University of Hertfordshire MA in Folklore Studies here, and can find Herts Memories here, as mentioned by Owen during the chat.


    For now though, let us throw another log onto the Three Ravens campfire and listen in to a chat about the Hertfordshire giant, Jack O’ Legs, the last person convicted for witchcraft in England – a trial which took place in Hertfordshire, chalk streams, haunted Prodigy Houses, and added Boggart Hole Clough for pudding, plus so much more, with two true Local Legends: Dr Ceri Holbrook and Dr Owen Davies!


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    Morgan Le Fay | Magus #4 Jun 05, 2025
    Show notes

    We peer back through the mists of time, to a time of myth, to investigate the origins, theoretical biography, and symbolic meanings of an Arthurian icon: Morgan Le Fay!


    From the first mention of Morgan in writing, care of Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, we explore how The Anarchy created a need for 'The Once and Future King' to return.At that point, Morgan was more a good fairy and mysterious Otherworld Queen, rather than King Arthur's dark shadow.


    Considering how Morgan was re-framed by 15th century French authors like Chretien De Troyes, we establish that only after the Vulgate Cycle is complete does the 'Dark Goddess' of ancient mythology find a new form.


    We look back into the deep past - to the birth of the universe, out of the cosmic womb of Classical feminine deities like Nyx and the Ancient Egyptian goddess Nephthys, and forward, via the Celtic (and monstrous) Morrigan, Modron, and Morgen, to peel back the layers of Morgan Le Fay's identity.


    A shapeshifter, scorned lover, embodiment of justice, and so much more, even after the death of King Arthur - and Mordred, the incestuous product of the love affair between Morgan and Arthur - she lives on.


    Part pantomime villain, part nightmare queen, part maiden, part mother, part crone, she is, in a sense, all things to all men.


    But what is Morgan Le Fay to herself? Does she even know? And how much of the story of her life was ever her choice, or does it all come back to the nebulous actions of the wizard Merlin?


    With answers to these questions and more, it's a pretty epic episode, so clothe yourself in darkness and head with us down to the ford in the river, where there's a strange lady waiting with a message we have no choice but to hear...


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    The Wicked Lady | Series 6 Episode 12: Hertfordshire Jun 02, 2025
    Show notes

    On this week's episode - the penultimate of the series - Eleanor is luring us out into the rolling farmland and woodlands of Hertfordshire, to dig deep into its history and folklore, and wake the ghost of a fiery, horse-riding highway-woman!


    We start off chatting about the relative 'Nothing Day' that is the 2nd of June, running through some broader beliefs about the month and the grim fate of St Elmo (he of St Elmo's Fire).


    Then, we hurry into Hertfordshire, and discover how what might appear to be quite a sophisticated Home County is hiding lots of wonderfully strange stuff!


    We start with some chat about Knebworth and Hatfield House - two stunning stately homes - as well as the strange Templar origins of Baldock, the 17th century tale of how the Devil helped a Hertfordshire farmer to mow his field of oats, Hertfordshire Pudding Stones, the strangeness of the shell grotto at Royston Cave, and much more besides, all before Eleanor serves up a perennial sweet treat that originated in 'Herts' for this week's County Dish.


    After that, it's full-on Folklore Time - from the haunted and enormous 'Great Bed of Ware' to the legend of the Six Hills, and several other Devilish tales, such as those of Grim's Dyke, the 'Devil's Hopscotch', and his fiddle-playing on Bushey Heath, Braughing's 'Old Man Day' , all enriched with some excerpts from Saturday's interview with Dr Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrouk of the University of Hertfordshire's MA in Folklore Studies.


    Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's telling of "The Wicked Lady" - a generally quite cosy mystery which brings back a returning Three Ravens favourite character, for a sizzlingly hot ghost story that may or may not feature a flatulent dog...


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    Jack Raven | Local Legends #40: Staffordshire May 31, 2025
    Show notes

    On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined around the campfire by folklorist, YouTuber, and all-round champion for Staffordshire, Jack Raven!


    As anyone familiar with his documentaries and video essays will know, 'Jack Raven' is a character - a talking, animated corvid - inspired by the 20th century Staffordshire folklorist and musician Jon Raven (he of theBlack Country Three.)


    In addition to creating and maintaining the Staffordshire Folklore YouTube channel though, and having a sharp beak and pinions as dark as shadows, Jack also manages two other YouTube channels dedicated to Staffordshire’s history and folk heritage.


    Plus, he also collects folklore from his local area, and, while also being very funny, creative, imaginative, and generous, he is truly dedicated and careful in his research too.


    That this episode is slightly longer than the average Local Legends interview speaks to how enjoyable he is to talk to, and his passion for Staffordshire's history and legends. We could have gone on for hours!

    It's a fascinating conversation, featuring, in addition to plenty else, Black Country chain makers, Staffordshire potteries, infamous poisoners, Hands of Glory, and the reality behind the many unsettling legends of Cannock Chase...


    You can learn more about Jack and his work through his Campsite here, and the comparative map tool he mentions in the conversation is available here.


    But for right now, let us settle in, nice and close, around the Three Ravens campfire and listen in to a chat about crumbling Gothic ruins, the infamous case of Staffordshire ne’er do well William Booth, the life of a folklore YouTuber, and so much more, with a true Local Legend: Jack Raven.


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    Villain Songs | Forgotten Melodies #4 May 29, 2025
    Show notes

    Cover your faces and wield your flintlocks with care, as on this month's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode we're talking all about Villain Songs - in particular, Van Diemen's Land, The Female Highwayman, and The Lincolnshire Poacher!


    As ever, the episode contains new takes on all three of these songs from Eleanor and Ben, as well as plenty of chat about the history behind each song, and the English traditions of poaching and roadside robbery.


    From the nation's 18th century penchant for sending people to what is today called Tasmania for even the most minor of crimes to quite possibly the worst girlfriend ever, and the folk of Lincolnshire's very proud tradition of pinching stuff from the landed gentry, it's a fun episode underpinned by some serious concepts.


    After all, these songs do have dark underbellies - and how ought we feel about crime and punishment? Should we still be singing songs with misogyny baked into them from conception? And does our love of the 'English rebel' obscure an awkward fact: that we seem to often want to cheer on those who have clearly broken the law...


    As always, we really hope you enjoy the episode, and what's that in your pretty coin purse there? Well, well - stand and deliver!


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    The Mermaid of the Black Mere of Morridge | Series 6 Episode 11: Staffordshire May 26, 2025
    Show notes

    On the week's episode of Three Ravens we're mining out the black gold of history and folklore of Staffordshire - a county with some pretty dark parts, and some very silly ones, too.


    We start off discussing the tradition of Rogationtide, a week-long celebration that would have started today, which basically involved smacking the ghosts out of your village, all before we sally forth to Staffordshire!


    We begin with some pretty cool bits of history, including the Black Country industry of chain-making and its relation to the Chained Oak of Alton, the mythical slaughter that gave Lichfield its name, and the rather lofty 'Old Man of Mow,' all before Martin tries to excite us with pretty meagre fare, before pulling out a military-themed pudding for this week's County Dish.


    Next, we get elbow-deep in folklore, from the doings of Jacobean giant 'Big Wally' Parsons and the church-eating Dragon of Wednesbury to boggarts including Rawhead and Bloody Bones and Dumb Baw to so much else besides, all enhanced by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with Jack Raven, the canny corvid behind the Staffordshire Folklore YouTube channel.


    Then it's on to the main event: Martin's telling of "The Mermaid of the Black Mere of Morridge" - a slightly murky legend about love, murder, and a mysterious pool that might just lead down the fairyland...


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    Dr Rory Waterman and Dr Anna Milon | Local Legends #39: Lincolnshire May 24, 2025
    Show notes

    On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined around the campfire by Dr Rory Waterman and Dr Anna Milon of the Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project!


    Rory leads the Lincolnshire Folk Tales project, and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Modern & Contemporary Literature at Nottingham Trent University.


    Anna, meanwhile, is a postdoctoral research fellow on the Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project, having recently obtained her PhD from the University of Exeter.


    In term of this thing that has brought Anna and Rory together, The Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project, it's dedicated to preserving, sharing, and promoting the rich but often overlooked oral storytelling tradition of Lincolnshire, and its legacy in written and recorded literature.


    For over a year, the project has focused on collecting, recording, presenting, reinterpreting and discussing folk tales, legends, and myths that have been passed down through generations in the region, and this has all culminated in the first of two books, Lincolnshire Folk Tales Reimagined, which was released in February and is available to purchase right now.


    You can learn more about the Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project, Rory, Anna, and buy the book, through lincolnshirefolktalesproject.com – a website that is also spilling over with amazing lore and stories.


    For right now though, gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire and listen in to a chat about creepy little fairy men pretending to be babies, and werewolves on windswept coastal islands, fen magic, tiddy mun, and so much more, with two true Local Legends: Dr Rory Waterman and Dr Anna Milon.


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    Hellhounds | Three Ravens Bestiary #17 May 22, 2025
    Show notes

    For this week's Bonus Episode we're padding through mists on silent paws and peering, with eyes of flame, at the history and folklore of Hellhounds!


    With so much to talk about, there's no mucking around: we dive straight into prehistory, discussing how humankind's domestication of the dog set the stage for conceptions of the Hellhound. From our earliest rock art through to the very first toys and statues, dogs were with us.


    From vengeful Ancient Mesopotamian afterlife creatures like the Shadu and Sharru to the role the Jackal (and Jackal-headed deity Anubis) played in Ancient Egyptian belief, via Classical notions about dogs and Hellhounds like Cerberus, it's startling how consistent beliefs about these 'Not Dog' monsters have remained.


    And descriptions of Demon Dogs across time have been wild and absurd. But, from Roman notions of the 'Duties of a Dog' through to Medieval and Renaissance attitudes to the fae and 'Other,' we, as a species, kept it nice and weird, trying to define the paranormal pooch as uncanny and terrifying, even though individual Hellhounds are often quite nice to people!


    From England's most famous example in the shape of Black Shuck to monsters with dog bodies and human heads, canine boggarts that grow to the height of houses to talking Hellhounds that just want to snuggle in your pocket, we're embracing it all.


    So, join with us beneath the light of the moon, and let our howls float on the breeze, singing of doom and portents.


    For in this episode, we look into the dark mirrors of our minds, and see what is reflected there. Not 'man's best friend' but something else with fur, four legs, a tail, and its own agenda that we simply cannot understand.


    Therefore, we howl.


    About Three Ravens 🔮


    Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.


    Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’


    We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.


    Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.


    Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…

    Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨


    🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!

    🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!

    🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop

    👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon

    📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales

    👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027

    📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

    RETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUT


    Our Linktree to all things Three Ravens

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    Previous 1 26 27 28 29 30 56 Next

    Related Podcasts

    The NoSleep Podcast – Creative Reason Media Inc.

    1

    The NoSleep Podcast – Creative Reason Media Inc. Arts
    Welcome to Night Vale

    2

    Welcome to Night Vale Comedy
    Rabbits

    3

    Rabbits Arts
    Welcome to Night Vale

    4

    Welcome to Night Vale Comedy
    LifeAfter/The Message

    5

    LifeAfter/The Message Arts
    Within the Wires

    6

    Within the Wires Arts
    footer-logo

    Contact Us

    Toll Free: 844-670-7747

    Links

    • Home
    • Top Charts
    • Networks
    • Apps
    • Independents Podcasts
    • Podcast Advertising
    • Podcast News
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Analytics & Insights

    Stay Connected

      Privacy, Terms of Use & Our Code of Ethics Protecting Content Creators Copyrights