Fabulous Folklore with Icy

People often turn to fortune-telling for comfort in times of crisis. They might suddenly try augury, phrenology, tasseography, and many more, just to get a sense of control over an uncertain future. Let's find out more about different types of fortune-telling in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!  See the images on the blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/fortune-telling/ Necromancy i...

When you think of fortune telling, you might think of tarot cards. Perhaps you think of a woman poring over strange images in a darkened room. Or maybe you think they're evil, only capable of foretelling doom.  Let's find out if this is really the case in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!  See the images on the blog post here: https://folklorethursday.com/folklife/from-the-fool-to-the-worl...

Need to bring a little luck or good fortune into your life? Click here to learn about Fortuna, the Roman goddess of all things fortunate. But beware the bad luck, too...  Let's meet her in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!  See the images on the blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/fortuna/ Get your guide to protecting your home with folklore here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folk...

Spring-heeled Jack looms large in Victorian folklore, springing through gaslit streets. Who was he and why did he terrorise London's streets? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore.  See the images on the blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/spring-heeled-jack/ Get your guide to protecting your home with folklore here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore Become a Patr...

Sin-eaters appear in Welsh records back to the 1680s. Though there is some dispute as to whether the custom was genuine, or misinterpreted by an over-zealous scholar. Were they real, or a neat snippet of folklore? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore.  See the images on the blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/sin-eaters/ Get your guide to protecting your home with folk...

Cemeteries are either fascinating monuments to social history, or eerie gardens populated by the dead. There are also a plethora of superstitions that dictate how a burial should happen, how people should move around them, and even what the weather needs to be like. But is their creepy reputation deserved?  Find out more about the superstitions and folklore of cemeteries and graveyards in this epi...

Sending mean cards? Eating mashed earthworms? Using jack o’lanterns to light medieval love banquets? They’re all surprising yet vaguely sinister ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  Find out more about the weird and sometimes sinister traditions of Valentine's Day in this episode! See the images on the blog post here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/valentines-day-folklore/ Check out the blog post abou...

Fears around premature burial were very real in earlier centuries, leading to the invention of devices like the cemetery bell. But how many of the stories are true, and how many are mere folklore?  Find out more about the fears of being buried alive in this episode! See the images on the blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/premature-burial/ Become a Patron for bonus content at https://www.p...

Moths are the darker twin of the butterfly, representing death, bad omens, and...getting letters! They're also linked to urban legends through the figure of the Mothman. But is their creepy reputation deserved? Click here to learn more about moth superstitions and folklore. Find out more about them in this episode! See the images on the blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/moths-folklore Bec...

Many associate rats with portents of doom or incoming bad luck. But how else do they appear in folklore and superstition?  Find out more about them in this episode! See the images on the blog post here:  http://www.icysedgwick.com/rats-folklore Become a Patron for as little as $1 a month at  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee at:  https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at...

Bats are fascinating creatures and they're helpful to humans. But they fall foul of old folklore and superstitions about them - people once saw them as witches' familiars or evil death omens.  Find out more about them in this episode! See the images on the blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/bats-folklore Become a Patron for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380...

The presents have long been opened. No one can find anything decent to watch on TV. It feels weird to still say 'Merry Christmas' so we've all switched to saying 'Happy New Year' instead. But no matter! We still have Twelfth Night to celebrate! Find out what folklore surrounds this often forgotten festival! See the images on the blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/twelfth-night-folklore/ Be...

It's almost the turn of a new year, and while many of us are thinking of setting resolutions for the year ahead, others are planning how to make it the 'best year ever'. Have you considered turning to folklore to give your efforts a bit of a boost? This week, we're looking at the custom of first-footing and how can it improve your year... Good luck! Find the blog post and all the links here: https...

Telling ghost stories at Christmas is a time-honoured tradition, from Charles Dickens and his Christmas Carol , to the BBC adaptations of MR James ghost stories!  So here at Fabulous Folklore, I figured why not keep it up?!  In true folklore style, this ghost story is inspired by a London legend. This episode almost marks #50 so it's a bit of a landmark! Without further ado, I give you 'Midnight S...

Mistletoe seems a natural part of modern Christmas decorations. But why has it become linked with kissing during the festive period? Find out in this week's episode. See the images on the blog post at: http://www.icysedgwick.com/mistletoe-and-christmas/ Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Follow Icy on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/icysedgwick/ Become a Patron for $1 a month at h...

Holly and Christmas go together like bacon and eggs...but where did the links first come from? And who is the Holly King, who must battle the Oak King? Find out in this week's episode! See the images on the blog post at: http://www.icysedgwick.com/holly-and-christmas/ Buy Icy at coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at: https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Sign up for updates about episode...

Krampus, sometimes seen as the Anti Santa, emerged into the mainstream in 2015 with his own movie. But who is he and how is he linked to Christmas? Find out in this week's episode! See the images on the blog post at: http://www.icysedgwick.com/krampus/ Buy Icy at coffee at https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Sign up for updates about episodes and get your gui...

In this episode, I review Tudor Folk Tales and The Pre-Raphaelite Language of Flowers ! Find out more about Tudor Folk Tales here - http://www.icysedgwick.com/tudor-folk-tales/ Find out more about The Pre-Raphaelite Language of Flowers here - http://www.icysedgwick.com/pre-raphaelite-language-of-flowers/ Buy Icy at coffee at https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwic...

Knockers, Bucca, Tommyknockers; they're all mysterious spirits who live in mines. But who are they, and why do they warn miners of cave-ins? Find out in this week's episode! See the images on the blog post at http://www.icysedgwick.com/knockers/ Buy Icy at coffee at https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Sign up for updates about episodes and get your guide to p...

Crossroads appear in folklore and myths all over the world. What 4 weird things might you encounter if you ventured down to an English crossroads at dusk? See the blog post at http://www.icysedgwick.com/3-weird-things-at-crossroads Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family at https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595

The Simonside Dwarfs live in the hills near Rothbury. They lurk in the darkness, ready to lure unwitting travellers to their doom. Let's go and meet them... See the images at http://www.icysedgwick.com/simonside-dwarfs/ Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Or buy Icy a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick

Dartmoor conjures images of wild, untamed beauty. But amid the forbidding landscape hide spectral dogs, hairy hands, and weird places with names like the Watching Place. Learn more in this week's episode! Find the images at the blog post: http://www.icysedgwick.com/dartmoor-legends/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Tweet Icy at: https://tw...

October 31 is a time of spookiness and chills. But it's also a powerful time of magic and fortune telling. In this episode, find out about some simple Halloween spells and divination you can try on the big day! See the blog post and images at http://www.icysedgwick.com/halloween-spells-for-protection-romance-loved-ones/ Support the show on Patreon and get exclusive bonuses: https://www.patreon.com...

The Jack o' Lantern, like trick or treating and fancy dress, is synonymous with Halloween. But why do we use them, and where does the custom come from? Find out in this episode! See the images at the accompanying blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/jack-o-lantern/ Get exclusive content by becoming a patron here: https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Follow the podcast on Instagram at: http...

We've all seen images of witches astride a broomstick, zooming through the night sky. But where does the image come from, and what other folklore exists about broomsticks? Listen to hear more folklore about this strange mode of transport! See the images at the accompanying blog post here: http://www.icysedgwick.com/broomstick/ Get exclusive content by becoming a patron here: https://www.patreon.co...