Fabulous Folklore with Icy

Meg of Meldon is Northumberland's most famous witch. But was she really a witch, or just a hard-hearted businesswoman? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/Meg-of-Meldon/   Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the...

Mother Red Cap once gave her name to a Camden pub, now known as the World's End on Camden High Street. Was she really a 17th-century witch, or simply a misunderstood old woman? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/mother-red-cap/  Tickets for The Summer Solstice: Myths and Mayhem of Midsummer talk:...

Is the Witch of Wookey Hole really petrified in the famous Somerset cave system? Or is it just an old legend with a life of its own that now sustains a tourist attraction? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/witch-of-wookey-hole/  Grab your ticket for the Midsummer Day talk: https://www.eventbrite....

Callaly Castle stands around 9 miles west of Alnwick. It's a Grade I listed building, although there's no public access. Architects divided the house into private apartments in 1987, and it has been a private residence ever since. Yet the castle features an odd history, as many castles in the north east of England do. The fairy folk make an appearance in the story of its foundation. Though, there'...

In this fourth episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I chat to Brandi, the brains and beauty behind Venus in Retro Tarot! We talk about what tarot and astrology can bring us in the 21st century, the importance of making sure divinatory systems are inclusive, and different ways of using tarot that don't involve fortune telling. We also talk about favourite cards and the weird leap big brands have...

Katharine Briggs considers the brownies as one of the "most easily described and most recognizable" fairy types. Their territory stretched from the Midlands, up through the north and east of England, and up into Scotland. They were known as the bwca in Wales, bodach in the Highlands, and fenodoree on the Isle of Man. But what are brownies? How do they relate to their fairy cousins? And what links...

The barguest is a fascinating creature, most often found in the folklore of northern England. In many tales, the barguest was most popularly a death omen. In a most fitting way, Sir Walter Scott thought the name came from 'bahrgeist', or spirit of the bier, as in the bier on which a corpse was carried. Some claim the barguest as a spectral hound, others describe it as a sprite. So is it a demon do...

Many lonely and remote parts of the British Isles echo with tales of local spirits. Whether they're fairies, remnants of older mythologies, ghosts, or Land Spirits decked out in another guise, their stories live on. The north east of England has one such spirit known as Silky. Silky is so named because she announces her presence with a sound like rustling silks. In some cases, the term refers to a...

Cider has a long history, especially here in Britain. When the Romans arrived in Britain, they discovered the locals drinking a beverage made from apples. It wasn't quite cider yet, and no one knows how long this drink existed prior to this point.  But how does cider appear in folklore? We'll learn a fairy legend, how the custom of wassailing works, and who the Apple Tree Man was in this week's ep...

Coffee is an incredibly popular drink all over the world. Director David Lynch reportedly said, "Even a bad cup of coffee is better than no coffee at all". From Ethiopia to Yemen, and then on into Europe, coffee was even referred to as the Devil's drink until Pope Clement VIII tried it. According to legend, he decided it might be a better option than alcohol and gave coffee his blessing. So let's...

Like beer, wine has enjoyed a long and prosperous history. It's been enjoyed by the ancients, used as a safe alternative to water, prescribed as medicine, and offered in ritual. And like beer, wine also has patron deities from a range of cultures.  But how does it appear across mythology and folklore? What are its links to witchcraft and apotropaic magic? Let's find out in this week's episode of F...

The folklore of tea is woven through the history of this fascinating plant. Well-known for its use in fortune-telling, through reading tea leaves, it also has a range of magickal uses and appears in mundane folk remedies. Let's explore the appearance of tea in folklore, its medicinal and magickal uses, and even its relationship to poison in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images...

Beer is a popular drink in many parts of the world. In the US, it's the most popular alcoholic beverage. Throughout the centuries, beer becomes the drink of choice in eras and places where drinking water is unsafe for consumption.  Yet its continued popularity over such a long timespan leaves it ripe for a whole host of legends and folklore to emerge. Linked with saints, gods, and even witches, be...

There are few flowers quite as recognisable as the lily. Yet despite its beauty, the lily is a toxic plant. In some ways, this goes to show the contradictory nature of the flower, used in both bridal bouquets and funeral wreaths. Yet in other ways, its contradictory uses make sense since they often come from a common root—the link between the lily and purity. Let's explore the appearance of lily i...

From cleaning wounds to repelling plague, lavender has had a myriad of uses throughout the centuries. It’s come to represent devotion, purity, luck, cleanliness, compassion, constancy, faith, humility, and love. Yet in the Victorian language of flowers, it also meant distrust.  Let's explore the appearance of lavender in ancient folklore, medicinal uses, and even its magickal uses in this week's e...

The Alnwick Poison Garden is the modern descendant of the medieval apothecary garden. Find out how these healing gardens found their dark side—and explore some poisonous plant folklore—in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/apothecary-garden-history/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way he...

If a bouquet of flowers arrives at our door, we’re more interested in who sent them. The Victorians were more concerned with what it meant . The Victorian language of flowers, also known as floriography, was a way to send messages using specific plants and flowers. Combining different flowers allowed them to send more complex or sophisticated messages. Let's explore where the language of flowers c...

Churches in England are often portrayed as quaint, picturesque centres of their community. But given they're also often one of the oldest buildings in a town or village, it's hardly surprising that we'd have so many tales of haunted churches too. Some of these tales immortalise previous parishioners, but more usually, the tales commemorate dark deeds or criminal activity. Why not? Just look at the...

Churches used to be a centre for the community. They were open to all classes of society, and through their association with births, marriages, and deaths, often had links to each stage in an individual's life. Add to that their open commemoration of the dead, and churches became a clear focal point. So it's hardly surprising that the folklore of churches is rather common. Many of these stories he...

In this third interview-based episode of Fabulous Folklore, I chat to fellow northern Rich Blackett, chair of Asatru UK! We talk about what heathenry can often look like (because it's more flexible than you think), the importance of inclusive spiritual traditions, and common misconceptions about heathenry. So if you've had questions about heathenry...it's likely Rich can answer them! Find the Asat...

The pub is well entrenched in the cultural life of Britain. As such a hive of activity, it stands to reason that there would also be plenty of folklore about pubs around Britain. After all, the more activity there is in a place, the more opportunity there is for stories and legends to crop up about people and events. And pubs try to find all sorts of ways to differentiate themselves. Look at Brita...

The pub is well entrenched in the cultural life of Britain. As a hub of social contact and often a provider of decent food, pubs offer a central meeting point for many groups of people. Yet how often do we think about pub names and what they tell us about local history, famous figures, or half-forgotten stories? There are far more strange pub names than I can include here, but I've tried to choose...

When you say the name 'Elizabeth Bathory', a few things probably spring to mind. After all, she's widely known as the Blood Countess, so you probably imagine a woman in a bath of blood. But did she really do this? Is it fair to call her one of history's worst serial killers? Or are the legends the over-exaggerations of a family hungry to get their hands on the wealth of a powerful woman? Let's fin...

Lady Godiva has been immortalised in some strange ways, giving her name both to a brand of chocolates and a line in Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now'. Yet it's fascinating that the star of an 11th-century story continues to have an impact even now. For some, she's simply the woman who rode naked through the streets of Coventry. To others, she's an icon of selfless actions to benefit the less privileged....

Every year, panto season rolls around again, and amid the usual mixture of fairy tales and family favourites, we often find several versions of Dick Whittington around the country. Unlike Sleeping Beauty or Snow White , Dick Whittington professes to be based on a real person. Indeed, Richard Whittington was a real historical figure. But cats are mysteriously absent from his biography, and the rags...