Fabulous Folklore with Icy

Earlier today I published an episode about the folklore of the dead house.  I wrote a short story inspired by this folklore, which you can now find in my Black Dog & Other Gothic Tales collection. Here's an audio version as my Halloween gift to you! Enjoy... Get your copy of Black Dog & Other Gothic Tales: https://books2read.com/u/47Z967 Become a Patron for bonus content at https://patreon...

The dead house was a common occurrence in the days before refrigerated mortuaries.  People stored bodies at the graveyard in the dead house prior to a regular burial, and the authorities kept the dead in them until the bodies could be claimed.  But are these spaces likely to be haunted - or just eerie? Find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! See the images or get the blog post transc...

Charon, the ancient ferryman of Greek myth, is one of those figures that pops up even where other deities get ignored or forgotten. Sometimes people simply call him ‘the ferryman’ and he loses his name, but we all know who we’re referring to. But who was Charon, and what is the folklore surrounding him? Find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! See the images or get the blog post trans...

The fetch appears in folklore as an apparition seen when another is apparently dead or dying.  But what is it? Is it always a death omen? And why do people keep seeing them even now?  Find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fetch-folklore/ Enter the 'Name the Plague Doctor!' competition: https://forms.gl...

You've probably heard about the banshee, announcing deaths with her keening cry. But what of the 'washerwoman of the ford', the Bean Nighe? She haunts rivers and pools in Scotland and Ireland. But who is she and why is she an omen of death?  Find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/bean-nighe/ Enter the '...

The 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' is upon us again! It's a time of harvest, and watching the natural world prepare for sleep.  In days gone by, autumn was also a time to prepare for the harsh reality of winter! There's no wonder it has a range of superstitions predicting what the weather might be like, or how good your crops might be.  And then there's the use of conkers to ward off sp...

Not all mythological creatures are as popular as the unicorn or dragon.  Some of the more strange hybrid mythical beasts, like the manticore, Chimera, and cockatrice, have faded from art and literature.  But why? Find out in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/hybrid-mythical-beasts/ Get your free guide to protecting y...

Unicorns might be more popular as children's decorations, or even as 'themes' in makeup collections for adults. But how do these gentle creatures appear in legend? Where did they come from and what do they represent? Let's find out in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/unicorns-in-legend/ Get your free guide to protec...

There are tales of dragons in folklore all over the world. But how do the worm tales of northern England differ from traditional dragon legends? Let's learn more about the Lambton Worm of County Durham and the Laidly Worm of Northumberland in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/dragons-in-folklore/ Get your free guide...

Welcome to Part 2 of this special edition of Fabulous Folklore - the 2020 Folk-a-pa-lore-za! In August, 12 folklore podcasts from the UK, US, and Australia (including Fabulous Folklore) met up on Zoom to put forward their favourite tales from folklore and myth. And then we decided which was the best! In Part 1, published last week, we put forward the stories. In this Part 2 episode, hear us decide...

Griffins are popular symbols in art and heraldry. They're also common statues outside banks and stately homes. But what legends are associated with these mythical beasts?  Let's find out in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/griffins-legends/ Get your free guide to protecting your house with folklore here: https://www...

Welcome to this special edition of Fabulous Folklore - the 2020 Folk-a-pa-lore-za! In August, 12 folklore podcasts from the UK, US, and Australia (including Fabulous Folklore) met up on Zoom to put forward their favourite tales from folklore and myth. And then we decided which was the best! In this episode, hear us each put forward our contenders in this Battle Royale of Folklore... Featuring: The...

Sleep is a mysterious process, yet it's also when we're most vulnerable. For centuries, people have developed ways to protect themselves, get a good night's sleep, and even keep others awake.   How did they do it? Let's find out in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/sleep-folklore/ Get your free guide to protecting yo...

From strange remedies involving live pigeons to supernatural theories of its cause, there is plenty of plague folklore throughout history.  How much of it is true? Let's find out in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/plague-folklore/ The myth of the Charterhouse plague pit: https://www.icysedgwick.com/charterhouse-pla...

The loss of your first tooth is a pretty important event in your life. Providing you carefully place the tooth under your pillow and leave it for the Tooth Fairy, it can also be your first experience of earning money.  But who is the Tooth Fairy, and where did she come from? Let's meet her, and find out some folklore remedies for toothache, in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images and...

People often believe Old English medicine would be primitive or superstitious. Yet one remedy found in a 9th century medical text can cure MRSA. What did people believe called illness in this era? How did their remedies work? Let's find out in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/old-english-medicine/ Get your free guid...

Aesculapius was the Roman God of Healing and Medicine (Asclepius in Greece). But who is he and why is he such a fascinating figure in the study of ancient Greece and Rome? And what does he have to do with Ophiuchus, the 'missing' 13th star sign? Let's meet him in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/aesculapius/ Get you...

Shadows have become associated with all things dark and dangerous. Is that fair?  And where on earth did the stories of the Shadow People come from? We'll look at superstitions and folklore involving shadows in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/shadows-in-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection folklore-styl...

When you think of fairy tales, you'll often notice patterns in the numbers that appear. Think of the three bears, the seven dwarves, or seven-league boots.  But how and why are numbers so important in folklore? We'll look at superstitions and stories involving the numbers 3, 7 and 9 in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.c...

Reflections, or their lack, appear within horror tales and superstitions alike.  Beyond vampires, how are reflections important in western folklore? We'll look at the superstitions about love, luck, and even the soul in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/reflections/ Get your guide to home protection using folklore he...

Mirrors are often linked with witches, like Snow White's Evil Queen. Used for scrying, or divination, and casting spells, mirrors hold pride of place among magical traditions. But how do they work?  We'll look at the folklore, superstitions and mythology surrounding mirrors in this episode of Fabulous Folklore. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/mirror...

Witches in history often meet a sorry fate. The fates of witches like the Pendle Witches, the Witches of Warboys, and Isobel Gowdie are well known. But what about the witches of myth?  In this episode of Fabulous Folklore, let's meet three famous witches of legend: Befana, Baba Yaba & Circe. See the images or get the blog post transcript here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/3-famous-witches-of-le...

The summer solstice is often known as midsummer. But is it really an ancient pagan festival? In this episode of Fabulous Folklore, let's some of the ways that both the solstice and midsummer are celebrated! We'll also check out what its significance is... To see the images on the blog posts, click here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/summer-solstice/ Check out the livestreamed solstice sunrise: https...

Is necromancy really about raising the dead, or is it a form of artful divination?  In this episode of Fabulous Folklore, let's explore this strange practice that dates to ancient Egypt and Greece! We'll also check out how it worked in the medieval period - and how it works now... See the images on the blog post here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/necromancy/ Check out The Necromancer's Apprentice :...

Pop culture lets witches speak cool or pithy charms. But what charms did actually witches use in reality?  In this episode of Fabulous Folklore, let's check the historical record to learn how to shapeshift into animals, steal milk, protect lives, and protect against witchcraft (I know, the irony)! See the images on the blog post here:  https://www.icysedgwick.com/witches-charms/ Get your guide to...