The Folklore Podcast

Author Elizabeth Lee discusses her book 'Cunning Women' with guest reviewer Hilary Wilson. Voted one of the best books of 2021 by readers of Grazia magazine, the novel is based around the events of the Pendle Witch Trials and follows cunning woman Sarah Haworth as she searches to find love under the gaze of a new magistrate investigating a strange series of deaths in the village.

Dr Amy Jeffs is the author of the book "Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain" which sees Amy retelling some of the well known and more obscure mythological tales of the British Isles, along with expert analysis on their themes and content. The title has been phenomenally well received and has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year prize. In this episode, hosted by the creator of Th...

This episode of the Folklore Podcast Book Club discusses the book “The Wheel: A Witch’s Path Back to the Ancient Self” written by Jennifer Lane and published by September Publishing. The book follows Jennifer on her year-long journey via the Pagan calendar, through the seasons, as she explores how the ancient wisdom of witchcraft and paganism has profound resonance in our increasingly frenetic and...

Mark Norman, creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, welcomes folklorist Dr Jeana Jorgensen onto the show to discuss the study of folklore, why it is important and the types of approaches which could be used. Acting as a springboard for the discussion is Jeana's book 'Folklore 101' which is one of the liveliest and most accessible introductions to the subject which anyone could hope to read. Fol...

Season 7 of The Folklore Podcast begins with an examination of the case of the Bideford Witches - three poor women from a port town in Devon in the South West of the UK who are notable for the fact that they were the last three women accused of witchcraft to be hanged in England. But exactly how much of their story has anything to do with witchcraft, and how much is a commentary on the social and...

We round off Season 6 with a special feature length episode. Broadcaster and comedian Robin Ince is in conversation with podcast creator and host Mark Norman in this live recording, made as part of Robin's 100 Bookshops tour in 2021, supporting his book "The Importance of Being Interested". The discussion covers science, folklore, storytelling and the intersection of all three things in an free-fo...

In the final episode of The Folklore Podcast Book Club for 2021, guest reviewer Bethan Briggs-Miller (Eerie Essex podcast) speaks with author Clio Velentza about her modern reworking of the Faust story, "The Piano Room", published by Fairlight Books. The Folklore Podcast Book Club is part of The Folklore Network. To support our work preserving folklore for the future, please visit our Patreon page...

Guest reviewer Hilary Wilson speaks with Dr Maria DeBlassie about her book "Weep Woman Weep" which centres around the Mexican legend of La Llorona. The discussion takes in a diverse range of topics from urban legend to New Mexico folk medicine via the decolonisation of the diet and more. Visit Maria's website here To support our work saving and preserving folklore for the future, please visit our...

Hearing stories. Telling stories. Adapting stories. The power of stories... We speak with Nydia Hetherington, author of "A Girl Made of Air" and Molly Aitken, author of "The Island Child" about their use of folklore and story in their novels. For Nydia, these stories are drawn from Manx folklore which Molly's book is firmly rooted in Irish lore. The Folklore Podcast Book Club is part of the Folklo...

Lindsay Sharman and Laurence Owen of Long Cat Media, the creators of fiction podcast Mockery Manor, discuss working with themes of folklore and fairy tale in the construction of their popular show. We examine some of the folklore which has found its way into Mockery Manor as well as a wider discussion of this way of telling stories. Visit Long Cat Media on the web here To support our work at The F...

In this episode of The Folklore Podcast Book Club, Jhenah Telyndru joins us to discuss her book examining the Welsh Goddess character Blodeuwedd, whose complexity makes her much misunderstood. Jhenah hold an MA in Celtic Studies from the University of Wales and approaches the subject both from the academic angle and also from her own spiritual side, bringing a unique perspective to the subject. Bl...

Sculptor Aidan Harte joins podcast host Mark Norman to discuss the figure of the Pooka in Irish folklore, as well as the recent controversy surrounding the design for a statue of the beast which he was commissioned to produce for the town of Ennistymon. This episode also features musician Enda Haran performing his protest song about the Ennistymon Pooka. Visit Aidan's homepage here Visit Enda Hara...

Host Mark Norman is joined by Nina Allan, author of 'The Dollmaker' to discuss her novel 'The Good Neighbours' which fuses crime investigation, the power of myth is shaping human narratives and the world of fairy belief. We discuss some of the themes of the book, including the work of Victorian painter Richard Dadd, whose most famous work 'The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke' adorns the cover of the...

Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman is joined by Gabriela Houston, author of the fantasy novel 'The Second Bell' to discuss the folklore of her native Poland. Gabriela uses various aspects of Slavic lore, in particular a reworking of the traditions relating to striga, in this book, although the conversation branches out far more into various aspects of folklore including healers, superst...

In an episode of The Folklore Podcast Book Club which is a continuation of our discussion with Prof. Jack Zipes on the main podcast, guest reviewer Hilary Wilson talks with artist Natalie Frank about her collaboration visualising the fairy tales in the book 'The Island of Happiness' from Princeton University Press. The Folklore Podcast Book Club is part of The Folklore Network, collecting, conserv...

When we think of tellers and recorders of fairy tales, our mind naturally turns to Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Perrault or, of course, the Grimm Brothers. And yet, the 17th century French writer who actually coined the term ‘conte de fee’, or fairytale, when she published her major collection of them in 1697 goes largely unremembered - sidelined perhaps because of her gender at a time when su...

Guest interviewer Becky Jones meets Dr Martin Shaw, mythologist and storyteller and the author of the book 'Smoke Hole', published by Chelsea Green Publishing. 'Smoke Hole' uses traditional folk tales as a metaphor on modern life. Martin is director of the Westcountry School of Myth and the interview looks at his work as a wilderness guide, the ways in which his writing provides commentary on the...

We celebrate the 100th episode of The Folklore Podcast with special guest Mary-Ann Ochota who joins us to discuss the theme of folklore in the landscape. We cover archaeology, anthropology, the importance of communal spaces and much more. Please visit our website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com where you will find a variety of ways to support all of The Folklore Podcast's projects and we move into o...

Guest book reviewer Hilary Wilson speaks with Thomas Honegger, the author of the book 'Introducing the Medieval Dragon', published by University of Wales Press. The book explores the characteristics of the medieval dragon and discusses the sometimes differing views found in the relevant medieval text-types. The book is available from the publisher here To support The Folklore Podcast in producing...

Charlotte Sophia Burne was a pioneering British Folklorist who was not only the first female president of The Folklore Society, but also undoubtedly the first female president of any learned society in the country. She was instrumental in the production of the second edition of 'The Handbook of Folklore' and her work on folklore in the county of Shropshire is still well respected today. Our guest...

On this episode of The Folklore Podcast Book Club we talk with author Lizzie Fry about her fiction title 'The Coven' published by Sphere Books. The book is a global thriller, set in a world where witchcraft is real and the US president decrees that all witches must be imprisoned for their own safety - creating a world in which being female is only one step away from being criminal. To support the...

Guest reviewer for The Folklore Podcast Book Club, Hilary Wilson, interviews author David Castleton about his book 'Church Curiosities'. To support us in creating free content across The Folklore Podcast network, please click here David's book is available from the publisher at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/church-... David's blog can be found at https://www.davidcastleton.net/ Watch the video of...

We travel back to the 11th century to examine the use of erotic magic and the church's response to this in the form of penitential literature, with a particular focus on the writings of the bishop of the Holy Roman Empire, Burchard of Worms. Guest Larissa Lyth speaks about the types of magic employed, how women were viewed by the church at this time and the types of penance given for magical use....

We are joined by author Joanne Harris, on her second visit to The Folklore Podcast network. Joanne discusses her latest book 'Honeycomb' - a collection of 100 stories set amongst the world of fairy lore which had a very unusual method of writing. If you enjoy this episode please consider making a small donation to The Folklore Podcast on our website , or signing up to our Patreon page . Thank you

We talk with American author CM McGuire about her debut Young Adult novel 'Ironspark' which takes as its central theme an ongoing battle between humans and the fae folk, through a family connection going back years. The book uses ideas of existing fairy folklore to shape its narrative.