The Three Ravens Podcast

In this week's bonus episode, Eleanor talks us through the surprisingly saucy history of glove making! Part of the "Dying Arts" series, we start by discussing where Eleanor's interest in the topic first arose, specifically in Renaissance drama, clothing and costume, before we then explore the truly ancient relationships humans have had with gloves, from Ice Age mittens to Tutankhamen's riding glov...

On this week's episode we're headed back to Nottinghamshire, and Martin is telling his take on the legend of Robin Hood! We start off discussing St Elmo, witchfire, and his three rather unpleasant deaths, after which we head to Nottinghamshire. In addition to chatting about Southwell Minster, Newark Castle ruins, and a pretty epic story associated with St Catherine's Well, we then chew over 'Notti...

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire with the author of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Folk Tales Mike O'Leary. Mike has been a professional storyteller since 1995, and across the last almost 30 years has developed a real expertise in the folklore of Hampshire. Based in Southampton, a city which he’s studied academically, as a Geographer, Mike has led a rich life...

From gnomes to kobolds, dvergr to hobs, it's time to gather up our mining lamps and shed some light on the very shadowy history of goblins... Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, we start by chatting through ways in which, across the last two centuries, we have come to think of goblins as distinct fae creatures, separate from elves, pucks, and boggarts. Yet, if we look back a little further...

On this week's episode we're headed back to Hampshire, and Eleanor is telling her take on The Wherwell Cockatrice! We start off discussing St Melangell and her abbey filled with wild animals, after which we head to Hampshire. In addition to chatting about the New Forest and some of the many magical and witchy goings on associated with it, plus some spooky goings on in Hampshire places like Palace...

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about the folklore and character of Warwickshire and the West Midlands with storyteller and author Cath Edwards. A member of The Society for Storytelling representing the Midlands, and author of excellent books including ‘Warwickshire Folktales’ and “West Midlands Folktales,” Cath is highly experienced storyteller a...

Clutch your lucky rabbit's foot and rub your sacred ring, for in this week's Bonus Episode Eleanor and Martin are discussing the history of amulets and charms. Part of the "Magic and Medicines" series, they start by chatting through how we define what amulets are, chatting through some truly ancient examples, from a 40,000 year old Siberian cave bear amulet to the kinds of charms commonly found in...

On this week's episode we're headed back to Warwickshire, and Martin is telling his take on the legend of Lady Godiva! We start off chatting about St Ethelbert, and the rather severe haircut he received from King Offa of Mercia, after which we wander to Warwickshire! In addition to discussing some parts of Warwickshire that are no longer considered part of the county, including Coventry and Birmin...

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about County Durham, a writer's life, and so much more, with storyteller and author of over 40 books, including County Durham Folk Tales , Adam Bushnell. Born and raised in County Durham, Adam knows and loves the county where he now resides - and he has perspective on it. His work regularly sees him travelling all o...

In this week's bonus episode, Martin talks us through the ghastly crimes of Burke and Hare - with a side serving of the history of medicine! Part of the "Something Wicked" series, we start by chatting through the headlines of the Burke and Hare killing spree, including the Enlightenment-era craze for celebrity surgeons and 'anatomisation.' We then discuss how Scotland's fraught religious history e...

On this week's episode we're headed back to County Durham, and Eleanor is telling her chilling take on The Cauld Lad of Hylton Castle! We start off chatting about The Blessing of the Boats, Old May Day, and a quite unlikely miracle, after which we head north, to County Durham! In addition to discussing the strange afterlife of County Durham's most famous resident, St Cuthbert, the strange powers o...

On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about Cornwall, Medieval music, King Arthur, and so much more, with expert storyteller and author of Cornish Folk Tales Mike O'Connor. A prizewinning competition fiddle player and a master of the concertina, Mike is the leading researcher of Cornish instrumental music anywhere in the world. He has been working as a...

In this week's bonus episode, Eleanor talks us through the history of clay and wooden pipe making. Part of the "Dying Arts" series, we start by discussing the first recorded uses of smoking, including from Ancient Scythia and Aztec culture, and track the changes which took place from things like incense burning and Ancient Greek "Vapour Baths" through to Native American ceremonial pipes, tobacco d...

On this week's episode, we're headed back to Cornwall, where Martin is telling his take on The Sword in the Stone! We start off chatting about Rogationtide, the ancient festival of 'Beating the Bounds' and appeasing gods to ensure a good harvest. After which we caper to Cornwall! In addition to discussing St Michael's Mount, a whole bunch of paleolithic monuments, and some of the dastardly doings...

For the second episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about Somerset and the life of a content creator with enigmatically anonymous internet personality The Faerie Folk. In terms of what The Faerie Folk does, well, she has a folklore podcast for one, launched in the pandemic, which is aimed a bit more at younger children and families than Three Ravens. She has an extre...

Strap on your breastplate, pray to your chosen sky god, and bring your sharpest lance, for in this truly epic Bonus Episode we're going on a rip-roaring quest through the twisted history of dragons! Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, Martin and Eleanor start by chatting through modern ideas of dragons (and Wyverns, Wyrms, and Basilisks) before leaping back in time to discuss the first dra...

On this week's episode, we're headed back to Somerset, where Eleanor is telling the tale of "The Witch of Wookey Hole." We start off chatting about of Saint Endellion's Day - including her curious life of necromancy and milk drinking - after which we saunter back to Somerset! In addition to discussing the history of Bath, the Glastonbury Thorn, and the bizarre adventures of King Rud Hud Hudibras,...

On this very first episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about Suffolk and so much more with expert storyteller and author of Suffolk Folk Tales Kirsty Hartsiotis. A storyteller extraordinaire, described by Three Ravens hero Dr Ronald Hutton as “as good as it gets,” Kirsty is the author of several excellent books, including The Anthology of English Folk Tales , Suffol...

Open your chakras, cleanse your biomagnetic sheath, and charge your treasures beneath the light of the moon, for in this Bonus Episode Eleanor offers an introduction to the history of crystal magic - while Martin expresses a bit of skepticism... Part of the "Magic and Medicines" series, they start by chatting through the earliest recorded uses of crystals in healing, worship, and for apotropaic pu...

For the first episode of Series 4, we're headed back to Suffolk in East Anglia. We start off with some exciting news, including about Three Ravens Live at Chichester Festival, our new Ghost Story writing competition, and the all-new Three Ravens Book Club. Then it's onto a discussion of St George's Day (23rd April) which is also both Shakespeare's birthday and  the day he died! After which, w...

Eleanor and Martin are back round the campfire for a whole new series - and Year 2 of the podcast! In this short episode to introduce Series 4, they explain what Three Ravens is all about for new listeners, and offer a bit of a reflection on their first year. They also chat about some of the tweaks they're making to the Three Ravens formula for their second lap around England's 39 historic countie...

On this very special episode of Three Ravens, Eleanor and Martin read the seven winning entries from our recent Folky Flash Fiction writing competition. Picked from dozens of pieces sent in from all over the world, the Winners are, in no particular order, Lissa with "Worth His Salt," Helen with "The Sleepers," Libby with "The Hatching of Mammy Slack," Dominic with "The Hare's Breath," Alicia with...

On this very special episode of Three Ravens, Eleanor and Martin read seven runner-up entries from our recent Folky Flash Fiction writing competition. Picked from dozens of pieces sent in from all over the world, the Runners-Up are, in no particular order, Erik with "The Gloucester Ghoul", Libby with "5 College Street, York," Mervyn with "The Lord of the Forest," Viv with "Silent Sith," Michelle w...

In our third Listener Episode, we read a whole heap of stories and a poem sent in by members of the Three Ravens community. The stories include the tale of John of Gaunt's Coat, The Widow's Buns, plenty of fun May Day anecdotes, a new poem from Dominic, some grisly details about Sidestrand Graveyard, and more! To submit your own strange tales, anecdotes, and folky experiences to be read on future...

The last in a trio of bonus compilation episodes of the Three Ravens podcast, to help plug the gap between Seasons 3 and 4. We’ve entitled this episode Three More Witches because… well, it contains three more of our witch stories. We write quite a few, so it seems! They include our Cumberland story, "Long Meg and her Daughters," our Essex story, "Three Knots," and our Leicestershire story, "Black...