The Three Ravens Podcast

On this week's episode we're off to the least populated historic county of Wales, Radnorshire on the Welsh Marches!As for why Radnorshire has been so depopulated and wild for quite so long, it has a lot to do with war, and plenty to do with the Black Death. We discuss how these traumas, combined with the destruction of castles, have left the county speckled with desolate empty hillforts and ghost villages - a landscape filled with tales of murder and tragedy, as well as lots of fascinating superstitions...These include the ways in which 'Spirit Nights' were organised, how 'Sin Eaters' were employed to absorb the errors of the dead, and plenty else, from the donation of graveside 'Shovel Money' to 'Rag Knife Men' and the vigilante groups known as Rebecca and her Daughters. All this aside, we chat about the Cat Man of Radnor Forest, the drowned Giant's Graves now sunk within a reservoir, the Llandrindod Wells Sheela Na Gig, the county's link to the Elizabethan magus Doctor Dee, and plenty else besides, interspersed with some extracts from this Saturday's upcoming interview with award-winning Welsh storyteller and author Michael Harvey.All of which leads up to Martin's story for this week, "Davies and the Devil" through which a lowly orphan turns the tables on the Dark One across a hundred years of mischief.We hope that you enjoy the episode, and will speak to you again on Thursday with a new Three Ravens Bestiary episode all about Wargs and Werewolves and - if you're a Patreon supporter - our November Exclusive episode about the history and folklore of the Gunpowder Plot!The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

Eleanor is joined around the campfire by storyteller priestess Christine Watkins to talk all about her home county of Monmouthshire.Christine was born in Monmouthshire, where her family has deep roots. She has been crafting words for speaking live or in broadcast since 1980 - stories of belonging and apartness, discovery and creation. She's the author of Gwent Folk Tales and the host of the podcast Around Goes The Rambler, in which she walks Monmouthshire over the course of a year and a day.You can learn more about Christine and her work, and listen to the podcast, on her website at christinewatkins.co.uk.For now, though, let's gather round the campfire in the shadow of the Sugarloaf and talk about all things Monmouthshire with a true Local Legend, Christine Watkins.Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

For this month's Magic and Medicines Bonus Episode, we're talking all about Reiki!We have a bit more direct experience with this one than some of our past topics, as we completed our First Degree Reiki qualification this summer over the Solstice.Our conversation digs into the theory and history behind Reiki, its development by Mikao Usui and subsequent spread to the West, along with the establishment of the Usui Shiki Ryoho lineage. We look at the Five Principles which provide an ethical underpinning for the practice of Reiki, and talk about the practicalities of Reiki healing, along with the many different permutations of the system.And, of course, tell the story of how it made its way down to us!Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast 

After the madness of Haunting Season, we're returning to Series 7 and the history and folklore of Monmouthshire in south east Wales!We discuss the county's history of invasion, by the Romans, the Normans, the English, and of course by heavy industry, and its many changing names - Caerwent, Gwent, Wentland and Monmouthshire.We couldn't fail to mention our favourite son of Monmouthshire, Geoffrey, as well as some of the incredible landscape and cultural features of the county. We're helped along in this by some excerpts from our Local Legends interview with Christine Watkins.Then we dig into folklore, finding surprising cures for warts and meeting cunning men, wily bridge-building parsons, and some rather mean-spirited fairies.Eleanor's story "Winter's Eve" has the chilling Gwrach y Rhibyn drifting through a cloud of mist, and a whole host of Nos Galan Gaeaf customs.We hope that you enjoy the episode, and we'll speak to you again on Thursday with a new Magic and Medicine episode all about Reiki!The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

Haunting Season 2025 is over, so in this month's Update Episode we're looking ahead to the continuation of Series 7!As usual, the episode offers the main Three Ravens news from the last month, the plan for the month ahead, and the opening chunks of last month's Patreon Exclusive episodes.First comes the initial 25 minutes or so of Eleanor's conversation with historian and demonologist Fiona Dodwell about cursed and haunted dolls, which is followed by the opening of our Film Club episode for October, as released last Thursday, about the 2007 cult horror comedy 'Trick 'r Treat.'Speak to you again tomorrow on our new County Episode all about Monmouthshire, for which Eleanor has written a pretty freaky monster story that we hope you'll very much enjoy!Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

For our final Local Legends interview of Haunting Season 2025, Eleanor speaks with Tony Walker, author and host of the Classic Ghost Stories podcast. We are huge fans of Tony's work, from his narrations of well-known ghost stories and lesser read hidden gems to his own original fiction.Though as we discuss during this conversation, Tony's interests in the uncanny and peculiar started in childhood. He has worked in ghost tourism, spent many years as a mental healthcare professional, and has traveled almost as widely as he has read.His own writing, which prompted the creation of the Classic Ghost Stories podcast, speaks to his genuine, deep-seated interest in the Gothic, the paranormal, and the 'super-normal' - he has an open mind, natural curiosity, and a warmth and friendliness that make him wonderful to spend time with.In this interview, Eleanor chats to Tony about the formula for the perfect ghost story, real life ghost stories, his favourite spooky tales and places, and lots more, from the intersection between storytelling and gaming to the replica Punic mask he bought on holiday which seemed to become home to an errant nature spirit...To find out more about his work simply search up 'Classic Ghost Stories' on the app you're using to listen to this, or visit his Substack here.Otherwise, we thoroughly hope that you have enjoyed our third annual Haunting Season, and will speak to you tomorrow in our November Update episode, then again on Monday when Series 7 continues with our exploration of the history and folklore of the historic Welsh county of Monmouthshire!Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

To wish everyone a very happy Halloween, we warmly present a reading of Oscar Wilde's classic ghost story, The Canterville Ghost.After a month of celebrating more sincere ghost stories and quite dense, spooky topics, we thought it might be time for a little levity - and this story is an important one: written in 1887, it called time on the Victorian ghost story, masterfully blending satire, social commentary, and supernatural themes, subverting the traditions of the form to explore profound ideas about culture, redemption, and the human condition.It's a tale which has its cake and eats it, packed with familiar gothic tropes while also being both a parody and social satire; it serves as a sharp critique of both the English aristocracy and the American nouveau riche, with Wilde using the clash between ancient, tradition-bound British culture and modern, materialistic, and practical American culture to highlight the absurdities and shortcomings of both societies.Exploring eternally-relevant themes such as redemption and forgiveness, life and death, and the tensions between materialism and spirituality, it also showcases Wilde's characteristic wit, irony, and use of paradox. Rightfully acknowledged as a masterpiece of comic gothic fiction that continues to be enjoyed for its literary craftsmanship and timeless relevance, we hope you enjoy Martin's reading, that it makes you smile during our current quite dark and dismal times, and offers both a lighthearted, entertaining parody and a poignant, meaningful exploration of human nature and social values.In addition to which, for tomorrow's episode of Local Legends Eleanor has interviewed Tony Walker, host of the Classic Ghost Stories Podcast, for whom this sort of thing is his bread and butter, so speak to you again then!Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

On this month's Haunting Season-themed episode of Magus we're digging into the gory life story of "The Beast" himself, Aleister Crowley!One of the most infamous occult figures of the 20th century, we explore how Crowley's singular life unfolded - his religious childhood, early penchant for sadism, his academic failures, and his interests in the arcane; his poetry, quest for knowledge, and the boundless, destructive hedonism which led him into penury and dissolution.Author of some of the century's most influential books about 'magick' - a spelling he himself pioneered - we recall how it was not until Crowley was long dead that his work reached a significant global audience. But what has been lost in the reclamation of Crowley as a rock and roll icon celebrated by the 60s counter-culture?From his life-long drug habits to his many frauds, his litany of sexual abuses to his contradictory messaging and petty feuds, he was a person who courted controversy at every stage of his life, and whose globe-trotting existence left a legacy of pain and trauma in its wake. As such, we're diving into some grotty stuff on this one, along with some fascinating, challenging, and at times utterly ridiculous concepts.Though, fair warning, you may want to scrub yourself clean afterwards...Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast