The Three Ravens Podcast

On this week's episode we're headed back to Middlesex, the historic county better known as London, and Martin is telling a whopper of a story, all about the horrors unearthed during the digging of the city's underground... We start off chatting about St Serf and his wild and crazy life, dragon slaying and all, after which we move on to Middlesex!In addition to talking about the Palace of Westminster, the London Stone, and the Temple of Mithras underneath the Bloomberg building, we consider the relative merits of a few options in this week's County Dish, including Chelsea Buns and Jellied Eels!After some folkloric chat about topics including Old Mother Redcap, the head of the giant Bran, buried under the Tower of London, and the ghosts of Newgate Prison, plus some excerpts from this week's Local Legends interview with hosts of the The Loremen podcast James Shakeshaft and Alasdair Beckett-King, it's on to the main event: Martin's story "The Crossrail Horror."Speak to you again on Thursday for our new Dying Arts bonus episode all about Besom and Broom Making!The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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

From nuggles to brags, the Ceffyl Dŵr to nixies, there's plenty of reasons to be nervous about horse-shaped monsters on the shoreline - but fear not, as Martin is here to demystify Kelpies and mythical water horses in general!Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, we start by discussing the links between seaweed and kelpies, the first appearances of mythical Kelpies in the poetry of William Collins, Robert Burns and Walter Scott, and how the history of horse riding is inextricably linked with tales of monstrous horses in folklore. It's a galloping ride that takes us from the Highlands to Ancient Scythia and back again, and along the way we're venturing through early French ballads, talking broomsticks, Roman myths, and Dark Age stone monuments, while discussing the Pictish Beast, the Nuckelavee, shelleycoats, and much more!Along the way, we'll have advice on how to spot a Kelpie in the wild, what to do to tame one, and how to kill these naughty beasts if such a thing proves necessary - although, as usual, there's some pretty weird stuff to uncover as we venture down to the water's edge, from Fairy Locks to backwards hooves, the Kelpie's links to Virgin Mary, and a possible battle between an early saint and the Loch Ness Monster... The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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 week's episode we're headed back to Lancashire, and Eleanor is telling a spooky story based on a haunted attraction at Blackpool's Pleasure Beach... We start off by discussing St John the Baptist and his bonfires of bones, after which we head off to Lancashire!In addition to talking about Liverpool and its mythical protector birds Bella and Bertie, the county's shifting borders and the whaling industry, we cook up a delicious pot full of Scouse!After some folkloric chat about ghostly white hares, a gambler buried upright holding a winning hand of cards, and a giant who was friendly with William the Conqueror, plus some excerpts from this week's Local Legends interview with Lancashire resident and host of the Tales of Britain and Ireland podcast Graeme Cook, it's on to the main event: Eleanor's story "The Ghost Train."Speak to you again on Thursday for our new Three Ravens Bestiary bonus episode all about Kelpies!The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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 week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire with Kent resident and host of the Real Life Ghost Stories podcast, Emma Ozenbrook.Born in Ireland, Emma has lived in Kent for a fair old chunk of time and knows it very well, which, combined with her love for a good story, makes her a cracking ambassador for 'The Garden of England.'If you like a spooky podcast, odds are you’ll already know her from Real Life Ghost Stories – one of our absolute favourites, and a definite inspiration for Three Ravens. Three times a week, Emma releases new episodes – two made up of Listener Stories, one which she writes on supernatural themes, events, or ideas from around the world. Those Sunday episodes have ranged in topic from local ghost stories and infamous hauntings to UFO sightings to cryptid cases, and all manner of other sinister things. And in this Local Legends chat, Emma offers a couple of uncanny examples of Kent strangeness, as only she can.So, settle in and join us for a good ol' chinwag which ranges from theatre to Kent's rich history, through Romney Marsh and hidden seashell grottoes to the curious case of The Hythe Mothman!It's a good one - and if you want to listen to the composition Emma mentions at the end you can find that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hMy0T_tDPo&sttick=0Likewise, check out the shell grotto here: https://www.mybestplace.com/en/article/shell-grotto-the-mysterious-cave-covered-with-shellsOtherwise, you can learn more about Real Life Ghost Stories here: https://www.reallifeghoststoriespodcast.com/And Emma's theatre company here: https://www.parrot-theatre.co.uk/The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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

Feeling under the weather? We have something to help with that as, in this week's Bonus Episode, Eleanor is uncovering the mysterious history of folk healers in England!Part of the "Magic and Medicines" series, we start by chatting through who 'Cunning Folk' were, including quite how wide-scale their business was, as well as the time periods in which they were in their prime. This leads us through the years of Renaissance alchemy and characters like Simon Forman and Doctor John Dee, when folk healers operated during historic crackdowns on witchcraft, prompting them to move beyond 'hedge wisdom' to become anti-witchcraft experts! We explore how, after the Witchcraft Act of 1735, cunning folk were forced to adapt, the kinds of services they offered, how and why records of their lives and works began to be recorded during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and some of the remedies they offered for common problems. But has the craft of being a 'cunning man' or a 'cunning woman' ever really gone away? And were many of their methods actually very helpful? Through exploring the lives of people who gave themselves titles like, "The White Witch of Helston," "The Devil's Master" and "The Master of Witches," as well as the ways in which cunning folk have been presented in literature, we reveal some genuine mysteries - and a few examples of wonderful fakery.Which leads us to today, and where we go, in our post-industrial world, to find help with our ills.What has happened to all the Cunning Folk? The answer might just surprise you...The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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 week's episode we're headed back to Kent, and Martin is telling a spooky story based on the life of a sinister historic Archbishop of Canterbury... We start off discussing St Nectan, his errant cows, and headless commute back home, after which we venture to Kent!In addition to chatting about Dover Castle, the oldest boat in the world, and the eerie landscape of Romney Marsh, we chew over a tonne of delicious Kent foodstuffs before assembling a tasty-sounding "Dredgerman's Breakfast!"After some folkloric chat about topics including the lost heir to the Plantagenet throne, a hidden alchemist's tower in the heart of Canterbury, and a pagan shrine buried deep in a Roman villa, plus some excerpts from this week's Local Legends interview with Kent resident and host of the Real Life Ghost Stories podcast Emma Ozenbrook, it's onto the main event: Martin's story "The Stain of Vice."Speak to you again on Thursday for our new Magic and Medicines bonus episode all about Cunning Folk!The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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 week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire with Oxfordshire local and host of The History of England podcast, David Crowther.Born in Loughborough over the border, David has lived in Oxfordshire for many years, giving him a perfect perspective on the county. That of someone who's familiar with it, but who sees it with a sense of perspective.Plus, in addition to being very funny, David is inclined to take the long view, having told the story of England from the Anglo Saxon period right on through to - at present - the English Civil War, via his much-loved podcast, which has been running for a whopping 13 years!Indeed, David is not just the creator and host of one of our favourite pods; he is a person who has championed Three Ravens since we launched.So, what better companion could we ask for to sit around the campfire and enjoy a chat?As such, we suggest you make a cup of tea, or pour a glass of something stronger, and join us for a conversation which ranges from being bopped on the head with pigs' bladders to mistaking Morris Men for fox hunters.Discussions of the differences between history and literature, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Henry VIII, and the ways in which the landscape of Oxfordshire has shaped the county's history.Not to mention how both human action and Roman horse manure have left indelible marks on England which enrich our culture.Even if we don't fully understand how...The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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

In this week's bonus episode, we're exploring the history of the 17th century mass murderer and sorceress La Voisin!Part of the "Something Wicked" series, we start by chatting through the history of poisoner rings and life in the times of Louis XIV, "the Sun King." We then discuss the rise to power of Catherine Deshayes, a penniless child fortune-teller on the streets of Paris, who married jeweler and silk merchant Antoine Monvoisin and began her ascent to the upper echelons of French society.After chatting through some of the potions and services 'La Voisin' provided, which eventually came to include child sacrifice, with dig deeper into the darker side of her life: her many colourful associates, how her ceremonies and arcane arts left thousands dead, empowered one of the most infamous royal mistresses in all of history, and how, when it all began to unravel, hundreds of people ended up implicated, exiled, or executed.From lesbian assassins to masters of disguise, kidnapped alchemists to poisoned clothes, it's a story so wild it didn't end when its subject was tried for witchcraft and burned at the stake, connecting to legends like that of The Man in the Iron Mask and much more besides...The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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