The Three Ravens Podcast

We’re on a break at the moment to plan, research, and write all sorts of things, but, to fill the gap, this is the first of two new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We have entitled this episode “Three Monsters” because these are tales about seemingly inhuman creatures from English folklore with decidedly ill-intent. They are our second-lap Derbyshire story, Crooker, and our recent Wiltshire story, The Old Creature, and our recent Lincolnshire story, Nanny Rutt – and much love to Dr Rory Waterman, whose own take on Nanny Rutt appears in his recent poetry collection Come Here To This Gate which Martin and I both heartily recommend.We really hope you enjoy them, and will be back on Monday with our next Lang Fairy Tale! 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 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 sixth tale in our "Fairy Book Project" is one of the most iconic of all: Cinderella - complete with glass slippers, mean sisters (again!) and a particularly strict rule related to midnight... If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.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

The fifth tale in our "Fairy Book Project" is The Master Maid - a deeply twisted romance about how mean troll sisters are, the mountain-growing power of salt, and how great it is to be the king's son...If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.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 week's episode of Local Legends, the very last episode of Series 6, Martin is joined around the campfire by award-winning storyteller, performer, author, poet, lyricist, and very nice man, Hugh Lupton!Hugh’s career spans over 40 years, both in terms of his solo projects and his partnerships with other artists, writers, musicians, illustrators and performers.As we discussed on Monday's episode, there is a sense in which Hugh is the golden thread that binds together modern British storytelling and several folk traditions, with his glimmer and shine helping to guide the oral tradition into the 21st century.He has, of course, toured both nationally and internationally, and has performed at the RSC, the National Theatre, and the Barbican. His repertoire ranges from Greek epics to the Grimms Fairy Tales, from Norse and Celtic myth to East Anglian folk-tales, and from the Great War to John Clare.Plus, in addition to his award-winning songwriting work, he has also written several excellent books, including Norfolk Folk Tales. You can learn more about Hugh and his work on his website, https://hughlupton.co.uk/, and do check the Diary section - he gets about, so do try to go and see him!For now though, let’s gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire, have a sip of whatever’s in your nut brown bowl, and listen in, to a chat about the life and work of perhaps the most influential storyteller alive today, the county of Norfolk, and tales such as the Peddlar of Swaffham, Black Shuck, those of fenland folk hero Tom Hickathrift, and so much more, with a true Local Legend: Hugh Lupton!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 week's Bonus Episode - the last one of Series 6 - we're talking all things Midsummer!Folding in the history of the term 'Litha' which is sometimes also applied to the day, we're talking Gerald Gardner and the birth of Wicca, the parts Aleister Crowley, the Druids, and the Rosicrucians had to play in the revival/creation of pagan traditions, and reminding ourselves what being a "pagan" means and why!We also unpick knotty changes in the English calendar, including the layers of festivals as mentioned by the Venerable Bede and initiated by the early Christian church. Though, at the same time, what vestiges of Roman custom might we have carried forward? What about prehistoric celebrations, linked to megalithic monuments like Stonehenge? And then there's the shift from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, which meant moving just about every festival to a new place in a rejigged month... Midsummer is a total mess! Yet, surely it's incredibly simple? The Celts understood; it's the longest day, and therefore a day for worshipping sun and heat. In which case, why is Beltane the modern fire festival, and Midsummer about... nature spirits like the Oak and Holly King?It's a rich topic, we hope you enjoy our chat about it, and that you also like Martin's story written specially for the episode, "John Barleycorn." Like the folk song says, we all drink his blood and know that he must die! 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 today's episode of Three Ravens, it's series finale time, and Martin is guiding us through the history and folklore Norfolk!We begin by acknowledging quite what an extraordinary journey we have been on in just over two years, and then discuss Appleby Horse Fair which is happening right now - get along to it if you can! Then, we navigate to Norfolk and chat through all sorts of wonders to do with the county - from the prehistoric landscape of the Grimes Graves flint mines to the feverish revelations of the first female writer in English literature, Julian of Norwich, with a joyful stop-off at Cromer for some dressed crab, and much more besides.For this week's County Dish, the last one of the series, Martin plies us with cheese, seafood, and some weirder options, including Norfolk Milk Punch and Norfolk Dumplings (a.k.a. 'Fillers' and 'Swimmers') which sets us up nicely for the final leg of our jaunt! In terms of the county's folklore, we have ghosts - including one very dramatic one, and another that's absolutely terrifying, chat about Black Shuck (of course), the Fenland Secret Society of the Goose Feather, a Georgian 'Wild Boy' called Peter, plus plenty else, all enriched with some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with award-winning writer, storyteller, and all-round hero of the modern English folk tradition, Hugh Lupton.Then it's on to the main event: Martin's telling of "The Pedlar of Swaffham" - one of England's best-known folk tales, and perhaps Norfolk's most famous. Although this version of the story might not pan out quite as you'd expect...We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a Seasonal Special bonus episode all about Midsummer and its associated traditions, all before the full interview with Hugh comes out on Saturday!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 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, the penultimate for Series 6, Martin is joined around the campfire by folklorists, academics, and Folklore Society big-wigs, Dr Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrook.They are the masterminds behind, the University of Hertfordshire’s Masters degree course in Folklore Studies. It’s a one of a kind qualification, and we speak about it during this chat.Outside of that, though, Ceri has written and edited several books, and her primary research interests are, and I’m quoting here, “the heritage and material culture of ritual and folklore in the British Isles, from c.1700 to the present day.” Very cool.And then there’s Owen, who is a British historian who specialises in the history of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, and popular medicine. And Professor Ronald Hutton described Owen not too long ago as Britain's "foremost academic expert on the history of magic." He's a notable figure in the field, everybody, so doff your caps accordingly!You can learn more about the University of Hertfordshire MA in Folklore Studies here, and can find Herts Memories here, as mentioned by Owen during the chat.For now though, let us throw another log onto the Three Ravens campfire and listen in to a chat about the Hertfordshire giant, Jack O’ Legs, the last person convicted for witchcraft in England – a trial which took place in Hertfordshire, chalk streams, haunted Prodigy Houses, and added Boggart Hole Clough for pudding, plus so much more, with two true Local Legends: Dr Ceri Holbrook and Dr Owen Davies!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 episode of Magus we are peering back through the mists of time, to a time of myth and belief in myths, to investigate the origins, theoretical biography, and the symbolic meanings of an Arthurian icon: Morgan Le Fay! From the first mention of Morgan Le Fay in writing, care of Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, we explore how the events of The Anarchy created a need for 'The Once and Future King' to return. Though at that point, Morgan was more of a good fairy and mysterious Otherworld Queen, rather than King Arthur's dark shadow. Yet, scratching beneath the surface, and considering both how Morgan was re-framed by 15th century French authors like Chretian De Troyes, we establish that there is a before and after - and that only after the Vulgate Cycle is complete does the 'Dark Goddess' of ancient mythology find a new form.We of course look back into the deep past - to the birth of the universe, out of the cosmic womb of Classical feminine deities like Nyx and the Ancient Egyptian goddess Nephthys, and forward, via the Celtic (and monstrous) Morrigan, Modron, and Morgen, to peel back the layers of Morgan Le Fay's identity. A shapeshifter, scorned lover, embodiment of justice, and so much more, even after the death of King Arthur - and Mordred, the incestuous product of the love affair between Morgan and Arthur - she lives on. Part pantomime villain, part nightmare queen, part maiden, part mother, part crone, she is, in a sense, all things to all men.But what is Morgan Le Fay to herself? Does she even know? And how much of the story of her life was ever her choice, or does it all come back to the nebulous actions of the wizard Merlin?With answers to these questions and more, it's a pretty epic episode, so clothe yourself in darkness and head with us down to the ford in the river, where there's a strange lady waiting with a message we have no choice but to hear...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 - the penultimate of the series - Eleanor is luring us out into the rolling farmland and woodlands of Hertfordshire, to dig deep into its history and folklore, and wake the ghost of a fiery, horse-riding highway-woman!We start off chatting about the relative 'Nothing Day' that is the 2nd of June, running through some broader beliefs about the month and the grim fate of St Elmo (he of St Elmo's Fire).Then, we hurry into Hertfordshire, and discover how what might appear to be quite a sophisticated Home County is hiding lots of wonderfully strange stuff!We start with some chat about Knebworth and Hatfield House - two absolutely stunning stately homes - as well as the strange Templar origins of Baldock, the 17th century tale of how the Devil helped a Hertfordshire farmer to mow his field of oats, Hertfordshire Pudding Stones, the strangeness of the shell grotto at Royston Cave, and much more besides, all before Eleanor serves up a perennial sweet treat that originated in 'Herts' for this week's County Dish.After that, it's full-on Folklore Time - from the haunted and enormous 'Great Bed of Ware' to the legend of the Six Hills, and several other Devilish tales, such as those of Grim's Dyke, the 'Devil's Hopscotch', and his fiddle-playing on Bushey Heath, Braughing's 'Old Man Day' and plenty else, all enriched with some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with Dr Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrouk of the University of Hertfordshire's MA course in Folklore Studies.Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's telling of "The Wicked Lady" - a generally quite cosy mystery, and one which brings back a returning Three Ravens favourite character, for a sizzlingly hot ghost story that may or may not feature a flatulent dog...We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a Magus bonus episode all about the mythology and legacy of Morgan Le Fay, all before the full interview with Owen and Ceri comes out on Saturday!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 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