The Three Ravens Podcast

On this week's episode of Three Ravens we're off to the land of the Dark Peak and the White, exploring to history and folklore of Derbyshire!We start off by chatting through traditions associated with Easter Monday festivities, and the live of St Anselm, who we conclude ought to be the Patron Saint of Jerks, all before we depart for Derbyshire in England's East Midlands.With Martin having absolutely rinsed the county's history last year, we dig into some strange and unexplored corners, including the 18th century Derbyshire mill owner assassinated by the King of Sardinia, the county's mysterious second sunset, the Ashbourne Road Shoe Tree, Crich Tramway Village, and more - all before Eleanor discusses the history of the Bakewell Pudding, the Bakewell Tart, and Derbyshire's 'Bride's Pie' for this week's County Dish.After that, we're deep into folklore, and discuss hardy perennials of Derbyshire legend, including the Little Red Hairy Man, Old Tup, a rather amazing shapeshifting, werewolf witch who almost gobbled the heir to the English throne, and so much more - not least some pretty freaky ghost stories - all enhanced by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with beloved folk musician, storyteller, and editor of Fact and Fiction magazine, Pete Castle.Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's telling of "Crooker" - a perhaps lesser known legends of a rather hungry and not very pleasant water demon said to live in the River Derwent...We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Magus bonus episode about Giordano Bruno, and our Patreon Exclusive Film Club episode about 1968's The Witchfinder General, all before the full interview with Pete 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, Martin is joined by blogger, museum worker, tour guide, and all-round champion for Herefordshire, The Herefordian Historian.Real name Tom Quinsey, The Herefordian Historian was born in Swansea and is an identical twin. His parents, who are both from Herefordshire, eventually settled back there before Tom turned 10 years old - but even before then he had developed a passion for history.At first, prompted by the film Titanic, he was preoccupied by boats, steam engines, and all things maritime, only then, while Tom was studying Creative Writing at the University of Portsmouth, he developed an interest in the stories of the county he calls home.Out of this new interest his new superhero alter-ego was born: The Herefordian Historian, with Tom's blog being a brilliant repository of history, legends and all sorts of Herefordshire curiosities, which he has been maintaining since the lockdown.All the while, Tom has also become Hereford Waterworks Museum’s writer and editor, and he is also a member of the Mayor of Hereford’s Guild of Guides, so there really couldn't be a much better or more passionate person we could hope to speak to for this episode!To learn more about Tom, including his writing and his other work, do visit his website at herefordianhistorian.co.uk, and otherwise do please join us around the Three Ravens campfire for a chat about angry ghosts shaking cathedrals, thousands of years of territorial conflict across the Welsh Marches, little drummer boys saving cities with peas, and so much more!We really hope you enjoy it, and will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode all about the history and folklore of Derbyshire!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 Forgotten Melodies bonus episode we're talking all about Fair Songs - in particular, Scarborough Fair, Brigg Fair and Widecombe Fair - and the histories behind these iconic tunes.The episode of course features new takes on all three of these songs, 'Scarborough Fair,' 'Brigg Fair' and 'Widecombe Fair,' and this time it's not just Eleanor and Ben singing, but our friend and collaborator Katie Sommers, too! Boosted along by her fine soprano, we chat through what we know about where each of these songs came from, along with the history behind each fair in turn - from Scarborough, one of the 'Great Fairs' that drew people to Yorkshire from all across Europe, to the gypsy/horse trading origins of Brigg Fair, to the scrappy, upstart, terrier-racing silliness of Somerset's Widecombe Fair, Uncle Tom Cobley and all!With discussions of musical modes, what 20th century British composers like Benjamin Britten and Vaughan Williams did to popularise these songs, and plenty of silliness, too, be sure to bring some money and let's revel in all the fun of the fair!As always, we really hope you enjoy the episode, and if you've seen our grey mare then do let us know it's whereabouts, if you'd be so kind...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 Three Ravens we're heading into disputed territory: Herefordshire in the Welsh Marches, which is a county with so much history and folklore!We start off by going over all Queer Eye and giving April 14th a makeover, concluding that, while we could make this 'Nothing Day' about gardening, or ice skating on bone-bladed skates, it really ought to be a day devoted to the celebration of Justin. Be that the ancient pre-Christian philosopher, or the Justin's in your life. All with dubious historical justification. After that, we hurry on into Herefordshire, where we may have gone a bit overboard...In terms of the county's history, we whip back to pre-Roman times to talk about the contested tribal status of what later became Herefordshire - and why all the fighting over it never really stopped - while also chatting about some of the stunning heritage sites in the county, from Hereford Cathedral's fractious history and Chained Library to King Arthur's Stone and Cave, the Nameless Church, and more - all before Martin plies us with cider, prehistoric cheese, and several pudding options, for this week's County Dish.After that, it's Folklore Time, and we've got plague spreading 12th century vampires, we've got vengeful ghosts, we've got fairies, miracle babies, Dribbling Kings, and so much more, all enriched by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with blogger and all-round lovely person 'The Herefordian Historian.'Then it's on to the main event: Martin's retelling of "Black Vaughan" which has been reframed as a Spenser & Associates mystery - hence the epic length of this episode - so prepare to get a bit spooked while also having a good old giggle.We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Forgotten Melodies bonus episode about Fair Songs, all before the full interview with The Herefordian Historian 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, Martin is joined by storyteller, library manager, and Secretary of the Leicestershire and Rutland Guild of Storytelling, Matthew Vaughan.Matt has been a storyteller for well over a decade. Since 2011 he has also worked in East Midlands’ Public Library Services, and, in addition to working as a storyteller in Early Years, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Colleges, Universities, Youth organisations, the Care, Health and Heritage Sectors, and in Prisons, he tells stories in libraries as part of his job. As Matt explains in the episode, he particularly enjoys performing international folk tales, along with Wonder Tales of all kinds, and he also has a particular interest in the stories of working folk of Britain and the wild places of our islands. To learn more about the Guild and the Story Tree project as mentioned in the episode, do visit leicesterstorytelling.com. If you are interested in learning more about Matt’s work or would like to book him to tell stories to you or your school group or community organisation, please do get in touch with him via his profile on the Society for Storytelling website, sfs.org.uk. Otherwise, settle in around the cosy confines of the Three Ravens campfire for a conversation which ranges from the drowned villages beneath Rutland Water to the politics of how to hang a horseshoe, from the smallest man in history to one of the biggest, via witches, poachers, and dastardly highwayman, with a true Local Legend, Matthew Vaughan!We really hope you enjoy it, and will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode all about the history and folklore of Herefordshire!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 week's Bonus Episode we're basking on slippery rocks, swishing our tails, and looking into the magic mirror of Mermaid history and folklore, combing our hair all the while!We start off chatting about the plethora of 19th century Mermaid-themed media, from paintings and plays to poems and songs, all of which paved the way for our modern perception of merfolk. Then though, we swim against the current, back through time, to discover the ways in which Mermaids were first represented in human society. This includes through art, literature, and religious beliefs, on Ancient Babylonian pottery, in Ancient Egyptian mythology, and throughout Ancient Assyrian temples and palaces where mer-people were even worshipped as gods! As time moved on however, through Ancient Greece and the Classical Age, we explore the ways in which divisions formed between increasingly Christianised 'Sea Mother' icons and their dark counterparts, the 'Monstrous Women,' which rose to particular prominence through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.In addition to taking a quick Mermaid World Tour to look at representations of 'Fish Men' and 'Fish Women' in cultural traditions from Scandinavia, Russia and China to New Zealand and the Americas, we then dive deep into oysterbeds of legend to examine the pearls of Mermaid lore that fell out of favour during the Enlightenment.From nationalistic anthems to fairy tales, sea shanties to some of the most famous myths in all of human history, the episode covers, in essence, the Mermaid's place in the cultural consciousness from the birth of civilisation right through to today, where ideas of Mermaids are continuing to evolve and change.Which beggars the question, are Mermaids immortal? Considering that they have been part of human life since before we could write, there's no reason to believe they won't outlast us too.Oh, and Martin has some truly noxious Mermaid puns to jolly it all along as well, so consider yourself warned!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 Three Ravens we're off to Rutland to explore the history and folklore of England's smallest county - on the back of a dinosaur!We start off chatting about a couple of beautifully obscure traditions that take place around this time each year, including one involving a jacket on a flagpole and another relating to a Secret Society in Somerset, after which we ramble on to Rutland!We begin with a sad fact: Rutland may actually be about to disappear! In addition to which, we talk about some traditional Rutland sports, including Nurdles and Leg Wrestling, the incredible Uppingham Fossil Wall, the Cecil family's rather grand country manor, and a whole bunch of ghosts - all before Eleanor welcomes us to a picnic beside Rutland water for this week's County Dish...Next, with our dinosaur still in tow, we whip over to Exton Park for some miniature historic naval battles, say a quick hello to the ancient pagan Braunston Goddess, discuss Oakham's macabre history of crime and punishment, and more, all enriched by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with Matthew Vaughan from the Leicestershire and Rutland Guild of Storytelling.Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's folk-horror inflected telling of "The Oakham Poachers" - a tale remembered in a murder ballad, featuring a mythical creature living in Empingham Old Wood...We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Three Ravens Bestiary bonus episode about Mermaids, all before the full interview with Matt 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, Martin is joined by the hosts of the Eerie Essex podcast, Ailsa Clarke and Bethan Briggs-Miller!Ailsa and Bethan have been at this here podcasting malarkey since the pandemic, and it’s highly likely that you are already familiar with Eerie Essex. If you’ve never had the pleasure to listening to them though, well, you’re in for a treat! In this episode Ailsa, Bethan and Martin talk about everything from lasagne to garden centres to demonic possession, getting lost in underground caves, and Matthew Hopkins, Witch Finder General.As you will hear, both Ailsa and Bethan have really interesting backgrounds and educational journeys to where they are today, but part of the reason we love Eerie Essex though is because of its warmth. Yes, episodes frequently contain ideas that might make you soil your britches with fear. And yes, the research Ailsa and Bethan engage in is really thorough. But, more than anything, it's the cosy, generous, very funny tone of their podcast that we find to spellbinding.If you want to know more about Eerie Essex and listen to the podcast, just search for Eerie Essex on your favoured podcast app and you’ll find it. Alternatively, if you would like to know more about, and possibly visit, the East Anglian Folklore Centre, for which Bethan is serving as Co-Director, you can learn more about it at eastanglianfolklorecentre.co.ukFor now though, gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire for a conversation which ventures from caves full of smuggler’s treasure to a forest full of nightmares, from rural to urban, and from the Roman era right up to the modern day.We really hope you enjoy it, and will be back on Monday with our brand new County Episode all about the history and folklore of Rutland!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, Eleanor leads us through the libraries of early medical history to guide us through Leech Books and early medical texts! We start off talking about the book generally thought to be the oldest 'English' medical text, Bald's Leech Book, discussing how the Medieval mind perceived of ailments - namely as issues interlinked with spiritual and supernatural problems, not just physical ones.We then leap back to discuss Ancient Chinese medicine, its roots in the work of the mythical 'Yellow Emperor,' and how Classical writers like Hippocrates and Galen developed and refined concepts like Humorism. From the works of fundamentally important Medieval writers such as Ibn Sina and Hildegard of Bingen to the advent of Protestant medicine, as practiced by the likes of Andreas Vesalius and William Harvey, it's a slightly squishy and bizarre journey through mankind's understanding of the body, from ancient times to today. Yet, considering that some of the remedies proposed by these writers are still in use today, it's a bit simplistic to suggest that they were just 'wrong' about medicine and how the body worked.So, let's raise our scalpels and peel back the layers of what they got right and wrong and why, and open up questions about what modern physicians might perhaps benefit from learning if they look back towards the half-forgotten past...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