Wyrd Wessex

In 1931, deep in the isolated windswept hills of Doarlish Cashen on the Isle of Man, the Irving family found themselves sharing their farmhouse with something completely unexplainable. It wasn't a standard ghostly whisper—it was a screeching, high-pitched voice two octaves above human range reading the daily news from inside the wall panelling, hunting over 200 rabbits for dinner, and casually dropping threats like "I could kill you all, but I won't!"Join Wyrdo's Craig and Andy as they dive into the utterly bizarre, hilarious, and deeply unsettling tale of Gef, the self-proclaimed "extra, extra clever mongoose" and earthbound spirit. We follow the paper trail from Captain McDonald's chaotic psychical investigations to celebrity ghost hunter Harry Price, and the bizarre 1930s high-court slander trial that nearly bankrupted a high-society figure over a talking fairy spook.Was Gef a deliberate hoax, a teenage poltergeist manifestation, a local Fae, or—as some modern remote viewers suggest—a million-year-old artificial intelligence breaking out of a Bronze Age tomb? Stick around until the very end to hear us completely lose our minds (and our voices) trying to recreate Gef in the studio.Stay Wyrd!Support the Show:Join our Discord: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessexShop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=uWritten by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy StevensEdited by Craig BrooksIntro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - RemixOutro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

For centuries, the old ways of these islands weren’t written down—they were carried in song, poetry, and myth. Today, that tradition is alive and well. In this episode, we sit down with David Smith, better known as Damh the Bard (and yes, we explain how to pronounce it!). From his 15 years as Pendragon of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD) to weaving Welsh myth into acoustic folk, Damh has been a defining voice of modern nature spirituality for decades.We trace his journey from teenage tarot reader and heavy metal drummer to finding his spiritual home among the Druids. Along the way, we uncover the fascinating shared history of modern Wicca and OBOD, how a naturist resort in St. Albans became ground zero for the modern Wheel of the Year, and why Damh traded his career running a woodland bushcraft school to follow the flow of Awen.Plus, we cover everything from the hilarious origin of his festival inflatable bananas to the Loch Ness Monster, cryptids, and a deep philosophical chat about digital footprints and what podcasting leaves behind.In this episode:What's in a Name: How a Gaelic pronunciation guide and Robin of Sherwood's Herne the Hunter inspired the moniker "Damh the Bard" (Stag the Bard).The Three Schools of OBOD: Breaking down the distinct paths of Druidry. Bards handle creativity and this world, Druids focus on teaching and community (the sky), and Ovates—the Druid shamans/witches—work with the underworld, the moon, and healing.The River of Awen: Damh’s philosophy on songwriting, magic, and Wyrd—treating divine inspiration as a river that flows through us, and why "if you do magic, don't be surprised when it works."Punk Rock Podcasting: A look back at the wild west of early podcasting in 2007 when Damh pitched Druidcast to OBOD, and why preserving the digital voices of pagan elders like Maxine Sanders and Margot Adler is so vital.The Banana Phenomenon: How a series of pandemic-era Facebook Live shows turned into fans asking Damh to autograph foam bananas at live festivals across the globe!New Music Announcement: Damh shares details on his compilation album, Songs from the Mabinogi.Stay Wyrd!Support the Show:Join our Discord: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessexShop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=uWritten and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy StevensEdited by Craig BrooksIntro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - RemixOutro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

Is it safe to spend the night in England’s most haunted churches? And more importantly... why didn't they include any in Wiltshire? 👇 Expand for the full book review!Before we launch into our massive Harry Price series, it's time to settle in with a pot of tea and some Jaffa cakes for the Weirdo Book Club! This month, Craig is joined by Discord community member Rosie to review Shadows in the Nave: A Guide to the Haunted Churches of England by Eddie Brazil, Paul Adams, and legendary ghost hunter Peter Underwood.Did this guide to the country's spookiest chapels deliver the chills, or was it a bit too dry? We discuss the strange legends of spectral horses, the drowned coastal village of Dunwich where phantom church bells still ring beneath the waves, and the bizarre Thetford ghost sightings captured by original 90s ghost hunters.Plus, we hand out our official "Green Men" rating and reveal our incredibly dark, death-focused reading choice for our upcoming summer-ween book club!Sometimes Wyrd is Better...Join the Conversation:Did you read along with us? Let us know your thoughts on the book in the comments below! If you want to jump into our next recording or share your "ideal reading spot," head over to our Discord.Support the Show:Buy Us A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessexGrab Official Merch: redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shopHosted and edited by Craig BrooksIntro & Outro Music: Medieval Celtic violin by Music_for_Creators

In this episode of AfterWyrd, Craig and Andy break down the week's strangest stories. Featuring a special check-in with stone carver Toby to dismantle some dubious academic claims about historical protection marks, alongside tales of high-altitude hounds, profound out-of-body encounters, a tracking-collared rogue elephant in Nepal, and Count Binface's hilarious local election manifesto for Clacton.Segment BreakdownWitch Marks vs. Mason's Marks with Toby the Stone CarverFollowing up on last week's exploration of historic protection marks, Craig and Andy catch up with stone carver Toby. The trio dissect a recent academic paper attempting to reclassify witch marks as mere "mason's marks" or training exercises, explaining why the theory falls apart when looking at rural vernacular architecture, taper burn marks on inglenook beams, and the practical realities of historical stonemasonry and carpentry.The Ben Nevis Cannabis CanineThe hosts turn to some bizarre modern news involving Tokyo, a black Labrador who had to be rescued halfway up Ben Nevis after suffering a suspected cannabis ingestion—a mix of mountain rescue heroics and inadvertent canine relaxation.Near-Death and Shared Spirit ExperiencesShifting into the supernatural, Craig and Andy examine the chilling account of Jeffrey Olsen, who survived a devastating 1997 car crash that claimed the lives of his wife and son, exploring out-of-body phenomena and medical professionals corroborating impossible spiritual sightings.Dhrub: The Infamous Rogue Elephant of NepalThe hosts look at an extraordinary and harrowing piece of wildlife news: Dhrub, a notorious rogue elephant linked to dozens of human fatalities since 2010, equipped with multiple tracking collars and returning predictably to the same villages year after year.Passing of a UFO Pioneer and Count Binface's Clacton ManifestoCraig and Andy briefly note the passing of Paul Andrews, founder of the famous Contact in the Desert UFO convention, before pivoting to examine Count Binface's satirical by-election manifesto for Clacton featuring bus fare caps, 99p ice creams, and a referendum on Pluto's planetary status.Don't blame the Owls!Website: www.wyrdwessex.co.ukMerch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/exploreHosted by: Craig Brooks & Andy StevensEdited by: Craig BrooksIntro music by: Universfield Dark 80s Sci-Fi Atmosphere

In this episode, Craig and Andy head to Oxfordshire's ancient Ridgeway to explore one of England's most haunted landscapes—from Farringdon churchyard where a headless ghost still patrols, to the Uffington White Horse that inspired Tolkien, and finally Wayland's Smithy, where an invisible blacksmith once shoed horses for pennies.What starts as a folklore walk quickly turns into something stranger, as we're joined by local carver Toby to share unsettling firsthand accounts of small brown figures spotted in the tree line, objects thrown at tents, and sounds with no visible source.We dig into the true story of Hampden Pye, a 17th-century aristocrat murdered during a naval engagement and cursed to haunt his memorial service as a headless spectre.We examine the Bronze Age origins of the White Horse and the ritual mutilations discovered at Childley Warren, before ending at the Neolithic barrow of Wayland's Smithy—where Saxons believed a demigod blacksmith still worked the night. Plus, we investigate a 1978 UFO sighting from Stanford-in-the-Vale that doesn't quite add up on paper.In This EpisodeThe Headless Ghost of Farringdon: Hampton Pie's tragic love affair, murder by treachery, and decades-long haunting of All Saints Church before a Victorian vicar laid him to rest.The Uffington White Horse: Britain's oldest hill figure (1380–550 BC), its WWII camouflage, and why you can't see it properly when standing right on top.Dragon Hill & St. George: The bare chalk patch where a dragon's blood supposedly poisoned the earth forever—and Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" connection.Wayland's Smithy: A Neolithic long barrow home to the invisible Saxon demigod blacksmith who offered roadside horse-shoeing services until the 19th century.The Little Brown Figures: Guest Toby shares two separate accounts from different decades of diminutive brown figures appearing in the tree line around Wayland's Smithy at night—with objects thrown at tents and no witnesses.Stanford-in-the-Vale UFO: A 1978 alleged close encounter with missing time, though the travel timeline raises questions.Stay Wyrd!Help keep the lights on and join our Discord here: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessexBuy our merch here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=uWritten by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy StevensEdited by Craig BrooksIntro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - RemixOutro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

Welcome back to WyrdLore, our bonus series dedicated to the strange tales, local legends, and folklore that are just too "Wyrd" for the main show.In this episode, Andy and Craig travel out to the treacherous, wave-lashed waters twenty miles west of the Marloes Peninsula to uncover the grim and haunting history of the Smalls Lighthouse. Back in the autumn of 18th-century Britain, this wasn't the sturdy stone tower people picture today, but a bizarre, claustrophobic wooden cage balanced precariously on nine oak pillars—allowing the violent Atlantic swells to rush right through beneath the keepers' feet.Stationed out on this isolated post were Thomas Griffiths and Joseph Harry, two men whose forced confinement spiralled into a psychological nightmare. What happened inside that tiny wooden room left one man dead, the other irrevocably changed, and gave birth to a dark maritime legend that would eventually echo all the way to modern cinema. Step inside the cage with us as we unpack a true chapter of coastal horror that changed lighthouse regulations forever.Support the show and join our Discord here: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessexBuy our merch here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=uWritten by Craig BrooksHosted by Craig Brooks and Andy StevensEdited by Craig BrooksMain theme: NRA-LAB Intro

In this episode of Wyrd Wessex, we sit down with Matt, the director of Area 51, to peel back the layers of one of the UK’s most unique gatherings: The Strange Days Festival. Hosted at the legendary Barge Inn in Honey Street, this weekend-long celebration on the Kennet and Avon Canal has become a vital hub for the Fortean community.Matt takes us behind the scenes of creating immersive, "shit-scary" experiences—from his work designing elaborate Halloween scare mazes like Witchfinder to the eclectic, "psychedelic space rock" atmosphere of the festival itself. We discuss the fine line between believers and skeptics, the fascinating history of Forteana, and why the Barge is the perfect, uncanny setting for healthy debate and storytelling.Join us as we explore the lineup for this year’s festival, discuss the "Sandown Clown" mystery, and dive into the peculiar crossover between folk horror and modern UFO encounters.Links:Strange Days Festival: strange days festival.co.ukFollow the Barge: https://www.facebook.com/thebargehoneystreet/?locale=en_GBStay Wyrd!Support the Show:Join our Discord: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessexShop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=uWritten by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy StevensEdited by Craig BrooksIntro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - RemixOutro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

Welcome back to AfterWyrd where we dive into the anomalies, the unexplained, and the unsettling stories that were just too "Wyrd" for the main show.]This week, we confront the strange reality of modern science and ancient folklore. From the disturbing pattern of researchers vanishing after experiments involving quantum matter, to the "data rot" causing AI chatbots to hallucinate the same fictional man—Elias Thorne—we explore the boundaries of what we think we know. We also revisit the debate over "witch marks," challenging whether those iconic daisy wheels and hexafoils are truly ritual protection, or merely the practical geometry of bored medieval stonemasons.The conversation takes a darker turn as we move to the clinical and the paranormal: dissecting the electromagnetic glitches at Skinwalker Ranch and the terrifying "mind games" of the devil as documented by modern exorcists. The Wyrd News:The Quantum Disappearances: We look into the disturbing trend of researchers vanishing after experiments involving quantum state research. Is this a statistical anomaly, or is there a darker, more persistent thread connecting these cases?Elias Thorne & The AI Glitch: Why are the world’s most advanced AI models obsessed with the same fictional lighthouse keeper? We explore why our digital intelligence is running out of original ideas and stuck in a loop of its own making.Witch Marks vs. Geometry: Following our talk with Toby the Stone Carver, we analyse new research suggesting that iconic "witch marks" might just be the practical practice sketches of medieval stonemasons—and debate if that explanation is simply too convenient.Skinwalker Ranch & Exorcisms: From the physicist who used magnets to replicate the ranch’s electronic glitches to the priests who claim the "mind of the devil" is a tangible, terrifying presence, we examine the fine line between the clinical and the paranormal.The Semen-Injection Incident: A bizarre, clinical look at a medical case study involving a DIY "remedy" that serves as a grim reminder of what happens when human curiosity ignores all medical logic.Don't blame the Owls!Website: www.wyrdwessex.co.ukMerch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/exploreHosted by: Craig Brooks & Andy StevensEdited by: Craig BrooksIntro music by: Universfield Dark 80s Sci-Fi Atmosphere

Join Craig as he leaves the comfort of the studio behind for a special live recording from the stunning Peak District. Amidst the magic and folklore swirling around the festival grounds, this episode captures the raw energy of Solskin, featuring intimate conversations on shamanism, Celtic mythology, and the supernatural. Between teaching butchery and cooking over open fires, Craig sat down with fascinating guests to explore the deeper currents of myth and spirit that define the event.First up, we speak with Faber Horbach from Sowulo about his spiritual musical practice. Known for blending Anglo-Saxon lyrics with modern orchestration and historical instruments, Faber delves into the cyclical nature of the sun, the roots of shamanism, and how drumming acts as a gateway to non-ordinary reality. He shares insights on creating meaningful music for the present moment using old ingredients, and why authenticity resonates more deeply than high-budget production.Next, we catch up with storyteller Jason Buck to discuss his latest production, Sláine: the Horned God. Adapted from Pat Mills’ celebrated 2000 AD graphic novel, Jason breaks down the journey of bringing ancient Celtic myths to the stage for a 21st-century audience. We talk about the "warp spasm," the hero Cú Chulainn, and the challenge of translating hand-painted comics into immersive storytelling without needing to get lost in costume.Then, we delve into the strange and wonderful work of Snooze from Portable Weirdness. Describing herself as a "taxi for dead guys," Snooze uses animal remains to create craftwork and spiritual tools. She offers expert analysis on a listener’s terrifying lifelong night visitations, decodes the runes carved into a cow bone talisman, and discusses the concept of spirit animals in preparation for the festival's big animal mask ball. Finally, while getting a tattoo from Hamish (Pictavia leather) Craig shares a captivating account of a 1950s Pictish time slip, exploring archaeological evidence, warrior tattoos, and the possibility of glimpsing history across time.Whether you’re here for pagan music, bone work, ghost stories, or the mystery of the Horned God, this episode brings the essence of the festival straight to your screen.Stay Wyrd!Support the Show:Join our Discord: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessexShop our merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=uWritten and hosted by Craig BrooksEdited by Craig BrooksIntro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - RemixOutro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong