RETURN TO 10th KINGDOM:

We chat with actor Scott Cohen, who played Wolf in the mini-series 'The 10th Kingdom' about possible plans for a sequel, his thoughts on the show and its characters and genre fiction more broadly, as well as discussing his career as an actor and theatre producer.

Visit our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast where you can join as a free member and listen to our storytelling show 'Stories from the Hearth', or support the podcast on one of our paid tiers and access a back catalogue of bonus material.

In this bonus episode of The Folklore Podcast we shine a light on another fantastic folklore audio project as we meet Charlie Dobres, the writer and creator of audio drama The Maiden and the Dragon. This 6-part production takes a well-known folk tale that we have covered on this show before, The Lambton Worm, and retreats it with a female protagonist in the lead role.

You can access more content from The Folklore Podcast, as well as supporting the show and helping it to continue, by visiting the Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Visit Charlie's website at https://goodintentmedia.com/

As listeners in the US celebrate Thanksgiving, this bonus minisode takes a look at what we actually know about the history of this celebration versus the popular myth.

Support the Folklore Podcast via our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast for additional content.

Guest interviewer Becky Jones meets Dr Martin Shaw, mythologist and storyteller and the author of the book 'Smoke Hole', published by Chelsea Green Publishing. 'Smoke Hole' uses traditional folk tales as a metaphor on modern life.

Martin is director of the Westcountry School of Myth and the interview looks at his work as a wilderness guide, the ways in which his writing provides commentary on the modern through mythology and much more.

Click here to find out more about the Westcountry School of Myth

Click here to watch the video version of this interview on our YouTube channel

The Folklore Podcast Book Club is part of the Folklore Library and Archive. To support our work in preserving and making folklore resources available for future generations, please click here.

We celebrate the 100th episode of The Folklore Podcast with special guest Mary-Ann Ochota who joins us to discuss the theme of folklore in the landscape. We cover archaeology, anthropology, the importance of communal spaces and much more.

Please visit our website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com where you will find a variety of ways to support all of The Folklore Podcast's projects and we move into our next 100 shows.

Guest book reviewer Hilary Wilson speaks with Thomas Honegger, the author of the book 'Introducing the Medieval Dragon', published by University of Wales Press. The book explores the characteristics of the medieval dragon and discusses the sometimes differing views found in the relevant medieval text-types.

The book is available from the publisher here

To support The Folklore Podcast in producing free content with access to the world's experts in the fields of folklore as well as maintaining folklore for the future through the Folklore Library and Archive, please visit our Patreon page or make a one-off donation here.

Charlotte Sophia Burne was a pioneering British Folklorist who was not only the first female president of The Folklore Society, but also undoubtedly the first female president of any learned society in the country. She was instrumental in the production of the second edition of 'The Handbook of Folklore' and her work on folklore in the county of Shropshire is still well respected today.

Our guest Nicole Stout is a direct descendent of Charlotte and also the author of 'Unexpected Companions', a novel in which Charlotte features, using many words and events based on her life. Nicole discusses the life and career of Charlotte in this episode, which is part of our occasional series on great folklorists.

To visit Nicole's website and find her book, please click here.

The Folklore Library and Archive contains digitised copies of all the notebooks of Charlotte's which are known to still exist today. Click here to visit the website, where you will find them in the Document Archives.

To support the work of The Folklore Podcast and The Folklore Library and Archive, please visit our Patreon page.

On this episode of The Folklore Podcast Book Club we talk with author Lizzie Fry about her fiction title 'The Coven' published by Sphere Books. The book is a global thriller, set in a world where witchcraft is real and the US president decrees that all witches must be imprisoned for their own safety - creating a world in which being female is only one step away from being criminal.

To support the Folklore Podcast Network and help us to preserve and make available folklore resources for the future, please visit our Patreon page or make a small one-off donation on our website.

Guest reviewer for The Folklore Podcast Book Club, Hilary Wilson, interviews author David Castleton about his book 'Church Curiosities'.

To support us in creating free content across The Folklore Podcast network, please click here

David's book is available from the publisher at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/church-...

David's blog can be found at https://www.davidcastleton.net/

Watch the video of this interview at https://youtu.be/tsGqrgDym-A

We travel back to the 11th century to examine the use of erotic magic and the church's response to this in the form of penitential literature, with a particular focus on the writings of the bishop of the Holy Roman Empire, Burchard of Worms. Guest Larissa Lyth speaks about the types of magic employed, how women were viewed by the church at this time and the types of penance given for magical use.

Please note this this episode discusses adult themes of a sexual nature and carries a content warning for abortion, and as such is not considered as suitable for children.

To support us in providing free folklore content across the Folklore Podcast network, please visit our Patreon page.

We are joined by author Joanne Harris, on her second visit to The Folklore Podcast network. Joanne discusses her latest book 'Honeycomb' - a collection of 100 stories set amongst the world of fairy lore which had a very unusual method of writing.

If you enjoy this episode please consider making a small donation to The Folklore Podcast on our website, or signing up to our Patreon page. Thank you

We talk with American author CM McGuire about her debut Young Adult novel 'Ironspark' which takes as its central theme an ongoing battle between humans and the fae folk, through a family connection going back years. The book uses ideas of existing fairy folklore to shape its narrative.

We speak with PhD researcher Karin Murray-Bergquist about her research into ghost ship stories off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, and her project which is plotting these onto a new digital map of the area.

To view the map, visit Karin's MapHub page

To contact Karin with stories, please email her at karin.murraybergquist@gmail.com

You can view Karin's other projects on her website

To support The Folklore Podcast and help our network to keep producing free content, please visit our Patreon page

In this episode of The Folklore Podcast we enter the secretive world of the circus and the carnival sideshow - a community with much tradition and folklore but at the same time many secrets.

Our guest Nathan Wakefield, himself a variety performer, uncovers the world of the Sideshow Geek - controversial and eccentric acts which shocked many an audience member in the sideshows of the past. But how much of the act was genuine, and how much was just that - an act?

Nathan's book, 'The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek' offers an in-depth look at this fascinating topic, aspects of which are touched on in this interview. Please note that this episode carries a content warning for stories of acts which may have involved abuse of animals.

Useful links:

Nathan's performing website: https://nathanmcscary.com/

Nathan's publisher's website: http://outsidetalkerpress.com/

Book softcover: https://outsidetalkerpress.bigcartel.com/product/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-sideshow-geek

Book hardcover: https://outsidetalkerpress.bigcartel.com/product/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-sideshow-geek-snake-eaters-human-ostriches-other-extreme-hardcover

eBook Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/38YOew

To support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon and access extra content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolkorepodcast

Guest reviewer Howard David Ingham, from Room 207 Press, discusses the book 'New Queer Horror Film and Television', published by University of Wales Press.

This is an audio version of a Folklore Podcast Book Club episode originally made for YouTube. You can watch the original on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/FolklorePodcast

To support The Folklore Podcast in all of its projects to preserve folklore and make it available to the public, please visit our Patreon page.

In a feature length episode, special guest Howard David Ingham takes an in-depth look at the life and career of the late Gordon Higginson - one of the most prolific psychic and physical mediums of the 20th century and yet a character who is relatively unknown by most.To see Howard's replication of the manifestation of ectoplasm, please click here.​To support all of the work of The Folklore Podcast in bringing world-class presenters and folklore resources to a global audience, please consider joining our Patreon page, or making a one-time donation

In this episode of the Folklore Podcast Book Club, originally made as a video release for YouTube, we discuss the book "Tales of Witchcraft and Wonder" with authors Candia and Tony McCormack, founders of the pagan rock group 'Inkubus Sukkubus'.

The book examines the stories behind 13 of the tracks from their trilogy of albums bearing the book's title, looking at the history and folklore which led to the penning of the songs.

Inkubus Sukkubus can be found on the web at www.inkubussukkubus.com

To support the Folklore Podcast in producing folklore content across all of its strands and mediums, please visit our Patreon page

Our adventure in the Atlas Mines concludes as storyteller Matthew Dawkins brings our campaign in the folk horror world of Solemn Vale to a conclusion.

Please note that this episode is not suitable for children.

This episode was produced in association with Red Moon Roleplaying

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and help us to keep producing content, please sign up for our Patreon page,.

Storyteller Matthew Dawkins leads us further into the Atlas Mines in the second episode of our roleplaying adventure set in the world of the new Folk Horror game Solemn Vale, designed by Dirty Vortex.

Please note that this episode is not suitable for children.

This episode was produced in association with Red Moon Roleplaying

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and help us to keep producing content, please sign up for our Patreon page,.

We explore the history, arts and ritual practice of the artisan Japanese performers, the Geisha, with special guest Hachiko.

Hachiko is a westerner who follows a Geisha lifestyle, based in the Devon town of Totnes.

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and help us to keep producing content, please click here

We join up once again with our friends at Red Moon Roleplaying for a return visit to the fictional town of Solemn Vale.

Our protagonists arrive in Solemn Vale to investigate the viability of reopening the tin mines buried beneath the town.

Solemn Vale is a Folk Horror roleplaying game created by Dirty Vortex. For more information join the Solemn Vale Facebook Group.

This episode is flagged as not suitable for children under the age of 15.

Guest book reviewer Charlie Farrow interviews with author C.M. Rosens about her book "The Folklore of Pagham on Sea" - a companion book to the paranormal novel "The Crows".

Support The Folklore Podcast in its continued output of folklore-related content at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Watch the YouTube version of this episode at www.youtube.com/FolklorePodcast

Author website: www.cmrosens.com

Writer and broadcaster Danny Robins talks about his investigative docu-drama "The Battersea Poltergeist" which examines in detail a major forgotten poltergeist case from 1950s Britain. The series, starring Dafne Keen and Toby Jones in the dramatised elements, and with Ciaran O'Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow representing the parapsychologists, was released via BBC Radio 4 and used original case materials as well as throwing up some new details.​To support all of the work of The Folklore Podcast in bringing world-class presenters and folklore resources to a global audience, please consider joining our Patreon page

Audio version of the YouTube based Folklore Podcast Book Club.

Dr Sharon Blackie discusses her anthology collection, published by September Publishing. Foxfire, Wolfskin features positive and powerful reworkings of folk tales from around the world featuring shapeshifting women at their heart.

Sharon's website: https://sharonblackie.net/​

September Publishing: http://www.septemberpublishing.org/​

Follow Sharon on Twitter @sharonblackie

To support the Folklore Podcast please visit our Patreon page or make a small donation at www.thefolklorepodcast.com

We meet musician and composer Freya Waley-Cohen to talk about her work and the ways in which folklore and the occult have inspired her music. In particular, we look at 'Spell Book', a dramatic song cycle which sets spell-poems from Rebecca Tamas' book WITCH to original music.

You can visit Freya on the web and learn more about her work at https://www.freyawaleycohen.com/

To support the work of the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and access extra content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

We take a deep dive into the world of urban legends, internet memes and more to try and make a case to legitimise the world of Digital Folklore. Does all folklore have to be old? What is digital folklore anyway? We explore the subject with assistant professor of folklore at Utah State University, and co-founder of the Digital Folklore Project, Dr Lynne McNeill.

Content warning: Please be aware that this episode features discussion of suicide cult legends.

Music guest: Helen Bell. Find her work at www.helenbell.co.uk

Support the Folklore Podcast to help us keep making content on our Patreon page

Episode 4 of the Folklore Podcast Book Club, originally made as a video for the podcast YouTube channel. Folklore Podcast creator Mark Norman speaks to author Roger Clarke about his classic book 'A Natural History of Ghosts'.

Watch the original interview on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/FolklorePodcast

Support the preservation of folklore and creation of folklore content at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Creator and host of The Folklore Podcast Mark Norman is joined by highly regarded musician Einar Selvik, founder of the band Wardruna, to discuss Old Norse music - how it was created and what it meant to the people who played and listened. Einar is one of the world's leading experts in this field and his work is regularly accessed by scholars the world over. We also feature some music from the Wardruna back catalogue.

To support all of the work of The Folklore Podcast in bringing world-class presenters and folklore resources to a global audience, please consider joining our Patreon page, or making a one-time donation via the Folklore Podcast website.

Audio only version of the original You Tube interview for episode 3 of the Folklore Podcast Book Club.

Podcast host Mark Norman discusses the book 'Medieval Folk Tales for Children', published by The History Press, with the author Dave Tonge.

Dave also performs one of the tales from the book.

To support The Folklore Podcast and keep us producing regular, free content, please either:

Join our Patreon page: www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Click the donate button: www.thefolklorepodcast.com

Season 6 of The Folklore Podcast kicks off with a special feature length interview.

Lecturer and historian Dr Thomas Waters discusses some of the research which comprises his book 'Cursed Britain - a history of witchcraft and black magic in modern times'. Having spent 12 years trawling the case records in order to write this book, Thomas discusses some fascinating aspects of witchcraft belief and accusation which took place far later in our history than we might at first think.

The conversation also looks at some of the famous practitioners and researchers in the field and covers both tragic and positive events in our history.

This episode carries a content warning for its discussion of modern day witchcraft and abuse cases.

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and access extra content, please click here

Tracey and Mark Norman discuss the book Lanny, by Max Porter, published by Faber and Faber. This is an audio version of an episode originally filmed for YouTube. To see the original please visit www.youtube.com/FolklorePodcast and choose the Book Club playlist.

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and access bonus content and discussion, please click here

In the final episode of Season 5 of The Folklore Podcast, released on December 31st, 2020, we are joined by Swedish folklorist Tommy Kuusela to discuss the unique divinatory ritual of the Year Walk, which traditionally took place on this date. We also cover some of the Swedish forest spirits which may be encountered whilst undertaking the walk.

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and access bonus content, please click here

Folk song holds a vital place within everybody's culture. From political songs to work songs, lyrics record our feelings, our traditions and, of course, our stories across the ages. In the episode of the podcast, folk singers and writers Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner talk about their thoughts on the subject, developed over many years from their early careers being taught by such names as Lonnie Donegan and Peggy Seeger to university lecturing and 21st century performances. Plus, of course, we discuss the children's TV classic Bagpuss and its use of folk song and influence on culture even today - Sandra and John having written all the music and songs for this, as well as voicing Madeleine the Rag Doll and Gabriel the Toad.

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and access extra content, please click here.

Due to listener demand, we are releasing audio only versions of the Folklore Podcast Book Club, which is originally made for YouTube.

In this episode of The Folklore Podcast Book Club, author and storyteller Tom Phillips discusses his book 'Forest Folk Tales for Children'.

Tom's Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TomtheTaleTeller

Tom's Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TaleTellerTom

Tom's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj2-...

Storytelling Cafe: https://worldstorytellingcafe.com/tom...

Mark Norman, the creator of The Folklore Podcast presents an investigation into the legend of the White Bird of the Oxenhams - a death portent said to be attached to a family in Devon which spanned many hundreds of years.

This episode was written by Tracey and Mark Norman.

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon to access extra exclusive content for supporters. Visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

There can be few people who don't have at least a passing awareness of the legend of the lost continent of Atlantis. But probably a significantly smaller number don't know much about Lemuria, another alleged land mass which sunk to the depths and which has since been seized upon by occultists to posit theories about our ancestral past.

In this episode of the Folklore Podcast we sort the aquatic wheat from the chaff with special guest Justin McHenry whose latest book provides an in-depth look at the stories of Lemuria.

You can visit Justin's website at https://www.justinjmchenry.com/

To support The Folklore Podcast and help us to keep going into our 10th season, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Japanese culture and folklore is very distinctive, but not always as dissimilar from our own as we might think in the West. Podcast creator and host Mark Norman is joined by bestselling author Natasha Pulley to discuss the culture represented in two of her books - The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Lost Future of Pepperharrow - and Japanese ritual and belief more generally.

The episode is closed by a track from musical guests Foxtails Brigade, who took the internet by storm recently with their unique video for the track 'My Favourite Things'.

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon for extra content and rewards.

A free ghost story for Halloween. "The Diary of Mr Poynter" by MR James. Performed by Circle of Spears Productions.

Learn more about the performers at www.circleofspears.com

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon

Bestselling author Joanne Harris joins Mark Norman, the creator of The Folklore Podcast in a discussion of the importance of folklore, storytelling and her brand new book Orfeia - the third in a series of folklore-rich novellas constructed as reworkings of some of the Child Ballads. At the end of the episode, as a bonus feature, Joanne herself reads the first chapter of Orfeia.

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and help us to keep producing content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast where you can also access a whole catalogue of exclusive extra material.

We talk to the Welsh Children's Laureate Eloise Williams and children's authors P.G. Bell and Matt Brown about a really important new project to bring out the first ever dual Welsh/English language reworking of 'The Mabinogion' aimed specifically at children.

The project, being realised through Unbound, will involve 11 of the best Welsh children's writers and will also include packages and teaching materials for schools.

Musical guest: Sharron Kraus

To support the project being discussed in this episode, please click here.

To access exclusive bonus content and help keep The Folklore Podcast running, please click here.

Creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, Mark Norman, is joined by Carnegie shortlisted children's author Zana Fraillon, whose latest book 'The Lost Soul Atlas' deals with the folkloric trope of a passage through the afterlife. Zana also discusses her love of folklore generally and some of the Australian influences from her own culture in her writing.

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon to help us to keep making new episodes.

One year on from the phenomenally popular re-release of the classic Usborne book 'All About Ghosts', we return to the stable as Usborne reprint the equally iconic 'All About UFOs' from their World of the Unknown series.

Joining host Mark Norman to discuss the topic are TV impressionist and astronomer Jon Culshaw (who wrote the foreword for the new printing) and returning guest Dr David Clarke, who was the official spokes-person when the Ministry of Defence declassified many of their UFO documents at the National Archives.

Musical guest: Polly Preacher

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon for extra material and to keep the show going.

Journalist and author Asher Elbein and illustrator Tiffany Turrill join Folklore Podcast host Mark Norman to look at the folklore of the Appalachian regions of the United States. How did Cherokee and incoming tales and beliefs combine to forge the stories that we find in this area of the world? As a springboard for this discussion, we use Asher and Tiffany's book 'Ghost Days'. The stories of protagonist Anna O'Brien are set in the region and feature many of the characters and creatures from Appalachian lore.

Tiffany's website: www.tiffanyturrill.com

Asher's website: www.asherelbein.com

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and keep the free episodes coming, please click here.

We present the second part of our mass recording session with 11 other folklore and mythology themed podcasts, trying to decide who has the best and most entertaining folklore tale. Last week you heard the stories. This week ... it's the free-for-all discussion and voting. Who will come out on top?

Featuring musical guests Strangefolk

We are putting out an episode a week through September. If you would like to see more content coming out permanently, please consider helping us to reach our next support goal by signing up for our Patreon. You can access a whole back catalogue of exclusive extra content there too.

www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast to keep us free and viable!

Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman invites 11 more of the world's great folklore and history podcasts - from America, Australia and the UK - to join a mass recording session to discuss their favourite folklore stories.

In this episode you will hear stories from all 12 of the podcasts. Some of the tales are well known. Others far more obscure. But which one is the ultimate folklore story?

In the next episode, you will get to hear the discussion and see which story was voted into the top slot.

During September, the Folklore Podcast will be releasing an episode every week. If you would like to see more content as a permanent fixture, please help us to reach our next Patreon support goal. Visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast to sign up and receive extra content and rewards.

There can be little doubt that, of all the instruments in the orchestra, the harp is the most beautiful and ethereal sounding of them all. Its religious connections with the angelic host are widely known, but not discussed as often are its appearances in folklore.

On this episode of the podcast, recorded in the open-air, host Mark Norman talks with professional harpist Elizabeth-Jane Baldry, the world's only silent movie harp accompanist and a composer whose unique research into fairy harp music led to a West End play with Simon Callow and a performance at Prince Charles's unveiling of the Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens.

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and keep the project viable, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

To hear Elizabeth-Jane's radio interview on Fairy Harp music, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeQoIO7uyc0

In this episode of the podcast, we explore the use of folklore as an inspiration for the creation of music, with award-winning musician, composer and songwriter Kate Young.

At the time of release, Kate has just released her much-anticipated debut album, Umbelliferæ (pronounced ‘um-bell-ifer-aye’), a captivating record inspired by plantlore and the ancient medicinal uses of wildflowers from the British Isles. Drawing from world traditions, chamber music, and indie/pop influences with a stunning song-led string quintet collection, each track is a unique journey through soundscapes inspired by specific plants, which Kate has woven together with stories and melodies that capture the essence of their characteristics and historical uses.

You can find out more about Kate and her music, and get a copy of her album, from her website at https://kateyoungmusic.com/

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon to help us to keep producing the content you enjoy. You can join as a free listener and access our storytelling podcast there, or from a small amount each month access our back catalogue of bonus materials. Visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast to sign up.

Following on from our foray into roleplaying games with bonus content adventures for the folk horror games of Solemn Vale and Shivering Circle, we explore the subject in more detail.

How is folklore represented in the tabletop gaming environment? Is it all monsters and creatures, or are there other approaches which look more into our social history? What makes for a strong narrative dynamic and do these techniques draw on the oral storytelling which transmitted folklore in the first place?

In an interview recorded for the 2020 Archaeogaming Convention hosted by the Archaeological Fantasies podcast, we are joined by game developer Matthew Dawkins and GM storyteller Tom Murr to examine this area.

To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and get uncut access to video versions of our interviews as well as much more extra content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Sensationalised by Hollywood, the reality behind the rituals and practices of exorcism is somewhat different. Historian Dr Francis Young joins podcast creator and host Mark Norman to discuss the approach taken in medieval times, representations of the rituals in folklore and more.

Francis also offers the following book recommendations for further reading:

A History of Exorcism in Catholic Christianity, and A History of Anglican Exorcism (by himself)

The Devil Within (Brian P. Levack)

The Haunted: A Social History of Ghosts (Owen Davies)

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon to keep the show free and to allow us to create more content: www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Released on Midsummer Day 2020, Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman introduces a look at the festival through the lens of the folk horror film Midsommar. Mark discusses some aspects of the festival and presents two pieces by volunteer researchers Joana Varanda and Pola Schiavone. The first of these discusses a theory that the narrative construction relates to the cards presented in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. In the second, the role of food as a ritual within both the film and the festival is examined.

Support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and receive the transcript of this episode and other exclusive content and rewards. Click here to visit the Patreon page.