If we think of submerged cities, lost beneath the waves, we're probably most likely to think of Atlantis, that thought-experiment that took on a life of its own. Closer to home, there's the lost Welsh kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod, believed to lie between Bae Ceredigion and Ynys Enlli.  Yet there are countless tales of submerged villages along both the west and east coast of England too, not to mention villages lost to the depths of lakes or reservoirs. Many of them share a preoccupation with drowned church bells continuing to toll beneath the water. Others tell stories of losses often assi ..read more

The humble mouse appears in a surprising amount of folklore. Both a harbinger of death if spotted in the house, and a medical remedy for a range of ailments, it seems the mouse both harms and heals. This reputation even stretches back to ancient Egypt, demonstrating just how ambivalent humans have felt about the tiny rodent for centuries. With strange origin stories, links to a Belgian saint, a use in divination, and a helpful role as the Tooth Mouse, their lore covers a lot of bases! Let's take a look at the mouse in folklore in this week’s episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and re ..read more

There is much of the strange and haunting in Sheffield's folklore. Does that make it a haunted place? There are stories of water gods in the River Don, demanding annual sacrifices, boggards in boggard lane, spectral visions of highwaymen, ghosts, and even Spring-Heeled Jack! Let's find out more in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/sheffield-folklore/ Spring-Heeled Jack blog post and episode: https://www.icysedgwick.com/spring-heeled-jack/ RSVP for my Folklore of Magical Trees talk: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk ..read more

To some, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Great Park. He haunts the tree where he died, rattling his chains and raging against...well...something. Elsewhere, Herne is portrayed as a demonic force tearing through the forest at speed, scooping up souls in the Wild Hunt. Some tales see him riding a coal-black horse with burning eyes. Others see him as a phantom stag that prefers to chase than be chased.  Is he simply an invention of Shakespeare, or does he have a basis in reality? And why do the legends about him vary so wildly? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fab ..read more

Thersa Matsuura, an American author living in Japan, explores lesser-known aspects of Japanese culture, folklore, superstitions, and myths. Fluent in Japanese, she uses her research to write stories and for her podcast Uncanny Japan. She's also the author of The Book of Japanese Folklore, which explores a range of spirits, monsters, and yokai for Japanese lore.  In this chat, we talk about some specific yokai, discuss where people might have encountered these figures in popular media, and talk about what to do if you think you've encountered a yokai! Thersa website: https://thersamatsuura ..read more

Welcome back to Fabulous Folklore Presents. This time, I'm delighted to be talking to Darragh Mason, a multi-award-winning photographer, author, and researcher. He studied photography at Dublin City University and has traveled extensively across Asia, Europe, and America, where he has written articles and published his photography. His work has taken him to post-war countries such as Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo. Darragh is particularly renowned for his photographic work on the Aghori Hindu sect and his research on the Djinn. Darragh also hosts the award-nominated podcast *Spirit Box ..read more

Humans first domesticated horses in around 3500 BC. Since then, they’ve pulled our chariots and carts, carried royalty and soldiers, worked on farms, and been steadfast companions. Horses are actually a prey animal, which perhaps explains their vulnerability to supernatural attack by witches and fairies.  Yet as the stories in this episode will show, they’re also famous for their speed, ability to help humans, and even fantastical leaps and bounds. But let’s look at these horses, from spectres to Black Bess, in this week’s episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on th ..read more

Britain is supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, especially when it comes to pet dogs. According to the PDSA, 29% of UK adults own a dog, which gives an estimated population of 10.6 million pet dogs. While 29% isn't a majority, the number of pet dogs in the country has increased over the last few years. So it seems only fair to see how this popular animal appears in folklore. After all, I've already covered their eternal nemesis, the cat! In folklore, they sometimes appear as death omens—dogs persistently howling meant death was imminent. And they also appear in mythology, with Cerberus th ..read more

Human relationships with deer stretch back thousands of years. Archaeologists uncovered red deer skulls at Star Carr in Yorkshire which are 11,000 years old. No one knows what they were used for, if they had practical applications or were used in shamanic rituals. But it suggests some kind of relationship between humans and deer, even if we're not sure what that involved. Deer appear in mythology all over the world, although this post will focus on the British Isles. From shapeshifting deer to fairy cattle, deer cults to white stag legends, let's explore the appearance of the deer in British a ..read more

I’ve been sharing real-life supernatural experiences from Fabulous Folklore listeners for the past couple of weeks. It’s been brilliant to see how vulnerable people have been in sharing these, since talking about such things can often earn you a strong amount of scorn.  But I really think it’s important to preserve these stories, a) to honour the experience itself, and b) to create a space where people who’ve had them can feel less alone. It’s also been very fascinating to see how the experiences are rarely outright terrifying, but instead are just unsettling enough to disrupt normality ..read more