Wherever we might be in the world, we find that folklore will always take on very specific regional variations: any area will have both its own unique stories and versions of other tales which have been shaped by local knowledge or events.In the UK, where the country is divided into counties, records vary very much from place to place. The country of Lincolnshire has some fascinating folklore and yet, historically, it has been quite overlooked in terms of collecting and recording these...

In this episode of the Folklore Podcast we explore the psychology of trauma and its intersection with alleged paranormal phenomena, with guests Bill and Jaci Kousoulas.For some, paranormal occurrences can be a precursor to later trauma, either on a personal level or on a larger scale. For others, trauma may act as a catalyst from paranormal events and they find after suffering a personal loss or other tragedy that they become susceptible to what we might term supernatural happenings. But what...

The image of the fox appears in many cultures as a trickster figure, but in Asian folklore there are some subtle differences. The Chinese fox is a symbol of intelligence, and has the ability to shapeshift for example.Exploring the folklore of the Asian countries, with particular reference to foxes, in this episode creator and host of the podcast Mark Norman is joined by New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo. Yangsze's novel 'The Ghost Bride' was serisalised and broadcast as a Netflix...

Story: The Sun, or the Three Golden Hairs of the Old Man VsevedeReader: Natosha LyonSource: Slavic Fairy TaleEpisode produced by Tracy NicholasMusic by Al SeegerTo support the work of The Folklore Podcast, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast (www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast)For the whole back catalogue of content from The Folklore Podcast, please visit the website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com...

Story: Alosha PopovicReader: Al SeegerSource: Russian folk taleEpisode produced by Tracy NicholasMusic by Al SeegerTo support the work of The Folklore Podcast and to help us keep going, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast (www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast)For the whole back catalogue of content from The Folklore Podcast, please visit the website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com (https://publish.blubrry.com/s-3562383/episodes/e-127746235/edit/www.thefolklorepodcast.com)

Story: The White Wolf of the Hartz MountainsReader: Nicole C. DittmerSource: Short story extracted from Frederick Marryat's novel The Phantom Ship (1839)Episode produced by Tracy NicholasMusic by Al SeegerTo support the work of The Folklore Podcast, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast (www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast)For the whole back catalogue of content from The Folklore Podcast, please visit the website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com...

In the field of Gothic literature, from the Penny Dreadful and Chapbook through the Penny Bloods and novels. whether it a classic like Bronte or something less well known, there are many ways in which the female characters may as monstrous.We explore the landscape of 'mad', murderous and shape-shifting women with Gothic scholar Dr Nicole C. Dittmer, author of 'Monstrous Women and Ecofeminism in the Victorian Gothic'.After listening to this episode, seek out Story 4 of 'Stories from the...

Story: The Brown Bear of NorwayReader: Liefke CarwynSource: Irish fairy taleEpisode produced by Tracy NicholasMusic composed by Al SeegerPlease help to support the work of the Folklore Podcast in making folklore freely available for everyone by visiting www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast (www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast)For the whole back catalogue of content from The Folklore Podcast, please visit the website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com...

Story: King TongueReader: Ori KaganSource: Traditional Middle Eastern folk taleEpisode produced by Tracy NicholasMusic composed by Al SeegerIf you would like to help The Folklore Podcast in its work to make folklore content free for everyone to enjoy, please consider visiting our Patreon support page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast (www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast)For the whole back catalogue of content from The Folklore Podcast, please visit the website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com...

Story: The Unlooked for PrinceReader: Melissa DawSource: Slavonic fairy tale, of Polish originEpisode produced by Tracy NicholasMusic composed by Al SeegerTo support The Folklore Podcast in its work making folklore materials free to everyone to enjoy, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast (www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast)For the whole back catalogue of content from The Folklore Podcast, please visit the website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com...

We welcome writer and folklore graduate Liza Frank to the Folklore Podcast for an episode looking at the many different ways in which you might be able to combine a bit of folklore into your daily life.In conversation with Mark Norman, creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, Liza looks at divination, calendar customs, food folklore and lots more ideas which came out of the Everyday Lore Project which she ran for a year through lockdown. Liza also discusses how this material then went on to...

Nick Medina's debut novel from 2023, 'Sisters of the Lost Nation', describes the hunt for answers as a Native girl searches for information about women who have been mysteriously disappearing from her tribe's reservation. As she searches for clues, she learns more about the myths and stories of her people and how they may offer help.In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, we chat with Nick about various aspects of Native American folklore, his inspirations for this particular plot from the...

Folklorist Mark Norman, the creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, returns to write and present an individual episode of the show.Spurred on by the recent viral sharing of the Chicago Rat Hole, Mark takes a look at the history of this simulacrum as well as other folk art and belief associated with our roads from flacking to the Virgin Mary, and from holes in the ground to manholes in space. Maybe.To support The Folklore Podcast and help us to keep writing and creating free folklore...

Aisling is the Irish for dream or vision, and it may take the form of a vision poem. The genre was developed as a part of the wider Irish language poetry field at the end of the 17th century, going into the 18th. More broadly, aisling is a vision which is said to connect the seer strongly with the landscape and identity of Ireland and its sacred sites.Our guest today, author Jeremy Schewe is considered to be connected in exactly this way. In 2017, Jeremy completed 21 years of study in Celtic...

Season 9 of The Folklore Podcast kicks off with another examination of folklore writing for a younger audience.Special guest on this first episode of a new season, Louie Stowell, discusses Norse Mythology, gods, writing folklore for children and much more as we examine her ongoing book series "Loki - A Bad God's Guide".There's also a chance to hear an extract from the first audiobook in the series, painting a picture of what a Norse God might be like in the body of a mortal 11-year-old...

The Folklore Podcast Christmas Special for 2023.In an interview recorded live at the science fiction and fantasy convention Armadacon, we chat with Pat and Jan Harkin, the husband and wife team responsible for rediscovering all of the Terry Pratchett short stories published together for the first time in the new anthology 'A Stroke of the Pen'.The episode closes with a reading of one of these stories, 'How it all Began' by actor David Tennant.To support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon and...

We welcome award-winning children's author Sophie Anderson back onto the podcast to celebrate the launch of her latest book, 'The Snow Girl'.Sophie researches and works closely with Slavic and Russian folk stories, using them as inspiration for her own stories. We talk about this rich vein of lore as well as her thoughts on using folklore more generally in fiction writing. There's also a chance to hear an extract from the audiobook version of 'The Snow Girl', courtesy of Usborne Books.To...

A short trailer for our new storytelling podcast, 'Stories from the Hearth', where you - the Folklore Podcast listeners - narrate old folk and fairy tales.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts by searching for 'Stories from the Hearth (A Folklore Podcast Production)

It seems strange that there have been very few quality studies undertaken of female ghosts in America. On this episode of the podcast, we meet two researchers who have happily redressed this balance in their book 'A Haunted History of Invisible Women', Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes.The episode also features a preview of a track from the new album Solstice Wyrd, performed by Lunatraktors.Support the work of The Folklore Podcast on our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast...

In a crossover episode, The Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman is joined by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, the creators and presenters of The Three Ravens podcast.Between them, the trio have an in-depth discussion of all things folklore and folk tale, and Eleanor and Martin present their version of the story The Two Sisters.Visit www.threeravenspodcast.com (www.threeravenspodcast.com) to find out all about Eleanor and Martin, or listen to their podcastSupport The Folklore Podcast...

We explore the concept of the elements - Earth, Air, Fire and Water - with our guest, author and Wiccan practitioner and teacher Deborah Lipp. Her book on the subject, The Way of Four, was updated this year and republished in a new edition by Crossed Crow Books.Deborah discusses not only the ritualistic importance of the elements, but also how they can be and are integrated into our daily lives. Science may have renamed them, but their attributes and importance remain the same in the modern...

In one of our occasional 'In Conversation' episodes, where we have no set theme but just chat with a fascinating guest from the world of folklore, we welcome Rev Peter Laws.Peter is the host of three of his own podcasts, an expert on 'Uncanny' with Danny Robins and the author of a number of books, including non-fiction title 'The Frighteners' which explores our interests with anything morbid.We cover ghosts, monsters, horror films and the significance to Peter of black rabbits. To find out...

We get the rare opportunity to host an actual urban legend, as we welcome the mysterious Chuck Tingle onto The Folklore Podcast.In an interview which we think we surprise many, Chuck discusses his new mainstream horror writing, deconstructs the horror genre ... and maybe separates out some of the fact and fiction in his own work and life. You'll have to be the judge of that.Chuck is, undoubtedly, the embodiment of living folklore. If you thought you knew what his work was about, think...

Rebels come in many flavours. Cultures around the world have their own examples of rebellious characters embedded within their folk tales. Some help others, some help themselves. Some you would love to meet, others you would do well to avoid.But what exactly is the meaning behind our rebellious folk characters? What purpose do their stories hold and what do they tell us about ourselves?Joining Mark Norman, creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, to discuss the role of the rebel in world...