And for our final Lang Fairy Tale of the week, we warmly recommend The Forty Thieves . It's a story that starts with two brothers, then becomes a spiral of theft, depression, chalk drawings, and cold blooded murder. Say what you like about Ali Baba, but Morgiana is the real hero here! If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to c...
Jul 26, 2025•22 min•Season 10Ep. 20
People know him by many names, but, according to Nora Lang, he was called Little Thumb - and he was a clever chap! Settle in for a legend of terrible parents (though a more sympathetic mother ) along with an Ogre, his wife, and his daughters, and the anticipated consumption of human flesh... If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work do...
Jul 24, 2025•23 min•Season 10Ep. 19
A new week begins with a double-bill of Lang Fairy Tales - both pretty cat-focused. The Master Cat; or Puss in Boots introduces us to a frankly psychopathic, murderous, criminal mastermind of a feline, before The History of Whittington is much more about swapping cats for more valuable things, domestic violence, and the apparent honesty of English merchants. We hope you enjoy. And also that you feel less awkward about Martin saying "Pussy" a whole bunch than he does... If you are unfamiliar with...
Jul 21, 2025•28 min•Season 10Ep. 18
To cap off this momentous week, we have another Lang Fairy Tale for your listening pleasure: Beauty and the Beast - a tale of a quite emo monster, a young woman who has wonderful dreams, and rather greedy siblings. Comparing and contrasting to East of the Sun and West of the Moon , and The Wonderful Sheep , it seems a key message we should be taking away is to be very careful as to which parents we opt to listen to! If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were ...
Jul 19, 2025•44 min•Season 10Ep. 17
OUR FIRST EVER BOOK, THREE RAVENS FOLK TALES , IS PUBLISHED TODAY!!! Also, we have a new Lang Fairy Tale for you to enjoy. It is called The Terrible Head and it's part Oedipus, part Perseus, part Hercules, and involves the throwing of quoits. Not sure what quoits are? Not a problem - it doesn't really matter anyway... If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lan...
Jul 17, 2025•24 min•Season 10Ep. 16
As promised, here is the second of our two-part double-bill of special episodes made with the help and support of London Museum Docklands, all about the new 'Secrets of the Thames' exhibition. Today, with the basics now under our hats, we plunge below the waterline and scavenge away at some of what we know about the history of London, care of the city's community of Mudlarks. We chew over almost 10,000 years of life in England's capital - from back when it was just an upstart town to its period ...
Jul 16, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Season 6Ep. 45
And now for something completely different! Today we bring you the first of a two-part double-bill of special episodes made with the help and support of London Museum Docklands, all about the new 'Secrets of the Thames' exhibition. In this first installment we chat about some key terms, such as 'Foreshore' and 'Mudlarking,' while digging into the silt of London's history just a little bit. Martin presents the first half of his chat with curator of Secrets of the Thames Kate Sumnall, discuss the ...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 44
We're starting this week strong, with a Lang Fairy Tale called The Wonderful Sheep which starts out like King Lear, and then, all of a sudden, a woman falls in love with a sheep. Be assured - it all stays perfectly PG-rated. But then that ending... crikey! If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora...
Jul 14, 2025•37 min•Season 10Ep. 15
Feel that sizzling summer heat? Well, it might just be blowing off today's Lang Fairy Tale, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. Fair warning though, it's not all that much like the Disney version. For example, there are two evil sorcerers out to undo Aladdin in this telling. Plus he's a Peeping Tom who seems to get his mother to do everything for him. And what's all the madness about diamond-encrusted windows?!? If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assemble...
Jul 12, 2025•32 min•Season 10Ep. 14
Our Lang Fairy Tale for this episode is The Water-Lily and the Gold Spinners , which is a story about a prince who transforms himself into a crab, three cursed princesses, and a wicked witch whose love of cake proves her undoing... Also featuring that apparently famous hero 'The Wizard of Finland.' Whoever he is! If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, wi...
Jul 10, 2025•21 min•Season 10Ep. 13
Today's Lang Fairy Tale telling is The White Cat - a fairly twisted little story about a Prince falling in love with a feline, a Dad who doesn't want to give his sons their dues, and little tiny things of great value, hidden in other tiny things. Such as ring-sized dancing dogs that go, "Bow-wow." If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the w...
Jul 07, 2025•38 min•Season 10Ep. 12
Today's Lang Fairy Tale telling is The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood , which is a story about vengeful fairies, brave princes, non-consensual kissing, and evil Ogresses getting their just desserts... If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne. Assembled and publ...
Jul 05, 2025•23 min•Season 10Ep. 11
Our tenth Lang Fairy Tale telling is a beloved classic: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, which is a story with three sets of threes, a giant bear with a waxy shirt, trolls, weddings, a whole load of windy brothers, and a very determined heroine... And if you really enjoy an East of the Sun and West of the Moon telling, do check out the Three Ravens Patreon, on which Eleanor did her own take on the story for one of our monthly Patreon Exclusive episodes! If you are unfamiliar with the Lang F...
Jul 03, 2025•28 min•Season 10Ep. 10
Our ninth episode of Lang Fairy Tale tellings is Felicia and the Pot of Pinks - a very strange story about gossipy hens, cruel older brothers, and 'Pinks' - whatever the heck they are! If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne. Assembled and published in 12 c...
Jun 30, 2025•22 min•Season 10Ep. 9
We’re on a break at the moment to plan, research, and write all sorts of things, but, to fill the gap, this is the second of two new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We have entitled this episode “Three Morality Tales” as this clutch – well, they aren’t all straight allegories, but they do engage with ideas of right and wrong, and that funny, liminal band between them: the infamous ‘Grey Area’ where the rules of life get a little bit squirly. They...
Jun 28, 2025•2 hr 24 min•Season 6Ep. 43
Our eighth episode of Lang Fairy Tale tellings is a two-for-one, including both Little Red Riding Hood (which is so short) and Rumpelstiltskin - both tales about freaky masculinity and the dangers of being a lone female. If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alle...
Jun 26, 2025•14 min•Season 10Ep. 8
Our seventh Lang Fairy Tale is one a short one but a good one: Why The Sea Is Salt - a quest for earthly happiness through the power of cured meats, seasoning, and a magical hand-mill that can make anything. Just don't ask us where the Old Man came from, or what happened to him... If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compi...
Jun 23, 2025•11 min•Season 10Ep. 7
We’re on a break at the moment to plan, research, and write all sorts of things, but, to fill the gap, this is the first of two new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We have entitled this episode “Three Monsters” because these are tales about seemingly inhuman creatures from English folklore with decidedly ill-intent. They are our second-lap Derbyshire story, Crooker , and our recent Wiltshire story, The Old Creature , and our recent Lincolnshire s...
Jun 21, 2025•2 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 42
The sixth tale in our "Fairy Book Project" is one of the most iconic of all: Cinderella - complete with glass slippers, mean sisters (again!) and a particularly strict rule related to midnight... If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne. Assembled and publis...
Jun 19, 2025•17 min•Season 10Ep. 6
The fifth tale in our "Fairy Book Project" is The Master Maid - a deeply twisted romance about how mean troll sisters are, the mountain-growing power of salt, and how great it is to be the king's son... If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne. Assembled and...
Jun 16, 2025•37 min•Season 10Ep. 5
On this week's episode of Local Legends , the very last episode of Series 6, Martin is joined around the campfire by award-winning storyteller, performer, author, poet, lyricist, and very nice man, Hugh Lupton! Hugh’s career spans over 40 years, both in terms of his solo projects and his partnerships with other artists, writers, musicians, illustrators and performers. As we discussed on Monday's episode, there is a sense in which Hugh is the golden thread that binds together modern British story...
Jun 14, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 6Ep. 41
On this week's Bonus Episode - the last one of Series 6 - we're talking all things Midsummer! Folding in the history of the term 'Litha' which is sometimes also applied to the day, we're talking Gerald Gardner and the birth of Wicca, the parts Aleister Crowley, the Druids, and the Rosicrucians had to play in the revival/creation of pagan traditions, and reminding ourselves what being a "pagan" means and why! We also unpick knotty changes in the English calendar, including the layers of festivals...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 40
In today's episode of Three Ravens, it's series finale time, and Martin is guiding us through the history and folklore Norfolk! We begin by acknowledging quite what an extraordinary journey we have been on in just over two years, and then discuss Appleby Horse Fair which is happening right now - get along to it if you can! Then, we navigate to Norfolk and chat through all sorts of wonders to do with the county - from the prehistoric landscape of the Grimes Graves flint mines to the feverish reve...
Jun 09, 2025•2 hr 11 min•Season 6Ep. 13
On this week's episode of Local Legends , the penultimate for Series 6, Martin is joined around the campfire by folklorists, academics, and Folklore Society big-wigs, Dr Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrook. They are the masterminds behind, the University of Hertfordshire’s Masters degree course in Folklore Studies. It’s a one of a kind qualification, and we speak about it during this chat. Outside of that, though, Ceri has written and edited several books, and her primary research interests are, a...
Jun 07, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 39
On this month's episode of Magus we are peering back through the mists of time, to a time of myth and belief in myths, to investigate the origins, theoretical biography, and the symbolic meanings of an Arthurian icon: Morgan Le Fay! From the first mention of Morgan Le Fay in writing, care of Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century, we explore how the events of The Anarchy created a need for 'The Once and Future King' to return. Though at that point, Morgan was more of a good fairy and mysteriou...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Season 6Ep. 38
On this week's episode - the penultimate of the series - Eleanor is luring us out into the rolling farmland and woodlands of Hertfordshire, to dig deep into its history and folklore, and wake the ghost of a fiery, horse-riding highway-woman! We start off chatting about the relative 'Nothing Day' that is the 2nd of June, running through some broader beliefs about the month and the grim fate of St Elmo (he of St Elmo's Fire). Then, we hurry into Hertfordshire, and discover how what might appear to...
Jun 02, 2025•2 hr•Season 6Ep. 12
On this week's episode of Local Legends , Martin is joined around the campfire by folklorist, YouTuber, and all-round champion for Staffordshire, Jack Raven! As anyone familiar with his documentaries and video essays will know, 'Jack Raven' is a character - a talking, animated corvid - inspired by the 20th century Staffordshire folklorist and musician Jon Raven (he of the Black Country Three ) who was, alas, only human. In addition to creating and maintaining the Staffordshire Folklore YouTube c...
May 31, 2025•1 hr 58 min•Season 6Ep. 37
Cover your faces and wield your flintlocks with care, as on this month's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode we're talking all about Villain Songs - in particular, Van Diemen's Land, The Female Highwayman, and The Lincolnshire Poacher! As ever, the episode contains new takes on all three of these songs from Eleanor and Ben, as well as plenty of chat about the history behind each song, and the English traditions of poaching and roadside robbery. From the nation's 18th century penchant for sending pe...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 36
On the week's episode of Three Ravens we're mining out the black gold of history and folklore of Staffordshire - a county with some pretty dark parts, and some very silly ones, too. We start off discussing the tradition of Rogationtide, a week-long celebration that would have started today, which basically involved smacking the ghosts out of your village, all before we sally forth to Staffordshire! We begin with some pretty cool bits of history, including the Black Country industry of chain-maki...
May 26, 2025•2 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 11
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined around the campfire by Dr Rory Waterman and Dr Anna Milon of the Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project! Rory leads the Lincolnshire Folk Tales project, and is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Modern & Contemporary Literature at Nottingham Trent University. Anna, meanwhile, is a postdoctoral research fellow on the Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project, having recently obtained her PhD from the University of Exeter. In term of this th...
May 24, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Season 6Ep. 35
