From gnomes to kobolds, dvergr to hobs, it's time to gather up our mining lamps and shed some light on the very shadowy history of goblins... Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, we start by chatting through ways in which, across the last two centuries, we have come to think of goblins as distinct fae creatures, separate from elves, pucks, and boggarts. Yet, if we look back a little further then we soon discover that the words we use to define these creatures have not only common roots bu...
May 30, 2024•50 min•Season 4Ep. 24
On this week's episode we're headed back to Hampshire, and Eleanor is telling her take on The Wherwell Cockatrice! We start off discussing St Melangell and her abbey filled with wild animals, after which we head to Hampshire. In addition to chatting about the New Forest and some of the many magical and witchy goings on associated with it, plus some spooky goings on in Hampshire places like Palace House and Glasshayes House, we then discuss a very strange County Dish - the 'Hampshire Goose.' Whic...
May 27, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 6
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about the folklore and character of Warwickshire and the West Midlands with storyteller and author Cath Edwards. A member of The Society for Storytelling representing the Midlands, and author of excellent books including ‘Warwickshire Folktales’ and “West Midlands Folktales,” Cath is highly experienced storyteller and workshop leader. She has decades of experience telling stories, and developed her love of folklor...
May 25, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Clutch your lucky rabbit's foot and rub your sacred ring, for in this week's Bonus Episode Eleanor and Martin are discussing the history of amulets and charms. Part of the "Magic and Medicines" series, they start by chatting through how we define what amulets are, chatting through some truly ancient examples, from a 40,000 year old Siberian cave bear amulet to the kinds of charms commonly found in Upper Egypt. Next they move through Ancient Greek and Roman traditions, exploring ideas of the cruc...
May 23, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 22
On this week's episode we're headed back to Warwickshire, and Martin is telling his take on the legend of Lady Godiva! We start off chatting about St Ethelbert, and the rather severe haircut he received from King Offa of Mercia, after which we wander to Warwickshire! In addition to discussing some parts of Warwickshire that are no longer considered part of the county, including Coventry and Birmingham, along with the likes of Warwick Castle and Stratford Upon Avon, we then debate the merits of a...
May 20, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 4Ep. 5
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about County Durham, a writer's life, and so much more, with storyteller and author of over 40 books, including County Durham Folk Tales , Adam Bushnell. Born and raised in County Durham, Adam knows and loves the county where he now resides - and he has perspective on it. His work regularly sees him travelling all over the world, delivering workshops in Asia, Africa, and America, as well as all over the UK. As you...
May 18, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 21
In this week's bonus episode, Martin talks us through the ghastly crimes of Burke and Hare - with a side serving of the history of medicine! Part of the "Something Wicked" series, we start by chatting through the headlines of the Burke and Hare killing spree, including the Enlightenment-era craze for celebrity surgeons and 'anatomisation.' We then discuss how Scotland's fraught religious history enabled leaps forward in natural philosophy, necessitated the invention of things like 'mort safes,' ...
May 16, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 20
On this week's episode we're headed back to County Durham, and Eleanor is telling her chilling take on The Cauld Lad of Hylton Castle! We start off chatting about The Blessing of the Boats, Old May Day, and a quite unlikely miracle, after which we head north, to County Durham! In addition to discussing the strange afterlife of County Durham's most famous resident, St Cuthbert, the strange powers of the Prince Bishops, and some very large cows, we talk about the local delicacy Leek Pudding in Cou...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 4
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about Cornwall, Medieval music, King Arthur, and so much more, with expert storyteller and author of Cornish Folk Tales Mike O'Connor. A prizewinning competition fiddle player and a master of the concertina, Mike is the leading researcher of Cornish instrumental music anywhere in the world. He has been working as a musician since the 1970s and as a storyteller since the 1990s. He has been awarded the OBE, is a bar...
May 11, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 19
In this week's bonus episode, Eleanor talks us through the history of clay and wooden pipe making. Part of the "Dying Arts" series, we start by discussing the first recorded uses of smoking, including from Ancient Scythia and Aztec culture, and track the changes which took place from things like incense burning and Ancient Greek "Vapour Baths" through to Native American ceremonial pipes, tobacco deities, and the eventual impacts of recreational smoking on European life. After chatting through th...
May 09, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 18
On this week's episode, we're headed back to Cornwall, where Martin is telling his take on The Sword in the Stone! We start off chatting about Rogationtide, the ancient festival of 'Beating the Bounds' and appeasing gods to ensure a good harvest. After which we caper to Cornwall! In addition to discussing St Michael's Mount, a whole bunch of paleolithic monuments, and some of the dastardly doings of Aleister Crowley, we talk about Cornish Pasties in County Dishes, and, of course, nod with respec...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 4Ep. 3
For the second episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about Somerset and the life of a content creator with enigmatically anonymous internet personality The Faerie Folk. In terms of what The Faerie Folk does, well, she has a folklore podcast for one, launched in the pandemic, which is aimed a bit more at younger children and families than Three Ravens. She has an extremely cheerful delivery, and, based on our experience, if you’re ever feeling down in the dumps, one ...
May 04, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Strap on your breastplate, pray to your chosen sky god, and bring your sharpest lance, for in this truly epic Bonus Episode we're going on a rip-roaring quest through the twisted history of dragons! Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, Martin and Eleanor start by chatting through modern ideas of dragons (and Wyverns, Wyrms, and Basilisks) before leaping back in time to discuss the first dragons ever written about, Mušḫuššu and Apep, along with the tales and customs associated with them as...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 16
On this week's episode, we're headed back to Somerset, where Eleanor is telling the tale of "The Witch of Wookey Hole." We start off chatting about of Saint Endellion's Day - including her curious life of necromancy and milk drinking - after which we saunter back to Somerset! In addition to discussing the history of Bath, the Glastonbury Thorn, and the bizarre adventures of King Rud Hud Hudibras, we try not to 'do an Alfred The Great' and burn our Somerset Easter Cakes in County Dishes, and also...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 2
On this very first episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about Suffolk and so much more with expert storyteller and author of Suffolk Folk Tales Kirsty Hartsiotis. A storyteller extraordinaire, described by Three Ravens hero Dr Ronald Hutton as “as good as it gets,” Kirsty is the author of several excellent books, including The Anthology of English Folk Tales , Suffolk Ghost Tales , and Ballad Tales: An Anthology of British Ballad Tales Retold . She has also been in...
Apr 27, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Open your chakras, cleanse your biomagnetic sheath, and charge your treasures beneath the light of the moon, for in this Bonus Episode Eleanor offers an introduction to the history of crystal magic - while Martin expresses a bit of skepticism... Part of the "Magic and Medicines" series, they start by chatting through the earliest recorded uses of crystals in healing, worship, and for apotropaic purposes, which come to us all the way from Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Next they move onto...
Apr 25, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 14
For the first episode of Series 4, we're headed back to Suffolk in East Anglia. We start off with some exciting news, including about Three Ravens Live at Chichester Festival, our new Ghost Story writing competition, and the all-new Three Ravens Book Club. Then it's onto a discussion of St George's Day (23rd April) which is also both Shakespeare's birthday and the day he died! After which, we sally forth, to Suffolk! Aside from talking about some fascinating bits of history, such as the impacts ...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Eleanor and Martin are back round the campfire for a whole new series - and Year 2 of the podcast! In this short episode to introduce Series 4, they explain what Three Ravens is all about for new listeners, and offer a bit of a reflection on their first year. They also chat about some of the tweaks they're making to the Three Ravens formula for their second lap around England's 39 historic counties, and introduce a couple of the new things coming your way in the weeks ahead... The Three Ravens i...
Apr 22, 2024•14 min
On this very special episode of Three Ravens, Eleanor and Martin read the seven winning entries from our recent Folky Flash Fiction writing competition. Picked from dozens of pieces sent in from all over the world, the Winners are, in no particular order, Lissa with "Worth His Salt," Helen with "The Sleepers," Libby with "The Hatching of Mammy Slack," Dominic with "The Hare's Breath," Alicia with "The Selkie's Daughter," Germaine with "Tide Father" and Sophie with "The Rowan." Thank you so much ...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 47
On this very special episode of Three Ravens, Eleanor and Martin read seven runner-up entries from our recent Folky Flash Fiction writing competition. Picked from dozens of pieces sent in from all over the world, the Runners-Up are, in no particular order, Erik with "The Gloucester Ghoul", Libby with "5 College Street, York," Mervyn with "The Lord of the Forest," Viv with "Silent Sith," Michelle with "Winter’s Ghost," Estella with "The Weeping Willow" and Ian with "The Knock." Thank you so much ...
Apr 08, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 46
In our third Listener Episode, we read a whole heap of stories and a poem sent in by members of the Three Ravens community. The stories include the tale of John of Gaunt's Coat, The Widow's Buns, plenty of fun May Day anecdotes, a new poem from Dominic, some grisly details about Sidestrand Graveyard, and more! To submit your own strange tales, anecdotes, and folky experiences to be read on future listener episodes, please email us at threeravenspodcast@gmail.com! The Three Ravens is an English M...
Apr 01, 2024•25 min•Season 3Ep. 45
The last in a trio of bonus compilation episodes of the Three Ravens podcast, to help plug the gap between Seasons 3 and 4. We’ve entitled this episode Three More Witches because… well, it contains three more of our witch stories. We write quite a few, so it seems! They include our Cumberland story, "Long Meg and her Daughters," our Essex story, "Three Knots," and our Leicestershire story, "Black Annis." The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Mar...
Mar 25, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 29
The second in a trio of bonus compilation episodes of the Three Ravens podcast, to help plug the gap between Seasons 3 and 4. We’ve entitled the episode Three Horrors because it contains contains three of our creepier stories, including our Devon story, "The Hairy Hands of Dartmoor," our Staffordshire story, "The Children of Cannock Chase," and our Derbyshire story, "The Boggarts of Arbor Low." The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux a...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 28
The first in a trio of bonus compilation episodes of the Three Ravens podcast, to help plug the gap between Seasons 3 and 4. We’ve entitled the episode Three Marsh Tales because, perhaps unsurprisingly, it contains three stories set in misty, slippery, squishy bogs, including our Cambridgeshire story, "Hereward The Wake," our Huntingdonshire story, "The Lantern Men," and our Lincolnshire story, "The Tiddy Mun of Ancholme Vale." The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by a...
Mar 11, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 27
For the Three Ravens Season 3 finale, and to conclude their first lap around England's 39 historic counties, Eleanor and Martin venture to Norfolk. After a brief chat about St Adrian, and whether he's really St Adrian at all, they pad on silent paws deep into the heart of the history and folklore of Norfolk. They talk about sites like Grime's Graves, Norwich Cathedral, and Felbrigg Hall, and legends and heroes including Lord Dacre's ghost, John Chapman the Swaffham Pedlar, the Shrieking Pits of ...
Mar 04, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 3Ep. 13
In this seasonal Bonus Episode, Eleanor and Martin explore the history and superstitions of Leap Day. Starting in Ancient Rome, they discuss how shenanigans with lunar calendars, imaginary months, and Egyptian mathematics led to the creation of Leap Day. They then dig into the peculiar customs that developed around it, from St Oswald's magic limbs to healing pigs' trotters, reversals of gender roles and the tricky implications of being a 'Leapling,' plus much, much more... The Three Ravens is an...
Feb 29, 2024•37 min•Season 3Ep. 26
On this week's episode, Martin and Eleanor hurry to Hertfordshire, a county of outlaws, ghosts, and really old stuff! After a brief chat about the pagan god Walborga and her regrettable shift into St Walburga, they proceed upstream and dabble in the history and folklore of Hertfordshire. They talk about sites like Hertford Castle, St Alban's Cathedral, and the ancient town of Ware, legends and heroes such as The Wicked Lady, Jack O'Legs, Piers Shonks, the haunted chapel ruins at Minsden, and muc...
Feb 26, 2024•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 12
In this week's Bonus Episode, Martin and Eleanor explore the life of the knight thought to have inspired the Bluebeard fairytale, also known as "the first serial killer." Part of the "Something Wicked" series about folkloric true crimes, they start by discussing the state of France when Gilles de Rais was born, from the reign of 'Charles the Mad' and the Hundred Years War to the specifics of de Rais' brutal childhood. Next they explore how he ascended to and within the French court, becoming an ...
Feb 22, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 25
This week, Eleanor and Martin saunter to Staffordshire, home of Wedgwood china and their first Headless Horseman! After a brief chat about Jack O'Lent and some minor saints with silly names, they proceed on a macabre tour around the history and folklore of Staffordshire, talking about sites like Stafford Castle, Lichfield Cathedral, and Doxey Pool and legends including Jenny Greenteeth, Sauntering Ned, the Mermaid of Morridge, and much more besides. Then it's time for the main event: Eleanor's t...
Feb 19, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In this Bonus Episode, Eleanor and Martin explore the history of Basket and Trug Making, which may just be the oldest crafts of all. Part of the "Dying Arts" series, they start by discussing the basics, including what a basket really is, including ancient examples from Rome and Egypt. After chatting about how basket and trug-making were crafts that managed to defy mass-scale industrialization right through until the 20th century, they venturing from Somerset's marshes to Sussex, where the modern...
Feb 15, 2024•36 min•Season 3Ep. 24
