For this week's Bonus Episode, we're wandering wild places to explore the history and folklore of Trolls, which, though they sound pretty ancient, are a surprisingly modern folkloric creation! We start off chatting about the modern perception of Trolls, including the quite sinister online iteration we all know as the "Internet Troll" and the mass-produced toys, invented in the 1950s, now an animated film franchise more associated with pop music than pagan fiendishness. Then though, we wind back ...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 16
On this week's episode of Three Ravens, we are chatting all about the history and folklore of Gloucestershire, a county of three halves... We start off discussing the strange tradition of Penny Loaf Day, born out of premonitory nightmares and 13th century standards of measurement, after which we gallop over to Gloucestershire! After chatting through some amazing aspects of the county's history, from the Iron Age grave believed to be that of Queen Boadicea to the invention of the lawnmower, the u...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 47 min•Season 6Ep. 2
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by local historian David Longman, whose work chronicling Bedfordshire's 149 churches has thrown up some fascinating and very funny stories! Before embarking on this particular project, David had spent 39 years working as a teacher and headteacher in middle schools in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire. Outside of his life in education, where his classroom specialism was history, David was ever a keen amateur photographer, ...
Mar 08, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 15
On this week's Bonus Episode, Eleanor explains the strange science of Ley Lines, from the very origins of related theories in the ancient world to the various places invisible earth energies hold in the modern consciousness. We start off talking about the very earliest versions of something we might recognise as a Ley Line appeared in writing, in the form of Ancient Chinese 'Dragon Veins,' before we unpack how natural philosophers in various fields of Western esotericism began developing theorie...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 14
On the first episode of Three Ravens Series 6, we are making a right old fuss about an often overlooked county when it comes to folklore - Bedfordshire, the county of John Bunyan, little blue spacemen, and mysterious Medieval serial killers... We start off chatting about both St Winwaloe's Day, which is surprisingly saucy actually, and all the madness of Shrove Monday, after which we bustle across to Bedfordshire! After chatting through some amazing aspects of Bedfordshire's history, as represen...
Mar 03, 2025•2 hr 11 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Thank you so much for your patience everybody, and now the wait is over: we are BACK for Series 6 - and have so much cool stuff coming your way! In this little introductory episode we outline the plan as it stands between now and the end of June (when Series 6 will end) and provide the usual Episode 0 explainer about what Three Ravens is for new listeners, while also chatting through some exciting extra bits and bobs - not least the new serialised narrative we're going to be releasing over the s...
Mar 03, 2025•27 min
We’re on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the last of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We’ve entitled this episode Three Watery Graves, for reasons which will quickly become apparent, if they aren’t already. Each is also a ghost story, so if you’re in the mood for that sort of thing then you’ve come up trumps with this one! They include our second-lap Westmoreland story, The Som...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 54 min•Season 5Ep. 73
We’re on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the fifth of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We’ve entitled this episode Three More Devils because... well, Old Nick has been at it again! They include our first-lap Hertfordshire story, The Blind Fiddler of Anstey , our second lap Shropshire story, A Game of Cards , and our recent Dorset story, an English classic found with regional va...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 5Ep. 72
We’re on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the fourth of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We’ve entitled this episode Three Remarkable Beasts because these tales are all about pretty weird creatures. They include our Hampshire story from Series 4, The Wherwell Cockatrice , our recent Surrey story, Captain Salvin and his Flying Pig , and our second lap Northumberland story, The La...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 5Ep. 71
We’re on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the third of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We’ve entitled this episode Three Murders, as these stories are all about people being “done in” by nefarious means. They include our second-lap County Durham story, The Cold Lad , our recent Huntingdonshire story, The Witches of Warboys , and our Oxfordshire story from Series 4, The Taste of...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 70
We’re on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the second of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We’ve entitled this episode Three Tales of Friendship for obvious reasons. These stories are about pals – the bestest of buddies – or about forging friendships, because, in times like these, what’s much more important? They include our first-lap Rutland story, Three Eggs a Penny , our first-...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 69
We’re on a break at the moment, researching and writing our sixth series, but, to fill the gap, this is the first of six new compilation episodes containing a trio of stories from across our earlier series. We’ve entitled this episode Three Tales of Chivalry because, following on from our 25-part retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight , we imagined listeners might be jones-ing, for some shining armour and talking horses. As such, this episode contains three of our more knightly stories, includ...
Jan 20, 2025•2 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 68
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by author, folklorist, musician and songwriter Paul Weatherhead, whose book Weird Calderdale is a must-have for fans of Yorkshire folklore! Paul is a native of the Calder Valley in Yorkshire, and was brought up in Hebden Bridge. After finishing school and his BA, Paul spent several years teaching in Greece, Moscow and Northern Siberia before he returned to Calder Valley in the late 1990s. With a longstanding obsession with the weird histo...
Jan 18, 2025•59 min•Season 5Ep. 67
For this week's bonus episode, we proudly present the first installment of a new series, Magus , all about the legendary lives of the most famous witches and wizards in history, and their legacies in the magic of the modern day. In this first episode we are exploring the mythical life and magical accomplishments of King Solomon, including some of the iconic objects associated with him, such as the Seal of Solomon and the Lesser Key of Solomon, while also digging into the history of how the legen...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 5Ep. 66
For the icing on the cake of our Series 5 finale, we split Eleanor's chunky new mystery story "Old Stinker" into three parts, and this is its' suitably lycanthropic conclusion! If you missed the first two parts, GO BACK! The tale begins in Series 5 Episode 13, continued with "Old Stinker Part II" and ends here, with Finn, Oona and Mr Timms taking a trip to the funfair - though what they find there is more than just dodgems and a coconut shy... We won't say more about it here, but we hope you enj...
Jan 15, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 65
As part of our Series 5 finale, we've split Eleanor's tangled mystery story "Old Stinker" into three parts. This is the second. If you missed the first section, do check out yesterday's Yorkshire episode, in which Oona St Clair, in her new job working for 'Heritage Management' company Spenser & Associates, found herself drawn to Wold Newton, alongside her boss, Finn, and his friend and fellow assistant Mr Timms. What lured the trio to Yorkshire were reports of missing pets and grave robbery,...
Jan 14, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 64
For our Series 5 finale, we're talking about the history and folklore of England's largest county, and Eleanor is telling a story so epic we've split it into three ridings! Or, should that be three parts?! We start off chatting about St Hilary of Poitier, a right pain of a saint known for his pedantry and not much else, after which we yomp on to Yorkshire and get a bit literary! We discuss all sorts to do with the county's past, not least the legacy of the Brontë Sisters, Whitby and its enduring...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 53 min•Season 5Ep. 13
For this week's bonus episode, we proudly present the first installment of a new series, Forgotten Melodies , which is all about folk music, featuring explorations of types of folk song and original recordings which put fresh spins on trad tunes! In this first episode, we are talking all about the seasonally-appropriate Wassail tradition, and are joined by our friend and collaborator Ben Harber, who, with Eleanor, delivers brand new versions of "Here We Come A-Wassailing" and "The Bottom of the ...
Jan 09, 2025•52 min•Season 5Ep. 63
This week, for our penultimate County Episode of Series 5, we're talking all about the history and folklore of Cheshire, a legend-rich county whose identity and boundaries have been in near-constant flux ever since its founding. We start off discussing Epiphany and Twelfth Night traditions, also touching on Wassailing, which we will be going into much more depth on during Thursday's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode. After which we wander the Cheshire Plain and dig into the county's rich mines of...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Season 5Ep. 12
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by the absolutely lovely, incredibly talented writer, folklorist and podcaster Dr Icy Sedgwick, whose show Fabulous Folklore is absolutely brilliant. While her podcast has been running for nigh-on six years, Icy has been blogging about folklore for much longer, and she has written several books, including the excellent Rebel Folklore: Empowering Tales of Spirits, Witches and Other Misfits from Anansi to Baba Yaga , which came out in 2023....
Jan 04, 2025•1 hr 50 min•Season 5Ep. 62
Christmas might be over, but that doesn't mean they're getting a moment's peace, as, for this week's Bonus Episode, we're peering through the veil and into the history and folklore of Elves, from their earliest recorded mentions through to today! Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, we start off chatting about the modern perception of Elves, which, in most of the Western world, sees them linked to Santa Claus and Tolkien's Middle Earth mythos. Yet, as we quickly uncover, despite the 'Whit...
Jan 02, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 61
On this week's episode we're heading about as northerly as England gets, to Northumberland - and Eleanor's telling her suitably slithery take on The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh! We start off chatting about St Egwin's Day and traditional New Year's Eve celebrations, including Hogmanay, after which we bomb up the A1 to explored the history and folklore of Northumberland. We discuss all sorts, including the Northumberland and Border Ballad traditions, through which much of the county's folklor...
Dec 30, 2024•1 hr 58 min•Season 5Ep. 11
On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin is joined by the much-acclaimed, multi-award winning author, folklorist and archaeological researcher Jeremy Harte, whose books, including Cloven Country: The Devil and the English Landscape and The Green Man , are beloved texts, yet barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Jeremy's work! As Jeremy explains, he almost fell into folklore research via a semi-accidental career in museums and the heritage industry. Since then however, from topics...
Dec 28, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Season 5Ep. 60
Adapted in a light-hearted, comical style from a diverse set of genuine Medieval Arthurian Romances, this special Three Ravens retelling of the iconic 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is our bonus miniseries for Advent 2024. Split into 25 parts, one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Day, the tale follows Gawain, a young knight in King Arthur's court who embarks on a rambling quest, packed with adventures, which takes him all around ancient Britain - ...
Dec 25, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 59
We proudly present our second annual spooky ghost story for Christmas, care of Three Ravens! Following in the tradition of M.R. James, E.F. Benson, and Charles Dickens, it feels only right to cosy up and listen to something scary on Christmas Eve. This year it's Eleanor's turn, with a stunningly sinuous tale set in Cambridge during the Victorian era. We follow Mercy, a young female student in an exceptionally fraught atmosphere, where spectres of past crimes make their presence known with horrif...
Dec 24, 2024•2 hr•Season 5Ep. 58
Adapted in a light-hearted, comical style from a diverse set of genuine Medieval Arthurian Romances, this special Three Ravens retelling of the iconic 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is our bonus miniseries for Advent 2024. Split into 25 parts, one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Day, the tale follows Gawain, a young knight in King Arthur's court who embarks on a rambling quest, packed with adventures, which takes him all around ancient Britain - ...
Dec 24, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 57
Adapted in a light-hearted, comical style from a diverse set of genuine Medieval Arthurian Romances, this special Three Ravens retelling of the iconic 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is our bonus miniseries for Advent 2024. Split into 25 parts, one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Day, the tale follows Gawain, a young knight in King Arthur's court who embarks on a rambling quest, packed with adventures, which takes him all around ancient Britain - ...
Dec 23, 2024•32 min•Season 5Ep. 56
This week we're off to Surrey, one of the Home Counties - and a place that is being gobbled up by London year by year! We start by discussing, much to Martin's chagrin, that the 23rd December is actually a Saints Day for about 30 obscure martyrs, recounting just a fraction of who they were and why they mattered. And after that, we dig into the history and folklore of Surrey. We discuss all sorts, including the tiny house where John Donne and his wife lived and had many, many babies, an extremely...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Adapted in a light-hearted, comical style from a diverse set of genuine Medieval Arthurian Romances, this special Three Ravens retelling of the iconic 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is our bonus miniseries for Advent 2024. Split into 25 parts, one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Day, the tale follows Gawain, a young knight in King Arthur's court who embarks on a rambling quest, packed with adventures, which takes him all around ancient Britain - ...
Dec 22, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 55
Adapted in a light-hearted, comical style from a diverse set of genuine Medieval Arthurian Romances, this special Three Ravens retelling of the iconic 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is our bonus miniseries for Advent 2024. Split into 25 parts, one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Day, the tale follows Gawain, a young knight in King Arthur's court who embarks on a rambling quest, packed with adventures, which takes him all around ancient Britain - ...
Dec 21, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 54
