Fire can be a powerful and sometimes all-consuming force. Helpful and dangerous in equal measure, the ability to use fire sets man apart from the animals. It should not be too surprising, then, that fire features heavily in our folklore and traditions.

This episode looks at aspects of fire within our folklore from around the world, from calendar customs to mythical creatures; old gods to modern practises. Gather around your hearth and learn about the folklore of fire with The Folklore Podcast.

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Hallowe'en, Samhain or Allantide. However you view the time surrounding October 31st, it is an important part of our ritual year. It is traditionally a time when the veil between the worlds is thinned, when magic is more powerful and when spirits roam the Earth.

Joining regular host Mark Norman on this edition of The Folklore Podcast is special guest Judith Hewitt. Judith is co-manager, with her husband Peter, of the world famous Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall. Throughout 2016, the Museum has staged an exhibition looking at representations of Hallowe'en in the past and now.

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Judith discusses the folklore of All Hallows past and present: the glitter and the gravedust.
An episode supplement for this episode, containing a full transcript along with photos of the exhibition and some of the Museum's Hallowe'en collection is available to download from theFolklore Shop  or is free to Patrons at any level from our Patreon page.

The Autumn Equinox passes and as the Wheel of the Year turns we enter a state when the world is said to be in balance. This is a time of harvest and of appreciation for the fruits of the land. The Folklore Podcast moves into October with two seasonal episodes looking at important folklore at this time of the year.

In this episode, The Folklore Podcast's creator and host Mark Norman moves from broader folklore themes to something much smaller, and discusses the varying roles of the apple and apple trees in our folklore. Superstitions, traditions and religious imagery are all discussed, and the show additionally includes some of Mark's field recordings from a traditional wassail ceremony in 2016.

An e-magazine supplement for this episode is available from the Folklore Shop.

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