The Krampus has become a big folkloric figure at Christmas time in recent years. But less discussed and of equal interest are the female figures of the Perchten from the alpine regions. On this, the final episode of Season 3 of the Folklore Podcast, host Mark Norman redresses the balance in an interview with alpine folklore expert Al Ridenour, the creator of the Bone and Sickle podcast. Listen FREE on the player below, or subscribe free on the links to the right of this page. To find out more about Al and his work, please visit the Guests page here. To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and get exclusive content and more, please click here.
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In the first of two episodes of the podcast examining festive folklore for December, Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman looks at the history and origins of the Mummers Play and other Yuletide folk plays and traditions. Contesting the broad opinion that they plays 'are just pagan' the episode traces similarities and differences through other performances such as the pantomime and the Commedia Dell'arte before examining other similar practices such as the Mummering house visits of Newfoundland and the Irish Wrenboys. This episode also contains recordings of performances made in the field. Listen FREE on the player below. Please consider supporting the continued free episodes of the podcast with a small monthly donation on Patreon here. 
Prejudices against people because of the colour of their skin are unacceptable. And yet, it is often socially accepted to make fun of people because of the colour of their hair. Why should this be any different? And is there any evidence to back up the beliefs? In this episode Mark Norman, the creator of The Folklore Podcast, discusses the beliefs, superstitions and folklore attached to those sporting red hair. Listen FREE on the player below. To support the continued ad-free production of the podcast, please click here. 
As beautifully performed and presented as it was, there is far more to the concept of the 'genie' than Disney's manic blue singing version in Aladdin. The genie is the Westernised version of the Jinn, the supernatural being from Islamic and Arabian mythology and lore. On this episode of the Folklore Podcast, host Mark Norman and researcher Tracey Norman are joined by Dedra Stevenson, an author from the UAE who draws on a lot of this folklore in her fiction writing. Dedra explains exactly what the Jinn are, and how they are a very real part of Muslim beliefs.
Listen FREE on the player below, or subscribe to the podcast via the buttons on this page. To find out more about Dedra, please see her biog on our guest page here and visit her website here The Tales of the Lantern audio presentation will be available to download from Sat 27 October. 
Image courtesy of Tier 1 Furnishings Ltd. Learn more about their work and craft here.
The lullaby as a song type is found in cultures all over the world. Whilst the familiar interpretation is as a gentle song to lull a child to a restful sleep, in this episode podcast creator and host Mark Norman offers some alternative readings where the lyrics and back-story are somewhat darker and more likely to induce nightmares. The episode also features a guest talk from Armenian folklore researcher and lecturer Hasmik Matikyan on the lullaby as a form of work song, drawn from her own cultural experiences and interviews. Listen to the episode FREE on the player below. To support the Folklore Podcast and help to keep the episodes free, please consider giving a small donation via the Support page here, or become a regular Patreon supporter for a small amount and get bonus contents and rewards here. To find out more about Hasmik Matikyan, please visit the Guests page. 
The mythology of the Norse peoples is a rich and varied one, but little is found in the archaeological record to tell us much for certain. Some things we speculate about, others we get from primary sources. But what are these sources? In this episode of the podcast, Noah Tetzner from the "History of Vikings" podcast gives a basic introduction to the area of Norse mythology, discussing the mythic landscape and beliefs from the Scandinavian regions. Listen free on the player below. To support the Folklore Podcast, please visit our Patreon page. To find out more about Noah and link to his podcast, please visit the Guests page. 
In this episode of the podcast, British folklorist Jeremy Harte examines the role of the traditional Miller in folklore. Recorded live at the Folklore Society Conference at the Museum of English Rural Life in April 2018 and with additional poetry and song to illustrate the themes of the talk. Listen FREE on the player below. For Jeremy's biography, please visit the Guests page here To support the podcast on Patreon and access additional content and rewards, please click here. Episode 43 - WOMEN AND FAIRIES AT WORK. With guest speakers Rosalind Kerven and Jo Hickey-Hall6/7/2018 
This episode features two guest speakers, recorded live at the flagship conference of The Folklore Society in 2018, held at the Museum of English Rural Life in Reading and examining aspects of rural life and folklore from around the world. Rosalind Kerven presents "Spinners, Servants and Midwives: Women at Work in British and Irish Folk Narratives" and Jo HIckey-Hall speaks on fairy lore in her paper "Wilt gie us the lend of thy plough and tackle?: Fairies at Work". Listen FREE on the player below. To find out more about the speakers, visit the Guests page here To support the podcast on Patreon and get episode transcripts, extra content and more, please click here. Episode 42: A LIVERPOOL CUNNING MAN AND HIS MAGICAL MANUAL. A conference lecture by Daniel Harms5/16/2018 
This guest talk was recorded at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic's Ritual Magic conference in May 2018.
Listen FREE on the player below. William Dawson Bellhouse (1814-1870) was many things - magician, surgeon and galvanist to name but three. His personal magical workbook, the survival of which is uncommon among 19th century cunning folk, is now in the collection of the New York Public Library. The book provides a window into Bellhouse's methods, derived from both popular tradition and printed works including the Heptameron and the works of Agrippa. Its contents provide us with insights into the spiritual toolkit of a practitioner of ritual magic working at the time. Find out more about Dan on our Guests pagehere. An episode transcript of this episode will be made available to all Patreon supporters. To access this or sign up to support the podcast and get rewards, please click here. 
This episode of the Folklore Podcast is the first featuring expert presentations from the Hidden Charms 2 conference in Salisbury - a conference organised by Brian Hoggard of the Apotropaios website with John Billingsley and Jeremy Harte. The conference featured a day of talks on protection magic, charms, concealed apotropaic objects and similar themes.
In this talk, "Witch Bottles - Findings from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic" - collections researcher and museum manager Dr Peter Hewitt discusses some of the bottles held at the museum, and argues that we may use folklore to help to decode the meanings that these bottles have for us in the modern world. Dr Hewitt suggests that their uses were far more varied than just as protective devices. Listen to this episode FREE on the player below. To download the Powerpoint which accompanied this talk in pdf format, please visit the Episode Resources Page To read Dr Peter Hewitt's biography, please visit the Guests Page To access an episode transcript for this episode and earn other rewards, please visit the Folklore Podcast Patreon Page |
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December 2018
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