What happened when a midwife met the fairies in Northumberland?

Many lonely and remote parts of the British Isles echo with tales of local spirits. Whether they're fairies, remnants of older mythologies, ghosts, or Land Spirits decked out in another guise, their stories live on. The north east of England has one such spirit known as Silky. Silky is so named because she announces her presence with a sound like rustling silks. In some cases, the term refers to a ghost of a woman who had died in some unfortunate way. But she's also referred to as a 'local sprite'. Is she a ghost or a fairy? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/northumberland-silky/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

7 Touko 202223min

Cider has a long history, especially here in Britain. When the Romans arrived in Britain, they discovered the locals drinking a beverage made from apples. It wasn't quite cider yet, and no one knows how long this drink existed prior to this point.  But how does cider appear in folklore? We'll learn a fairy legend, how the custom of wassailing works, and who the Apple Tree Man was in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/cider-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

30 Huhti 202215min

Coffee is an incredibly popular drink all over the world. Director David Lynch reportedly said, "Even a bad cup of coffee is better than no coffee at all". From Ethiopia to Yemen, and then on into Europe, coffee was even referred to as the Devil's drink until Pope Clement VIII tried it. According to legend, he decided it might be a better option than alcohol and gave coffee his blessing. So let's take a look at some of coffee's origin stories, rituals associated with the drink, and even how it helps boost a little daily magic in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/coffee-folklore/ Get £5 off your first order with Pact Coffee: https://www.pactcoffee.com/coffee-plans/signup?voucher=ICY-8D9C58 Check out A Gothic Cookbook on Unbound: https://unbound.com/books/a-gothic-cookbook/ Turkish Coffee Reading: http://www.turkishstylegroundcoffee.com/turkish-coffee-reading/ The Ottomans and the Yemeni Coffee Trade: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25818052 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

23 Huhti 202221min

Like beer, wine has enjoyed a long and prosperous history. It's been enjoyed by the ancients, used as a safe alternative to water, prescribed as medicine, and offered in ritual. And like beer, wine also has patron deities from a range of cultures.  But how does it appear across mythology and folklore? What are its links to witchcraft and apotropaic magic? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/wine-and-witchcraft/ Catch my Easter folklore talk on 18 April: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/easter-folklore-tickets-303849410767 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

16 Huhti 202221min

The folklore of tea is woven through the history of this fascinating plant. Well-known for its use in fortune-telling, through reading tea leaves, it also has a range of magickal uses and appears in mundane folk remedies. Let's explore the appearance of tea in folklore, its medicinal and magickal uses, and even its relationship to poison in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-of-tea/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

9 Huhti 202222min

Beer is a popular drink in many parts of the world. In the US, it's the most popular alcoholic beverage. Throughout the centuries, beer becomes the drink of choice in eras and places where drinking water is unsafe for consumption.  Yet its continued popularity over such a long timespan leaves it ripe for a whole host of legends and folklore to emerge. Linked with saints, gods, and even witches, beer has many stories to tell. Let's explore some of them in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-of-beer/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Beer in Welsh legends and folklore on Mark Rees' Podcast: here Telling the Bees and Other Customs: The Folklore of Rural Crafts by Mark Norman: here Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

2 Huhti 202220min

There are few flowers quite as recognisable as the lily. Yet despite its beauty, the lily is a toxic plant. In some ways, this goes to show the contradictory nature of the flower, used in both bridal bouquets and funeral wreaths. Yet in other ways, its contradictory uses make sense since they often come from a common root—the link between the lily and purity. Let's explore the appearance of lily in ancient folklore and Christianity, along with its medicinal and magickal uses, in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/lily-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

26 Maalis 202218min

From cleaning wounds to repelling plague, lavender has had a myriad of uses throughout the centuries. It’s come to represent devotion, purity, luck, cleanliness, compassion, constancy, faith, humility, and love. Yet in the Victorian language of flowers, it also meant distrust.  Let's explore the appearance of lavender in ancient folklore, medicinal uses, and even its magickal uses in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore. Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/lavender-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

19 Maalis 202217min