The Folklore of Aquatic Birds of Cliffs, Lakes and Rivers
Few watery scenes are quite complete without birds in the picture. Ducks drifting across a country pond. Gulls wheeling in the sky above the beach, before they divebomb an unsuspecting tourist for the...
3 Aug 202420min
Sunderland Ghost Stories: Grey Ladies, Serial Killers and Poltergeists
Sunderland began life as three separate settlements on the River Wear. A fishing village called 'Soender-land', or land that is cut asunder' existed by 1100. By the 18th century, Sunderland had replac...
27 Jul 202431min
Witches and Witch Trials with Marion Gibson
Marion Gibson writes accurate, engaging books about witches and magic in history. She’s been interested in witches for over thirty years, since she read the words of women accused of witchcraft in Eli...
25 Jul 202449min
Carlisle Legends: Ghosts, Secret Tunnels, and The Cursing Stone
Carlisle began life as Luguvalium, a Roman settlement that grew out of the fort on the site. It was the capital of an ancient British kingdom. Both Vikings and Saxons captured the city. Over time, it...
20 Jul 202428min
Devils, Cats, Tiny Streets & Witches: York Folklore At Its Best
While York is often considered one of England's most haunted cities, other strange and unusual tales lurk in its narrow snickleways. There are stories of premature burial, printer's devils, cats that...
13 Jul 202419min
The Dark Side of Sheffield Folklore: Spectres and River Spirits
There is much of the strange and haunting in Sheffield's folklore. Does that make it a haunted place? There are stories of water gods in the River Don, demanding annual sacrifices, boggards in boggar...
6 Jul 202416min
Rue Folklore: Warding off Poison, Plague and Pestilence
Rue was cultivated in England for its medicinal use, having been introduced by the Romans! It appears in folk remedies to ward off evil spirits, poison, and plague, It also works in prophecy and hexes...
29 Jun 202417min
St John's Wort: The Folk Magic of the Midsummer Plant
St John's Wort often flowers around Midsummer's Day, or the Feast of St John, hence its strong links with St John. It's one of the most important plants in European folk magic! It's used for protectio...
22 Jun 202416min
