The Folklore of Hats, Gloves and Belts: Wear Your Own Luck
Hats and gloves end up subject to lots of folklore around dropping them, or putting them in the wrong place. But what does it all mean? Which is a sign of luck, or that you'll invite misfortune? Le...
18 Feb 202316min
The Folklore of Clothes: Defying Fairies, Finding Love, and Bringing Luck
The folklore of clothes contains ways to use the contents of your wardrobe to attract luck, discover who you'll marry, and defeat the fairies! But how? Let's discover some of these practices in thi...
11 Feb 202318min
The Folklore of Footwear: Shoes, Boots & Stockings
Footwear is surprisingly common in folklore, with boots, shoes and stockings used for protection, divination, and medicine. Burning shoes, pinning stockings, avoiding those who are barefoot—it's all ...
4 Feb 202319min
Royal Witches: 15th Century Women Fall Foul of Political Shenanigans
When you think of witchcraft in earlier centuries, you probably think of stereotypically wizened women, huddled around cauldrons or casting curses. You probably wouldn't immediately think of royal wit...
28 Jan 202329min
Shapeshifting Witches: From Witch to Hare and Back Again
Shapeshifting witches appear in various British tales, in which witches appear as cats, hares or even hedgehogs. In other stories, they can magically transform humans into horses, to carry them to the...
21 Jan 202317min
Shapeshifting Creatures of Folklore: Fairies, Selkies and Ghosts
Shapeshifting is an ancient ability that appears in cultures around the world across a vast period of time. It appears in an array of 'types' of shapeshifting. Some creatures can simply shift their fo...
14 Jan 202317min
The Folklore of Furniture: Beds, Tables and Chairs
Furniture tells us a lot about a period, people, or place. It's solid, so it can often be the only tangible artefact left. It often bears the impression of human activity through use, and they tell st...
7 Jan 202321min
Welsh Death Omens with Dr Delyth Badder
In this 9th episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I chat with Dr Delyth Badder, a Welsh folklorist and antiquarian book collector based in Pontypridd in the south Wales valleys with a special interes...
29 Des 202242min
