Local Legends #24: Mark Norman

For this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin has gathered round the campfire to talk all things Devon with folklorist, author, and host of The Folklore Podcast, Mark Norman.

If you like a bit of folklore, particularly in podcast form, you’re likely already acquainted with Mark, or with some of his work at least, as he is the creator and host of ‘the big show’ when it comes to all things folkloric.

The Folklore Podcast launched in 2016 and since then has become one of the biggest folklore podcasts in the world. For the show, Mark and a team of other fellow presenters interview world-class experts in the field of folklore and share their research with a wide audience, spreading their knowledge on a global scale.

Outside of The Folklore Podcast though, Mark is a very busy person. He lives in Devon and is an independent folklore researcher and author, as well as an elected council member of The Folklore Society. His books include Black Dog Folklore from 2016, Telling the Bees and other Customs from 2020, and the focus of our chat today, The Folklore of Devon which came out in paperback just the other day.

Mark has contributed to other books and magazines on areas of folklore and traditional belief, too, and he is the curator of The Folklore Library and Archive. Plus, and his most recent book, Zoinks!, looks at folklore through the lens of Scooby Doo – something which speaks to Mark’s nature as a fun, imaginative, playful sort of person who approaches sometimes surprising subjects with rigour and passion.

In this chat, we cover all of this and a lot else, including "Scone Politics," why Devon has quite so many black dog legends, strategies for avoiding malevolent faeries, the menace of Worzel Gummage, the Hairy Hands of Dartmoor, and much more besides!

To learn more Mark and his work, do visit The Folklore Podcast website – thefolklorepodcast.com – which links to his books, his social media accounts, and his other work.

And we will be back on Monday with an all-new County Episode all about the history and folklore of Huntingdonshire!

The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

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