The Folklore of British Pub Names Linked to Local History
There is no shortage of bizarre pub names in the UK. Some of them appear to be a combination of random objects, like the Frog and Nightgown. Others have a local story behind their odd name. I've cover...
15 Mar 202519min
Strange Street Names: From The Philog to Dog Leap Stairs
Unlike place names, which often give us information who once lived somewhere, street names can be a different case entirely. Sometimes they bear the names of notable (and often now infamous) people. ...
8 Mar 202519min
From Coven to Hot Coffee: The Folklore of Place Names Part 2
Place names are important and pass on a lot of valuable information, even if we no longer understand how to interpret it. Within them, they tell us who used to live in an area, or what natural feature...
1 Mar 202521min
Goats in Folklore: From the Farmyard Doctor to the Devil
When I decided to write about goats in folklore, I thought I would find plenty of content. After all, they appear in mythology. Look at Amalthea, the goat reputed to have raised Zeus in Greek myth. Or...
22 Feb 202521min
Race and the European Fairy Tale with Prof Kimberly Lau
Kimberly J. Lau is a professor of literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is the author of Erotic Infidelities: Love and Enchantment in Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber" (Wayne ...
20 Feb 202551min
Pigs in Folklore: From Piggy Banks to Spectral Sows
Pigs appear in folklore in somewhat unusual ways. Sometimes, they choose the location where a church should be built. Or they appear as phantoms, haunting misty moorland. Sailors or fishermen conside...
15 Feb 202518min
Cows in Folklore: From Fairy Cattle to Spectral Calves
Certain animals might spring to mind when it comes to folklore. Hares, horses, deer, cats - they all have an otherworldly quality to them. Would you consider the same of cows? There's a surprising am...
8 Feb 202523min
Sheep in Folklore: From Medical Remedies to Good Luck Charms
Following on from 2024's theme of the Folklore of Animals, this month we'll examine the Folklore of Agricultural Animals. This week, we'll explore the folklore, legends, and even folk medicine associa...
1 Feb 202519min
