Series 6 Episode 7: Herefordshire

On this week's episode of Three Ravens we're heading into disputed territory: Herefordshire in the Welsh Marches, which is a county with so much history and folklore!

We start off by going over all Queer Eye and giving April 14th a makeover, concluding that, while we could make this 'Nothing Day' about gardening, or ice skating on bone-bladed skates, it really ought to be a day devoted to the celebration of Justin. Be that the ancient pre-Christian philosopher, or the Justin's in your life. All with dubious historical justification.

After that, we hurry on into Herefordshire, where we may have gone a bit overboard...

In terms of the county's history, we whip back to pre-Roman times to talk about the contested tribal status of what later became Herefordshire - and why all the fighting over it never really stopped - while also chatting about some of the stunning heritage sites in the county, from Hereford Cathedral's fractious history and Chained Library to King Arthur's Stone and Cave, the Nameless Church, and more - all before Martin plies us with cider, prehistoric cheese, and several pudding options, for this week's County Dish.

After that, it's Folklore Time, and we've got plague spreading 12th century vampires, we've got vengeful ghosts, we've got fairies, miracle babies, Dribbling Kings, and so much more, all enriched by some excerpts from Saturday's upcoming Local Legends interview with blogger and all-round lovely person 'The Herefordian Historian.'

Then it's on to the main event: Martin's retelling of "Black Vaughan" which has been reframed as a Spenser & Associates mystery - hence the epic length of this episode - so prepare to get a bit spooked while also having a good old giggle.

We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will be back on Thursday with a new Forgotten Melodies bonus episode about Fair Songs, all before the full interview with The Herefordian Historian comes out on Saturday!

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 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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