What happened when a midwife met the fairies in Northumberland?

If a bouquet of flowers arrives at our door, we’re more interested in who sent them. The Victorians were more concerned with what it meant. The Victorian language of flowers, also known as floriography, was a way to send messages using specific plants and flowers. Combining different flowers allowed them to send more complex or sophisticated messages. Let's explore where the language of flowers came from, how it developed, and how you can use it in the 21st century in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/language-of-flowers/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Donate to organisations helping Ukraine: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CdrWLAkEaOMV7fBbIWzHsgHmFz8s1GM6e_7a57oc3ug/edit?usp=sharing Donate to help evacuate Afghan soldiers and their families from Kabul: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/afghanfamilies Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

5 Mars 202215min

Churches in England are often portrayed as quaint, picturesque centres of their community. But given they're also often one of the oldest buildings in a town or village, it's hardly surprising that we'd have so many tales of haunted churches too. Some of these tales immortalise previous parishioners, but more usually, the tales commemorate dark deeds or criminal activity. Why not? Just look at the brutal murder of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. And then there's the widespread desecration of churches during the Reformation and the tumultuous period afterwards. Let's explore some of the tales behind England's haunted churches, including phantoms from the future, ghostly birds, spectral organ music, and lights in the churchyard, in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/haunted-churches/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Explore the Surprising Truth about Necromancy: https://www.icysedgwick.com/necromancy/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

26 Feb 202219min

Churches used to be a centre for the community. They were open to all classes of society, and through their association with births, marriages, and deaths, often had links to each stage in an individual's life. Add to that their open commemoration of the dead, and churches became a clear focal point. So it's hardly surprising that the folklore of churches is rather common. Many of these stories here also appear in similar versions across the country, which implies that people came up with similar theories for strange or unexplained events. Let's find out more about the folklore about churches in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-of-churches/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a Patron for bonus exclusive episodes at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

19 Feb 202218min

In this third interview-based episode of Fabulous Folklore, I chat to fellow northern Rich Blackett, chair of Asatru UK! We talk about what heathenry can often look like (because it's more flexible than you think), the importance of inclusive spiritual traditions, and common misconceptions about heathenry. So if you've had questions about heathenry...it's likely Rich can answer them! Find the Asatru UK website here: https://www.asatruuk.org/ Watch the Pascu y Rodri video, Loki: https://youtu.be/5mkketnxB34 Become a Patron for exclusive episodes of Fabulous Folklore at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Support Fabulous Folklore at https://paypal.me/FabulousFolklore Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore

16 Feb 20221h 3min

The pub is well entrenched in the cultural life of Britain. As such a hive of activity, it stands to reason that there would also be plenty of folklore about pubs around Britain. After all, the more activity there is in a place, the more opportunity there is for stories and legends to crop up about people and events. And pubs try to find all sorts of ways to differentiate themselves. Look at Britain's most remote, highest, lowest or most haunted pubs. Promoting your folklore is another great way to stand out from your competitors! Let's find out more about the folklore about pubs in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-about-pubs/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a Patron for bonus exclusive episodes at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

12 Feb 202221min

The pub is well entrenched in the cultural life of Britain. As a hub of social contact and often a provider of decent food, pubs offer a central meeting point for many groups of people. Yet how often do we think about pub names and what they tell us about local history, famous figures, or half-forgotten stories? There are far more strange pub names than I can include here, but I've tried to choose ones that had interesting stories associated with them. Let's find out more about the folklore and legends attached to a selection of strange pub names in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/unusual-pub-names/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a Patron for bonus exclusive episodes at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

5 Feb 202218min

When you say the name 'Elizabeth Bathory', a few things probably spring to mind. After all, she's widely known as the Blood Countess, so you probably imagine a woman in a bath of blood. But did she really do this? Is it fair to call her one of history's worst serial killers? Or are the legends the over-exaggerations of a family hungry to get their hands on the wealth of a powerful woman? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! CW: This episode does include descriptions of torture. It's not suitable for children and if you think you might find it upsetting, then feel free to give it a miss! Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/elizabeth-bathory/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a Patron for bonus exclusive episodes at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

29 Jan 202220min

Lady Godiva has been immortalised in some strange ways, giving her name both to a brand of chocolates and a line in Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now'. Yet it's fascinating that the star of an 11th-century story continues to have an impact even now. For some, she's simply the woman who rode naked through the streets of Coventry. To others, she's an icon of selfless actions to benefit the less privileged. The truth, we should suspect, is somewhat different—yet the story preserves the ethos, if not the actual fact, of what may have happened all those centuries ago. So in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore, let's go and meet Lady Godiva, and see if we can unravel some semblance of truth from the legends that have wrapped themselves around her... Find the images, videos and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/lady-godiva/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a Patron for bonus exclusive episodes at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

22 Jan 202218min