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  • For the last episode in the second series of Magic and Medicines, we're talking about Palmistry and Phrenology!

    We start by looking at uses of palmistry across the world, from Vedic astrology with Hindu Jyotish over to the divination practices of the Chinese Ming dynasty.

    We discuss whether or not it's true that Aristotle discovered an ancient palmistry text and got Alexander the Great into the art, and explore the stereotypes associated with fortune telling in general, and some nasty xenophobic history.

    Then, we have a look at our own hands, and try and work out whether we've got 'fire hands' or 'air hands', and what the lines in our palms say about us.

    In the third part of the episode, we look at the concept of phrenology, from its roots as possible brain science through to its manipulation and abuse by proponents of eugenics, and its alarming similarity to the work done by some algorithms today...

    We really hope you enjoy the episode, and we will speak to you again on Thursday with a new tale from the Red Fairy Book, Minnikin!

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • On this very special episode of Local Legends Martin is chatting with the brilliant British folk singer-songwriter Frankie Archer!

    To mark the release of her debut album, The Dance of Death, Frankie made time to come on the podcast to discuss how she has ended up making the music she has, which fuses centuries-old traditional melodies with modern electronic production, synthesizers, and manipulated samples.

    Hailing from the North East of England, Frankie loves folk songs and folk tales, making her a perfect guest. We are both massive fans, and, best of all, we have permission to include some of Frankie’s brilliant songs in this episode, which are:

    Death and the MaidenThe Dance of DeathIn Oxford CityThe Lover’s GhostThe Demon LoverIn Brunton Town

    We won’t labour the point – she’s ace – so gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire and listen in to a chat which explores topics as wide-ranging as the icon of Death, the Lambton worm, Cushie Butterfield and the business of being a folk musician in this strange year of 2026, with a true Local Legend, Frankie Archer!


    Learn more about Frankie, buy her music, and find links to tickets for her upcoming tour at frankiearchermusic.com.

    Photo credit Rob Irish.


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

    Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, 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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • For today's episode of the Lang Fairy Tales, we're proceeding on apace through the Red Fairy Book, and we've got another double bill of stories.

    First up is the excellently named Bushy Bride, a Norwegian story which exploits the fairy tale obsession with very, very long noses - and has some very curious features. There is a charming dog called Little Snow, though!

    We follow that on with Mother Holle, a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and included in their 1812 collection Kinder und Hausmarchen before the Langs got their hands on it. It includes legends about Mother Holda, or Frau Perchta, a winter spirit who lives in a well and has the power to make it snow - and teach powerful moral lessons too.

    They're a surprisingly good pairing to compare and contrast! As ever, we discuss and analyse the stories and apply our Raven Ratings to them.

    We hope you enjoy the episode, and we'll speak to you again on Saturday, when Martin is interviewing folk artist Frankie Archer all about her new album, The Dance of Death.

    If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.

    Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.

    They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.

    Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).

    Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.

    Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.

    The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In this month's update episode we're chatting all about the folkiness of summertime - including Well Dressing and Rush Bearing!

    Though that's not all, as, in addition to sharing some of our own news, we're working through the story of Swithin, the English weather saint who once had a very holy hole, Swan Upping, the origins of cricket, Canada Day and America's birthday, too.

    Then we share the opening chunks of June's two Three Ravens Patreon Exclusive episodes.

    First comes the opening 25 minutes of our special episode about The History and Folklore of Board Games, which is followed by the first part of our Film Club episode all about Powell & Pressburger's 1947 nun-stravaganza Black Narcissus.

    We really hope you enjoy this tasting menu and selection of Three Ravens bits and pieces, and we will be back again tomorrow with a new Lang Fairy Tales episode!


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

    Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, 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

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This month on Magus, for our penultimate episode of the series, we're exploring the life and work of the father of Western esotericism, Cornelius Agrippa!

    Born into a Europe wracked by wars, he attends university in Cologne at thirteen, earns his MA by sixteen, and then he abandons the Holy Roman Empire for France.

    There, under the noses of the House of Valois, he begins to establish a hidden brotherhood of occult learning stretching from England to Catalonia to Italy and Switzerland.

    Influenced by Erasmus and Martin Luther, and mentored by the court necromancer of Emperor Maximilian I, Agrippa then pioneers a new, coherent, rational model of the universe which bridges the gap between Medieval and Renaissance thinking, combining esoteric learning from the ancient world with cutting edge humanist philosophy.

    Was he really accompanied everywhere he went by a demonic magical hound that aided him in his research?

    Were his writings cursed such that if an unwitting person read from them alive they risked being strangled by demonic spirits?

    Also, how did Agrippa not realise that embarassing the Inquisition, and then insulting your patrons in print, might be hazardous to the health?

    We'll be answering these questions and many others - but fair warning going in: these are knotty concepts that Agrippa himself would argue should not really be known to common people like thee and we...

    Speak with you again on Wednesday for our monthly Update Episode all about the folkloric fun of July, if not our Patreon Exclusive Flim Club episode about Black Narcissus, all before a new double bill of Lang fairy tales and chats about them on Thursday!


    Three Ravens is an English myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • For this episode, we go where no podcast has gone before - welcome to Three Ravens Live @ Great Dunmow BookFest!

    During a one day festival where an entire Essex town famous for giving out sides of bacon to married couples turned itself into a bookshop, we were warmly welcomed to Jack's 1952, an outdoor goods shop who gave us a space in their basement and several dozen camping chairs to record a free 45 minute show.

    Our audience ranged from newborn children gurgling away up to retirees, along with hardened Three Ravens fans, and plenty of people who had never heard of us before!

    With regular interruptions from the beeping sounds of the shop's door being opened upstairs, and customers popping by to purchase hiking boots, we carried on regardless, with Eleanor joined by our friend and regular collaborator Katie Sommers to sing a capella versions of Three Ravens, Sumer is icumen in, and We Gets Up In The Morn.

    Between these musical highlights we dig into some of our favourite bits of Essex's folklore, including the ghostly goings-on at Borley Rectory and the legend of Old King Cole, the county's six distinct dragon tales, the Canvey Island Monster, Boudica's rampage, and the sad fate of Anglo Saxon queen Edith Swan-neck.

    Also including Eleanor's telling of the tale of the weather witch Sarah Moore of Leigh on Sea in the form of Three Knots, it's a slightly mad show, and hopefully an interesting listen!

    We really hope you enjoy the episode, and will speak to you again on Monday for the penultimate episode of our Bonus Series Magus, all about the magical life of 16th century occultist, scholar, and theologian Cornelius Agrippa!


    Three Ravens is an English myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.

    Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England or Wales' 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 a traditional 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 - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county - and Live Shows come out on Saturdays.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • On this week's Lang Fairy Tales episode we have another triple-bill - though these ones are all slightly wonky...

    We begin with Rapunzel, a tale with its roots in ancient Persian mythology, although what the Langs do with it leaves a little to be desired!

    Next up it's The Nettle Spinner, another Charles Deulin legend out of Flanders which seems to speak to the power of the Protestant work ethic in the face of villainy!

    Last then comes Farmer Weatherbeard, a story drawn from Norse mythology that gets completely muddled in translation, missing the point of the original and focusing not on the apprentice who undoes his master, but on the apprentice's father, who has very little to recommend him as a protagonist...

    Collectively, it makes for an episode of slightly broken stories - and, in turn, some really interesting chats about them which we hope you enjoy!

    Speak to you again on Saturday for our Essex-themed Three Ravens Live Show from Great Dunmow BookFest and, as soon as it's not too hot to sit and record it, our Patreon Exclusive episode for June all about The History and Folklore of Boardgames!


    If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.

    Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.

    They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.

    Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).

    Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.

    Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.

    The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.


    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Get ready to escape to the lake isle of Innisfree, because for the penultimate episode of Forgotten Melodies we're talking all about Nature Songs!

    We explore the English trees and plants which have inspired folk musicians, poets and all true Romantics, and the songs which use them as motifs.

    First, we look at stone cold classic A North Country Maid, and its oak, ash and bonny ivy.

    More oak and ash abound in our second selection, A Tree Song, written by Rudyard Kipling for the 1906 book Puck of Pook's Hill, and set to music by Peter Bellamy. 

    The third song might just be the best known song we've covered in the series, a staple of pub folk sessions, ideal for the end of the night. We'll be gathering the Wild Mountain Thyme - or possibly just making an elaborate excuse to take our sweethearts up into the hills...

    Martin and Eleanor explore the history and context behind each song, and the surrounding folklore for the plants and trees which inspired them!

    We really hope you enjoy the episode, and we will speak to you again on Thursday for a new Lang Fairy Tale triple bill, featuring Rapunzel, The Nettle Spinner, and Farmer Weatherbeard!

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

    Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, 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?


    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Recorded on steamy summer's evening in the John Abel Room of Grange Court, welcome to Three Ravens Live @ Leominster Festival!

    While Hereford might try to steal all the glory - literally in some cases - "Lemster" was just as grand a place in the Medieval era, famed most of all as a market town rich in wool.

    This recording, made on Thursday 11th, explores that historic rivalry, along with the tale of Jenny Pipes, the last English woman sentenced to the ducking stool, demon dogs such as the Hound of Hergest, a diverse range of ghosts including a seven foot big boy, Herefordshire's history of helpful witches, and a very large Civil War siege engine called 'The Sow.'

    From the county's legacy in apple growing and cider making to the haunted doll kept not too far away from a church bell stolen by a mermaid, there's so much to talk about - and that's not mentioning Eleanor's performance of local legend The Dragon of Mordiford!

    A Q&A session with our live audience follows, in which we end up telling yet more stories, including one in which we ourselves were haunted, we hope you enjoy the episode, and heartily encourage everybody to visit Leominster!

    Speak to you again on Monday for the penultimate episode of our Bonus Series Forgotten Melodies, all about Nature Songs, featuring new versions of The North County Maid, Wild Mountain Thyme, and The Tree Song by us!


    Three Ravens is an English myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.

    Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England or Wales' 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 a traditional 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 - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county - and Live Shows come out on Saturdays.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • On this week's Lang Fairy Tales episode we're encountering a tale by folklorist Charles Deulin, The Enchanted Canary.

    Positioned as a legend out of Flanders, it sees a prince head out to find a wife whose skin is not white or pink...

    Perhaps wisely, he goes south, following his dream of an orange grove, waylaid by witches, bricklayers, and his own inability to follow advice.

    A surprisingly rounded story, packed with gags and some genuine pearls of wisdom - “The danger which is most to be feared is never the danger we are most afraid of...” - it's an excitingly rich fairy tale, as we discuss in the analysis section at the end.

    Is it a retelling of the Solar Prince? Is it a tale about the integration of the Anima? Is it about how great immigration can be?

    Is it all three at once?!

    Let's get into it - and of course we really hope you enjoy the episode!

    Speak to you again on Saturday for our Herefordshire-themed Three Ravens Live Show, recorded last weekend at Leominster Festival!


    If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.

    Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.

    They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.

    Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).

    Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.

    Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.

    The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.


    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Let's strip away the meat of mythology and render down the fat of folklore to cook up a delicious chat all about Ogres!

    The word itself was coined by Chrétien de Troyes during the 12th century, and was used to talk about the brutish Britons on the other side of the channel - but from the Ancient Egyptian "Cannibal Hymn" of Pharaoh Unas to the Greeks and Romans with Polyphemus and Orcus, the name of these things is less important than what they do.

    Personifications of wild, untameable nature and warnings about totalitarian power, what's at the root of this symbol of eating people?

    Did it mean the same things to the Etruscans as it did to the first Italian chroniclers of folk romances?

    What about when Charles Perrault re-adapted both 'The Ogre' and 'The Ogress' at the end of the 17th century, and started dressing them in fancy clothes?

    From cthonic Gods of Oaths to Japanese Oni, Baba Yaga to the Ogre's position in contemporary psychotherapy, we're chopping it up, blending it down, then simmering the Ogre gently until it's ready.

    Unless you're listening during the Reformation - in which case Ogres are just Catholics, and ought to be hunted down!


    We also hope you increasingly pleased by our new Bestiary episode art, as drawn by our good friend Tom Peteuil of Creature Castle - check out brand new Ogre merch here and visit the Creature Castle shop for prints and other wonderful things here.


    Speak to you again on Thursday for this week's Lang Fairy Tale, The Enchanted Fairy, before Saturday's Three Ravens Live Show, recorded on Thursday 11th June at Leominster Festival!


    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, we 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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • We present a double bill of tales from the Red Fairy Book today!

    First up, we've got the Norwegian tale of the cleverest (and possibly the most ruthless) horse out there, Dapplegrim, and the lucky human he teams up with.

    We follow it up with The Twelve Brothers, collected by the Brothers Grimm - and spoiler alert, this one contains ravens!

    They make a great contrasting pair, with plenty to discuss, analyse and compare.

    We really hope you enjoy the stories, and we will speak to you again on Monday for a brand new episode of the Three Ravens Bestiary, all about Ogres!

    If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.

    Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.

    They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.

    Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).

    Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.

    Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.

    The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.

    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?


    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Today's Lang Fairy Tale is another Madame d'Aulnoy spectacular, The Golden Branch!

    So spectacular is this tale, in fact, that it was adapted for the stage as part of James Robinson Planche's 19th century 'fairy extravaganzas', lavishly costumed musical displays of whimsy which must truly have been a joy to behold. 

    But will this be the decider for Martin for or against Madame d'Aulnoy? We discuss the tale, compare it to the other French literary fairy tales we've encountered as part of this project, and explore its subtext.

    We hope you enjoy the story and the episode, and we will be back on Saturday with another double bill of tales: Dapplegrim, and The Twelve Brothers!

    If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.

    Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.

    They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.

    Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).

    Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.

    Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.

    The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • We're growling, purring and hissing our way into this month's Magic and Medicines episode to talk all about Familiars and Animal Magic!

    We start by talking about animistic beliefs in early societies, along with associations of animals with particular deities, before diving into Medieval and Renaissance ideas about witches' familiars documented in witch trial materials.

    With Vinegar Tom, Sacke-and-Sugar and Pecke-in-the-Crowne frolicking about our feet, we explore beliefs about how familiars might be summoned - and whether or not they are really something far more sinister than a magical companion. 

    There's a bit of Jungian psychology, of course, and an eclectic selection of beliefs from around the world - but are appearances of animals within spiritual practices really just symbols to assist us with self-development?

    Moving into the 21st century, we discuss neo-shamanism, power animals, and how domestic pets can be spiritually comforting to practitioners of magic and spirituality today, before rounding out the conversation by looking to the future with digital familiars and AI companions!

    We really hope you enjoy the episode, and we will speak to you again on Thursday with The Golden Branch, a longer Lang tale!

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Welcome to a warm summer's evening in a Medieval barn, complete with twilight birdsong, for Three Ravens Live @ Chiltern Open Air Museum!

    Set across 45 acres of the Chiltern Hills, "COAM" rescues endangered historic buildings and reconstructs them at its picturesque site - one where a working historic farm and traditional craftspeople continue Buckinghamshire's old folk occupations and ensure they live on in the modern day. Learn more here.

    This recording, made last Saturday evening, is a celebration of not just COAM and the Chiltern Hills but the entire county of 'Bucks' - a place once ruled over by the pagan king Cymbeline, through which Woden dug a very big ditch, and where Little Witches might hypnotize your sheep before hippy-hopping away over the nearest hedgerow...

    From the county's ancient gold and silver mints at Aylesbury to the furniture makers of High Wycombe - at least two of whom stuck around after death - local delicacies including the Buckinghamshire Bacon Badger to Augustinian monks catching devils in their shoes, Bucks might not have a particular reputation for being folky, but that's only because the county's people have been keeping quiet about it!

    Including performances of traditional folk songs Green Bushes and The Barley Mow by Ben and Eleanor, and Eleanor's haunting live performance of local folktale A Promise Kept with dramatic live underscoring, it's an evening to remember, interrupted by a pigeon and topped off with a Q&A session with our lovely live audience!

    We really hope you enjoy it, and will speak to you again on Monday for the penultimate episode of our Bonus Series Magic and Medicines, all about Familiars and Animal Magic!


    P.S. We recorded a whole second episode after the audience went home, during which we explored the museum's historic buildings and searched for ghosts between midnight and 2am. We still have work to do to edit it all together, but that decidedly spooky recording will be coming out on the Three Ravens Patreon during July!


    Three Ravens is an English myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.

    Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England or Wales' 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 a traditional 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 - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county - and Live Shows come out on Saturdays.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Today, for our 50th Lang Fairy Tales episode, it's time for another triple - and this trio of stories are ones most people might already know.

    The Ratcatcher is a fairly straight take on the Pied Piper of Hamelin, albeit with a Transylvanian Twist.

    The True History of Little Golden Hood marks the Lang's second attempt at Red Riding Hood - and it's pretty great!

    The Three Dwarfs meanwhile starts promisingly, though then becomes Toads and Diamonds, and for no good reason...

    We dig into each after the fact and discuss their strengths, weaknesses, and seeming subtexts. And hooray for grandmas who are also witches and not evil!

    We really hope you enjoy the stories and our chat about them, and will speak to you again on Saturday for our Buckinghamshire-themed Three Ravens Live Show, recorded last weekend at Chiltern Open Air Museum!


    If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.

    Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.

    They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.

    Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).

    Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.

    Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.

    The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.


    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This month on Magus we're discussing maybe the most influential wizard of all time, and a true original - it's only flippin' Merlin!

    We track his development through prehistory via the archetype of the "Lord of Ecstasy" - a deific entity who appears in mythologies from all over the world.

    In addition to exploring his British precedents in the form of the Northern and Scots Lowland wild man of the woods Lailoken and the Welsh version of that same character in the form of Myrddin Wyllt, we also marinade ourselves in the swell of "Arthurian" stories that rose and sloshed about across the Medieval era.

    After he's given the name 'Merlinus' by Geoffrey of Monmouth though, Merlin becomes central to not just tales of Camelot but the propaganda of a slew of European kings.

    We track how, across the British Isles, his identity continues to twist and mutate - befitting the Latin title of his forebears, homo silvaticus.

    Though at the same time, across the English Channel, the French and central European courts thought of Merlin as one of the great masters of 'Natural Magic.'

    Born of a demon and a virgin princess, to alchemists and occultists from Cornelius Agrippa to the Brotherhood of the Golden Dawn he was the first building block of an extensive and rigorous magical system which offered proponents God-like powers to shape reality.

    From Thomas Malory to Alfred Lord Tennyson, J.R.R. Tolkien to the Disney corporation, he is a cultural emblem whose meaning has only continued to shapeshift.

    Which is only appropriate really, when you think about it...

    Speak with you again on Thursday for another triple-bill of fairy tales and chats about them with The Ratcatcher and The True History of Little Golden Hood and The Three Dwarfs!


    Thumbnail cover art for this episode features "Volkhv" by Andrey Shishkin.


    Three Ravens is an English myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In this month's update episode we're chatting all about Midsummer - which is not the same thing as the Summer Solstice...

    After chewing through some key ideas to do with "Litha" from across different cultures, including the significance of St John's Eve and Day and the hunting of the mythical Fern Flower at the solar maximum, we share a bunch of our news and the opening chunks of May's two Patreon Exclusive episodes.

    First comes the opening 25 minutes of our special episode about The History and Folklore of Cosmetics, which is followed by the first part of our Film Club episode all about Ben Wheatley's 2013 Civil War-set psychotropic drama A Field in England.

    We really hope you enjoy this tasting menu and selection of Three Ravens bits and pieces, and lo, your cup floweth over, as today has ended up being a Double Release Day - Magus #11 about the magical life of the wizard Merlin is also out right now, so hope to speak to you on that one, too!


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

    Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, 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

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • After our triple bonanza on Thursday, we've got just one fairy tale today: a Norwegian Cinderella fable called Kari Woodengown!

    With questionable fashion choices, an unappealing prince and the very best animal friend a girl could wish for, we very nearly gave Kari Woodengown three out of three ravens...but not quite.

    Still, it's an enjoyable adventure - though we should warn you that there's a brief mention of entrails, if you're squeamish!

    If you need us, we'll be in Bathland...

    We really hope you enjoy the story and our discussion about it, and we will speak to you again on Monday for a brand new episode of Magus all about the wizard Merlin!

    If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.

    Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.

    They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.

    Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).

    Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.

    Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.

    The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • It's our first triple bill of stories from the Langs' Red Fairy Book today, and boy do we have a smorgasbord of fun little tales for you!

    Our first selection is The Voice of Death, a Romanian tale collected by Petre Ispirescu. It's a strange little tale which defies classification, even with the entire ATU Index at our backs. A little more philosophical than the usual, but one we both liked.

    We follow that one up with The Six Sillies, a story which has its origin in Belgium, and possibly one of Eleanor's favourite lines in a fairy tale ever.

    For the finale, we've got Drakestail, the legend of a brave little duck who roots out corruption with the aid of some odd but loyal friends!

    We hope you enjoy all three stories and our discussion about them, and we will speak to you again on Saturday with a longer story - the tale of Kari Woodengown!

    If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.

    Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.

    They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.

    Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).

    Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.

    Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.

    The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.

    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?

    REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR


    Visit our website


    Join our Patreon


    Social media channels and sponsors

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.