Episodes

We welcome writer and folklore graduate Liza Frank to the Folklore Podcast for an episode looking at the many different ways in which you might be able to combine a bit of folklore into your daily life. In conversation with Mark Norman, creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, Liza looks at divination, calendar customs, food folklore and lots more ideas which came out of the Everyday Lore Project which she ran for a year through lockdown. Liza also discusses how this material then went on to f...

Nick Medina's debut novel from 2023, 'Sisters of the Lost Nation', describes the hunt for answers as a Native girl searches for information about women who have been mysteriously disappearing from her tribe's reservation. As she searches for clues, she learns more about the myths and stories of her people and how they may offer help. In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, we chat with Nick about various aspects of Native American folklore, his inspirations for this particular plot from the re...

Folklorist Mark Norman, the creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, returns to write and present an individual episode of the show. Spurred on by the recent viral sharing of the Chicago Rat Hole, Mark takes a look at the history of this simulacrum as well as other folk art and belief associated with our roads from flacking to the Virgin Mary, and from holes in the ground to manholes in space. Maybe. To support The Folklore Podcast and help us to keep writing and creating free folklore conten...

Aisling is the Irish for dream or vision, and it may take the form of a vision poem. The genre was developed as a part of the wider Irish language poetry field at the end of the 17th century, going into the 18th. More broadly, aisling is a vision which is said to connect the seer strongly with the landscape and identity of Ireland and its sacred sites. Our guest today, author Jeremy Schewe is considered to be connected in exactly this way. In 2017, Jeremy completed 21 years of study in Celtic a...

Season 9 of The Folklore Podcast kicks off with another examination of folklore writing for a younger audience. Special guest on this first episode of a new season, Louie Stowell, discusses Norse Mythology, gods, writing folklore for children and much more as we examine her ongoing book series "Loki - A Bad God's Guide". There's also a chance to hear an extract from the first audiobook in the series, painting a picture of what a Norse God might be like in the body of a mortal 11-year-old child...

The Folklore Podcast Christmas Special for 2023. In an interview recorded live at the science fiction and fantasy convention Armadacon, we chat with Pat and Jan Harkin, the husband and wife team responsible for rediscovering all of the Terry Pratchett short stories published together for the first time in the new anthology 'A Stroke of the Pen'. The episode closes with a reading of one of these stories, 'How it all Began' by actor David Tennant. To support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon and ...

We welcome award-winning children's author Sophie Anderson back onto the podcast to celebrate the launch of her latest book, 'The Snow Girl'. Sophie researches and works closely with Slavic and Russian folk stories, using them as inspiration for her own stories. We talk about this rich vein of lore as well as her thoughts on using folklore more generally in fiction writing. There's also a chance to hear an extract from the audiobook version of 'The Snow Girl', courtesy of Usborne Books. To su...

A short trailer for our new storytelling podcast, 'Stories from the Hearth', where you - the Folklore Podcast listeners - narrate old folk and fairy tales. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts by searching for 'Stories from the Hearth (A Folklore Podcast Production)

It seems strange that there have been very few quality studies undertaken of female ghosts in America. On this episode of the podcast, we meet two researchers who have happily redressed this balance in their book 'A Haunted History of Invisible Women', Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes. The episode also features a preview of a track from the new album Solstice Wyrd, performed by Lunatraktors. Support the work of The Folklore Podcast on our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

In a crossover episode, The Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman is joined by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, the creators and presenters of The Three Ravens podcast. Between them, the trio have an in-depth discussion of all things folklore and folk tale, and Eleanor and Martin present their version of the story The Two Sisters. Visit www.threeravenspodcast.com to find out all about Eleanor and Martin, or listen to their podcast Support The Folklore Podcast in what we do and access e...

We explore the concept of the elements - Earth, Air, Fire and Water - with our guest, author and Wiccan practitioner and teacher Deborah Lipp. Her book on the subject, The Way of Four, was updated this year and republished in a new edition by Crossed Crow Books. Deborah discusses not only the ritualistic importance of the elements, but also how they can be and are integrated into our daily lives. Science may have renamed them, but their attributes and importance remain the same in the modern wo...

In one of our occasional 'In Conversation' episodes, where we have no set theme but just chat with a fascinating guest from the world of folklore, we welcome Rev Peter Laws. Peter is the host of three of his own podcasts, an expert on 'Uncanny' with Danny Robins and the author of a number of books, including non-fiction title 'The Frighteners' which explores our interests with anything morbid. We cover ghosts, monsters, horror films and the significance to Peter of black rabbits. To find out ...

We get the rare opportunity to host an actual urban legend, as we welcome the mysterious Chuck Tingle onto The Folklore Podcast. In an interview which we think we surprise many, Chuck discusses his new mainstream horror writing, deconstructs the horror genre ... and maybe separates out some of the fact and fiction in his own work and life. You'll have to be the judge of that. Chuck is, undoubtedly, the embodiment of living folklore. If you thought you knew what his work was about, think again....

Rebels come in many flavours. Cultures around the world have their own examples of rebellious characters embedded within their folk tales. Some help others, some help themselves. Some you would love to meet, others you would do well to avoid. But what exactly is the meaning behind our rebellious folk characters? What purpose do their stories hold and what do they tell us about ourselves? Joining Mark Norman, creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, to discuss the role of the rebel in world fo...

Tolkein, Pratchett, Gaiman ... there have been many great writers who use folklore to underpin their narratives. In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, author, musician and poet Ceallaigh MacCath-Moran joins us to discuss the creative application of folklore in writing. Ceallaigh is the creator of the newsletter, dispatch and podcast 'Folklore and Fiction' which examines folklore scholarship aimed at storytellers and writers. Learn more on Ceallaigh's website at https://csmaccath.com/folklor...

In this second of three bonus mini episodes recorded live at the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research 40th anniversary conference in Sheffield, Perry Carpenter (Digital Folklore Podcast) and Folklore Podcast creator and host Mark Norman chat about the folklore, creatures and beliefs of Iceland and Sweden with our two international guests. To support the work of The Folklore Podcast in continuing to produce episodes of the podcast, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcas...

It is now 50 years since the infamous horror film 'The Exorcist' made its way into cinemas, creating a rapid reputation which would go on to see it become a cult classic in the genre as well as spawning a raft of other franchise material which was not foreseen or intended. The recent death of the movie's director William Friedkin has brought to the forefront once more the important legacy which 'The Exorcist' has created. It is far more than simply a horror classic. It is a part of our social h...

On the anniversary of his birth, we delve into the life of the cult American pop culture 'psychic' with a knack for failing to make accurate predictions, The Amazing Criswell. Leading us on this journey is Edwin Lee Canfield, who has spent the last two decades researching Criswell's life and interviewing those who knew him. Find more about Edwin's book on Criswell here. To buy a copy of The Vampire's Tomb Mystery, mentioned at the end of this episode, please visit this link. To support The Fo...

We explore the ways in which folklore can sit behind some of the everyday rituals that we perform at home with guest Alise Marie, author of 'The Beauty Witch's Secrets'. Following a pagan path in her work, Alise explores the ways in which plants, in conjunction with traditional beliefs about the cycle of the seasons, can be used in the field of health and beauty. You can visit Alise Marie's website at www.thebeautywitch.com To support the Folklore Podcast in continuing to create freely accesse...

Literary correspondent Hilary Wilson chats with Genevieve Cogman, author of the 'Invisible Library' series, about the first book in a new trilogy. 'Scarlet' is a new take on the story of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the French Revolution, this time with added vampires! Learn more about Genevieve on her website at http://www.grcogman.com/ If you enjoy the free folklore content that we create and want to do more to help, please visit our support pages at www.thefolklorepodcast.com/support where you...

In a new occasional strand of The Folklore Podcast, 'Folklore in the Field', we will be presenting interviews and other items of folklore interest which we have captured on location. This episode, recorded at the 40th anniversary conference of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research at Sheffield Hallam University, features Mark Norman (host of The Folklore Podcast) and Perry Carpenter (co-host of Digital Folklore Podcast) in conversation with Dr Diane Rodgers of the Centre fo...

We shine a spotlight on some of the folklore and tales of importance in African culture. Guiding us on this path is Helen Nde, writer, artist and the curator of Mythological Africans. She is in conversation with Tracy Nicholas, as part of our occasional series on storytelling and storytellers. Visit Helen's website at https://www.mythologicalafricans.com/ To help us to continue producing free content on The Folklore Podcast, and to access a catalogue of exclusive bonus content, please visit ww...

The day that Rowena Murray was born, two-hundred-and-fifty starlings dropped dead out of the sky. Or so her mother says. Ever since, she has been marked by Death. First came the visions; then her boyfriend died suddenly. Now Death has taken her father, too. Salvation, Rowena is told, lies to the North: in Culcrith, where her grandmother can save her from the curse... We meet author Nadia Attia who discusses her debut novel 'Verge' and the folklore behind its story. To support The Folklore Pod...

In this last of three interviews recorded live at the UK Ghost Story Festival in Derby, podcast host Mark Norman chats with author Lauren McMenemy, who was also one of the people helping with the organisation of the festival itself. The pair discuss ghosts, recommendations for spooky fiction and the time that Lauren spent living in the bizarre serial killer capital of Australia! To support the work of the Folklore Podcast and help us to keep producing more folklore content, please visit www.pat...