HistoryExtra podcast New Year's Eve, newts and Nessie: a history of British folklore
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Dec 31, 2025 Joining the discussion are Dr. Kerry Holbrook, a Senior Lecturer in Folklore and History, and Owen Davies, a Professor of Social History, both from the University of Hertfordshire. They dive into the intriguing customs surrounding New Year's Day and the curious beliefs in newts as folk medicine. Folklore's role in shaping cultural identity is explored, alongside modern legends like Nessie and UFO sightings. They emphasize that folklore is not static but evolves, reflecting contemporary issues and community practices, even during lockdown.
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Media And Retail Shape Traditions
- Broadcasting and supermarkets helped nationalise and popularise local customs by amplifying certain practices.
- Media and retail choices shape which traditions feel 'national' today.
Extraordinary Folk Medical Explanations
- Folk medicine included beliefs that animals could grow inside people, explaining undiagnosed ailments.
- Practices like leaving milk by the bed aimed to coax imagined creatures out, reflecting understandable reasoning given medical limits.
Witchcraft As Medical Explanation
- Many unexplained ailments were attributed to witchcraft and treated by cunning folk using magical medical techniques.
- Objects like witch bottles functioned as cures for bewitchment, not merely as generic protections.
