The Three Ravens Podcast

For our Local Legends interview this week, the first of Haunting Season 2025, we've spoken to the celebrated author of 'The Ghost: A Cultural History' Susan Owens!Recorded at Susan's home in Suffolk, this ranging chat includes discussions of the ghost that haunted the old V&A Museum's stores of paintings, Susan's all-time favourite ghost story, and plenty of discussion of the way England's past haunts its present. Along the way we touch on the great Romantic painter John Constable, the Pre-Raphaelites, Rob Lloyd Parry, and plenty else beside.So, settle in with a nice big cup of something warm, and let's talk Medieval ghosts. Let's talk Ham House and the ghost of Elizabeth Murray, Duchess of Lauderdale. Let's also talk about the point in time when ghosts turned invisible. Before which, they were something else entirely...For now, though, let's listen in to a conversation with The Storyteller of Wales about his life, career, and this week’s Three Ravens historic county, Denbighshire.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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month's Magic and Medicines Bonus Episode definitely has Haunting Season associations, as we're talking all about Voodoo! Although, being up front, "Voodoo" is but a tiny subset of a vast number of syncretic religious and cultural practices dating back to Africa 6,000 years ago - 'syncretic' meaning something which merges different beliefs into a unified whole. Sharing lots of ideas with forms of ancient pagan animism found all over the world, 'Vodun' is a religious faith with over 60 million followers today. But how has it changed due to societal factors, including slavery, which directly birthed Haitian 'Vodou' and its curious relationship to Catholicism?So yes, we will be talking about Louisiana Voodoo, the 20th century Voodoo Revival, "Voodoo Dolls" and all sorts of other cool stuff, from temples marinaded in sacrificial blood to Mami Wata, Legba the 'Spirit of Crossroads' to Marie Laveau, and so much more. But we also need to acknowledge both where our Western concepts of Voodoo come from and how those ideas came to dominate much of the cultural consciousness.It's dark matter, as they say, and we've done our best to do the topic justice!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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three Ravens Haunting Season is now officially risen from the grave, hungry for coziness and chilling tales of terror!As in previous years we begin this Monday episode with two winning tales from our annual Three Ravens Ghost Story Writing Competition. The first of these, "Cold" by Susanne Okulitch, offers up a cool bit of class discussion set against a backdrop of an ice cold Alpine blizzard, while the second, "The Lion Tamer" by Maria Williams presents something altogether stranger, though perhaps more heart-warming in the end. Lastly comes Martin's new story for this week, "Uncle Wilf." Another slightly offbeat tale, it features a certain amount of Gothic gloom, then becomes a tale about cycles of time, grief, and family. Hopefully it still freaks you out, while also reaching for something else. Not least, to please The Master...Fingers-crossed you enjoy all three, and speak to you again on Thursday for our Magic and Medicines Bonus Episode all about Voodoo!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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin is joined around the campfire by storyteller, magician and puppeteer Chris Baglin.Chris performs as 'Professor Llusern' and 'Cyfarwydd Cymru', with the second being his bardic name, meaning 'the storyteller of Wales'. Chris performs at castles, heritage centres and fetes across north Wales and beyond, and for the past several years he has been the regular storyteller at Conwy Castle and a half dozen other places, too. When not performing, Chris travels across the country and abroad as a drama adjudicator for various festivals, and organises events for Welsh Language promotion organisation. He is also a script writer and voice over artist, is a lead Creative Schools practitioner (an Arts Council Wales project), and he, too, has a storytelling podcast.You can learn more about Chris and his work on his websites, https://professorllusern.com/ and http://www.cyfarwydd.cymru/.For now, though, let's listen in to a conversation with The Storyteller of Wales about his life, career, and this week’s Three Ravens historic county, Denbighshire.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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ah - smell that wisp of wood smoke in the air? Feel that strange sensation as the hairs rise on the back of your neck? See that ancient spectre stood in your path, pointing at you while mumbling things that you can't hear?It can only mean one thing: it's the month of Halloween, October, and therefore it's also Three Ravens Haunting Season!To kick off 'Haunting Season 3' we thought, to do something different, that we might discuss how people might approach Halloween and this advent of 'The Dark Months' from a few different points of view.For example, how does Seasonal Affective Disorder change how we feel and behave during October? How do folk customs seem to often counteract these ideas, bringing people together for spans of fiery time before encouraging us to retreat to our caves?We chat through some suggestions of things to try on a very basic level at first, and then, during the section section of the episode we discuss the best Halloween TV and movies around at the moment, including everything from our Top 5 Spooky Family Movies to our Top 5 Classic Spooky Movies, our Top 5 Recent Recommendations, and more.In the final section, in addition to discussing some potential Spooky Reads to try, we discuss specific customs, from wreath making and warding your house to some simple autumnal recipes, Halloween-themed cocktails and mocktails, and a bunch of other things too.The hope is, if you're a fan of Halloween, you'll be nodding along. If Halloween is a bit of a mystery to you, hopefully it lays out some of the things you might do to mark the occasion, and why.We really hope you enjoy it, and speak to you again on Saturday for our Local Legends episode about Denbighshire's folklore with Chris Baglin.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 REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three Ravens Series 7 may be underway, but it's now October, meaning it's Three Ravens Haunting Season!This episode offers a bit of an update from us about Three Ravens goings-on, including the plan for the month ahead, after which we've included sections of last month's Patreon Exclusive episodes.First comes the initial 25 minutes or so of Martin's exploration of The Cult of Mithras which is followed by the opening section of our Film Club episode for September, as released last Thursday, about the 1962 Hammer Productions movie 'Captain Clegg' - known in the U.S.A. as 'Night Creatures.'Speak to you again tomorrow for the Three Ravens Guide to Halloween, and again on Saturday with our Local Legends interview with Chris Baglin! 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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our second County Episode of Series 7, we're off to North Wales to talk about the history and folklore of Denbighshire!In terms of the county's history, there's a lot - and it's absolutely fascinating. From the centuries when it was a domain controlled by the Marcher Lords to the recent severing of Wrexham away from Denbighshire to rebel princes including Owain Glendwyr, it's a meaty one, and a landscape filled with rugged coasts, sweeping valleys, forested uplands, and a bonkers array of castles and scheduled monuments.After that, aided by some excerpts from our full Local Legends interview with Chris Baglin, we dig into the county's folklore, from ghostly centurions to horse-stealing sprites, King Arthur in drag to a pretty strange variation on The Sleeping King story, there's tonnes to chat about, and we aren't in a rush to move on!This leads into the main event: Martin's story "A Howl of Wind in the Castle of Crows" - a take on the legendary yet ill-fated love of Hywel ab Einion and Myfanwy Fychan, including a pretty grisly conclusion...After that, we had some microphone issues, but nonetheless discuss the story's symbolism, share some news of ancient Chilean mummies and Viking vulva statues, while also talking about Haunting Season 2025, which will begin on Thursday!We really hope you enjoy the episode and will speak to you again on Wednesday for our 'October Update' all before our Three Ravens Guide to Halloween comes out on Thursday, followed by the full interview with Chris on Saturday!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?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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Series 7's first episode of Local Legends, Eleanor is joined around the campfire by storyteller, theatre maker and ecologist Milly Jackdaw.Milly's fascinating career has seen her telling stories on the banks of wild lakes, at festivals and in theatres, and in some of the places most connected to the stories themselves. With a background in theatre, Milly brings a particular theatrical flair to her storytelling. She toured with Purple Broccoli Theatre Co for nearly a decade, bringing performances with core environmental themes to diverse venues, all the while developing her passion for solo storytelling.At the heart of it all is Milly’s deep love of the natural world, a primary theme of all her work. She’s studied field ecology, animal communication and plant spirit communication, and is a trustee for the charity Cambrian Wildwood. You can learn more about Milly and her work on her website, https://www.millyjackdaw.com/.For now, though, let’s gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire, take a sip of something warm and spiced, and listen in for a fascinating chat about the life and work of an inspiring storyteller, the county of Cardiganshire, and tales such as the birth of Taliesin and Myrddin’s Pig, with a true Local Legend: Milly Jackdaw.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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grab your scythe, your nut-brown bowl, and keep an eye on the Farmer's Daughter, as on this month's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode we're talking all about Harvest Songs - in particular, We Gets Up In The Morn, John Barleycorn, and The Barley and the Rye! As ever, the episode contains new takes on all three of these songs from Eleanor and Ben, who are also joined by Katie 'The Harmony Machine' Sommers, with Martin joining in with chat about the history behind each song, and traditions related to harvest rituals.Because let us not forget, the first Christian harvest church services only came about during the 19th century, yet some of these songs date from before Shakespeare. As such, they speak to much longer traditions of autumnal celebration linked to the three phases of harvest, and narratives around it.From Papua New Guinean rituals linked to yams to the ladies-only Classical-era harvest festival of Thesmophoria, we chat through the surprisingly universal ideas of what people celebrate when it comes to gathering in crops; everybody appreciates the deity that brings the rain, but what about the Divine Feminine - Mother Earth - who appears is many forms across the world?As always, we really hope you enjoy the episode, and set your calendars for next month's Haunting Season-themed episode of Forgotten Melodies, on which we will be singing (and talking) all about Murder Ballads...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?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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The long-heralded first County Episode of Three Ravens Series 7 is finally here and is a bumper-length installment all about the historic county of Cardiganshire on the west coast of Wales!Unable to resist discussing a local saint, Eleanor begins by introducing us to Carantoc, a dragon-slaying local hero who lost a special altar, apparently. Though luckily King Arthur was about to find it for him. Despite maybe having stolen it in the first place...After that, we whip through Cardiganshire's history, including its mythical ancient king Ceredig - from whom the county gets its Welsh name of 'Ceredigion' - to its conquering by gold-hungry Romans, resistance to the Normans, and the devastation wrought upon it by Cromwell's New Model Army.Sparsely populated and extremely rural, Cardiganshire is rich with mythology, such as the drowned lands of Cantre’r Gwaelod, an astonishing number of ghost animals (including an overly-affectionate spectral pig), giants with toothache, child-stealing fairies, and the 'Beast of Bont.' Yet, there's one tale that stands head and shoulders above the others. As discussed with this week's Local Legends guest, storyteller Milly Jackdaw, this story is that of the birth of Taliesin, the legendary Dark Age Brythonic poet who has since come to define key aspects of Welsh national character.Consequently, despite this week's 'Treasure of Wales' being the Holy Grail, the chewed-up remnants of which are currently located at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, and a plethora of other legends from Devilish goings-on to portentous Corpse Candles that augur doom, what choice did Eleanor have but to tell her take on that very story?Her version, entitled "The Cauldron of Awen," is a wild and poetic ride that bridges land and sea, vast spans of time, and transformations from human to animal and back again. After she's told it, we then discuss the legend's symbolism, share some news of an exciting archaeological discovery from just over the border in England, and dig into the Three Ravens mailbag, which is bursting at the seams from a long summer of correspondence!We really hope you enjoy the episode and are already exciting to speak to you again on Thursday in our Forgotten Melodies bonus episode all about Harvest Songs, all before the full interview with Milly comes out on Saturday!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?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/threeravenspodcastREGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURVisit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.