In the field of Gothic literature, from the Penny Dreadful and Chapbook through the Penny Bloods and novels. whether it a classic like Bronte or something less well known, there are many ways in which the female characters may as monstrous. We explore the landscape of 'mad', murderous and shape-shifting women with Gothic scholar Dr Nicole C. Dittmer, author of 'Monstrous Women and Ecofeminism in the Victorian Gothic'. After listening to this episode, seek out Story 4 of 'Stories from the Hearth', our storytelling show, in your podcast feed for a reading of 'The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains' narrated by Nicole. To support our work creating free folklore-related content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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 form the basis of her book Everyday Folklore. Visit Liza's website at www.liza-frank.com To support the Folklore Podcast and its work creating and producing accessible folklore content for everyone, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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 real world and other aspects of indigenous culture. Visit Nick's website at www.nickmedina.net Explore the Folklore Podcast website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com or sign up to the Patreon page to offer support at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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 content, please consider signing up to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast or making a one-off donation on our website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com

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 alchemy and traditional ecological knowledge and he now helps other people with their own similar paths of discovery. He is a certified herbalist and record keeper of traditional Celtic ecological lore. In the episode of the podcast, Jeremy talks about his connections to sacred Ireland, his new book Aisling, and his wider views of landscape, identity and place. Visit Jeremy's website at https://www.inchantedjourneys.com/ Find Jeremy's book at www.crossedcrowbooks.com Support the work of The Folklore Podcast at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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. You can visit Louie's website at www.louiestowell.com Support the work of The Folklore Podcast in bringing free access to the world's experts in folklore by joining our Patreon page for extra content at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast Audiobook extract: Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good © 2022 Louie Stowell. ℗ 2022 W. F. Howes Ltd. Used with permission of the publisher.

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 help us to keep producing content for the next season, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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 support the work of The Folklore Podcast in bringing many hours of free folklore content to the public,please visit our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast or make a small donation via our website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com

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 extra content at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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 world. Find Deborah online at www.deborahlipp.com Crossed Crow Books are at www.crossedcrowbooks.com Support the work of The Folklore Podcast on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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 more about Peter, please visit www.peterlaws.co.uk To support our work on Patreon to keep The Folklore Podcast running, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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. You can help to continue to support the work of The Folklore Podcast as we head towards our ninth season with a small donation on our website, or by joining our Patreon page where you can access bonus content.

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 folklore is returning guest Icy Sedgwick. Icy is a blogger and writer, the host of Fabulous Folklore podcast and the author of 'Rebel Folklore', published recently by Dorling Kindersley. To find out more about all of Icy's work, visit her website at www.icysedgwick.com You can support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon for as little as the price of a bar of chocolate each month, and help us to keep creating folklore content for the future. Please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast where you can sign up and access bonus content and other rewards too.

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/folkloreandfiction To support The Folklore Podcast and our portfolio of folklore work and content, please visit our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast where you can also access extra content.

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/thefolklorepodcast

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 history, providing a cultural commentary on the world. In terms of folklore, it is based on a series of events which actually happened (whatever they may have been) and as well as drawing on these it shines a light on the often dangerous world of exorcism today. Film historian, broadcaster and author Nat Segaloff joins us to discuss 'The Exorcist' and it role in our society.

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 Folklore Podcast on Patreon and help us to keep producing content into the future, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

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 accessed folklore content, please consider joining our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast