On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin chats all things Worcestershire and the surrounds with folklorist and author Hugh Williams.

Born in Worcester at the heart of the English Midlands, Hugh has gone about things the old fashioned way. Which is to say, he has spent almost his whole life physically exploring, discovering and researching the stranger places of England’s middle counties, and is deeply passionate about telling their stories.

Part of this he does through his blog, which is absolutely amazing, and he has also written three books, The Mystery of Mercia Volumes I and II, which are collections of lore and folktales centred on the old Anglo Saxon kingdom of Mercia, and, more recently, The Magic of Mercia: A History of Witchcraft and Magic in the Midlands of England.

Drawing on traditional sources as well as his own collecting and site visits, Hugh’s work paints a vivid picture of the English heartlands, from their very beginnings right through to the present day. All of which has earned him a prominent position on social media, where he posts pictures and videos of his discoveries to tens of thousands of people. Plus, he’s now moving into the world of TV presenting – he’s just filmed for the new History Channel series Weird Britain which will be released next year!

So, settle in for a chat which folds in Danish reeves being skinned and their outer layers pinned to cathedrals, Cunning Folk, giants, Wild Hunts, foliate heads, and much, much more!

To learn more Hugh and his work, do visit his website at mysteriesofmercia.com and you can find him on social media via @mysteriesofmercia

The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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

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

The Ancient Greeks believed they existed before the dawn of time, yet they're a mystery to most, so, for this week's Bonus Episode we're exploring the long and complex history of Nymphs!

Part of the "Three Ravens Bestiary" series, we start off discussing the roles Nymphs played in the Greco-Roman pantheon, including how they were classified and eventually used, in Imperial projects, to present local and regional gods of pagan cultures, such as the Celts and Britons, as less powerful than the Olympians. This then sees us look at examples of some ancient genius loci from across England, including those found in shrines at Hadrian's Wall, where some local deities defied the odds and survived well into Christianization, later becoming recognised as Saints.

From there we head in two directions - firstly, forward, via Chaucer, Marvell and Shakespeare, into a place where Nymphs and Faeries got a little bit muddled up in the British mindset. After that, we journey back to the start, exploring how writers like Hesiod, Homer, and many others, developed and contributed to the collective idea of 'Nymph Lore' - the roles Nymphs played in city foundation, how they were worshiped, and what 'Nympholepsy' - Nymph Madness - was, and why some people sought it out!

Via discussions of the 18th century invention of the idea of 'Nymphomania' - in contrast with other misogynistic (and anti-British) ideas such as Tacitus' characterisation of the Roman Witch Empress Messalina, the vengeful Iceni Queen Boudica, and figures like Britannicus, we wash up in the present day - a time when being called a "nymph" seems to have nothing to do with nature spirits, and much more to do with systems of power and control...

The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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

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

On this week's episode Martin is whisking us up to Worcestershire in England's West Midlands and telling us his take on the legend of "The Malvern Ogre."

We start off chatting about what Martin calls 'a proper saint' - his namesake, St Martin - including his life as a goose-bothering wandering necromancer and the strange part-bloody, part-weather related traditions associated with today's festival of Martinmas.

After that we set off for Worcestershire, a sometimes overlooked county with extraordinarily rich history and folklore to be found in just about every corner.

We discuss topics including the very frequently-destroyed County Town of Worcester, the county's plethora of standing stones and its fractious past, then Martin grabs up his bottle of Worcestershire Sauce and chats through the county's extremely rich culinary heritage, and its offal-centred ancient delicacy, Tenbury Pie, for this week's County Dish.

As for folklore, interspersed with some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with Worcestershire local, folklorist and author Hugh Williams, we talk about the county's resident centaur, its fairies, black dog legend, a spontaneously combusting witch from Kidderminster, and much more besides.

Then it's on to the main event: Martin's story, "The Malvern Ogre" which, in a change of pace from recent weeks, is a jolly tale about people-eating monsters, personal hygiene, and the magical power of kindness.

We hope you enjoy it, and will be back on Thursday with a new Three Ravens Bestiary bonus episode about Nymphs and, if you're a Patreon supporter, our November Patreon Exclusive episode about The Medway Megaliths, all ahead of Saturday's full Local Legends chat with Hugh!

The 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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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

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