Fabulous Folklore with Icy

Icy Sedgwick
  • 5.0 (139)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Fabulous Folklore will give you your weekly fix of fabulous folklore in fifteen minutes (or less)! Hosted by fantasy and Gothic horror writer, Icy Sedgwick, the podcast explores folklore, legends, superstitions, mythology, and all things weird, occult and unusual.

  1. 1d ago

    Moon Folklore: The Monthly Phases and their Superstitions

    Much online discussion of the moon focuses on the new and full moons, especially when it comes to setting intentions and releasing things. I prefer to work on a more seasonal basis than monthly, but I'm also terrible at intention setting because I invariably forget what I intended. (No, I intend to remember my intentions doesn’t work). Yet examining the plethora of superstitions and beliefs about the moon in folklore reveals that things weren’t quite so clear-cut in previous centuries. Practices vary across time and space, but the new moon wasn’t always a positive thing, as it’s viewed now. The full moon could be both lucky and dangerous. I’m predominantly drawing from British and Irish belief as that’s where I’m from, but feel free to leave any other moon superstitions or beliefs from your culture or background in the comments!  Let’s explore the moon in folklore in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and sources used on the associated blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/moon-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/ Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: https://icysedgwick.com/start-here

  2. Sep 5

    The Aurora Borealis: The Beautiful Northern Lights in Folklore and Myth

    As we’re focusing on the Folklore of the Skies this month, it seemed only right to start with a celestial phenomenon that becomes a lot easier to see as the nights draw in. Yes, we’re looking at the northern lights, or aurora borealis. Annoyingly, I am yet to see the northern lights. The one time they were visible with the naked eye across the whole of the UK, I was in bed with a migraine. I know, I know, strange lights in the sky, with one individual unable to see them, is how Day of the Triffids starts. We will focus on folklore from Britain and Scandinavia. There are Indigenous legends, but they’re not mine to tell. But if you’re reading this and you’re Indigenous, please feel free to share anything you feel called to share in the comments! Let’s explore the aurora borealis and its folklore in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Donate to the Nepal Disaster Relief Fund: https://pmdrf.nchl.com.np/ Find the images and sources used on the associated blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/northern-lights-in-folklore/ Watch my chat with Ùna Maria Blyth: https://youtu.be/euu7P8Be4VE Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/ Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: https://icysedgwick.com/start-here

  3. Aug 29

    Folklore of Poison Hemlock: The Poison that killed Socrates

    Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) is a member of the Apiaceae family—otherwise known as the Carrot family. It's also known as Beaver Poison, Devil's Porridge, Herb Bennet, Poison Parsley, Water Parsley, and Spotted Hemlock. The plants can grow to 2.5m, and they're commonly found in the British countryside. The whole plant is toxic. According to Mrs Burke's Language of Flowers dictionary, hemlock meant 'You will be my death'. The plant appears in history, but how does it appear in folklore, if at all? Let’s find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and sources used on the associated blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-of-poison-hemlock/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/ Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: https://icysedgwick.com/start-here

  4. Aug 22

    The Folklore of Deadly Nightshade: Devils, Witches, and Murder

    Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna) is part of the Solanaceae family, which also contains peppers, aubergines, tomatoes and potatoes! This most famous of poisonous plants is also known as belladonna, banewort, deadly dwale, Devil’s cherries, or death’s herb. The deadly nature of belladonna was noted as far back as 1550 BC. It's not a particularly common plant in the wild, although it does prefer woodland. Yet it’s not necessarily a plant you might rush out to grow. You might also be hard-pressed to use it for meaningful communication. According to Mrs Burke's Language of Flowers dictionary, nightshade meant 'truth'. In the same book, belladonna is listed with the meaning 'silence'. So how does this plant appear in folklore, besides its links to the Devil and witchcraft? Let’s find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and sources used on the associated blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/deadly-nightshade-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/ Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: https://icysedgwick.com/start-here

  5. Aug 15

    Aconite Folklore: From the Underworld to the Poisoner's Cabinet

    Aconitum, referred to as ‘aconite’, is part of the Ranunculaceae family, or the buttercup family.  The Aconitum genus contains around 100 species, each of which is poisonous. Records of its use date back 3000 years.  The Anglo-Saxons apparently called it ‘thung’, which meant 'poison plant'. The plant also gained the nicknames 'helmet flower', 'friarscap', 'old wife's hood' and 'granny's nightcap'. Given how horrifically poisonous the plant is, it has few medicinal or even magical uses. Yet it still appears in folklore and legend, so let’s explore some of the tales of aconite in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and sources used on the associated blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/aconite-folklore/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/ Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: https://icysedgwick.com/start-here

  6. Aug 8

    Folklore of Foxgloves: Witches' Thimbles and Dead Men's Bells

    Foxgloves are one of the most enchanting wildflowers you might encounter in a shady woodland. With their deep pink flowers on spikes that can grow as tall as a person, they certainly arrest the attention. Even their name is evocative, with a smattering of legends to explain where ‘foxglove’ came from. Yet as pretty as the foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is, the plant is also poisonous. It’s great for bees, but less so for us. At least, not if we don’t need the toxins it provides the pharmaceutical industry for heart medicine! But given their host of folk names, association with witches, and appearance in legend, let’s dig into the folklore of foxgloves in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and sources used on the associated blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-of-foxgloves/ Non-traditional haunted houses writing workshop: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-scares-6-week-horror-writing-school-tickets-1980775625216 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/ Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: https://icysedgwick.com/start-here

  7. Aug 1

    Cuckoo Pint or Lords-and-Ladies: The Folklore of Arum Maculatum

    When we talk about poisonous plants, your mind might leap to the celebrities, like foxglove, aconite, or belladonna. You may not immediately think of cuckoo pint (Arum maculatum). It’s native to the UK and surprisingly common. I’ve equally found it in botanic gardens and city centre flowerbeds. Poisoning caused by this plant is thankfully rare, and they do serve a purpose in the ecosystem. Their berries feed birds and they’ll grow in conditions other plants don’t enjoy. Arum maculatum is in the araceae family. But how did people use arum for both mundane and magical purposes? Let’s find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and sources used on the associated blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/cuckoo-pint/ Buy Bring Me Love: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12992/9781786789747 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/ Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: https://icysedgwick.com/start-here

  8. Jul 25

    Roma Lister: Witch, Medium, and Influence on Aradia with Dr A.D. Manns

    We're finishing up Witches Month by switching gears a little to examine the genesis of a foundational text of modern Wicca - Arada: Or The Gospel of the Witches. To do so, I'm joined by Dr A. D. Manns to explore the life, work, and possible influence of Roma Lister, a longtime collaborator of Charles Godfrey Leland. We chat about Florence as a hotbed of occult activity in the late 19th century, Roma's work collecting folklore from Italian witches, and how she may have had a hand in the creation of Aradia. Dr A. D. Manns is a historian and writer who has long maintained a deep interest in folklore, comparative religion, dissident politics, and mystical literature. He graduated from the Warburg Institute in 2019 with a study on the religio-political storytelling of the 17th-century English propagandist and parliamentarian William Prynne. In 2025, Hexen Press published his first monograph, Aradia's Hidden Hand: The Untold Life of Roma Lister. Visit Drew's website: https://thethinkersgarden.com/ Buy Aradia's Hidden Hand: https://www.hexen.fr/books-prints/aradia-s-hidden-hand-ad-manns Find Drew on Instagram: https://instagram.com/druidauvergne Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/ Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: https://icysedgwick.com/start-here

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About

Fabulous Folklore will give you your weekly fix of fabulous folklore in fifteen minutes (or less)! Hosted by fantasy and Gothic horror writer, Icy Sedgwick, the podcast explores folklore, legends, superstitions, mythology, and all things weird, occult and unusual.

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