Folkways: The Folklore of Britain and Ireland

Folkways
  • 4.9 (43)
  • HISTORY

A stroll through the rich and fascinating folklore of Britain and Ireland. From music, to psychogeography, to what to do if you notice the devil following you to church. It's a long, strange trip and there are no guarantees you'll be home in time for dinner. Each episode also includes a mini-almanac for the month ahead. If you enjoy this show, feel free to buy me a coffee https://bit.ly/2SWoNqH Music by @big.big.sky | Additional artists referenced in each episode | Logo design James Fisher

  1. MAY 1

    (S5E2) 🔥 SUMMER IS ICUMEN IN: May Day and Beltane

    Let's look at May Day and Beltane traditions across Britain and Ireland, from ancient fires to seasonal folk customs. 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠big.big.sky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact folkwayschannel@gmail.com👋 @folkwayspodcast SOURCES: Carmichael, Alexander, *Carmina Gadelica*, Vol. I (1900). Cormac mac Cuilennáin (attributed), Sanas Cormaic (c. 900–1000). Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, Faust. Part I (1808). Gregor, Walter, Folklore of the North-East of Scotland (1881). Guest, Lady Charlotte, trans., The Mabinogion (1849). Jones, Gwyn and Thomas Jones, trans., The Mabinogion (1949). Lomax, Alan, *Padstow May Day / Obby Oss Ceremony*, field film recording (1953). Pepys, Samuel, The Diary of Samuel Pepys (1660–1669). Pennant, Thomas, A Tour in Scotland (1771). Praetorius, Johannes, Blockes-Berges Verrichtung (1668). Phillips, Alan Robert, “The Rituals surrounding Calan Mai – the Welsh May Day – and their Functions” (modern essay / unpublished paper, c. 2020s). *The Irish Folklore Commission*, National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin: 20th-century field collections. Bromwich, Rachel and D. Simon Evans, eds., Culhwch and Olwen: An Edition and Study of the Oldest Arthurian Tale (1992).

    33 min

  2. APR 6

    (S5E1) 🏰 ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY: The Secrets of St Michael's Mount

    Walk across the sea with me. From legends of angels and giants, to a mysterious ley line known as 'the dragon line'... to a bizarre discovery made inside the chapel... let's explore the history and folklore of Cornwall’s most iconic landmark. 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠big.big.sky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact folkwayschannel@gmail.com 👋 @folkwayspodcast MORE INFO AND CREDITS Anna Berska Paul Weston, The Michael Leyline https://bit.ly/41UGtpX Yuri Leitch, The Dragon Line map Ithell Colquhoun, The Living Stones (1957) Jack The Giant Killer (1962) Featuring folktales of Tom Hickathrift (East Anglia, England) and Red Ettin the Giant (Scotland) Poetry on the mount by Humphrey Davy (1799), John Davidson (1909), Richard Carew (1602) Both William Bottrell and Robert Hunt collected Cornish folklore and made accessible overviews in the 1800s. Without these two folklorists' work, many classic Cornish stories would be lost. Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall (Bottrell, 1870) and Popular Romances of the West of England (Hunt, 1865) are highly recommended.

    40 min

  3. JAN 23

    (S4E10) ⚡️ WORSHIP THE OLD GODS with Fiona Aedgar

    Something different! The show has talked a great deal about deity and ancestral veneration in the past tense, with the aim of understanding it within a historical context. But what about those with a living practice today? How does it work? Here is just one example, looking at Nordic Paganism (other examples likely to come the future!) So... with the intention to banish some winter blues, enjoy this warming chat with Fiona Aedgar on the old gods and the ancestors. Who are the old gods? How do we approach them? How does an ancestral practice in general fit into this? What about the ancestors we DON'T want to connect with? 🚫 And most importantly... What's the point? How can this practice improve our lives? (Video title taken from my favourite Sin Eater tshirt!) https://fionaaedgar.com/ 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact folkwayschannel@gmail.com 👋 @folkwayspodcast *Image credit: Niren Sengupta: Ancestors Julia Jeffrey (@StoneMaidenArt): The Tradition Meetings in the Smoke Queen of Stones Arthur Rackham collection Photographs of London graveyards: Paul Hudson, David Holt*

    29 min

  4. 12/16/2025

    (S4E9) 🍂 HAUNTED LANDS: The occult mystery of the Sussex Downs

    Let's explore a mystery that has hovered over the Downs since the 1970s. We visit Chanctonbury and Cissbury Ring, then head into the notorious Clapham Woods... 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠big.big.sky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 ⁠⁠⁠⁠F⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠olkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact folkwayschannel@gmail.com 👋 Instagram and X 👉 @folkwayspodcast

    42 min
  5. (S4E8) 🐈 GATE TO HELL: The Cave of the Cats (Halloween)

    10/16/2025

    (S4E8) 🐈 GATE TO HELL: The Cave of the Cats (Halloween)

    🐈 Let's take a seasonally-appropriate trip to a mysterious cave in County Roscommon, said to be Ireland's 'gateway to hell', and also the origin of Halloween... We meet Queen Maeve, monstrous cats, the Morrigan, and of course... the sidhe! 📍 Oweynagat, Co. Roscommon, Ireland Featuring the texts: Táin Bó Cúailnge (1. Queen Medb's Revenge) Fled Bricrenn / Bricriu's Feast (2. The Cats' Test) Echtra Nerai (Adventures of Nera) (3. Samhain's Threshold) The Metrical Dindshenchas (4. Meet the Morrigan) 🌟 Related episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(S4E7) Stone and Sidhe with Thomas Sheridan⁠⁠ 💎 Related bonus episodes: ⁠⁠Are The Fairies The Dead⁠⁠?Norah and the Fairies (specifically the second half looking at the sidhe/sithean) 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack by ⁠⁠⁠@⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠big.big.sky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 ⁠⁠⁠F⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠olkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact folkwayschannel@gmail.com 👋 Instagram and X 👉 @folkwayspodcast

    29 min

  6. 09/08/2025

    (S4E7) 🇮🇪 STONE AND SIDHE: Irish Fairies with Thomas Sheridan

    Folkways welcomes back esteemed guest Thomas Sheridan! 🍻 Today we talk about the Irish Sidhe, and the stone circles and hills associated with them. The circle on a roundabout mentioned is The Abbeyquarter stone circle, Sligo. Featuring Darby O' Gill and the Little People, 1959. A place called Knocknasheega features in the film, which is likely based on the hill Knocknashee (Irish: Cnoc na Sí), county Sligo. 💎 Bonus episode: Thomas and the Sardinian fairy experience 🌟 Related episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠(S4E4) Christmas Ghost Stories with Thomas Sheridan⁠ 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack especially scored by ⁠⁠⁠@⁠⁠⁠⁠big.big.sky⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 ⁠⁠F⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠olkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact folkwayschannel@gmail.com 👋 Instagram and X @folkwayspodcast

    36 min

  7. 06/02/2025

    (S4E6) ⚡️ BETWEEN: Boundaries and Thresholds

    ‘Jesters, clowns, shamans and poets belong to this border realm...’ An extract of the introduction to Boundaries and Thresholds, by Hilda Davidson. 📖 Boundaries and Thresholds from The Folklore Society Davidson, H.E., Stroud, Thimble Press (1993), Boundaries and Thresholds, Papers from a Colloquium of The Katharine Briggs Club 🌟 Related episode: ⁠(S2E5) Places Between Places⁠ 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack especially scored by ⁠⁠⁠@⁠⁠⁠big.big.sky⁠⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 ⁠F⁠⁠⁠⁠olkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact folkwayschannel@gmail.com 👋 Connect with Folkways on Instagram and X @folkwayspodcast

    14 min

  8. 04/01/2025

    (S4E5) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 MYSTERIOUS ISLE: Norah Fornario's Trip to Iona

    In 1929 an occultist was drawn to the Scottish Isle of Iona, her eerie story contributing to the island's already substantial mythos. 🌀 💎 Enjoy no less than 3 bonus sections created for this episode! ⁠Norah and the Fairies⁠Dion Fortune talk on the Green Ray, 1933 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Are The Fairies The Dead⁠⁠⁠⁠? 🤝 Become a valued ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Friend of Folkways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/34awiDB 🎧 Soundtrack especially scored by ⁠⁠⁠@⁠⁠big.big.sky⁠⁠: https://spoti.fi/47jvok6 📺 F⁠⁠olkways ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3rUs9PF ☕️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://bit.ly/3dxssVw 💌 Get in contact folkwayschannel@gmail.com 👋 Connect with Folkways on Instagram @folkwayspodcast FEATURING: Phillipa Cookman: Dion Fortune Casper C: Norah Fornario Gaz Kerr: John Duncan Conor Charlton: Calum Cameron

    48 min
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4.9
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

A stroll through the rich and fascinating folklore of Britain and Ireland. From music, to psychogeography, to what to do if you notice the devil following you to church. It's a long, strange trip and there are no guarantees you'll be home in time for dinner. Each episode also includes a mini-almanac for the month ahead. If you enjoy this show, feel free to buy me a coffee https://bit.ly/2SWoNqH Music by @big.big.sky | Additional artists referenced in each episode | Logo design James Fisher

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