May 10, 2012

Episode 12b – Casting the Runes

57 minutes

This episode we return to the diabolical doings of Mr Karswell in part two of our examination of ‘Casting the Runes’ by M.R. James.

Show notes:

Comparative Mythology and the Cambridge Ritualists (Wikipedia)

The criticism of Karswell’s writing style could be read as M.R. James having a dig at his academic contemporaries working in theoretical subjects that James thought were nonsense. For example see James’s ‘flaying’ of Jane Ellen Harrison (erratum: we incorrectly call her ‘Katherine Harrison’ in recording, sorry!).

The Golden Legend and The Golden Bough (Wikipedia)

The two very different texts which Mr Karswell is described as putting exactly on par and taking both as historical fact.

Thomas Bewick (1753-1826) (Wikipedia)

The “woodcut of Bewick’s” mentioned in Casting the Runes refers to English wood engraver Thomas Bewick, whose work varied between both studies of nature and the bawdy and macabre. For example a man followed by demons, a man urinating on a wall, and men riding gravestones.

The ‘Black Spot’ (Wikipedia)

James refers to the ‘black spot’ being put on John Harrington, a reference to Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Lewis Stevenson.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Project Gutenberg)

The extract from the poem which Karswell sends to Harrington can be found in ‘Part the Sixth’ of Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner).

Lord Warden Hotel, Dover (www.dover-kent.co.uk)

Dunning and Harrington finish their adventure at a real hotel in Dover, the Lord Warden. The building is still there today, but no longer a hotel.

St. Vulfran’s Church, Abbeville, France (Wikipedia)

Karswell meets his death at a French church that M.R. James had visited on a previous holiday. The church is dedicated to St. Vulfran (or Wulfram) of Sens. Karswell’s death reminded us of the death of Adam Buxton’s character in Hot Fuzz (youtube – warning, it is gory!).

Casting the Runes (1979) (Irish Gothic Horror Journal)

An excellent review of the 1979 tv version of Casting the Runes. As mentioned in the podcast, we also didn’t rate it very highly but still recommend you purchase the dvd if only for the interesting extras that come on the disc.

Kate Bush/Night of the Demon mashup (Youtube)

The “it’s in the trees! It’s coming!” sample from the start of Kate Bush’s ‘Hounds of Love’ is a sample from Night of the Demon, the 1957 film of Casting the Runes. Thanks to @rodmckie for drawing our attention to this superb video mashup which combines footage from ‘Night of the Demon’ with various Kate Bush footage to great effect.

For more Casting the Runes-related links, see the show notes for part one.

Also! Robert Lloyd Parry was announced the next run of his excellent M.R. James stage performances between July and December 2012, including the world premier of his new show featuring ‘Count Magnus’ and ‘Number 13’! For more information visit the Nunkie Productions Website.

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