Cover your faces and wield your flintlocks with care, as on this month's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode we're talking all about Villain Songs - in particular, Van Diemen's Land, The Female Highwayman, and The Lincolnshire Poacher!

As ever, the episode contains new takes on all three of these songs from Eleanor and Ben, as well as plenty of chat about the history behind each song, and the English traditions of poaching and roadside robbery.

From the nation's 18th century penchant for sending people to what is today called Tasmania for even the most minor of crimes to quite possibly the worst girlfriend ever, and the folk of Lincolnshire's very proud tradition of pinching stuff from the landed gentry, it's a fun episode underpinned by some serious concepts.

After all, these songs do have dark underbellies - and how ought we feel about crime and punishment? Should we still be singing songs with misogyny baked into them from conception? And does our love of the 'English rebel' obscure an awkward fact: that we seem to often want to cheer on those who have clearly broken the law...

As always, we really hope you enjoy the episode, and what's that in your pretty coin purse there? Well, well - stand and deliver!

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 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

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