There can be little doubt that, of all the instruments in the orchestra, the harp is the most beautiful and ethereal sounding of them all. Its religious connections with the angelic host are widely known, but not discussed as often are its appearances in folklore.
On this episode of the podcast, recorded in the open-air, host Mark Norman talks with professional harpist Elizabeth-Jane Baldry, the world's only silent movie harp accompanist and a composer whose unique research into fairy harp music led to a West End play with Simon Callow and a performance at Prince Charles's unveiling of the Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens.
To support the Folklore Podcast on Patreon and keep the project viable, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast
To hear Elizabeth-Jane's radio interview on Fairy Harp music, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeQoIO7uyc0

Episode 79: THE HARP IN FOLKLORE

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In terms of folklore, ghostly encounters are not about the proof of existence of the supernatural so much as they are about the meaning of the experience to the individual. Folklore is about examining the story, the meaning that it has for the witness, and the way in which that narrative is both transmitted and recorded.  We discuss the recording process of ghostly encounters, the 'writing of ghosts' with our guest Amelia Cotter, who has dome precisely this across different genres, including non fiction, fiction and poetry. Amelia is in conversation with correspondent Tracy Nicholas.  Visit Amelia online at www.ameliacotter.com  To support the work of the Folklore Podcast and to help us to keep making content, please visit our Patreon pages at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Episode 158: WRITING GHOSTS

An episode of 'Folklore in the Field' presenting interviews and discussions recorded live at events we attend.  This episode features a roundtable discussion on the topic of folklore and magical practice, recorded in association with Crossed Crow Books.  Folklore Podcast creator Mark Norman hosts guests:  Blake and Wycke Malliway - owners of Crossed Crow Books and Malliway Bros occult shop Jac D Hawkins - author of Elemental Spirits Albert Bjorn Shiell - author of Icelandic Plant Magic  This discussion was recorded in Reading, UK in March 2024.  Support the Folklore Podcast in producing more free folklore content by visiting our Patreon Page

Folklore and Magic Roundtable

Wherever we might be in the world, we find that folklore will always take on very specific regional variations: any area will have both its own unique stories and versions of other tales which have been shaped by local knowledge or events.  In the UK, where the country is divided into counties, records vary very much from place to place. The country of Lincolnshire has some fascinating folklore and yet, historically, it has been quite overlooked in terms of collecting and recording these stories.  A new project, based at Nottingham Trent University, seeks to redress the perceived imbalance. On this episode of the podcast, creator and host Mark Norman is joined by Dr Anna Milon and Dr Rory Waterman to discuss the folklore of Lincolnshire and The Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project.  You can visit the project website at https://lincolnshirefolktalesproject.com/  To support The Folklore Podcast and help us to keep going, as well as getting access to extra member content, please consider joining our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Episode 157: LINCOLNSHIRE FOLKLORE

In this episode of the Folklore Podcast we explore the psychology of trauma and its intersection with alleged paranormal phenomena, with guests Bill and Jaci Kousoulas.  For some, paranormal occurrences can be a precursor to later trauma, either on a personal level or on a larger scale. For others, trauma may act as a catalyst from paranormal events and they find after suffering a personal loss or other tragedy that they become susceptible to what we might term supernatural happenings. But what is the psychology between this intersection of trauma and the paranormal?   We explore the answer to this question with particular focus on the tragedy of the Point Pleasant Bridge collapse and its connection to the Mothman sightings.  To support The Folklore Podcast and access extra content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Episode 156: TRAUMA AND THE PARANORMAL

The image of the fox appears in many cultures as a trickster figure, but in Asian folklore there are some subtle differences. The Chinese fox is a symbol of intelligence, and has the ability to shapeshift for example.  Exploring the folklore of the Asian countries, with particular reference to foxes, in this episode creator and host of the podcast Mark Norman is joined by New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo. Yangsze's novel 'The Ghost Bride' was serisalised and broadcast as a Netflix original series and her latest work 'The Fox Wife' draws on the Asin fox folklore that we explore.  Find Yangsze online at https://yschoo.com/  To support The Folklore Podcast in all of its work and access additional content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Episode 79: THE HARP IN FOLKLORE

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