Ah - smell that wisp of wood smoke in the air? Feel that strange sensation as the hairs rise on the back of your neck? See that ancient spectre stood in your path, pointing at you while mumbling things that you can't hear?

It can only mean one thing: it's the month of Halloween, October, and therefore it's also Three Ravens Haunting Season!

To kick off 'Haunting Season 3' we thought, to do something different, that we might discuss how people might approach Halloween and this advent of 'The Dark Months' from a few different points of view.

For example, how does Seasonal Affective Disorder change how we feel and behave during October? How do folk customs seem to often counteract these ideas, bringing people together for spans of fiery time before encouraging us to retreat to our caves?

We chat through some suggestions of things to try on a very basic level at first, and then, during the section section of the episode we discuss the best Halloween TV and movies around at the moment, including everything from our Top 5 Spooky Family Movies to our Top 5 Classic Spooky Movies, our Top 5 Recent Recommendations, and more.

In the final section, in addition to discussing some potential Spooky Reads to try, we discuss specific customs, from wreath making and warding your house to some simple autumnal recipes, Halloween-themed cocktails and mocktails, and a bunch of other things too.

The hope is, if you're a fan of Halloween, you'll be nodding along. If Halloween is a bit of a mystery to you, hopefully it lays out some of the things you might do to mark the occasion, and why.

We really hope you enjoy it, and speak to you again on Saturday for our Local Legends episode about Denbighshire's folklore with Chris Baglin.

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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Three Ravens Series 7 may be underway, but it's now October, meaning it's Three Ravens Haunting Season!

This episode offers a bit of an update from us about Three Ravens goings-on, including the plan for the month ahead, after which we've included sections of last month's Patreon Exclusive episodes.

First comes the initial 25 minutes or so of Martin's exploration of The Cult of Mithras which is followed by the opening section of our Film Club episode for September, as released last Thursday, about the 1962 Hammer Productions movie 'Captain Clegg' - known in the U.S.A. as 'Night Creatures.'

Speak to you again tomorrow for the Three Ravens Guide to Halloween, and again on Saturday with our Local Legends interview with Chris Baglin!

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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

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Join our Patreon

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our second County Episode of Series 7, we're off to North Wales to talk about the history and folklore of Denbighshire!

In terms of the county's history, there's a lot - and it's absolutely fascinating. From the centuries when it was a domain controlled by the Marcher Lords to the recent severing of Wrexham away from Denbighshire to rebel princes including Owain Glendwyr, it's a meaty one, and a landscape filled with rugged coasts, sweeping valleys, forested uplands, and a bonkers array of castles and scheduled monuments.

After that, aided by some excerpts from our full Local Legends interview with Chris Baglin, we dig into the county's folklore, from ghostly centurions to horse-stealing sprites, King Arthur in drag to a pretty strange variation on The Sleeping King story, there's tonnes to chat about, and we aren't in a rush to move on!

This leads into the main event: Martin's story "A Howl of Wind in the Castle of Crows" - a take on the legendary yet ill-fated love of Hywel ab Einion and Myfanwy Fychan, including a pretty grisly conclusion...

After that, we had some microphone issues, but nonetheless discuss the story's symbolism, share some news of ancient Chilean mummies and Viking vulva statues, while also talking about Haunting Season 2025, which will begin on Thursday!

We really hope you enjoy the episode and will speak to you again on Wednesday for our 'October Update' all before our Three Ravens Guide to Halloween comes out on Thursday, followed by the full interview with Chris on Saturday!

The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, 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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Series 7's first episode of Local Legends, Eleanor is joined around the campfire by storyteller, theatre maker and ecologist Milly Jackdaw.

Milly's fascinating career has seen her telling stories on the banks of wild lakes, at festivals and in theatres, and in some of the places most connected to the stories themselves.

With a background in theatre, Milly brings a particular theatrical flair to her storytelling. She toured with Purple Broccoli Theatre Co for nearly a decade, bringing performances with core environmental themes to diverse venues, all the while developing her passion for solo storytelling.

At the heart of it all is Milly’s deep love of the natural world, a primary theme of all her work. She’s studied field ecology, animal communication and plant spirit communication, and is a trustee for the charity Cambrian Wildwood. 

You can learn more about Milly and her work on her website, https://www.millyjackdaw.com/.

For now, though, let’s gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire, take a sip of something warm and spiced, and listen in for a fascinating chat about the life and work of an inspiring storyteller, the county of Cardiganshire, and tales such as the birth of Taliesin and Myrddin’s Pig, with a true Local Legend: Milly Jackdaw.

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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

Visit our website

Join our Patreon

Social media channels and sponsors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grab your scythe, your nut-brown bowl, and keep an eye on the Farmer's Daughter, as on this month's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode we're talking all about Harvest Songs - in particular, We Gets Up In The Morn, John Barleycorn, and The Barley and the Rye!

As ever, the episode contains new takes on all three of these songs from Eleanor and Ben, who are also joined by Katie 'The Harmony Machine' Sommers, with Martin joining in with chat about the history behind each song, and traditions related to harvest rituals.

Because let us not forget, the first Christian harvest church services only came about during the 19th century, yet some of these songs date from before Shakespeare. As such, they speak to much longer traditions of autumnal celebration linked to the three phases of harvest, and narratives around it.

From Papua New Guinean rituals linked to yams to the ladies-only Classical-era harvest festival of Thesmophoria, we chat through the surprisingly universal ideas of what people celebrate when it comes to gathering in crops; everybody appreciates the deity that brings the rain, but what about the Divine Feminine - Mother Earth - who appears is many forms across the world?

As always, we really hope you enjoy the episode, and set your calendars for next month's Haunting Season-themed episode of Forgotten Melodies, on which we will be singing (and talking) all about Murder Ballads...

The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, 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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

Visit our website

Join our Patreon

Social media channels and sponsors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The long-heralded first County Episode of Three Ravens Series 7 is finally here and is a bumper-length installment all about the historic county of Cardiganshire on the west coast of Wales!

Unable to resist discussing a local saint, Eleanor begins by introducing us to Carantoc, a dragon-slaying local hero who lost a special altar, apparently. Though luckily King Arthur was about to find it for him.

Despite maybe having stolen it in the first place...

After that, we whip through Cardiganshire's history, including its mythical ancient king Ceredig - from whom the county gets its Welsh name of 'Ceredigion' - to its conquering by gold-hungry Romans, resistance to the Normans, and the devastation wrought upon it by Cromwell's New Model Army.

Sparsely populated and extremely rural, Cardiganshire is rich with mythology, such as the drowned lands of Cantre’r Gwaelod, an astonishing number of ghost animals (including an overly-affectionate spectral pig), giants with toothache, child-stealing fairies, and the 'Beast of Bont.'

Yet, there's one tale that stands head and shoulders above the others.

As discussed with this week's Local Legends guest, storyteller Milly Jackdaw, this story is that of the birth of Taliesin, the legendary Dark Age Brythonic poet who has since come to define key aspects of Welsh national character.

Consequently, despite this week's 'Treasure of Wales' being the Holy Grail, the chewed-up remnants of which are currently located at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, and a plethora of other legends from Devilish goings-on to portentous Corpse Candles that augur doom, what choice did Eleanor have but to tell her take on that very story?

Her version, entitled "The Cauldron of Awen," is a wild and poetic ride that bridges land and sea, vast spans of time, and transformations from human to animal and back again.

After she's told it, we then discuss the legend's symbolism, share some news of an exciting archaeological discovery from just over the border in England, and dig into the Three Ravens mailbag, which is bursting at the seams from a long summer of correspondence!

We really hope you enjoy the episode and are already exciting to speak to you again on Thursday in our Forgotten Melodies bonus episode all about Harvest Songs, all before the full interview with Milly comes out on Saturday!

The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, 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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

Visit our website

Join our Patreon

Social media channels and sponsors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The dust has now had some time to settle, and with Dog Days finished we thought it was high time to have a chat about the project.

Using questions supplied by listeners from across social media and the Three Ravens Patreon, this episode sees us talking completely off the cuff about our inspirations, the practical challenges of releasing the series, quite how much of the story is based in fact, how we approached certain characters, and much more besides.

Thank you so much to everyone in the Conspiracy of Ravens who listened to the series and cheered us on, and as for the future... well... you'll have to listen to this episode to find out what it might hold for Kit Marlowe and his many friends and enemies!

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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

Visit our website

Join our Patreon

Social media channels and sponsors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a bit of a blip, we're now back with an episode all about the mythology of Djinns and Genies from prehistory through to today!

Part of our Three Ravens Bestiary Bonus Series, we begin with our Western conception of 'the genie' - a pantomime creature, memorably played by Robin Williams in the 90's Disney movie, filtered through a century of fairy tales and family-friendly legends.

Yet, as you might expect, this slight cozy form of 'Oriental' spirit is very different to the 'Jinni' of early Semitic cultures, as discussed in a range of poetry and art, later addressed by Islamic scholars and critics informed by the entire chapter of the Qur'an dedicated to discussing desert spirits and acceptable forms of magical belief.

What emerges, as we explore these distinctions, is a series of parallels, including between the 'human' and 'spirit' worlds, between Muslim and Christian discussions of Otherworldly creatures, between types of Devil, and the ways that folktales and legends enable us to see ourselves through tales of so-called monsters.

It's a journey that takes us from abandoned ruins lost in Arabian dunes to the times of Geoffrey Chaucer, from Classical discussions of 'genius loci' to tales of pre-Islamic Soothsayers possessed by demons.

If you've been rubbing lamps and hoping to have wishes granted then you may have been barking up the wrong tree - but worry not: we've got advice for you on magic rings, fishing, and transcendental meditations that might well enable you to commune with a Jinn.

Just don't go expecting them to make all your dreams come true, as they're much more likely to ask you out on a date or hide in the form of a serpent than they are to turn your fantasies into reality...

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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

Visit our website

Join our Patreon

Social media channels and sponsors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Proof of life, everyone: Eleanor is home from the hospital, and here, talking on this episode!

As you may have gathered, the last week has been a bit of a whirlwind, but now Eleanor has been discharged we are working hard on making her fully fit and well. To fill the gap, we duly present another Patreon Exclusive episode from the back catalogue - our Romney Marsh Ghost Tour, released last September, for which we went hunting spooks in the uncanny environment of Romney Marsh just over the Sussex county border into Kent.

Did we find a ghost on our trip? Maybe. We certainly recorded some pretty interesting audio. Though we'll leave you to judge, and hopefully enjoy our journey around five churches and several other reputedly haunted sites, with interstitial bits recorded at home to fill in the gaps.

Speak to you again on Thursday for our Three Ravens Bestiary episode about Djinns and Genies, and thank you very much for you continued patience.

Normal business will be resumed soon!

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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

Visit our website

Join our Patreon

Social media channels and sponsors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hullo everybody - Martin here!

Just a quick message to say, this is obviously not the episode we were hoping to release today. This was meant to be Series 7 Episode 1, the opening salvo of our journey through the 13 historic counties of Wales! Unfortunately, Eleanor has had to be hospitalised, so we're a bit on the back foot.

They're not quite sure what it is she has, save that it's quite a nasty infection. She first developed symptoms on Thursday and we thought she might just have contracted Covid again. But then it got worse on Friday, worse again on Saturday, and then it was into hospital where Eleanor has had to stay. I'm briefly home to do this, and get myself some rest, and then I'll be back in there with her in the morning.

As for what's actually in this episode, well, it's a Patreon Exclusive episode, and our first Spenser & Associates mystery, The Ghosts of Glasshayes House.

It's a pretty freaky-deaky story, and for everyone on Patreon we're sorry we don't have anything new for you today, but no doubt you can understand why we are where we are!

Keep an eye on social media as I'll be updating it once I know more, and thank you for being so supportive and kind, and for no doubt sending boat-loads of love and healing energies Eleanor's way.

Cross your fingers they can figure out what it is really soon, and that she'll be on the path the wellness before we know it.

Love you all very much, sending out gronks powerful enough to reverberate around the whole world, and speak to you soon - one way or another!

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

REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOUR

Visit our website

Join our Patreon

Social media channels and sponsors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.