Our Numinous Nature

Sissel Morken Gullord is a Scandinavian musician and singer living on a farm in Biri, Norway. We begin this enchanting musical episode by heading up to the saeter - the summer mountain farm - to hear the instruments, songs, and herding calls of the bygone milkmaids and shepherds, starting with the bukkehorn [goat horn]. Sissel describes how they're made and how livestock reacts to both the horn and a whimsical style of calling called kulning [or hujing in Norwegian]. We hear the blasting of a lur, a long wooden horn and followed by her commission by Disney. Opening up the more magical and sublime side of nature, Sissel tells a story about performing for hunters and foresters in which she spoke to them about the folkloric forest nymph known as Hulder and the accompanying huldra-folk [elves]. We wrap up this slice of Norwegian culture on folk song motifs, the nation's famous brown cheese, and bunad [the traditional rural clothing from the 1700-1800's].  Check out more of Sissel's music on Spotify & YouTube. Reading from Folktales of Norway edited by Reidar ChristiansenReference images:- Hans Dahl romantic milkmaid painting- Example of a traditional Norwegian home interior decorated with rosemaling- 2nd Example of folk paintings on walls of home- Norwegian woman playing the lur - Bunad traditional clothing Music by:"Kulokk - Call On The Cattle"Performed by Sissel Morken Gullord"Kråkevisa"Performed by Sissel Morken Gullord"Lokker geitebukker med bukkehorn"Performed by Sissel Morken Gullord"Bukkehorn & Hujing"Performed by Sissel Morken Gullord"Huldrelokk"Written & performed by Saga Sjöberg "Till, till Tove"Performed by Sissel Morken Gullord"Den Bakvendte Visa"Performed by Sissel Morken GullordSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts,

Mike Smith is the former superintendent of Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, as well as an artifact & fossil enthusiast and traditional bow hunter, in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. We begin with his time at Droop Mountain, metal detecting under old oak trees and recounting the regional Civil War history. He tells of park visitors' many ghost experiences and significant archeological finds, such as three boys stumbling upon a Confederate rifle in the steep woods. We turn the pages of time back to arrowheads of the Shawnee and earlier native peoples; then even further back to 300-million-year-old fossils. Half way we switch to Mike's life, starting with his stories of an annual snapping turtle party, followed by his earliest boyhood memories of being a primitive hunter armed with only rocks.  We close on hellbender tongues, making buckskins and a proud father-son moment. Buy the book Mike helped research, Last Sleep: The Battle of Droop Mountain Reading from Confederate Ghosts by Susan Crites Music by:"John Brown's Body"Performed by Pete Seeger "Mother Kissed Me in my Dream"Unknown Artist"In the Pines"Performed by Dock WalshSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Kevin Malcomb is a beekeeper, former coon-hunter, welder, and mechanic in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. After a reading about the old frontier profession of the bee hunter, Kevin describes both his own & old time methods of Appalachian beekeeping: traditional "bee gum" hives; keeping ants out; catching feral swarms with a shotgun; how to hunt for wild bee trees from water sources; bee trapping; hive threats such as warm winters, mites, hornets, insecticides, & wax moths. We move on to his unconventional mechanic business run from a used-hearse which opens up musings and intuitions on potential past lives. For the last quarter we hear about coon-hunting in his youth along with an illustrative story about a formidable coon taking on an entire horde of hounds. We end on eating raccoon & less popular wild game; eccentric bird houses; and a sliver of local folk medicine.Reading from Bees in America: How The Honey Bee Shaped a Nation by Tammy Horn.Music by:"Going Across the Mountain"Written & Performed by Frank Proffitt"Sourwood Mountain"Written & Performed by Frank Proffitt"Rueben Train"Written & Performed by Frank Proffitt"Moonshine"Written & Performed by Frank ProffittSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Chris Semtner is an artist, author, lecturer & curator at The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. In Part II of our Edgar Allan Poe podcast, we begin with an archival recording of "The Black Cat." Then we pick back up where we left off, with "the imp of the perverse” and exploring the psychology of the criminal mind through his villainous characters. After describing a prophetic scene about shipwreck & cannibalism from Poe's only novel, Chris explains the literary genres beyond horror that Poe founded or advanced: the detective story, science-fiction, and perhaps the southern gothic. We then turn back to the biographical, with Poe's death and his mysterious last few days on the streets of Baltimore. From African-American hoodoo to spiritualist mediums, we hear what the paranormal was like in his time, and end on modern sightings of his ghost.  Check out The Poe Museum and Chris' books. 1954 archival reading of Poe'sThe Black Cat performed by Marvin Miller 1939 archival reading of Poe’s The Raven performed by Nelson OlmstedMusic:"The Raven"Written & Performed by The Ivy League Trio"Quiet Mysterioso; Diver's Dream; Four Cuts"Written & Performed by The Crawford Light OrchestraSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Chris Semtner is an artist, author, lecturer & curator at The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. After a reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "A Tale of The Ragged Mountains," we hear part I of Chris' interview on Poe's life, opening on the most poetic topic in the world, the death of a beautiful woman. From there, we get biographical with Poe's upbringing: The Great Dismal Swamp; boyhood on the James River; Charlottesville's Ragged Mountains; the museum's courtyard garden; his wealthy foster family in Richmond; and southern dueling culture. Chris describes Poe's aspirations as a poet & the tension this caused with his foster father, followed by his brief stints at university & West Point. We end this to-be-continued episode on Poe's idea of "The Imp of the Perverse!" Stayed tuned for Part II...Check out The Poe Museum and Chris' books. Reading from The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan PoeMusic by: "The Fall of the House of Usher"Written & Performed by The Ivy League Trio"Regency Minuet"Written & Performed by The Crawford Light Orchestra"Annabel Lee"Written & Performed by The Ivy League TrioSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

For this holiday special we begin with a traditional English Christmas feast as described by a family friend, highlighting a strange historical black dessert called a plum pudding or simply a Christmas pudding. Being topped with a holly sprig, we then learn the origins of some ancient plant-lore. But the meat of this sumptuous episode is a reading from a deeply mysterious and haunting, 14th-century Arthurian legend that takes place at a Christmas feast; one rudely interrupted by an axe-wielding Green Knight who demands a volunteer to join him in a deadly game. Merry Christmas! Reading excerpts from Folklore of Kent by Fran & Geoff Doel;  English Botany Or, Coloured Figures of British Plants · Volume 2 by James Sowerby; and Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics; Embracing the Myths, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-lore of the Plant Kingdom by Richard Folkard.Main reading from Sir Gawain and The Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage."Sweet was the Songe the Virgine Sung" 16th-century Christmas CarolPerformed by Ernst Stolz & Katrhine Brandt"Dove's Figary or Chestnut" English Country DancePerformed by Ernst Stolz"Be Merry, Be Merry I Pray You"Medieval English CarolPerformed by Ernst Stolz "What Child is This? (Greensleeves)"English Folk SongPerformed by Ernst StolzSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Rasmus Boström is a professional hunter & outdoor gear ambassador in Älvdalen, Sweden. After readings about Scandinavian bear hunting folklore & shape-shifting in the Old Norse sagas, we learn about a regional language & the area's hunting culture. From there it's hunting history with wolf-posse laws & bear spears. Rasmus then describes the Swedish brown bear & taking part in scat-gathering studies. After some background information about the modern bear hunt with hounds, he tells a harrowing story about tracking a wounded bear. For the last third we switch to a handful of other outdoorsman topics: bird hunting from skis; Ullr the Norse hunting god; marten trapping with deadfalls; a first time hunt custom, and invasive mink hunting on small islands in the name of sea bird conservation. Outdoor gear & apparel: Astro Sweden & Bearskin on YouTube.Reading excerpts from The Lycanthropy Reader: Werewolves in Western Culture edited by Charlotte F. Otten and Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend edited Reimund Kvideland & Henning K. Sehmsdorf.Art reference images: "Return of the Bear Hunter" by Adolph Tidemand"Wild Bird Hunters" by Knud BergslienUllr [Norse hunting god] on the Böksta runestone"Hårgalåten"Swedish folk songPerformed by Nyckelharpa Tunes"Vid Stormyren"Written by Eric SahlströmPerformed by Nyckelharpa Tunes"Säkkijärven polkka"Finnish folk songPerformed by Nyckelharpa TunesSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Philip Lufolk is a blacksmith in Storvik, Sweden inspired by the archeology & mythology of Scandinavia. We begin on the role of the Viking blacksmith & how bog iron was processed.  Philip describes objects & jewelry that he forges based on historical artifacts: the seeress' völva staff; a charm known as a Thor's hammer; a landowner's Viking key; and oath rings inscribed with law. We switch to mythology with the tale of Mjölnir [Thor's hammer] & the rest of the gods' treasures, fashioned by the industrious & highly-skilled dwarves. Then there's the vengeful blacksmith, Völund. We discuss burial mounds & rock art: picture stones, rune stones & a petroglyph just outside of Oslo's city center. Approaching the end Philip tells an archaic divination technique called Årsgång or "The Year Walk." Follow Lufolk on Instagram and check out his wares at Lufolk.com. Reading excerpts from The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology & Religion by Daniel McCoyMusic provided by Lyre of the Crossroads"Sigurd and Fafnir'"Written & Performed by Lyre of the Crossroads"Bass Jouhikko / Basssharpa / Bass Tagelharpa"Written & Performed by Lyre of the Crossroads"Helm of Awe"Written & Performed by Lyre of the Crossroads"Talharpa/Tagelharpa/Stråkharpa"Written & Performed by Lyre of the CrossroadsSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Anna Björg Þórarinsdóttir is the manager of The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft in The Westfjords region of Iceland.  We begin on the country's origins as a Viking settlement, followed by life in the traditional turf houses. From there we learn that belief in elves is still relevant today and how spirits in the land have shaped not only Icelandic legends, but the ethos. We hear of a nearby farm built over a heathen temple where an ominous Viking-era stone was discovered. In story form, Anna tells the rich history of the island's 16th-to-17th-century sorcerers: the religious temperament of the time, their persecution, and her own ancestral involvement. This opens up further synchronicities around her position at the museum & growing up in a New Age household. For the remaining time, it's an all out deluge of folklore and magic: spirit guides called Fylgja, hunting & farming folk magic, The Helm of Awe, the Yule Lads, a pair of human skin pants, and finally, a grotesque milk-stealing wool-worm known as the Tilberi! Learn more about The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft & follow Anna on Instagram.Reading excerpt from Icelandic Folk Legends: Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws and Things Unseen by Alda Sigmundsdóttir  Music Credit:"Ragnarok" [The End of the Gods]Performed by Ensemble: SequentiaCourtesy of 𝔐𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔞 𝔐𝔢𝔡𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢 "Á fellr austan um eitrdala" [The Prophecy of the Seeress]Performed by Ensemble: SequentiaCourtesy of 𝔐𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔞 𝔐𝔢𝔡𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢 "Leikr elds ok ísa" [The song of Fire and Ice] Performed by Ensemble: SequentiaCourtesy of 𝔐𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔞 𝔐𝔢𝔡𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔞𝔩𝔢Untitled Kravik LyrePerformed by Lyre of the CrossroadsCourtesy of Lyre of the CrossroadsSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Kathryn Parker & Olivia Lloyd are owners of The Veiled Mirror, an online store of antique jewelry & curiosities with a penchant for the romantic, dark and macabre based out of Richmond, Virginia. To start this tour of Victorian culture [1837-1901], we begin with a crafting fad, ornate floral wreaths made of human hair. From there we touch on mourning etiquette; the comical paraphernalia of secret society initiations; The Aesthetic Movement; showing off with a pineapple; & the accessories of women's fashion as eccentric as live insects. Switching to the personal, the ladies share a handful of haunting anecdotes; one about researching a man's calling card found in a bin of 1920's clothing; another about unwittingly removing a "witch bottle" from an abandoned farm house. We end on further memories of urban exploration.  Follow The Veiled Mirror on Instagram & check out their website's current collection at theveiledmirror.com.Music Provided by The Library of Congress"The Strife is O'er, the Battle Done"Performed by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina & Trinity Quartet"War Song of the Normans"Crusades HymnPerformed by Reinald Werrenrath & Victor Male Chorus"Black-Eyed Blues"Composed by Don KendallPerformed by Roy Bargy & Benson Orchestra of Chicago"The Green Fields of Virginia"Ford, Ward H., performerCowell, Sidney Robertson, 1903-1995, collector."Nina Gitana"Composed by Reginald De KovenPerformed by Reed MillerSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Elizabeth "Beth" Morrison is a specialist in secular manuscript illumination & a senior curator of manuscripts at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California.  On this long distance episode we begin with how medieval people made & illuminated manuscripts from the animal hides to the bone black ink.  From there we focus in on a medieval genre of book called a Bestiary, an encyclopedia of animals real and fantastic. We discuss their strange, sometimes shocking, often moralistic Christian ideas about the likes of beavers & elephants, lions & crocodiles, unicorns & dragons, including tidbits on how to hunt a unicorn or the origin of the phrase, "having a monkey on one's back." From there, Beth describes the behind-the-scenes of museum art transportation as well as a past exhibition on the medieval life of women. We end on Beth's personal story about an extremely uncanny synchronicity.  Check out the Getty Museum & Beth's book from the Getty's 2019 Bestiary exhibition.Reading excerpt from The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts; Being a Translation from a Latin Bestiary of the Twelfth Century made and edited by T.H. WhiteMusic provided by Sibil•la Ensemble"Douce Dame Jolie" Written by Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300 – 1377) Performed by Sibil•la Ensemble "Codex Rossi: Che ti çova nascondere il bel volto" (c.1300's)Written by Anonymous Performed by Tímea DaradicsCourtesy of Sibil•la Ensemble"Tels rit au main qui au soir pleure"Written by Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300 – 1377)Performed by Kristia MichaelCourtesy of Sibil•la Ensemble"O Rubor Sanguinis"Written by Hildegard von Bingen (1098- 1179)Performed by Sibil•la EnsembleReference Images:Unicorn illumination from bestiary Beaver illumination from bestiary Bonacon illumination from bestiaryDragon illumination from bestiaryJeanne Montbaston's tree of penises Example of Maria Sybilla Merian's insect paintingsSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books<

Claudia Pfeiffer is the Deputy Director & Head Curator of the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia. We begin on their recent exhibition about the art of the dog collar: a haunting cast from the eruption of Vesuvius; an ancient "Beware of Dog" mosaic; spiked collars & regal collars. Claudia describes some of the most striking paintings from the exhibition: a theatrical Amsterdam dog market; a mastiff baying a poacher; a lion hunt; & an allegory about the father of cynicism.  From there we switch from dogs to horses and hear about their anatomy & movement as captured by art, including Muybridge's famous horse photographs. To wrap up this dog-lover & art history-lover episode, Claudia tells the lore of Barry the St. Bernard and his iconic barrel flask.  Plan a visit to The National Sporting Library & Museum Music provided by Ars Lyrica Houston"Les Indes Galantes - Entrée les Sauvages"Written by Jean-Philippe Rameau Performed by Ars Lyrica Houston"Fandango from Quintet No. 4, G 448"Written by Luigi BoccheriniPerformed by Ars Lyrica Houston"Propiñán de Melyor and Si habrá en este Baldrés"Written by anonymous Performed by The Crumhorn CollectiveCourtesy of Ars Lyrica HoustonReference Images:Cast of Pompeii watch dog"Beware the Dog" Pompeii mosaic The Amsterdam Dog Market  by Abraham Hondius [c. 1671-1672]Steer & Mastiff Pulling a Cart by Sid Franckett [1910]The Poacher at Bay by Richard Ansdell [1865]The Lion Hunt attributed to Paul de Vos [1590-1678]Alexander and Diogenes by Sir Edwin Landseer [1860's]The Anatomy of the Horse by George Stubbs [1766]The Horse in Motion by Eadweard Muybridge [1878]Example of improper horse gallop by George StubbsSalmon and Trout on a Riverbank by John Bucknell Russell [1874] Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler by Sir Edwin Landseer [1820]Support&a

Justin Torone is a curiosities collector & the co-owner of Rest In Pieces oddity shop in Richmond, Virginia. After a reading about the historical significance of cabinets of curiosity, Justin begins with lore from the cemetery across the street for his shop.  Then we get deep into methods for preserving animal bones: dermestid beetles; articulation; degreasing, maceration, boiling, & later, wet specimens. We find out who the shop's audience is and how they acquire their vintage taxidermy & specimens. From there we leave the animal kingdom & turn to the human as Justin describes the most audacious highlights from his collection: folk art mourning mummies; an "overmodelled" skull; & a medically bisected fetus. All of which begs the question of legality, further illustrated by a university's illegal skeleton auction & a much more nefarious oddities black market. To bring this macabre feast to an end, Justin tells the story of how be become acquainted with a paranormal con-woman who asked him to jeopardize his morals.  Check out Rest in Pieces oddity shop and their great Instagram account. Reading excerpt from Cabinet of Curiosities: Collecting and Understanding the Wonders of the Natural World by Gordon Grice.Music provided by Windhand"Three Sisters"Written by WindhandPerformed by Windhand "Boleskin"Written by WindhandPerformed by Windhand"Aition"Written by WindhandPerformed by WindhandSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Carole Louie is a medium, past life regressionist, hypnotist, author, & director of THE CENTER-RVA in Richmond, Virginia. To ground this nearly psychedelic, often dark, most definitely mystical episode, we begin with the past-life research undertaken at the University of Virginia. From there Carole describes her own disturbing past-life memories which surfaced organically as flashbacks and became more fully realized through regression therapy. We muse on themes like earth school; inter-life visions; how we choose our life; soul groups; movies as past-life triggers; and even...incarnation as off-world entities. For her story Carole tells of her profound initiation into mediumship, starting with her granny collecting sassafras & culminating in the healing of her Buddhist father's ghost. We come to an end on a few last examples of how spirits appear to a medium & the messages they want to deliver.Check out Carole's THE CENTER-RVA & the 2023 Reincarnation Symposium.Reading excerpt from  Children's Past Lives: How Past Life Memories Affect Your Child by Carol BowmanMusic by BAILE"Walls"Written by BAILEPerformed by BAILE & John Lamonica "Grieve Faster, Heal Faster"Written by BAILEPerformed by BAILE"Birdwings"Written by BAILEPerformed by BAILE"Love" [BAILE Remix]Written by DaughterPerformed & Remixed by BAILESupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Tom Shipley is an antique dealer operating out of his family's 19th-century Sharp's Country Store in Slatyfork, West Virginia. Descending from one of the county's earliest pioneer families, we hear of the lives of Tom's ancestors & their many rich folkways: a Presbyterian boy orphaned by an Indian raid; beekeeping in "bee gums;" a bear trap; furs & ginseng; maple syrup camp; and making apple butter. Then Tom gets into the origin of the 1884 store, describing the wares of its day. A plethora of stories are evoked from the eccentric taxidermy still hanging from the walls including one about a visit from the American Museum of Natural History. Towards the end, for his formal story, we get into the realm of the southern gothic, with tales about an orphan of the flu pandemic followed by visions surrounding the dead & near-dead. This episode, like the country store itself, is a true time capsule of Appalachian life. Check out Sharp's Country Store for more information.Excerpts read from Tales of Pocahontas County by G.D. McNeillArchival recordings from Tom's private family collection.Music provided by the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress"Barbara Allen"Henry Reed Collection (AFC 1999/016)Collected by Alan JabbourPerformed by Henry Reed"Farewell My Dear Brother"Henry Reed Collection (AFC 1999/016)Collected by Alan JabbourPerformed by Henry & Gene Reed"John Brown's a-Hanging on a Sour Apple Tree"Henry Reed Collection (AFC 1999/016)Collected by Alan JabbourPerformed by Henry Reed"Fare Thee Well My Dear Brother"Henry Reed Collection (AFC 1999/016)Collected by Alan JabbourPerformed by Henry ReedSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Mary Kate Claytor is the Associate Director of Interpretation at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia. After a bit of background about this unique living history museum, Mary Kate describes in detail wool production for a yeoman farmer in the 1600-1800's: starting with sheep shearing, wool washing, stale urine and lanolin, through to carding & combing, drop spindles & spinning wheels, historical & natural dyes, and finally ending on a fabric called linsey-woolsey. From there we move on to another category of historical clothing, buckskins. Mary Kate recounts learning how to hide tan while working at Natural Bridge's Monacan village. Then we switch from clothing to foodways by reflecting on both profound & disturbing experiences while taking part in hog slaughters & fowl processing. We end on hearing of how Mary Kate's historical hobbies connect her to her great-grandmother. Follow Mary Kate on Instagram  & check out the Frontier Culture Museum.  Music provided by Carla Sciaky"Sheep Shearing" [English folk song]From the album Spin the Weaver's SongPerformed by Carla Sciaky"The Band of Shearers" [Scottish folk song] From the album Spin the Weaver's SongPerformed by Carla Sciaky "The Weaver and the Chambermaid" [English folk song]From the album Spin the Weaver's SongPerformed by Carla SciakyReading segment from Folklore of Sussex by Jacqueline SimpsonSupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Mackenzie New-Walker is the Executive Director of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, West Virginia. Having descended from a long line of miners, Mackenzie describes what life was like for the men, women & children in the oppressive coal company towns of the early 1900's: from how they recruiting their immigrant labor force to paying miners in substitute money called scrip; the private company guards aka "gun thugs" known as the Baldwin-Felts agents; to child labor and laundry day. From there we hear of 1921's Battle of Blair Mountain [the largest labor uprising in US history] where the fed up striking miners transformed into the "Redneck Army."  Mackenzie then recounts the story of The Matewan Massacre, an earlier train station skirmish that has left bullets lodged in a brick wall across from the museum. After reflecting on how this all relates to the present & a sense of coal miner pride, we wrap it up with highlights from the museum's collection, including one about "a canary in a coal mine."Check out the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum & help them fundraise to buy the museum building. Watch the PBS documentary American Experience: The Mine Wars.  Music provided by The Tillers"Which Side Are You On" [Labor Union Song]Collected by Pete Seeger Performed by The Tillers Reading segment from On Dark and Bloody Ground: An Oral History of the West Virginia Mine Wars by Anne T Lawrence Special thanks to West Virginia Archives & History for archival recordings:- Price Williams on the Cabin Creek 1912 Coal Strike- WSAZ Coal King on a Tottering Throne ca 1962Support Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Matt Frame is a coal miner, avid outdoorsman, & son of a Baptist preacher in Nicholas County, West Virginia. After a folkloric intro about mine-rats, we get into what life is like for both miners today & in Matt's grandfather's time: the machines; depression from the darkness; dogs hauling coal; the quiet killers "black damp" & "black lung;" losing three fingers & narrowly missing a ceiling collapse; the job-site latrine; finding fossils as large as trees; & a miner's soul. For the last third of the conversation, we surface from the coal pit to the light of day guided by folkways & The Bible. First Matt tells of heartbreak while digging ginseng; fox trapping, his grandma's rabbits, a pie crust signature, & making medicine from river yellow root. Then we get into his faith with his salvation, preaching revival, & lessons learned about the sin of pride. We end this slice-of-West-Virginia-life on a story about a haunted moonshine still & pig worms.   Music provided by Jim Cook"Big Bad John" [Cover]Written by Jimmy Dean and Roy AcuffPerformed by Jim Cook"Dark as a Dungeon" [Cover]Written by Johnny CashPerformed by Jim Cook"Call Daddy From the Mine" [Cover]Written by Johnny CashPerformed by Jim CookReading segment from A Journal: Traditions of West Virginia Folk Culture and Educational Awareness; Volume 9 - 2004 by the West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State.Support Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Corinne Boyer of Washington is a folk herbalist, teacher, and author of five books on traditional plant-lore & folk magic. While modern herbalism focuses on the healing & benevolent properties of plants, in this episode we explore the darker, more mysterious aspects that Corinne has found through tales of old. We begin on feeling & discerning spirits of place: in the woods, water, & rock quarries; their potentially malevolent nature; offerings to appease them; and trusting intuition & an enchanted worldview.  Then we move on to spirits of the human dead: communicating with ancestors, synchronicities, and a formative childhood experience with her great-grandfather's ghost. For her first story, Corinne recounts an ill-omened lightning strike during an unprecedented storm; for her second, she tells of a sleepless night spent in a haunted Swedish inn. We conclude on oak folklore, herbs to keep ghosts at bay, and plants associated with The Devil. Check out Under the Witching Tree & Corinne's other books. For Corinne's website & classes, visit Maple Mist Wood For Corinne's esoteric plant workshop at the 2023 Viridis Genii Symposium Music provided by CHTHONIA"Salt"Written by CHTHONIAPerformed by CHTHONIA"Helleborus"Written by CHTHONIAPerformed by CHTHONIA"Nymphaeum"Written by CHTHONIAPerformed by CHTHONIA"Digitalis"Written by CHTHONIAPerformed by CHTHONIASupport Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

Jeremiah Wood of Northern Maine is a state fisheries biologist, cattle farmer, trapper, author, & host of the Trapping Today podcast. We open on Jeremiah describing where he lives: the North Maine Woods; his desire to work the land & raise cattle; changes in the region's economy; and thoughts on growing up in such a rural area. From there we begin a focused conversation on the often vilified topic of trapping where we explore what it's all about & why to some, it's their lifestyle; from ethics & misconceptions, regulations & populations, to fur, history, & nostalgia for the past.  While laying out the many furbearing species, Jeremiah describes the behavior & habitat of his favorite, the "pine" marten, followed by what it's like to run a backcountry mustelid trapline. For his story, Jeremiah speaks to his dream of living in Alaska & a recent trip where he caught something contemplatively deeper than a lynx or wolverine. We end on some of Jeremiah's books & podcast guests including the cast of Discovery Channel's "The Last Alaskans." Check out Jeremiah's Trapping Today podcast, shop, and YouTube channel.Support Our Numinous Nature on Patreon.Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com