Tales of Britain and Ireland

A Ghost Story episode for Christmas from the pen of.... well not the master teller of ghost stories. In 1911 Elliot O'Donnell released Scottish Ghost Stories. It was reviewed in the Observer alongside MR James's new work published at about the same time - More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. Of Scottish Ghost Stories the observer reviewer had this to say: "Beside Dr James’s Mr O’Donnell’s ghost stories are foolish and and feeble things… if any of the bogles whom Mr Donnel has now expounded in five volumes have any basis [in fact] we can only commiserate the ordinary ghost on its tameness, sameness and generally imperfect equipment of horror as compared with the eerie and ingenious spectres of Dr James." So of course in this episode I tell Elliot O'Donnell ghost story - which is distinctly Scottish. I hope you enjoy this imperfect equipment of horror nonetheless. Musical credits and sources at: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-57-the-ghosts-of-donaldgowerie-house/ #GhostStory #Folklore #mythsandlegends 

Tales of Mermaids in the Peak District - notably far from the sea, also featuring Sailors, Witches and Watches, discussions of mermaid biology and by far my longest discussion section to date. If you like muddy holes and wet fishy women then this is the podcast episode that you've been waiting for. For sources and more information see the episode page on the website at https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-56-peak-mermaid/ #Folklore #Mythology #Folktales #Mermaids #Peakdistrict.

A bloody Scottish tale featuring a locked room mystery, something fishy, unusual naming conventions (women only), and a little ENM to top it off.  Musical credits, sources and more on the episode page at Tales of Britain and Ireland.com #Folklore #Folktale #Fairytale #Storytelling #mythology #legends #celticlegend #celticmyth

Returning with a splash, this episode I'm telling one of my favourite Irish tales. We're on the west coast and knives are out, the waves are rolling in, there's weird women and weddings, strange things lurk in deep waters and perhaps by the end of the story we'll finally answer the age old question: is everything really better down where it's wetter? Musical credits, sources and more at: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-54-the-knife-against-the-wave/ #Folklore #Myths #Legends #IrishFolklore

A bonus Halloween episode featuring a very well known terrifying tale of a supernatural encounter in Cumbria. Featuring: Victorians!  A perfectly named gothic villain, who is not a villain! A surprising Irish detour! Unnecessary speculation and intimation on my behalf! And an image which has haunted the nightmares of generations of English children. Or at the very least... mine. Have a great Halloween and Samhain everyone, hope you enjoy this trip to the incredibly pleasing to say... Croglin Grange. Musical credits and sources at: Tales of Britain and Ireland: Croglin Grange #Folklore #Myths #Legends #Storytelling

This time we've an appropriately huge episode of tales about British Giants - all stuck together with a vague framing narrative involving the surprising return of one of the podcasts greatest villains/misunderstood just getting on with his life dudes to date. On the way we'll take in tiny elephants, wulvers, a mermaid, simps, cobblers, tall tales, unfortunate seagulls and slave driving saints in an episode suitably scaled for the topic. For sources and more visit the episode page on the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-52-Giants/ #mythology #folkore #legends #folktales # Legends

A very special episode - the podcast's first ever expert discussion section! An interview with the world's leading boggart expert Dr Simon Young answering questions like what are boggarts, where would you find them, why do they look nothing like what we think of as Boggarts today? Followed by a very short story section about a boggart that isn't really a boggart. Just to round things off. Sources, musical credits and boggart artwork on the website https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-50-boggarts/   #Folklore #Mythology

The 50th episode! A huge milestone for me and I'm using it to concentrate on one of my favourite topics I've only touched on so far: Boggarts.  Boggarts abound in this selection of accounts featuring a surprising variety of supernatural sights - shrieking spectres, ghostly geese, inflatable sheep, ineffective graves and much much more.  Come to Boggartdom, meet the feeorin and found out more synonyms for terror than you ever thought you'd need!  Sources, musical credits and boggart artwork on the website https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-50-boggarts/ #folklore #storytelling

This episode we've a nice normal fairy story about Elves, and one boy's bloody Tarantino-esque quest to get his ball back (and maybe something else as well? I forget.) For sources and more visit the episode page on the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-49-Childe-Rowland/   #mythology #folkore #legends #folktales

This episode we're off to Glasgow - the largest city in Scotland, for stories about Saints and Monsters set along the river, by turns in a Dear Green Place and a gritty, deadly urban sprawl. Hear stories involving necromantic powers, cuckolding, fish, school children, dental operations gone wrong and all the other usual suspects. For sources and more visit the episode page on the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-48-glasgow-gold-green-and-iron/   #mythology #folkore #legends #folktales

This episode we have a tale featuring Lancashire Witches, phenomenal cosmic power, a sort of gap year/nature documentary, an unexpected promotion and a story mash up that almost works if you squint, coming from the pen of Lancashire folklore's most unreliable narrator,  For musical credits, sources and more visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-47-the-witch-of-eagles-crag/  #Myths #Legends #Folklore #Witches #Lacanshirefolklore

A fairy tale like story that's meant for children... and may be the most traumatic and violent I've covered yet. Meet the family: an old woman, an old man and a little girl living in a remote valley with their dog Turpie. Awww! Meet the Hobyahs - numerous terrible monsters that live all around the valley. Less awww. For musical credits, sources and more visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-46-the-hobyahs/ #Myths #Legends #Folklore #Folkstories #FairyTales

Branch Three of the Mabinogi(on) featuring marrying mothers, misty magic, market disruption, mice, milquetoast Manawydan and much much more! For musical credits, sources and more visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-45-third-branch-of-the-mabinogion-manawydan/ #WelshMythology #Mabinogion #Mabinogi #Folklore #Myth

A collection of stories telling the life and active afterlife of one of Ireland's most notorious and corporeal ghosts, with a rather unusual nickname. A woman, evil in life, who was graciously rewarded with the opportunity to continue being evil after death.  Sometimes being evil is its own reward it seems. For musical credits, sources and more visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-44-the-life-and-afterlife-of-petticoat-loose/ #Myths #Folklore #Ghosts

A tale of Fionn and the Fianna featuring heroism (maybe), murder (definitely), theft, even more animal transformations and other laddish pursuits. Stick around for the post credit sequence! For musical credits, sources and more visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-43-fionn-pt-5-the-lad-of-the-skins/ #myth #mythology #folklore #Feniancycle #IrishMythology #FionnMacCumhaill

Storms, shipwrecks, salvaging, surprising donkeys and satanic forces all feature in two tales of wrecking on the Cornish Coast. For musical credits, sources and more visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-42-cornish-wreckers/ #myth #mythology #folklore #legends #cornwall

The second of two episodes on Irish fairy lore with three more tales of the Aos Sí. Featuring a new trendy get rich quick scheme (robbery), absolutely banging tunes and highly restrictive music licencing laws, and what's sure to be a heroic rescue! And I even include a Leprechaun (kind of)! For musical credits, sources and more visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-41-irish-fairylore-2-fairymore/ #myth #mythology #folklore #legends #celticlegends

The first of two episodes on Irish fairy lore - featuring three tales of the Aos Sí and there's not a pair of gossamer wings in sight. Discover the connection between a fairy rath and the fairies wrath, meet a dead donkey who doesn't drop anything, and take a good look at a fairy baby. While you still can. For musical credits, sources and more visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-40-irish-fairylore-1-aos-si-what-you-did-there/ #myth #mythology #folklore #legends #celticlegends

This episode features a number of accounts of encounters with the fearsome Scottish water-horse known alternately as the Each-Uisge and the Kelpie. The tales involve a kindly magical old woman, a not so kindly magical old woman, sticky situations, lust, and a lorra lorra lochs. For musical credits, sources and more Kelpie information visit the website: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-39-kelpies-and-the-each-uisge/ #myth #mythology #folklore #legends

This episode is the second from the collection of Medieval chronicler of oddities, miscellanea, and forteana - Walter Map. Featuring two weddings, a suspicious contract, dust, a cute little goat man, the wild hunt (but not really) and a dog that just won't quit. One of the earliest of the many stories that has been classified as being about "The Wild Hunt". Musical credits and sources on the episode page: https://talesofbritainandireland.com/episode-38-king-herla-the-wild-hunt/ #myth #mythology #folklore #legends