Series 5 Episode 11: Northumberland

The Three Ravens Podcast

On this week's episode we're heading about as northerly as England gets, to Northumberland - and Eleanor's telling her suitably slithery take on The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh!

We start off chatting about St Egwin's Day and traditional New Year's Eve celebrations, including Hogmanay, after which we bomb up the A1 to explored the history and folklore of Northumberland.

We discuss all sorts, including the Northumberland and Border Ballad traditions, through which much of the county's folklore has survived, the county's clog-based dances, and plenty else, all before Eleanor presents us with a series of really delicious sounding things for once for this week's County Dish.

When it comes to folklore, interspersed with some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with beloved podcaster, folklorist and author Dr Icy Sedgwick, we talk about some of Northumberland's fae creatures, which range from terrifying to quite helpful, discuss bicycling ghosts, the treasures of Jingling Geordie's Hole, and much more besides.

Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's beautiful, frost-covered telling of "The Laidly Worm."

We really hope you enjoy the episode, and we'll be back on Thursday with our new Three Ravens Bestiary episode about Elves, all before the full Local Legends chat with Icy comes out on Saturday!

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 (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) 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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