For this month's episode of Magus we're chatting about a genuine icon of esoterica and the occult, Doctor John Dee!Born during the reign of Henry VIII, Dee lived under five fundamentally important English monarchs, and birthed the idea of "The British Empire" over a century before the United Kingdom even coalesced. He spent seven years speaking with angels, created a Hermetic system for understanding the Universe that is still in use today, fathered eight children, had three wives, and signed his letters to Queen Elizabeth I as '007.'Who was this crazy guy? When and how did he learn what he learned? Was he completely deluded, or did he actually propose a unifying theory of the Universe that is only now being viewed as potentially theoretically correct?An illusionist who could stun a room filled with skeptics. A Catholic priest with a drive to bring on Judgment Day. A man who proposed that he was Merlin reborn, sent to guide the rebirth of a perfect Albion.It's an episode we've been working on for a long time, we really hope you enjoy it, and speak to you on Saturday for our full Local Legends interview with the wonderful Mhara Starling!ALL MATTER IS ONE!!!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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Series 7 Episode 6: Anglesey
This week we're headed over one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world to explore the history and folklore of Anglesey! Perhaps most famous for being the place where the Romans slaughtered the last of the Druids, we start with St Dwynwen, the Welsh Patron Saint of Lovers, along with Love Spoons and the Anglesey-born fathers of the "Welsh Renaissance."Enriched by extracts from this Saturday's up-and-coming Local Legends interview with Internet super-witch Mhara Starling, we dig into prehistory and sites like Bryn Celli Ddu, the island's castles, and its links to the Tudor dynasty.When it comes time for folklore, the island has plenty to offer, including ghosts, more maniacal toads, helpful ghosts and spectral highwaywomen - but how much of Anglesey's lore is really its own, and are some of these stories really from elsewhere, brought by generations of passers-through?Then we have Martin's story for this week, "A Boat Full of Witches" which recounts the legend of the Llanddona Witches in a manner at once quite silly and also quite disturbing...We hope that you enjoy the episode, and will speak to you again on Thursday with our new Magus bonus episode all about the magical life and legacy of Doctor Dee and our Patreon Exclusive Film Club episode all about 2002's Dog Soldiers!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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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LIVE @ Treadwell's Books 2025!
For our final Three Ravens Live Show release of 2026 we have a Live Q&A hosted by the one and only Treadwells Books!In case you're unfamiliar, Treadwell's is an esoteric bookshop in London specializing in occult and spiritual topics like magic, witchcraft, and world religions. It offers a curated selection of new and secondhand books along with unique items like tarot cards and incense. Beyond its retail function, Treadwell's serves as a community hub by hosting a variety of events, such as classes, lectures, and tarot readings, and by providing knowledgeable staff to guide customers. We have both loved Treadwell's books since we were students, and our journeys to become the witches we are would not have taken the paths they have without what Christina Oakley Harrington has built with her shop.Furthermore, when it came to thinking of the one bookshop where we would most like to celebrate our book being released, there was no doubt in our minds that it had to be Treadwells.We really hope you enjoy this recording of our conversation, which spans topics from ghosts on the London Underground to the Cult of Mithras to Black Annis and beyond, including wonderful Q&A contributions from audience members.We are also happy to announce that we will be returning to Treadwell's for another live recording like this in 2026, so keep your eyes peeled and directed towards the Treadwell's Events page for more news on that one! 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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Local Legends #51: Deborah Winter
Eleanor talks to the wonderful storyteller Deborah Winter about her home county of Pembrokeshire, a land of mermaids, pirates and the cry of the raven...Deborah has gained a widespread reputation as an oral storyteller, and performs at festivals and arts events across the UK, including Aberystwyth Storytelling Festival, End of the Road Festival, On Land’s Edge, Swansea Fringe, Llangwm Literary Festival and many more. In 2021, Deborah was joint winner of the Esyllt Harker Prize for women storytellers in Wales, with musician Ailsa Mair Fox. The prize celebrates the talent and contributions of female storytellers in Wales, and as part of it Deborah received a commission to support the creation of her show Secrets and Silences, which was performed at Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival in 2023 to a standing ovation. It’s a great chat, which spans Deborah’s life and career, and her deep love of her home county of Pembrokeshire, its history, folklore and stories.So let’s gather in close around the Three Ravens campfire and listen in to a conversation with a true Local Legend – Deborah Winter. You can find out more about Deborah and her work via her website at www.deborahwinter.co.uk.Otherwise, we we will speak to you again on Monday for Series 7 Episode 6, all about the the history and folklore of the historic Welsh county of Anglesey!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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Forgotten Melodies #7: Witch Songs
For this month's Forgotten Melodies bonus episode we're singing and talking about Witch Songs!As ever, the episode features new arrangements of three traditional folk songs: Witches Reel, Broomfield Hill and Hare Spell, and Martin, Ben and Eleanor chat about the history and context of each.With Witch Trials continuing in Scotland long after they had ended in England and Wales, it's perhaps unsurprising that so many Witch Songs have Scottish versions. Following our Gunpowder Plot Patreon Exclusive episode we're therefore continuing to talk quite a lot about James VI of Scotland, I of England here, including about the North Berwick Witch Trials. Then again, there's also the hill in Somerset where witches offer handy advice to maidens! We've done our best to do the genre justice and sing songs that aren't all doom and gloom, and really hope you enjoy the episode. Although we are hoping to have some musical offerings coming up on the week of Christmas, Forgotten Melodies will now be on a small hiatus until 2026, so we'll look forward to singing and playing more music for you then!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/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Three Ravens is an English myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.In each weekly episode, released on Mondays, we explore a historic county, digging into the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more.Across our first six series we ventured around England's 39 historic counties twice, taking turns to tell a new version of a legend from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it may have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past.Our Bonus Episodes are then released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Forgotten Melodies about folk song types with original performances from us, and Magus, which is about the lives of the most famous witches and wizards in history).On Saturdays, we then release episodes of our interview series Local Legends, with each episode featuring a chat between us and an acclaimed folklorist, author, podcaster or historian, deepening discussions about that week's county.In between series, since March 2025 we have also launched our Lang Fairy Tale Project, for which we are recording and releasing the 700+ stories collected by English academics and authors Nora and Andrew Lang, published in over a dozen volumes from the end of the 19th century and changing children's literature forever.With entire other Bonus Series to enjoy, including our comic retelling of the legend of Gawain and the Green Knight, original narratives such as our upcoming series Dog Days about the supernatural adventures of young playwright Christopher Marlowe in Elizabethan London, and our annual Haunting Season every October, there's tonnes of fun to be had in our back catalogue of over 300 episodes.In addition to which, we also release a range of exclusive content on Patreon, where supporters also enjoy ad-free listening, including monthly 'One Off' episodes covering a range of folky topics, editions of the Three Ravens Newsletter, and over two-dozen episodes of the Three Ravens Film Club, through which we discuss folk horror films from across the decades, and more.For a guide of where to start, click here - but our advice is to just pick an episode that sounds interesting, then hit 'Play' and join us around the campfire to listen in...Three Ravens Series 7 launched in September 2025, and is all about the heritage and legends of the 13 historic counties of Wales. For press or collaboration inquiries or learn more about our book, published in hardback by The History Press, and the podcast in general, visit our website. Join our Patreon here, and find links to our social media channels and sponsor Three Spirit Drinks here. Use Voucher Code THREERAVENS for a 15% discount. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.