Wilde and Pagan? – Robin Herne

This talk will combine an overview of Wilde’s life and philosophy peppered with readings from his poetry and prose to illustrate

Witchcraft During World War II – Julia Phillips

There is a popular belief that in the early days of World War II, a coven of witches gathered in the New Forest to conduct a ritual designed to repel the threat of a Nazi invasion

Trolls in Scandinavian 1800’s Art – Lena Heide-Brennand

this intertwines artistic mastery with mythical folklore, shedding light on the rich and intriguing portrayals of these legendary beings

An essential guide to Viking culture and traditions – Lena Heide-Brennand

In this lecture we will step into the captivating world of the Vikings and delve into their rich culture and enduring traditions

Franz Kafka and his view on life – Lena Heide-Brennand

a lecture that aims to wake an engaging exploration of Kafka's perspective on life, where the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary

Count Stenbock: Decadent master of the macabre – a Zoom talk by James Machin

An introductory Zoom talk by James Machin on the decadent writer of strange tales, Count Stenbock – 'scholar, connoisseur, drunkard, poet, pervert, most charming of men'

Medieval Mermaids – a Zoom talk with Professor Sarah Peverley

This illustrated Zoom talk will explore the Medieval history of one of the most popular and long-lived of all the mythical creatures that humans have invented.

The Black Death and how it ruled the world – Lena Heide-Brennand

In this lecture we dive into the haunting history of the Black Death and explore how this devastating plague swept across the world

Malleus Maleficarum (1486) – the Medieval Witch Hunter Bestseller – Lena Heide-Brennand

Explore a chilling odyssey into the dark heart of the Middle Ages with a compelling lecture on the infamous "Malleus Maleficarum," from 1486

19th Century Children’s Stories and Songs – Lena Heide-Brennand

Welcome to an extraordinary exploration through the enchanting treasure of European folklore

Greek Flower Power – Robin Herne

This botanical tour will look at some of these old tales and contemplate what they tell us about humanity, spirituality, sexuality

‘Fiona Macleod’ (William Sharp) (1855-1905) and the Celtic Revival in Scotland by Dr Mark Williams

This talk weighs up Sharp’s deeply peculiar cultural achievement, probing the role that ‘Fiona’ played in his complex life.

An Animist Ethics – Robin Herne

This talk will draw on notions of personhood, reflect on changing laws from around the world as we reconsider our relationships with the non-human

Mark of the Werewolf – Robin Herne

This talk explores a selection of such legends and the possible explanations for how those stories started – from medical and psychiatric explanations

Victorian Ghost Stories – Lena Heide-Brennand

Step into the shadows of the 19th century, an era of occultism and gothic intrigue

From Dutch Courage To Trendy Cocktail – The History Of Gin – Lena Heide-Brennand

this lecture promises to be a heady mix of knowledge and fun. Join us, and let's toast to the fascinating world of gin!"

Echoes from the Asylum: A Journey through the Mental Institutions of the 18th and 19th Century Europe – Lena Heide-Brennand

This lecture is not just a chronicle of history, but a tribute to the human spirit's indomitable will to survive and never give up on the hope of freedom

Druids in medieval Irish sources by Dr Mark Williams

This talk sets out those sources, explaining why they are just as problematic—if not more so—than the classical accounts.

Victorian Christmas Stories – Lena Heide-Brennand

Journey back to the heartwarming Christmases of the Victorian era, where families gathered around the hearth

Reverend Robert Kirk’s “The Secret Commonwealth of Elves and Fairies” – Domhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart

In his talk, Dr Stiùbhart will introduce us to Kirk’s life and works, comparing the beliefs presented in the ‘Secret Commonwealth’

Folklore - Past Digital Events

A Short Course in Old Norse Cursing – Prof Bernt Thorvaldsen

This lecture delves into the more shadowy side of Norse magic.

Bedtime Stories: Stories of the Sun – Dawn Nelson

Join performance storyteller and author Dawn Nelson for folklore and stories to celebrate the launch of her new book 'Stories Of The Sun'

The Great God Pan – Robin Herne

This talk will reflect on the Victorian and Edwardian fascination with Pan and his appearance in the stories of Saki, Grahame, Benson, Machen and others.

The Old Stones: A Field Guide to the Prehistoric places of Britain and Ireland – Andy Burnham

A highly illustrated and fast paced talk based around many of the themes, new discoveries and mysteries highlighted in our book The Old Stones

Blood, Toili, Tears and Sweat Death Customs and Morbid Folk Beliefs in Wales – Dr Delyth Badder

In centuries past, where rudimentary medical knowledge and unexpected death were commonplace

The Mythology of Wolves – Robin Herne

This talk will consider Norse, Celtic, Greek and Roman views of the wolf and how they have shaped the ways we think about these beautiful creatures today

Your Money or Your Life: The Myths and Legends of the British Highwayman – Icy Sedgwick

This talk explores some of the myths and legends associated with the highwayman, and we'll dig into possible reasons for the myths enduring where the truth does not.

Queer as Folklore – a Zoom talk with Sacha Coward

To mark LGBT+ History Month, Sacha Coward takes us on an illustrated Zoom talk through the hidden queer history of myths and monsters.

Folk fatales: women in morris dancing, past and present! – Lucy Wright

The English morris dance is having a renaissance—and it’s women who are leading the charge!

Hags and Crones: The Weird, the Wicked, and the Wise – Peg Aloi

This talk will explore the hag, the crone and the wise woman as controversial figures embodying a range of positive & negative connotations

Pop Bogomil and the Bulgarian forerunners of Cathar dualism – Andrew Roach

The Bogomils are less well known than the Western European Cathars, but are arguably more influential on European spirituality.

Romance of the Grail: Joseph Campbell and the Arthurian Romances – Prof Evans Lansing Smith

This presentation explores that shift through imagery and storytelling.

Gog and Magog: the Giants in Guildhall – Zoom lecture with John Clark

John Clark investigates the significance of the two figures of giants, known as Gog and Magog, that stand in London's medieval Guildhall.

Bedtime Stories: Mexican Folk Tales – a Matter of Life and Death – Mike Payton

Unsurprisingly, the folk tales of Mexico often reflect this embrace of the other world

Folk Magic and Folk Games: The Occult Power of Play – Jeff Howard

This talk will explore the ways in which games can function as ritual and folklore

TV Adaptations of Dracula – a Zoom talk with Jon Dear

Join Jon Dear and learn about the history of Dracula and vampires on the small screen. Enter freely and of your own free will!

Shadow over Ilkley: Modern Magick on the West Yorkshire Moors – Dr Phil Legard

Phil Legard explores magick and occulture on the West Yorkshire moors

Antone Minard: The Mari Lwyd: Death, Beer, and Poetry in Victorian Wales

This talk will discuss the nineteenth-century evidence for the Mari Lwyd and its parallels elsewhere in Welsh tradition and the ritual's

Chilling ghost stories of the Scandinavian countries- Christmas edition – Lena Heide-Brennand

Tonight, we delve into the mysterious depths of the Scandinavian folklore

Mermaids across the Millennia – a Zoom talk with Professor Sarah Peverley

This illustrated Zoom talk will explore one of the most popular and long-lived of all the mythical creatures that humans have invented.

The World of Flemish Folklore – Zoom talk with Signe Maene

Join Belgian writer Signe Maene for this dark Zoom exploration of the shapeshifters, spirits, gnomes and witches that haunt Flemish folklore.

Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell: Faerie and the Fate of England by Dr Mark Williams

This talk aims to examine the themes and structure of the novel, leading to a deeper understanding of Clarke’s enthralling alternative past

Balkan Folklore and Gender – Margaret Hiebert Beissinger

This discussion examines how gender has informed traditional life and folklore in the Balkans for generations

England’s oddest fairy encounter: the Wollaton Gnomes – Zoom talk by Dr Simon Young

A Zoom talk by Dr Simon Young on one of the UK's strangest possible fairy encounters, which took place on 23 September 1979.

The Norse Myths that Shape The Way We Think – Professor Carolyne Larrington

Carolyne will talk about her new book - a fresh look at the stories at the heart of Norse mythology, exploring their cultural impact right up to the present day

It Was Upon a Lammas Night: Summerisle and The Wicker Man – Zoom talk with Edward Parnell

An illustrated Zoom lecture on the real Scottish locations used in 'The Wicker Man' to create the geography of the fictional Summerisle.

In Search of the Unknown: The Cryptozoological Fiction of Robert W. Chambers – Justin Mullis

This presentation will examine a key early work of cryptozoological fiction in the form of the novel In Search of the Unknown

Mythical Monsters of Greenland: The creepy and colourful creatures of the fjords – Maria Kreutzmann

Maria will start with a short history of Greenland, and then talk about her own background and where the interest in monsters began

The Green Children of Woolpit: fairies or lost children? – Zoom talk with John Clark

This Zoom lecture investigates the story of the two ‘Green Children’ who appeared ‘as if out of the ground’ in a C12th Suffolk village.

Inventing the Green Man – a Zoom talk with Dr Alex Woodcock

In this illustrated Zoom talk Dr Alex Woodcock will explore one of the most familiar images from medieval art.

Vital Objects: The Art and Meaning of Vernacular Altars – Kay Turner

She invites the audience to learn more about this important, long-lasting tradition. Please bring a "vital object" of your choosing

North London Hauntings – a Zoom talk with Dr Robert Radakovic

The remnants of an ancient forest and Tudor hunting grounds between Barnet and Enfield is the setting for a host of supernatural sightings including medieval knights and boggarts.

Tales of Hidden Bulgaria, by a Spell In Time

Unique British-Bulgarian storytelling company, A Spell In Time, tells extraordinary tales from the hidden magical world of Bulgarian myth

Gef the Talking Mongoose – a Zoom talk with Christopher Josiffe

"I am a ghost in the form of a mongoose, and I shall haunt you with weird noises..." Find out about the Isle of Man's most-famous spook in this Zoom talk with Christopher Josiffe.

Somerset Folk Tales – Sharon Jacksties

Sharon Jacksties will tell tales from her collection of Somerset Folk Tales published by the History Press

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Adventure of the Cottingley Fairies – Merrick Burrow

In this talk Dr Merrick Burrow, Head of English and History at the University of Huddersfield and an expert on Conan Doyle

Goddesses of Sex & War – Professor Ronald Hutton – Zoom Lecture

This talk is devoted to a particular form of ancient pagan goddess, one who is at the same time associated with love and sex, and with warfare

Introducing the Ghost Club (1882–1936) – a Zoom talk with Roger Luckhurst

Professor Roger Luckhurst explores the history of London's famous 1882 Ghost Club.

Quatermass at 70 and humanity’s future – a Zoom talk with Jon Dear

Jon Dear leads us through the work of Nigel Kneale, one of Britain’s most significant screenwriters of the 20th century – the creator of Professor Bernard Quatermass

Gargoyles and Grotesques – a Zoom talk with Dr Alex Woodcock

In this illustrated Zoom talk Dr Alex Woodcock will explore why there are monsters, wild figures and faces carved on our medieval churches.

The Magical Women of Ireland by Dr. Gillian Kenny

This talk will introduce listeners to the links between women and magic in Irish history and how women may have used ritual/spells

Early Paranormal Theories of the Late Nineteenth Century – a Zoom talk by Dr Robert Radakovic

This talk explores the complex culture and history of the late nineteenth century and how the earliest theories of the paranormal were developed.

Scottish Highland Second Sight: Its Past, Present, and Future – Domhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart

An expedition—with some diversions—through four hundred years of Highland folklore and popular belief, in this world and the otherworld.

The Holy Grail – Professor Ronald Hutton – Zoom Lecture

This talk is a quest in itself, for the origins of the story, which can be pinpointed quite specifically

Scandinavian love magic: divination and curses – Tommy Kuusela

In this talk, I will present and discuss types of love divination and curses in myth and folklore

The Erotic Folktales of Norway – Lena Heide-Brennand

In this lecture we will be focusing on those steamy, hilarious and astonishingly graphic stories that have been passed down

Borley Rectory: The Most Haunted House in England – a Zoom talk by Sean O’Connor

Sean O'Connor's book 'The Haunting of Borley Rectory' (Simon & Schuster, Oct 2022) details the strange history of this infamous house...

Robin Hood – Professor Ronald Hutton – Zoom Lecture

This talk is intended to show what was so different about him that made him so famous in world culture while other outlaws

Baba Yaga in Russian Folktales – Prof Sibelan Forrester

The traditional Russian folk character Baba Yaga is an ambiguous and fascinating figure.

Zombies: The New Dead – a Zoom talk with Roger Luckhurst

Professor Roger Luckhurst explores advances in medical science, the modern zombie story and its role in horror fiction and film.

The History and Future of the Wildcat in Britain – A Zoom talk with Derek Gow

Join farmer and conservationist Derek Gow as he discusses one of Britain's rarest and most enigmatic native mammalian predators.

In the Fort Archive: Charles Fort and the Making of the Twentieth Century

A Zoom talk by Colin Dickey on the father of all things Fortean: Charles Fort

More Mythical Creatures in Scandinavian Folklore – Lena Heide-Brennand

A follow-up lecture on more of the magical, mysterious and scary creatures we meet in Scandinavian folklore

Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life – a Zoom lecture by Ruth Franklin

An online Zoom lecture about one of the greatest American women writers of unsettling fiction, Shirley Jackson (1916–1965).

The Irish Goddess Morrigan – Lora O’Brien

This presentation will answer the questions: Who is She?; When and where did Her stories take place?

Folklore, the Gothic and Urban Myth in Scooby-Doo – a Zoom talk by Mark Norman

Folklorist Mark Norman takes us through the real world folklore, urban myth and legend that populates the cartoon universe of Scooby-Doo.

Trolls in Nordic Myth & Folkore – Dr. Tommy Kuusela

This lecture will look closer at the history of the supernatural trolls in Scandinavia

Witch-bottles from the 17th–20th Century – a Zoom talk with Brian Hoggard

An illustrated Zoom talk on this particular form of magical house protection, with Brian Hoggard.

An Evening in Asgard – The Home of the Norse Gods – Lena Heide-Brennand

This will be an evening of captivating tales about the main characters of Asgard and the creatures that existed alongside them

J. Sheridan Le Fanu: Irish Master of Mystery – a Zoom talk by Jim Rockhill

Jim Rockhill gives an illustrated talk on the Irish ghost story writer and novelist Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, who was born this day (28 Aug) in 1814.

Marina Warner on Fairy Tales & From The Beast to The Blonde

In this talk Dame Marina Warner will discuss her book 'From The Beast to The Blonde - on Fairy Tales and their Tellers

Magical protection marks in medieval and later buildings – a Zoom talk with Brian Hoggard

This presentation will explain the differences between the broad categories of esoteric marks found in old buildings

Dark Folklore – an illustrated Zoom talk by Mark Norman

In this illustrated Zoom talk, Mark will discuss some of the themes which he explores in his most-recent book, 'Dark Folklore'.

The Boggart – a Study in Shadows: a Zoom talk by Dr Simon Young

A Zoom talk by Dr Simon Young on the boggart, a much-feared, little-studied supernatural being from the north of England

An introduction to Arthur Machen – a Zoom talk by James Machin

James Machin gives an introduction to Welsh writer Arthur Machen, ‘The Flower-Tunicked Priest of Nightmare’

The Mythical Creatures of Scandinavian Folklore – Lena Heide-Brennand by Zoom

A live, illustrated Zoom lecture with Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand, Master of Literature and Language.

Me and My Shadow: Sympathy with the Devil in Folk Tradition – Jeremy Harte

An illustrated Zoom talk by Jeremy Harte in which he examines the folk Devil – an inconsistent character who is frightful and wicked, but also silly, combative, vengeful and vain.

Folklore and Strange Tales of Cornwall’s Seas – Joan Passey

‘Let us catch the sea-wolves falling on their prey’: Folklore and Strange Tales of Cornwall’s Seas - Zoom Lecture