Loremen Podcast
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Join the Loremen (James Shakeshaft and Alasdair Beckett-King) as they "investigate" local legends and forgotten folklore.
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James lures Alasdair back down to the water's edge for an Important Mermaid Update! The Hayfield Mermaid first appeared in Series 2 (get up to speed here). Somehow, the Loreboys managed to overlook yet another freshwater mermaid in a nearby bottomless pool. And the grasping creature that dwells in the waters of Blakemere has a heck of a backstory.
It's Hayfield Mermaids 2: Mere-lectric Mere-galoo!
Disclaimer: some of this episode's "breaking news" is at least 40 years old.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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This year's live show at the Leicester Comedy festival was a delight. The lorefolk were in fine form and James rustled up a folkloric feast, including 'facts' from Geoffrey Hodson's 1925 book Fairies at Work and at Play.
Sadly, fairy mischief meant that our recorder batteries died towards the end of the show, so the final portion of this episode has been reconstructed from a low-quality backup. You'll hardly notice! Unless you listen to the episode, in which case you'll definitely notice.
Why not defy the fairy curse and join us for another live show? The Loreboys are going live again in Oxford on May 25th:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
(We'll bring lots of spare AA batteries to this one, we promise.)
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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1April is the time for fooling, especially in Scotland where the first of the month is Huntigowk Day: a day for tartan paint, long stands and other bootless errands. James and Alasdair (a pair of anti-prank killjoys) spent this April Fool's investigating Loch Ness, a body of water which has seen more than its share of hoaxes. But one monster prank from April 1st 1972 really takes the cake.
Is that cake? Or is it an enormous, half-defrosted elephant seal? Find out when the Loreboys meet an English zoologist up to no good on the banks of Loch Ness.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
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The cats from Long Cat Media came back! Lindsay Sharman and Laurence Owen (who are so award-nominated they seem to have gained another nomination since last week) return. And they bring with them a first-hand sighting of a cryptid. That's right, Laurence saw Derbyshire's elusive Beast of Belper.
Meanwhile, James Shakeshaft has not been shake-shirking his research duties. He's on the trail of the Surrey Puma, and he's found photographic evidence that will blow you away (if you've never seen a picture of a normal cat before).
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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The cats from Long Cat Media lure the Loreboys to the wild, wild east. Lindsay Sharman and Laurence Owen (the excessively award-nominated podcasters behind Mockey Manor and Magenta Presents) are on the trail of a hound with a thunderous bark and eyes like saucers. It's a terrifying beast that can turn even the bravest churchgoer into a quivering, crumpled crisp packet of a man...
Yes, this episode brings the Loremen face-to-snout with East Anglia's infamous Black Shuck! And we welcome back Old Shuck's alter ego: the man-scrumpling dog of Bungay.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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[RECORD SCRATCH] I suppose you're wondering how we got here? Well, it all started when James told Alasdair the story of a spectral hound that dwells on the border of Devon and Dorset. (AKA In-Dorset and Next-Dorset.)
A sighting of the black dog could be a bad omen, but it might just make you rich. (There is actually a third option, but that involves helium and a peculiarly shaped nozzle...)
No dogs were inflated during the recording of this episode.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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What does it sound like when a spooky story has James Shakeshaft quaking in his (big giant's) boots? You'll find out in this episode, because Alasdair has torn two hair-raising mysteries from the pages of W. T. Stead's book of Real Ghost Stories.
Meet a hard-as-nails northern ghost in a train station cellar, and swim frantically away from the eyeless lady of Willington Mill. Grab your gilets and slankets, and prepare for your spine to be tingled and/or chilled.
Content Warning: References to self harm / suicide and some imagery that might be unsuitable for younger lorefolk.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
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This episode is a veritable bestiary! Meet an egg-thieving bird, an aquatic prankster and a big cat that's just a bit much. Amy Jeffs returns to the podcast, with a raft of early medieval legends and (frankly) way more research than the guests normally bring.
These are the legends of the panther, the partridge and Iasconius ... the whale who pretended to be an island.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
The graphic for this episode is from a wood engraving by Amy Jeffs, from her book Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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Are you in the mood for love? Are you in the mood for giant-slaying? Are you in the mood for some really, really long lists? Then - good news! Jenny Collier returns to her role as our Welsh Valentine's Day correspondent with aplomb and another romantic tale from the Mabinogion.
Expect curses! Extremely circuitous schemes! And a dog that is bigger than it sounds!
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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James has been fossil-hunting in Devon (AKA Next-Dorset) and he has unearthed the tale of a horrible old judge who just won't stay buried. It's the story of the Monmouth Rebellion, "Hanging" Judge Jeffries and the Bloody Assizes. (Those bloody assizes).
Expect some baffling pub names, a smattering of actual history, and a chance to learn the difference between a bugle and a beagle. (You really shouldn't blow into a beagle.)
Yes, of course there are ghosts.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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Believe it or not, there once was a time when the hottest show in town was a pig doing maths. A porcine professor might not sound as binge-worthy as The Traitors or a double bill of Miss Marple, but back in 1817 people flocked to see this canny swine. James presents the story of a learnéd pig named Toby, as told in his own words. (The pig's own words, that is.)
This episode started life as our Xmas Pig 2023 Livestream, which you can watch in full with all the trimmings here.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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John Alington was an English eccentric who really put the "letch" in Letchworth. This randy reverend scandalised Hertfordshire with his saucy sermons and rock-and-roll hijinks. Alasdair tells James the peculiar history of a very rich man with a penchant for leopardskin and massively over-explaining things.
Plus, an unusual attorney, a pair of identical twin poachers and a ghostly monk chucked in for chills.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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It's our first proper episode of the year, and we're welcoming back Deputy Loreperson, Chris Cantrill!
Chris drops in to plug the Delightful Sausage's upcoming Radio 4 series Icklewick FM, and to whisk James and Alasdair off to a medieval wonderland of his own devising. Expect a tale of betrayal and intrigue from the borderlands of England (and Scotland). And prepare to be utterly astonished... because Chris actually read the book beforehand this time.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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And lo! The six top episodes of 2023 (as selected by the Lorefolk via patreon.com/loremenpod) appeared!
Lets see which tales were tall enough to make the cut:
06: Strawberry Hill Gothic
05: The Tanuki with Yuriko Kotani
04: Cornwall's Loneliest Vicar
03: The Ghostbusting Parsons of Penzance
02: The Croglin Grange Vampire
01: The Wold Rangers with Amy Gledhill
And stay tuned at the end for a spooky bonus from Bec Hill's episode...
LoreBoys nether say die!
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What a year! James and Alasdair are counting down the top 14 (fourteen) episodes of 2023 (twenty twenty-three). This is only part one, so prepare yourself for eight of our highlights from last year. (Yes, it would have made more sense to do seven, but we got carried away.)
If you don't want to know the results, look away now...
14: The Spitting Ghost of Haddon Hall
13: Denizens of Another World
12: The Vampyre with Sacha Coward
11: The Devil's Hoofprints
10: The Queen Rat with Tom Mayhew
09: The Flaming Head of Norton Mill
08: The Denham Tracts
07: Kelpies of Kintyre
There's also a cameo from Geordie Samuel L. Jackson.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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Ewww! A low stakes, gross ghost! James tells ABK about some well-documented (but not encouraged) ghosts from Derbyshire.
Something about the formerly-ruined building of Haddon Hall has stirred the poetic side of James. He even reads out a bit of what some would consider poetry, or indeed poesie*. This episode also features the stunning debut of brand new character "Geordie Samuel L Jackson".
*If you're from the past, before the invention of the letter T.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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If you’re walking home late one night, and you hear something rolling along beside you – beware! You might have encountered the Sac Bàn - AKA the Seckyban or the White Sack. Alasdair chills James to his marrow with the legend of a creature who rolls around the byways of Scotland like an angry pudding. You see, a sighting of the White Sack means death!
From the Hollow of the White Sack to the Creagan Change House, this episode features several dodgy pronunciations, sixteen old men, two noms de plume, and the longest trip to the off license in folklore history.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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James mutters an incantation and whisks Alasdair off to Bakewell in the Peak District, a town famous for its variety of puddings. There, the Loreboys meet a pair of ALLEGED witches. Hear how they use their devilish powers to... make and sell women's hats.
Oh, the horror! It's the legend of the Bakewell Witches*.
*Story may contain innocent women and one lying Scotsman.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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Alasdair takes James to Canterbury, in Kent*, a city positively brimming with ghosts. The boys skip from the Roman streets to a tea house, which boasts its own unique ghost room. But! What begins as a grisly interior design show ends up as a hard hitting exposé. Folklore or FAKElore? You decide.
We also come up with some Chaucer-themed business ideas. If you open a Canterbury grocers that sells only parsnips called "The Parsonips Tale" you have to pay us royalties.
There's a lot to get your teeth into here. And a lot of panels to hide your teeth behind, if that's what you're into. Incidentally**, why not pop into Tiny Tim's Tea Rooms and book yourself on a Canterbury a ghost tour?
* Actual Kent, this time.
** Tooth pun!
The Loremen meet a quadruple threat. This kid is no mere zombie vampire wizard. He's Welsh too. James brings in the story of a Hereford revenant who had simply too much going on.
This tale is taken from Witchcraft in Britain by "Christ in a hole", it's Christina Hole. And from the writings of 12th century historians/liars William of Newburgh and Walter Map. (Do check out Wally's pic on Wikipedia. So cheeky!)
LoreBoys nether say die!
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is ABK aware that, when at his show in Nottingham, he was ONLY ONE HOUR from Grindleford? I sure am now, for I was at that very show this week, AND I was at Grindleford this morning! Spooooky. I will note that did not see a scary animal. Even more spooooooky.
What fun. As a keen folklorist and reader / writer of weird fiction I love this podcast. Keep it up chaps.
poulterguys...poulterladys??
what a great podcast, I love each and every episode. keep up the great work lads!!
*laughs on a forklift*
I watched *Invasion of the Body Snatchers* a month ago and this really reminds me of that human faced dog seen.
As soon as the bluecap story started I was reminded of kobolds (a similar sort of creature) and I love that opurtunity to make that connection!
James... Shankshaft. I actually said it in my head b4 ABK spit it out. 😁
Oooh I've found me a new poddy to binge. Quality stuff guys 👌
hey guys after Sunil mentioned listening to the podcast at 1.2× speed... i decided to listen to it in 0.5× speed... Guys you sound like you've had a few to many pints! =D
This was brilliant 😁 and very interesting
hey guys dont know why but recent episode ended up in others category ...rather than following on from The vegtable lamb of tatar...
I'd love to see them cover Black Annis
Three days until Dec 20th. Could we be blessed with a new series? Surely Christmas miracles do exist! xxxx
With regards to the telling of Cinderella, the Germans did not add gore to a French tale. Cinderella was originally a very old and very gory fairy tale that was popular in Germany, though the earliest fragments of the story (including a prince locating his true love through shoes) can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. The Grimm brothers were fastidious about only including German tales in their collection, though a few of foreign origin did sneak past them, such as Red Riding Hood (which probably came from an old Italian tale). Interestingly, many of the tales that did slip through, like Cinderella, had Middle Eastern roots. Charles Perrault was infamous for bastardizing old stories, and Cinderella is a perfect example of him adding fluff and sparkle to a somewhat bleak older tale to cater to the rich, entitled, and often bored ladies at the French court. He also invented the concept of the pumpkin carriage.