British Folklore with Owen Davies and Ceri Houlbrook

What is folklore and how does it connect to witch hunts? Join us for an author talk with Professor Owen Davies and Dr. Ceri Houlbrook from the University of Hertfordshire, discussing their new book Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present. Discover how folklore shapes our daily lives, from cheese rolling traditions to social media rumors.

Episode Highlights:

• Folklore definition and what folklore actually means today

• British folklore traditions and American folklore customs explored

• How folklore practices became legal evidence in Salem witch trials

• The three types of British witches: conflict witches, accidental witches, and outcast witches

• Folk devils versus theological devils in witch hunt history

• Spectral evidence, pricking tests, touch tests, and folk magic in historical witch accusations

• Why debunked theories like the ergot explanation persist in popular culture

• How contemporary folklore evolves through podcasts and social media

• The ritual year framework and material culture in folklore studies

• Magical thinking and supernatural beliefs across cultures

• How folklore cycles between revival and decline

Whether you’re studying folklore definition, researching folklore examples, or interested in folklore and popular culture, this author talk explores how folklore studies reveals patterns in human behavior across time.

Pick up Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present at https://bookshop.org/shop/endwitchhunts to support our work and explore opportunities to study folklore at the University of Hertfordshire’s MA folklore program.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Links

Buy Book: Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

The Thing About Salem website