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Mother Red Cap: The Infamous Witch of Camden Town

Mother Red Cap once gave her name to a Camden pub, now known as the World’s End on Camden High Street. Was she really a 17th-century witch, or simply a misunderstood old woman? Let’s find out in this week’s episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/mother-red-cap/  Tickets for…

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The Witch of Wookey Hole: Petrified for All Time

Is the Witch of Wookey Hole really petrified in the famous Somerset cave system? Or is it just an old legend with a life of its own that now sustains a tourist attraction? Let’s find out in this week’s episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/witch-of-wookey-hole/  Grab your…

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Was the location of Callaly Castle really picked by fairies?

Callaly Castle stands around 9 miles west of Alnwick. It’s a Grade I listed building, although there’s no public access. Architects divided the house into private apartments in 1987, and it has been a private residence ever since. Yet the castle features an odd history, as many castles in the north east of England do….

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Interview with Brandi Spradling

In this fourth episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I chat to Brandi, the brains and beauty behind Venus in Retro Tarot! We talk about what tarot and astrology can bring us in the 21st century, the importance of making sure divinatory systems are inclusive, and different ways of using tarot that don’t involve fortune telling….

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Brownies in Folklore: Household Help or Hindrance?

Katharine Briggs considers the brownies as one of the “most easily described and most recognizable” fairy types. Their territory stretched from the Midlands, up through the north and east of England, and up into Scotland. They were known as the bwca in Wales, bodach in the Highlands, and fenodoree on the Isle of Man. But…

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The Barguest: Demon Dog, Silly Sprite or Spectral Hound?

The barguest is a fascinating creature, most often found in the folklore of northern England. In many tales, the barguest was most popularly a death omen. In a most fitting way, Sir Walter Scott thought the name came from ‘bahrgeist’, or spirit of the bier, as in the bier on which a corpse was carried….

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