From now on I shall only talk folklore to a background of shiny streamers beneath a giant disco ball

We’re delighted to hand over to @clarelesleyhughes.bsky.social on the website today. She tells us all about her research and specifically what a wortcunner is. Have you any stories that illustrate your relationships with plants?

Folks in Worcester are being asked to collect their love locks after the council has removed them from a bridge over the Severn. Nice to see a little mention of our stats too: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

O.K. folklorists @folkloresociety.bsky.social @nfsengland.bsky.social has anyone audited how many roller coasters/rides at UK attractions are folklore themed?! (Signed a reluctant traveller on the "Wickerman" at Alton Towers) 🎢

So that’s season two of Folklore Matters! Have you worked your way through the series yet? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

We have two delights for you today: a reproduction of a 2005 article in which @davidwclarke.bsky.social interviews Professor John Widdowson, and our final episode of the second series of Folklore Matters where David and John join Andrew Robinson for a BIG conversation about all things folklore

Do you feel like sitting in a dark cellar and listening to a podcast? Us too! So tune in to the latest episode of Folklore Matters for David Clarke discussing UFOs, the Crying Boy, Spring-heeled Jack and more. folklore-matters.captivate.fm

folklore-matters.captivate.fm

If wyrd stuff on screen is your bag, don’t miss this from our very own @dianearodgers.bsky.social!

Dr Diane A Rodgers@dianearodgers.bsky.social · 2mo ago

youtu.be/NvMrDeKg3NU Wyrd TV: Folklore, Folk Horror and British Television is now available for PRE-ORDER! Official date is 7 Jan, but physical books likely be ready in good time for Christmas. Watch this space for more countdown updates and other exciting news. www.bloomsbury.com/uk/wyrd-tv-9...

Thank you for having Christopher Ohge & @hexnhart.bsky.social for a stimulating conversation! The team at National Folklore Survey tried out a prototype of StoryMachine & provided feedback that informed the tool's development. Curious? See what else we've been up to: storymachine.iisys.de/blog/

Can advances in technology help us navigate comprehensive collections of folk narratives? This is what Project StoryMachine intends to find out, so on the latest episode of Folklore Matters, we invited @hexnhart.bsky.social and Christopher Ohge to come and tell us more.

Unbelievably, we’re already over half way through the latest series of Folklore Matters. And judging by the download rate, you’re eating it up! Here are the first four episodes as a reminder. Which has been your favourite so far?

Need an injection of folklore into your Thursday? Listen to the latest episode of Folklore Matters, where we meet with Mike Hankin of The Folk Union to discuss the differences between the folk scene and folk culture, and what's exciting him about UK folk culture.

We're going to miss our pals and colleagues, David Clarke and Andrew Robinson, as they leave the university. But we're excited to see what they get up to next - and the Centre for Contemporary Legend will continue! Photo courtesy of Richard Bradley, T-shirt image of Robin Hood thanks to Jonny Ford.

Today on Folklore Matters we speak to @klarafei.bsky.social about all things Czech folklore - and the Czech perspective on British folk horror. You’ll even hear about a horse emerging from a house…

Now that series two is on its way to your ears, we’re planning series three of Folklore Matters. Who would you like to hear from? And though we’re UK based, we want to spotlight researchers and practitioners from around the world, so please help us spread the word!

The second series of our Folklore Matters podcast kicks off today. Episode one is with filmmaker and producer of the excellent Gatherings series, Dave Brewis. Gatherings takes a look at six of the nation’s most compelling calendar customs and our chat is particularly fascinating as Dave lived in…

Set your alarms, make notes in your diaries: season two of Folklore Matters gets underway a week today, on 9 July 2026!

13% of people living in England today believe that a swift (or swallow or house martin) nesting in your house is lucky. And now research tells us that swifts return to the same place to nest! That’s a lot of luck 🍀 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

How did you spend your solstice? One in four people in England today report the solstice as being spiritually significant. A quarter of people have also visited a stone circle, with 5% of those people timing a visit with solstices or equinoxes.

It was so lovely to welcome Anna Milon and Christopher Ohge from @storymachine-ht.bsky.social to the studio for a fascinating discussion for Folklore Matters. Series two is nearly in the bag!

This month (a week early, on the fourth Monday!) we have the team from Sheffield Hallam's @nfsengland.bsky.social for England talking about their findings. 22nd March, 7:30pm, The Museum, all welcome! www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk

We've been podcast-tastic this week for FOLKLORE MATTERS @nfsengland.bsky.social recording more episodes with @kwasbeb.bsky.social Swedish urban legend expert Jack Werner and Mike Hankin of thefolkunion.com - more recording to go but series 2 is coming SOON!

Look at this beauty! In the latest issue of Songlines (June, 218), Sophie shares the findings of the survey relating to figures of English legend, accompanied by Jonny Ford’s gorgeous illustrations of Robin Hood and King Arthur. Enjoy! ☺️

Sophie spoke to journalism student Antonia Vlad about the current high profile of folklore in the UK and the National Folklore Survey. She’s put together a brilliant piece of visual storytelling. Check it out here: swlondoner.shorthandstories.com/the-witching...

The witching hour of Gen Z: exploring the renaissance of English folklore and Paganism

A broad collection of beliefs, customs, traditions, superstitions, and stories that have been passed down orally from generation to generation.

swlondoner.shorthandstories.com

In the latest special issue from @forteantimes.bsky.social, our @davidwclarke.bsky.social casts his eye across boggarts, fire festivals, folk horror and more. It’s a great read, looking into the archives and, crucially, looking forward. Enjoy!

Kicking off series two of Folklore Matters with Dave Brewis, maker of @gatherings.tv, a series we all really enjoyed. A discussion that covered customs, national identity, politics, and approaches to filmmaking - so lots to go at! Stay tuned to hear more about when series two goes live.

Our very own @dianearodgers.bsky.social and our Survey is quoted in a BBC news story about a haunted house in Pontefract. Read more here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The haunted Pontefract house that became a tourist attraction

A quiet residential street in Pontefract is the focus of a podcast exploring paranormal phenomena.

bbc.co.uk

Are you a ghost story enthusiast? Could you be in Sheffield on Sunday 24 May? Two of our postgrad students are holding a focus group and are looking for participants. Message us and we’ll put you in touch!

When you think of England’s legendary figures, who comes to mind? We asked how familiar people living in England were with a range of legendary characters and Robin Hood - perhaps unsurprisingly - came out on top, with almost 90% of Survey respondents saying they knew of him.

And finally, we have NINE reviews of books, films and even a map to conclude our contemporary legend themed issue of Revenant. From MEN and Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched through to Canadian UFOs and post-Franco gothic fiction of Spain, find something new and/or different to pique your interest