Fair Folk Podcast
Fair Folk Podcast revives and shares the sacred songs and folk traditions of Europe. Each episode explores the rich musical heritage of European folk cultures, offering listeners a journey through traditional melodies and stories. The podcast aims to reconnect audiences with the timeless beauty of folk music.
Episodes
A felt sense of destiny - 10 years of Fair Folk Podcast
The story of how I began this podcast out of burnout and illness and began feeling into the path on a different level. Plus a dive into pagan conceptions of destiny and free will from Old Norse and Old English. (Take courage!)
Sign up for Well of Wyrd audio membership for £20/month starting April 20: https://www.danicaboyce.com/well-of-wyrd
Sign up for the Golden Thread coaching circle for folks w
The body keeps the lore: wells, springs, and healing with Veronica Rottman, somatic practitioner
In this episode, I speak with Veronica Rottman, a somatic practitioner specializing in the female nervous system, about holy well and spring folklore and the ways it resonates with trauma integration and healing. You can sign up for our upcoming collaborative workshop, Sacred Waters: Healing at the Well of Brigid here:
https://waking-womb.com/events/2026/1/24/sacred-waters-healing-at-the-well-of-b
Irish folk song and the feeling of leaving home - interview with sean nós singer Chan Reid
In this episode I talk with Irish sean nós (old-style) singer Chan Reid about the experience of living as an immigrant far from one’s ancestors, and how experiences of migration and dislocation resonate in the heart of Irish traditional song and music. Chan sings some heart-cracking-open songs, and even obliges me by explaining how Irish traditional singers do the “diddly bits” that make sean nós
Ancestral Embodiment with Marika Heinrichs
Join Abundance Paganism: https://www.danicaboyce.com/abundance-paganism
Join the Abundance Paganism mini-course: https://danicaboyce.myflodesk.com/q266txu4bb
Marika's summer course, Ancestral Embodiment: https://wildbody.ca/ancestral-body
Join my Substack mailing list: https://enthusiastica.substack.com/
How to embody possibility with abundance paganism
Sign up for the free Abundance Paganism mini-course: https://danicaboyce.myflodesk.com/q266txu4bb
Sign up for Abundance Paganism course: https://www.danicaboyce.com/abundance-paganism
Join my mailing list: https://enthusiastica.substack.com/
Find me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danica.boyce/
Reclaiming our Magic with Lindsay Mack of Tarot for the Wild Soul podcast
In this episode I talk with the incredible Lindsay Mack of Tarot for the Wild Soul Podcast and No Bad Cards on Substack!
Sign up for our collaborative workshop Holy Homecoming: Reclaiming Magic in an Age of Illusion on May 25th at 10 am PT, 1 pm ET, 6 pm UK: https://www.tarotforthewildsoul.com/holy-homecoming
Lindsay's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6AXz5dXTFFceckBMve9vNT?si=48c0a83ff9044a
Syncretic saint lore with Polish Folk Witch Joanna Tarnawska
In this episode, I welcome Joanna Tarnawska aka Polish Folk Witch to the podcast, who teaches online about Polish folk magic with a syncretic perspective. In this episode she speaks generously with me about her understanding of and experience with saints within the Polish folk tradition, and I respond with my own reflections on engaging with saints with a pagan and animistic lens.
Sign up for Won
Wolf at the door - interview w/ Scottish storyteller Dougie Mackay
In this episode I speak with Scottish storyteller Dougie Mackay about the troubled relationship between humankind and wolves in the British isles, and how we might revive the days when culture was shared with entertainment and joy at the centre. He shares a moving story from Ireland about a peculiar family a man meets while searching for lost cows, and offers a blessing for the revival of the wolf
Towards a metaphysics of neurodivergence
In this episode I share my most popular Substack mailing list post from 2024, as well as some ways you can work with me this January.
Sign up for my mailing list on Substack: https://enthusiastica.substack.com/
Sign up for Entheos workshop: Danicaboyce.com/entheos
Sign up for Wolf Milk or the Cave of Dreams series: https://www.houseoflegends.me/cave-of-dreams
Make a coaching appointment with me: h
Winterfylleþ - October Almanac
Sign up for October's Cave of Dreams workshop: www.houseoflegends.me/cave-of-dreams
Find me on Substack: https://enthusiastica.substack.com/
In this almanac episode, I survey some themes of the folklore of October, from fire rituals to guising, and invite listeners to dream into the relationship they would like to cultivate with the unseen in the winter months of the year. The full moon of October
Haligmonað / Holy Month - September Almanac
In this episode I share about September as harvest month in folklore, Old English names for the month and season, spirits of the grain, the meaning of the equinox in tradition, the upcoming lunar eclipse, and Michaelmas!
Sign up for the Cave of Dreams workshop series: https://www.houseoflegends.me/cave-of-dreams
Find me on Substack: https://enthusiastica.substack.com/
September Almanac playlist:
Lughnasadh Special with Scottish storyteller Daniel Allison
Subscribe to my Substack newsletter: https://enthusiastica.substack.com/
Join the Cave of Dreams workshop series: https://www.houseoflegends.me/cave-of-dreams
In this episode, Daniel Allison tells the story of the god Lugh (after whom Lughnasadh is named) at the hall of the king Nuada, leading us into a discussion of how we might approach Lughnasadh folklore and mythology now. Then we share what e
The Twelve Days: December Almanac
This episode explores folklore and pagan origins of the 12 days of Christmas, with a focus on the feminine winter figures of Perchta, Holle, and Grýla, featuring a conversation with Jenn Campus, author of A Guide to Celebrating the 12 Days of Yule.
Pagan Ritual Song course: https://f77d9f-2.myshopify.com/products/pagan-ritual-song-course-jan-feb-2024
Buy Jenn Campus’ book, A Guide to Celebrating t
Little Christmas: December Almanac
This episode surveys the folklore of the first half of December, including St. Nicholas' Day on Dec 6th, St. Lucia's day on Dec. 13th, and the solstice. As we approach the darkest point of winter, I ask you to follow the rhythm of nature and turn your gaze to the small, the domestic and the precious.
Sign up for the ONLINE Pagan Carols Singalong!: https://winter-lion-59052.myflodesk.com/sgn5zaflv
The Banquet Beyond the Veil - Halloween Almanac
In this episode I gently interrogate what we mean when we say "the veil is thin" at Halloween, and offer a vision of the whole of winter as a season of hospitality between humans and the otherworld(s) through fire, story, music, and rituals of generosity.
Listen to past Fair Folk episode "All Hallows' Folk Tradition at the Gates of Winter" https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/all-hallows-folk-tra
Fire & Water: June Almanac
We have reached the energetic peak of the year. The main ancient and folkloric themes of June ritualise the human relationship to two of our primary life-givers, the sun and water. Our romance with these elements (and one another) reach a peak as the year completes its in-breath around the summer solstice. This episode outlines a faint thematic arc in historical Whitsun practices at the start of J
Who & What are the Old Norse Gods?: Bonus Intro Unit to Gathering the Gods Course
This episode, a bonus introductory unit to my upcoming Gathering the Gods course, introduces Old Norse culture and language, and describes the status of gods in the Old Norse religion and cosmology. This course will give an overview of the surviving historical texts and traces of the gods Thor, Odin, and Freya.
Gathering the Gods begins May 7th! Sign up here: https://fantastic-hall-390.myflodesk.c
The Generous Wood: May Almanac
This episode outlines the key themes of May folklore embodied in the celebrations of May 1st, aka May Day or Beltane: bonfires for purification and protection, veneration of plants and trees, the leading of animals to green pastures, erotic expressions of pleasure, and the blooming promise of earth's abundance.
Join the Gathering the Gods course on Thor, Odin, & Freya: https://fantastic-hall-390.
Bear Culture: Scandinavian bear folklore with Olle Möllervärn
This episode my guest is Olle Möllervärn, Swedish folklore and paganism researcher and bear nerd! In this episode we discuss animism and how it brings us into more ethical relationship with animals, the connection between human fertility and bears, including human-bear romance, as well as the reason bears are connected with St. Tiburtius' day, April 14th.
Join my mailing list for a discount on my
Dawn Rising: April Almanac
This episode outlines the folklore of April in northern Europe: April Fool's day, Palm Sunday, Easter, St. George's day, and the history of gathering greenery for ritual and soups, rising at the dawn to worship a goddess, cuckoo folklore, dragon lore, and lovely spring ritual songs to set the mood!
This month's April Almanac Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2AJtQbVqaNJKhwbSNpRqxc?si=4d
Wolf Milk: February Almanac
This almanac episode dives into the folklore of February through the lens of the Ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia on February 15th, tracing the themes of birth, milk, wolves, wildness, purification, death, twilight, and thunder through the month’s other pagan holidays, including St. Brigid’s day on February 1st, Candlemas / Gromnica / Perkunas Day on February 2nd, and Scandinavian St. Peter Ho
Ploughboy's Glory: January Almanac
In this January almanac episode, I share about how English Plough Sunday and Plough Monday rituals dovetail with pagan midwinter worship of Odin to present a quandary as rich today as ever:
How do we hold sacred the human capacity to employ technologies that multiply our power, while dancing on the delicate balance between service and domination?
How do we bless the hard work of human hands wh
The Twelve Days: December Almanac
This episode explores folklore and pagan origins of the 12 days of Christmas, with a focus on the feminine winter figures of Perchta, Holle, and Grýla, featuring a conversation with Jenn Campus, author of A Guide to Celebrating the 12 Days of Yule.
Unearthed: medieval imperialism course: https://rustic-waterfall-641.myflodesk.com
Buy Jenn Campus’ book, A Guide to Celebrating the 12 days of Yule
Little Christmas: December Almanac
This episode surveys the folklore of the first half of December, including St. Nicholas' Day on Dec 6th, St. Lucia's day on Dec. 13th, and the solstice. As we approach the darkest point of winter, I ask the listener to follow the rhythm of nature and turn your gaze to the small, the domestic and the precious.
Join my mailing list:
https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62d72c01da642d55a9868141
Music in
The Cailleach w/ Scott Richardson-Read
This is a conversation with Scottish folk-magic blogger and social worker Scott Richardson Read about the Gaelic folklore figure called the Cailleach: the old woman known as Scotland’s midwife; landscape shaper, storm-bringer, sovereignty figure, ancestral being, resurrected once and again, and present all through the folk calendar of the year.
The Cailleach has been popularly associated with win
Fox & Goose: November Almanac
This episode asks how we can take the natural themes of the month and separate them from the contexts that have framed and sometimes twisted them, so we can use them to empower all beings – especially, this month, foxes and geese. It surveys November droving and pannage traditions, Guy Fawkes Day on November 5th, fox hunting and its complex legacy, St. Martins day on November 11 and its entangleme
Rekindle: October Almanac
Fair Folk is back in operation after a year's break! This episode shares some of the folkloric themes of October: it's the pagan start of winter, and features spooky post-harvest customs of feeding the dead, love longing, rekindling the community fire, and a cute dose of shoe folklore.
Call for key collaborators in the Pagan Monastery Project:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jq9XCt29MqQXEaRNt
Do What You Want: Pausing Fair Folk
This episode announces that I will not be producing Fair Folk Podcast for the forseeable future. I am deeply grateful for all of the support you have all given me as I have grown this podcast, and I hope you will continue to connect with me in one of the following ways:
My mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/53d8b01c469b/newsletter
My Youtube channel with my partner Quinn: https://www.youtube.com/cha
Goddess of the Dawn
This episode is a road map to the folklore, mythology, songs and rituals of the goddess of the dawn, gathered from the many cultures of the Indo-European language family. It paints the picture of a radiant, dependable, go-getter goddess who is born again with every day and every epoch. The episode ends with my ritual performance of the medieval hymn “Polorum Regina” in an abandoned church on a mou
Our Supernatural Landlords: folklorist Terry Gunnell on northern European winter guising traditions
In our second conversation on Fair Folk, folklorist Terry Gunnell and I discuss the northern European folklore of the winter season, especially the tradition of guising and monstrous visitors in pagan and Christian times, and -- getting to the juicy stuff -- how male deities came to dominate the Nordic sphere in the Viking era, when it is rather obvious feminine deities used to play a significantl
The Dream Makers: Daniel Allison, Scottish Storyteller & Author
An interview with Daniel Allison, Scottish storyteller and author. We talk about the beginning of the winter season, how he became a storyteller, and how we can make our dreams a reality with the winter dark as our guide and protector. He tells the beautiful story "The Dream Makers" from his book "Scottish Myths and Legends."
House of Legends Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/59C6P4JKydqeUoW
All Hallows': Folk Tradition at the Gates of Winter
Enjoy this 2019 episode exploring the ancient traditions behind today's favourite Halloween activities: trick-or-treating, jack-o-lantern carving, divination, and... communing with the dead.
This episode's music:
Intro Music: “Forest March” by Sylvia Woods
2:09 “Nöstmo Halvar” by Per O G Runberg
7:04 “King Orfeo” by Alva
13:07 “Samhain” by Ron Allen
14:55 “Punkie Night” by Withe & Stone
17:11 “Tam
In the Cauldron with Danica Boyce - The Heart is a Cauldron Podcast with Kathryn Fink
This is an extremely potent interview of myself by Kathryn Fink, of the Heart is a Cauldron Podcast!
The Heart is Cauldron Podcast: https://kathrynfink.com/the-heart-is-a-cauldron
Sign up for my mailing list to hear when Abundance Paganism opens again: www.fairfolkcast.com
Kathryn Fink instagram: www.instagram.com/kathryn.a.fink/
My instagram: www.instagram.com/danica.boyce/
Fair Folk Patreon: ww
Apples & the Gods with Joseph S. Hopkins
In this episode I dive deep into Ancient Germanic apple and tree symbolism with researcher Joseph S. Hopkins of Norse mythology resource mimisbrunnr.info.
Links:
Abundance Paganism info and registration: https://fair-folk-media.mykajabi.com/sales-page
Mimisbrunnr.info
About Joseph S. Hopkins: www.mimisbrunnr.info/hopkins
Kvasir Symbols Database entry on apples: https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/ksd-a
What is Abundance Paganism?
Abundance paganism is running again in 2025! To sign up: danicaboyce.com/abundance-paganism
This episode introduces the concept of abundance paganism, and announces my offering of a course by the same name!
Topics covered:
*how abundance mentality dovetails with a pagan worldview and pagan practice
*my definition of ancestry
*appropriation and integrity
*the connection between suffering, death,
Lughnasadh - bonus almanac re-release
This is a re-release of last year's August Fair Folk Almanac for Patreon about the Irish festival of Lughnasadh, its mysterious history, and its afterlife in modern Irish folklore.
This is the feast of the harvest's beginning, of the shining sun, of first precious golden loaf.
In Irish, Lughnasa is a gathering for the god Lugh, who was responsible for teaching the people of Ireland how to harvest
Wells & Springs Episode 2: Water Of Death
This episode witnesses the troubled relationship between the folklore of wells and springs and memories of trauma and violation. It discusses the vulnerability and suffering of women and Jews under medieval Christianity that is symbolized in the image of the well and processed through the embodied act of singing.
Links:
Mailing list: https://winter-lion-59052.myflodesk.com/pijrgnu11x
Patreon: www
Healing the Wounds of Empire
This episode discusses Empire and its deconstruction, and the relationship between healing and learning in life and in this podcast.
I speak on abundance and scarcity in the context of European traditional spirituality and culture, and invite listeners to give themselves moments of grace in order to address the work of anti-racism from a place of abundance and love.
Music:
Intro theme: "Forest
Wells & Springs Episode 1: Water Of Life
The first in a series on wells and springs, this episode explores the phenomenon of wells and springs in mythology and spiritual belief and practice. Wells for magic, wells for healing, wells for wisdom and love; wells for the pure awe and wonder of living water.
Bi-weekly Q&A on Patreon, Conjuration Tier: https://www.patreon.com/join/fairfolkcast/
Music:
Intro theme: "Forest March" by Sylvia Wo
Faber Horbach of Sowulo Pagan Band
My interview with Faber Horbach of Sowulo Pagan Band in the Netherlands, June 2019.
Listen to Sowulo's new album and more:
https://www.sowulo.nl/ (Bandcamp)
https://www.facebook.com/Sowulo/ (Facebook)
https://www.instagram.com/sowulo.music (Sowulo Instragram)
https://www.instagram.com/faber.horbach/ (Faber Horbach Instagram)
https://www.facebook.com/amplifiedhistory/ (Heilung Facebook)
Music:
Int
A Priest and a Piper: A Conversation with Ignas Šatkauskas, Pagan Priest of Romuva
My interview with Ignas Šatkauskas, pagan priest of Romuva, in August 2018
Pagan Ritual Songs from Romuva Camp, playlist on Fair Folk's YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwfbVKoLviE&list=PLDGCg4JtohsA1pJf6bB_pNbmKT_AK0d6W
Fair Folk's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw5BgVgYLuRWmEs66AHx38A
Music:
Intro Theme: "Forest March" by Sylvia Woods
22:00 ”Kukal, Rože, Ratil
Children of the Sun: Paganism and Folksong in Lithuania - Part Two
In Part Two of Children of the Sun episode, I travel to the forests of Dzūkija region with ethnomusicologist Eglė Česnakavičiūtė to meet the elder and traditional singer Elena Česnulytė, and talk folksong politics. I finally wind up at Šatrijos Ugnis, a perpetual flame tended at a hill in a national park in Samogitia, where I decide maybe paganism is not about belonging after all, but rather, more
Children of the Sun: Paganism and Folksong in Lithuania - Part One
In this episode I spend a week with pagan religious group Romuva, and reflect on the role of belonging in paganism and folk tradition. Live recordings taken in 2018.
Music:
Intro theme: “Forest March” by Sylvia Woods
4:10 - “XL Kompozicija” by Žemyna Trinkūnaitė
6:57 “Dūno upė” - Romuva camp attendees / Kūlgrinda
9:08 Gabija chant - Romuva camp attendees / Kūlgrinda
10:35 Leliumoj - Romuva camp at
Gnome for Christmas: the Midwinter Household Spirit
This episode draws on the folklore of the household spirit (gnome, tomte, tonttu, nisse, domovoi, et al)and the folk music of Scandinavia to explore the ancient traditions of animism and ancestor veneration at midwinter.
Music:
Intro theme: “Forest March” by Sylvia Woods
“Tomtarnas Julnatt” by Göteborgs Symfonietta (instrumental)
“Nisse-Polka” by Sing Song Sisters
“Winter Darkness (Mørketid)” by
Interview with Eithne Ní Ghallchobhair, Irish Storyteller
I recorded this conversation last fall with the award-winning Irish storyteller Eithne Ní Ghallchobhair, who lives in Donegal, Ireland, and learned her craft from the last living traditional storytellers in Donegal.
Get the Fair Folk tote at my new website www.fairfolkcast.com!
Notes:
*The book Eithne mentions at 39:00, Women Who Run With the Wolves is written by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. It’s ava
All Hallows': Folk Tradition at the Gates of Winter
This episode explores the ancient traditions behind today's favourite Halloween activities: trick-or-treating, jack-o-lantern carving, divination, and... communing with the dead.
This episode's music:
Intro Music: “Forest March” by Sylvia Woods
2:09 “Nöstmo Halvar” by Per O G Runberg
7:04 “King Orfeo” by Alva
13:07 “Samhain” by Ron Allen
14:55 “Punkie Night” by Withe & Stone
17:11 “Tam Glen” by Je
Outi Pulkkinen, Finnish Runo-Singer and Jouhikko Player
An astounding performance and conversation with Finnish expert runo-singer and jouhikko player, Outi Pulkkinen. Pulkkinen is a Doctor of Music specializing in runo-singing and holistic improvisation with voice, movement and speech. She also works with several bands, eg. the female a cappella groups MeNaiset and Pulkkinen-Räss-Sadovska. She is currently researching archaic music through a shamanist
Interview with Nigel Pennick, Author of The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick is the author of over fifty books, on topics ranging from paganism and folk magic to geomancy and divination with the runes.
His book The Eldritch World will be available soon in an American edition, produced by Arcana Europa. You can read the preface here: https://arcanaeuropamedia.com/blogs/arcana-blog/preface-for-nigel-pennicks-the-eldritch-world
Many of Pennick's past and future
Finnish Kantele by Aslak Tolonen of Nest
Aslak Tolonen, recorded live in Riihimäki, Finland June 16, 2019.
You can find more information about his music or contact him about purchasing a kantele here:
https://nestfin.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nestfinland
or email him at nestfinlandia@gmail.com
The intro music for Fair Folk is "Forest March" by Sylvia Woods
Patreon: www.patreon.com/fairfolkcast
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fair
The Wailing Of The Old Timers - Tvísöngur and Iceland's Hidden Folk Music Past
In July of 2018 I spent a month in Iceland looking for performers of a stye of Icelandic folk singing called "tvísöngur." What I found was that the history of folk music in Iceland is far more complicated than I could have ever guessed.
I found myself asking: In a nation known internationally for its indie music, why is Icelandic folk music so hard to come by?
Thank you to the many musicians, res
Big Beltane: May Day Song and Custom
May Day, or Beltane in Scottish Gaelic, is a joyous occasion to welcome new growth and fertility in the fields, the hills and home. With its all-night bonfires, green branches, towering may poles and delicate flowers, this might be the most tactile and sensual holiday of the entire year. And it's just bursting with song.
Check out my 2020 May Almanac episode and others: https://www.patreon.com/po
Winter Solstice, Queen of Feasts
This episode traces the age-old European origins of many of the Winter Solstice traditions we enjoy today, from mother goddess worship through stories of the wizard child Jesus, to Christmas fortune telling with bones.
Support Fair Folk:
www.patreon.com/fairfolkcast
PayPal.me/DanicaBoyce
Music:
“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” by the Ballycastle Players
“Miri it is While Sumer Ilast” by Ense
Interview with Vicki Noble, creator of the Motherpeace Tarot
In this episode I speak with Vicki Noble, co-creator of the Motherpeace Tarot Deck, a set of cards for divination that incorporates images of the sacred feminine from mythology and folklore. The creation of the Motherpeace Tarot in the late 1970s in Berkley California helped to kickstart the so-called Goddess movement, whose influence endures today.
Links:
Fair Folk Patreon: https://www.patreon.
Lithuanian Kanklės Concert in a Pagan Temple: Žemyna Trinkūnaitė
This episode is a recording of Žemyna Trinkūnaitė playing a Kanklės, a traditional Lithuanian instrument, in a concert for a small group of people in a Baltic pagan temple in Lithuania.
For more recordings, contact Žemyna Trinkūnaitė by email at zemynat@gmail.com
To support Fair Folk:
www.patreon.com/fairfolkcast
paypal.me/DanicaBoyce
July Update and a Summer Playlist
A brief update about Fair Folk's summer and fall plans from northern Iceland, plus a spontaneous summer playlist to enjoy on the road or at home.
To contribute to the Fair Folk travel fund:
www.patreon.com/fairfolkcast
paypal.me/DanicaBoyce
Music:
Intro: "Forest March" by Sylvia Woods
"Langspils - Kvæðalag" by Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson
"Lenten is Come" by Briddes Roune
"Aililiu Na Gamhna (Calling Home
Midsummer Solstice
This episode explores some of the better and lesser known celebrations and songs of the midsummer solstice in Europe. In the process it addresses some of the perennial questions of this holiday, like: What is a maypole? Why are all of those Russians bathing together? And how can I find buried treasure when all I’m wearing is this garland of mugwort? And what’s all this about human sacrifice?
Music
Polyphony Worldwide feat. Joseph Jordania
The second in a series on traditional polyphonic singing, this episode visits the hunter-gatherer pygmies of the African rainforest, the peasants of pre-Christian Russia, and the possible residents of outer space, via one very special song from Georgia. It also features an interview with Georgian ethnomusicologist Joseph Jordania, organizer of the International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony i
Ancient Multi-part European Folk Singing - Polyphony Part 1
The first in a series on vocal polyphony, this episode gives credit to the ancient origins of vocal polyphony in rural community practices, looking specifically at the polyphony of Lithuania, whose sutartinės are a symbol of the nation's strong pre-christian folk heritage.
Music:
"Georgia: Vocal" by Greek Orthodox Church Choir
"Vay, More" (Oh, the Sea) by The Women's Folklore Ensemble of Staraya
Interview with Jonny Dillon of the Irish National Folklore Collection
This episode I chat with Jonny Dillon, an archivist at the Irish National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin. We discuss the history of the Folklore Collection, his podcast, Blúiríní Béaloidis / Folklore Fragments, and the deep need for folk tradition in modern life.
The Irish National Folklore Collection is one of the largest folklore collections in Europe, and has just this month
Kulning and other herding calls
Traditional herding calls from Sweden and Norway, with an interview with Swedish folk musician and kulning instructor Siri Holm.
Music:
Intro theme - "Forest March" by Sylvia Woods
“Kulning” by Adolf Fredriks Kyrkas Kammarkör & Karin Backstrom
“Kulning” Maria Hulthén Birkeland
“Kulning” by Susanne Rosenberg
“Farlock (Sheep Calls) - Getlock (Goat Calls) - Kalvlock (Calf Calls)” by Karin Edvardsso
Elves
Malevolent or helpful, pinched and small, or beautiful beyond description, elves are a mainstay of western folk belief. Today we’re exploring the many manifestations of elf belief, delving into the folklore of the British Isles and Scandinavia, the two regions where elves have been most robustly represented. This episode features an interview with Terry Gunnell, professor of Folkloristics at the U
Ballads of Scandinavia
This episode is dedicated to the many wonderful tales shared in ballad form in Scandinavian countries. You'll learn that not all stories have happy endings (most don't), which part of the dragon you need to eat in order to gain the gift of prophecy (the heart), and how Groundhog Day is really a holiday about a Scottish hag's woodpile (she's called the Cailleach).
Music:
Intro theme - "Forest Marc
Iceland
Elves, epic poetry, sheep milk and murder... welcome to the world of Icelandic folk music! This episode features an interview with Bára Grímsdóttir and Chris Foster, two of the most accomplished performers of Icelandic folk music, and experts on rímur chanting, a form dating from middle ages, with its ancestry in the Icelandic Sagas and Eddas.
Music:
Opening theme: Forest March by Sylvia Woods
He
Rarer Carols
This episode features some of the more ancient and obscure midwinter traditions that have endured alongside Christmas, as well as some lesser-known carols of this festival, many of which are pagan in origin.
Content warning for animal sacrifice and general heathen revelry.
Music:
Intro theme - "Forest March" by Sylvia Woods
"Christmas Is Now Drawing Near at Hand" by Norma Waterson
"Bonny At Morn
Saints & Demons of December
This episode, you’ll learn why the Swedish will be wearing candles on their heads and dressing up as goats this week, you’ll hear about Saint Nicholas’ past life beating and kidnapping children with his demon slave companion, and you’ll meet St. Stephen, the first man to be stoned to death for bringing a rooster back to life.
Music:
Intro theme - "Forest March" by Sylvia Woods
Staffansvisa Från J
Finland
***CORRECTION***
In this episode I talk about Sami joik, and then play a Karelian joik, which I have been informed is not related at all.
This episode of Fair Folk delves into the rich musical and mythical world of Finland, blisses out on rune-song, and investigates the science behind the smell of snow.
Music:
Intro theme - "Forest March" by Sylvia Woods
"Valolle" by Lau Nau
"Valkealan Valssi"
Witches
This episode of Fair Folk you’ll hear about how an early modern Scottish king literally wrote the book on witchcraft, making Harry Potter possible for future generations, I’ll tell you about the Swedish Queen who is revered to this day for murdering her suitors, and you’ll hear some of the very best folk songs about witches.
Music:
Opening Theme - "Forest March" by Sylvia Woods
"I Once Lived in S
Giants
On this episode, you'll find out just how many landscape features can be attributed to the petty hostilities of overgrown men, you'll hear about that one time Stan Rogers dabbled in druidism, and you'll learn what Fe Fi Fo Fum actually means.
Music:
Intro theme: Sylvia Woods - Forest March
"The Sun" by Warsaw Village Band
"Jotunheimr" by Adrian Von Ziegler
"Giant" by Stan Rogers
"The Legend of Fi
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1A
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