The Witches of Warboys | Series 5 Episode 8: Huntingdonshire
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Show notes
This week Martin is leading us back into marshy bogs which no longer exist to talk all about the history and folklore of the half-forgotten county of Huntingdonshire!
We start by discussing St Catherine's Day traditions, including Cathern Bowls, Cathern Queens, and Catherine Wheels, as well as Catherine's grisly demise. After which, it's time to visit another county which no long exists - Huntingdonshire, the historic seat of the Cromwell family.
We chat about subjects including the Three Wonders of Huntingdonshire, the Robin Hood and Little John stone, the county's Roman remnants, its legacy of highway robbery, and much more, and for this week's County Dish we talk Stilton Cheese and Oliver Cromwell's favourite pudding, Barley Broth!
On the folklore front, interspersed with some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with historian and author Dr Maureen James, we talk about the folk hero Raveley Jack, the ghostly drummer boy of Alconbury, the tale of a farmer possessed and seemingly killed by the Devil, and much more besides.
Then it's on to the main event: Martin's story, "The Witches of Warboys" - a narrative retelling of one of the most infamous witch trials in English History...
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Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.
Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’
We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.
Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.
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