Sword dancers, shapeshifting goblins and an ancient mythological worm! What a way to bring in the year! This time it's Sir Cuthbert Sharp's 1834 collection The Bishoprick Garland of Durham.

'This poor goblin, whose pranks were otherwise perfectly harmless, was at length banished by the usual expedient of presenting him with a suit of clothes. A green cloak and a hood were laid before the kitchen fire, and the domestics sat up watching the event, at a prudent distance. At twelve the sprite glided gently in, stood by the glowing embers, and surveyed the garments provided for him very attentively, tried them on, and seemed delighted with his appearance.'

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit talesfromantiquaria.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky

King Arthur, Christian saints and very un-christian Druids! Let's explore our earliest collection to date, George W Manby's 1801 work, The History and Antiquities of the Parish of St Davids.

'Although the life of Saint David will come within the class of its bishops, yet it may not be improper, in this place, to give some few features of this venerable, august , and renowned character. He was a man of great parentage, and near of kin to Arthur, King of England.'

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit talesfromantiquaria.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky

A little festive themed episode to see out 2025 with some Lancashire traditions of Christmas and New Year taken from Lancashire Folklore by John Harland & T.T. Wilkinson, published in 1867 by Frederick Warne & Co of Covent Garden.

There will be two full episodes on this title later in the new year.

Wishing all listeners a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

See you in 2026!

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit talesfromantiquaria.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky

Goblins, fairies and haunted Tudor manors! This is part two of Charlotte Sophia Burne's 1883 collection, A Sheaf of Gleanings.

'Dun you mean little things as come in the night-time, and sing, and whistle, and make music, and dance on the commons and such places? Fairies, they call 'em. I’ve heard o’them, but I never knew any one see ’em.'

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit talesfromantiquaria.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky

Giants, Divination and Witchcraft! Welcome to part one of Charlotte Sophia Burne's 1883 collection, A Sheaf of Gleanings.

'Lasses still use it to discover true lovers, thus, place a key in a Bible at the text Ruth 15–16, tie it firmly with the inquirer's left garter, let two persons rest the projecting ends of the key on their forefingers, and both book and key will turn over when the name of the right man is spoken.'

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit talesfromantiquaria.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky

Divine intervention, low moral tones and the King of England! Welcome to Bygone Derbyshire, the 1892 work by William Andrews.

'The old judicial superstitions that the wounds of a murdered man shed forth fresh gore at the touch of the murderer, doubtless terrified many a guilty wretch into the confession of his crime'.

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit talesfromantiquaria.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky

Lost cities, mermaids, haunted houses and a whole swathe of superstition! This episode is Cornish Feasts and Folklore from Margaret Ann Courtney, published in 1890.

'The pellars wore formerly magical rings, with a blue stone in them, said to have been formed by snakes breathing on hazel-twigs. Our country-people often searched for these stones.'

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit talesfromantiquaria.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky

Tales From Antiquaria launches with episode 1 later this October, subscribe today to make sure it hits your feed.

About the podcast...

One of the most useful and wondrous tools available in the world of folklore research and history writing is the library of books written by antiquarian writers in the 1800s. These collections are full of folklore, legends and general historical observations from a time when the writers were often collecting things first hand, out in the villages and countryside, recording the tales they heard in regional collections.

Most of their content, however, isn’t widely circulated, but they’re full of absolute gems, and so that’s where the idea for the podcast came from; finding an outlet for all of these oral histories, and a place where I can dive into them and share them with other like minded history fans. No filter, no revisionism. No need to tether a piece of folklore to 21st century themes.

Just the pure folklore, in the form it was on the day it was first written down.

Looking forward to getting started!

Eli