As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

At harvest’s edge, European folklore treats the final sheaf as a living vessel of the corn spirit—captured in plaited “corn dollies,” chased as a wolf or hare, or celebrated with the West Country’s eerie “Crying the Neck.” This episode traces how communities honoured, contained, or expelled that presence—and how darker echoes of sacrifice lingered beneath the feasting.

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Research Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_dolly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough

https://sacred-texts.com/pag/frazer/

https://cornwallforever.co.uk/story/crying-the-neck

https://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/crying_neck.htm

https://hauntedpalaceblog.com/2019/09/28/corn-dollies-from-the-old-crone-to-the-maiden/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Corn-Mother

https://www.tota.world/article/harvest-customs-of-wales/

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

SURVEY

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

Special thanks to Dixie for allowing us to share their story.

In this episode, we share one listener story and one Reddit story.

The BOOK

BY US A COFFEE

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Stories:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/uil86y/the_scarecrow/

Thanks so much for listening, and we'll catch up with you again tomorrow!

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

SURVEY

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As summer wanes and the nights grow long, we turn to tales of witches, curses, and the old ways that never truly died. For centuries, harvest time has carried its own magic: charms for fields, blessings for homes, and darker stories of those who bent nature to their will.

Across fields and centuries, harvest spirits blur the line between blessing and curse. We meet Habernitsa, the noon wraith who punishes scythe-swingers under the blazing sun; the Corn Mother, whose gifts are tangled with poison, sacrifice, and the last sheaf; and Chicomecōātl, the Aztec maize goddess who nourishes—and demands a life in return. A tour of folklore where grain is sacred, the stakes are mortal, and abundance is bought in blood.

OBSCURATA - Apple Spotify Amazon

Join Sarah's new FACEBOOK GROUP

Subscribe to our PATREON

EMAIL us your stories

Join us on INSTAGRAM

Join us on TWITTER

Join us on FACEBOOK

Visit our WEBSITE

Research Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornflower_Wraith

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Midday

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergotism

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Corn-Mother

https://nativehistoryassociation.org/kanati_selu.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicomec%C5%8D%C4%81tl

Sarah and Tobie xx

"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licence

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

SURVEY

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.