In this episode of the Folklore Podcast we explore the psychology of trauma and its intersection with alleged paranormal phenomena, with guests Bill and Jaci Kousoulas.

For some, paranormal occurrences can be a precursor to later trauma, either on a personal level or on a larger scale. For others, trauma may act as a catalyst from paranormal events and they find after suffering a personal loss or other tragedy that they become susceptible to what we might term supernatural happenings. But what is the psychology between this intersection of trauma and the paranormal?

We explore the answer to this question with particular focus on the tragedy of the Point Pleasant Bridge collapse and its connection to the Mothman sightings.

To support The Folklore Podcast and access extra content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

The image of the fox appears in many cultures as a trickster figure, but in Asian folklore there are some subtle differences. The Chinese fox is a symbol of intelligence, and has the ability to shapeshift for example.

Exploring the folklore of the Asian countries, with particular reference to foxes, in this episode creator and host of the podcast Mark Norman is joined by New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo. Yangsze's novel 'The Ghost Bride' was serisalised and broadcast as a Netflix original series and her latest work 'The Fox Wife' draws on the Asin fox folklore that we explore.

Find Yangsze online at https://yschoo.com/

To support The Folklore Podcast in all of its work and access additional content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

In the field of Gothic literature, from the Penny Dreadful and Chapbook through the Penny Bloods and novels. whether it a classic like Bronte or something less well known, there are many ways in which the female characters may as monstrous.

We explore the landscape of 'mad', murderous and shape-shifting women with Gothic scholar Dr Nicole C. Dittmer, author of 'Monstrous Women and Ecofeminism in the Victorian Gothic'.

After listening to this episode, seek out Story 4 of 'Stories from the Hearth', our storytelling show, in your podcast feed for a reading of 'The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains' narrated by Nicole.

To support our work creating free folklore-related content, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

We welcome writer and folklore graduate Liza Frank to the Folklore Podcast for an episode looking at the many different ways in which you might be able to combine a bit of folklore into your daily life.

In conversation with Mark Norman, creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, Liza looks at divination, calendar customs, food folklore and lots more ideas which came out of the Everyday Lore Project which she ran for a year through lockdown. Liza also discusses how this material then went on to form the basis of her book Everyday Folklore.

Visit Liza's website at www.liza-frank.com

To support the Folklore Podcast and its work creating and producing accessible folklore content for everyone, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Nick Medina's debut novel from 2023, 'Sisters of the Lost Nation', describes the hunt for answers as a Native girl searches for information about women who have been mysteriously disappearing from her tribe's reservation. As she searches for clues, she learns more about the myths and stories of her people and how they may offer help.

In this episode of The Folklore Podcast, we chat with Nick about various aspects of Native American folklore, his inspirations for this particular plot from the real world and other aspects of indigenous culture.

Visit Nick's website at www.nickmedina.net

Explore the Folklore Podcast website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com or sign up to the Patreon page to offer support at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Folklorist Mark Norman, the creator and host of The Folklore Podcast, returns to write and present an individual episode of the show.

Spurred on by the recent viral sharing of the Chicago Rat Hole, Mark takes a look at the history of this simulacrum as well as other folk art and belief associated with our roads from flacking to the Virgin Mary, and from holes in the ground to manholes in space. Maybe.

To support The Folklore Podcast and help us to keep writing and creating free folklore content, please consider signing up to our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast or making a one-off donation on our website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com

Aisling is the Irish for dream or vision, and it may take the form of a vision poem. The genre was developed as a part of the wider Irish language poetry field at the end of the 17th century, going into the 18th. More broadly, aisling is a vision which is said to connect the seer strongly with the landscape and identity of Ireland and its sacred sites.

Our guest today, author Jeremy Schewe is considered to be connected in exactly this way. In 2017, Jeremy completed 21 years of study in Celtic alchemy and traditional ecological knowledge and he now helps other people with their own similar paths of discovery. He is a certified herbalist and record keeper of traditional Celtic ecological lore.

In the episode of the podcast, Jeremy talks about his connections to sacred Ireland, his new book Aisling, and his wider views of landscape, identity and place.

Visit Jeremy's website at https://www.inchantedjourneys.com/

Find Jeremy's book at www.crossedcrowbooks.com

Support the work of The Folklore Podcast at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Season 9 of The Folklore Podcast kicks off with another examination of folklore writing for a younger audience.

Special guest on this first episode of a new season, Louie Stowell, discusses Norse Mythology, gods, writing folklore for children and much more as we examine her ongoing book series "Loki - A Bad God's Guide".

There's also a chance to hear an extract from the first audiobook in the series, painting a picture of what a Norse God might be like in the body of a mortal 11-year-old child.

You can visit Louie's website at www.louiestowell.com

Support the work of The Folklore Podcast in bringing free access to the world's experts in folklore by joining our Patreon page for extra content at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

Audiobook extract: Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good © 2022 Louie Stowell. ℗ 2022 W. F. Howes Ltd. Used with permission of the publisher.

The Folklore Podcast Christmas Special for 2023.

In an interview recorded live at the science fiction and fantasy convention Armadacon, we chat with Pat and Jan Harkin, the husband and wife team responsible for rediscovering all of the Terry Pratchett short stories published together for the first time in the new anthology 'A Stroke of the Pen'.

The episode closes with a reading of one of these stories, 'How it all Began' by actor David Tennant.

To support The Folklore Podcast on Patreon and help us to keep producing content for the next season, please visit www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast

We welcome award-winning children's author Sophie Anderson back onto the podcast to celebrate the launch of her latest book, 'The Snow Girl'.

Sophie researches and works closely with Slavic and Russian folk stories, using them as inspiration for her own stories. We talk about this rich vein of lore as well as her thoughts on using folklore more generally in fiction writing.

There's also a chance to hear an extract from the audiobook version of 'The Snow Girl', courtesy of Usborne Books.

To support the work of The Folklore Podcast in bringing many hours of free folklore content to the public,please visit our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/thefolklorepodcast or make a small donation via our website at www.thefolklorepodcast.com

A short trailer for our new storytelling podcast, 'Stories from the Hearth', where you - the Folklore Podcast listeners - narrate old folk and fairy tales.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts by searching for 'Stories from the Hearth (A Folklore Podcast Production)