Ross MacFarlane (Wellcome Collection), will trace the reputation of Edward Lovett, who amassed one of Britain’s largest ever collections of folk objects. Online talk, Tuesday 25 January 2022, 18:00-19:30 Edward Lovett (1852-1933) was a member of The Folklore Society in the early 20th century and a frequent contributor to its journal. He amassed one of...
The unicorn has returned! This talk examines its history as a classical, medieval and modern fantasy creature Online talk by Dr Juliette Wood (University of Cardiff): “When Unicorns walked the earth” Tuesday 8 February 2022, 18:00-19:30 Unicorns have always been elusive, and like so many mythical creatures, their history is not straight-forward. Classical sources placed...
Dr Helen Frisby (University of the West of England) explores the historical custom of sin-eating, together with its afterlife in film, TV and literature. “The Sin-eater: lives and afterlives”: online talk, Tuesday 22 February 2022, 18:00-19:30. A sin-eater was a ‘long, leane, ugly, lamentable poor raskal’ (Aubrey, 1687) who, by eating a special ritual meal,...
Dr William Roberts explores the traditions and imagery of British Army uniforms Online talk, Tuesday 8 March, 18:00-19:30 The uniforms of the British Army show a remarkable variety in their overall appearance and details. The underlying reason is historical: the earliest cavalry and infantry regiments were established by local worthies from their own area, and...
Shepherdess Saints and Sinister Seigneurs: The Social History of a Local/Global Cult Online talk by Prof. David Hopkin (University of Oxford) Tuesday 22 March 2022, 18:00-19:30 GMT All over Europe, rural communities honour shepherdesses, as saints, murdered by lords. What does this cult reveal about social relations? Every third Sunday in July, pilgrims gather at...
Open Voices: Folklore for All, Folklore of All The Folklore Society’s Annual Conference Friday 6 to Sunday 8 May 2022, Online CALL FOR PAPERS Once upon a time, ‘folklore’ was thought of as the traditions of rural peasants, usually long gone. But when Alan Dundes asked: ‘Who are the Folk?’ in 1977, the answer was...
Rescheduled and new Folklore Society events coming soon!