Ghosts of the Goldfields A Folklore Society online talk by David Waldron (Federation University) Tuesday 5 December 2023, 19:00 GMT In this talk, Dr David Waldron will discuss his research into ghost beliefs and stories of the 19th-century goldrush in colonial Victoria, Australia. He will draw on his research into ghost stories as a cultural...
Ribbons, Flowers and Locks: A Review of some Contemporary Practices A Folklore Society online talk, by George Monger Tues 21 November 2023, 18:00 GMT George Monger looks at ribbons, floral tributes, love-locks and other customary practices which came to prominence in the 20th century. ‘In 1971, I witnessed a bride-to-be being decorated and paraded around...
Fertility, Folklore and the Reproductive Body Tuesday 14 November 2023, 09:30-17:00 A free, one-day symposium dedicated to folklore of the reproductive body–fertility, childbirth, contraception, menstruation, and reproduction, including, but not limited to, popular knowledge and belief, folk narratives and contemporary legend, vernacular religion, superstitions, rites and rituals, interdisciplinary perspectives, material culture, and wellbeing. This is a free symposium,...
This year’s Katharine Briggs Lecture will be given by Paul Gilroy ‘Folk Tradition and the Choosing of Ancestors’ Tuesday 7 November, 18:30 in the K.T.Paul Hall, at the Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, London W1T 6AQ Paul Gilroy is Professor of the Humanities at University College London and Founding Director of the Sarah Parker Remond...
‘Amazonia: Differing Research Perspectives in Ethnography and Folklore’ ‘Folklore and Anthropology in Conversation’: The Seventh Joint Seminar of The Folklore Society and The Royal Anthropological Institute Thursday 26 October, 2023, 10:00-17:00 BST Online via Zoom and in person at The Royal Anthropological Institute and The Folklore Society at 50 Fitzroy Street, London on Thursday October...
Where’ve All the Good People Come From? Revisiting the Origins of British Fairies A Folklore Society Online Talk by Francis Young Tuesday 24 October 2023, 18:00 A talk exploring the early history of Britain’s fairies, and proposing a new approach to understanding the origins of British fairy lore. The ultimate origins of Britain’s fairy traditions,...
Old Faery Narratives of Britain and Ireland A Folklore Society Online Talk by Rosalind Kerven Tuesday 10 October 2023, 19:00 BST Discover the intriguing, formidable faeries of old British and Irish folk narratives. Split between numerous local species, ranging from full-sized Scottish elf-queens to small, wizened male house fairies, they share a number of common...
Monumental Lies and the Folklore of the Wild West A Folklore Society Online Talk by Ronald M. ‘Ron’ James Early western folklore celebrated a playful embrace of tall tales and exaggeration, a brand of deceit woven into diverse traditions by people placing their mark on the region. Examining a wide variety of sources ranging from...