Magic and Medicines #10: Cunning Folk

The Three Ravens Podcast

Feeling under the weather? We have something to help with that as, in this week's Bonus Episode, Eleanor is uncovering the mysterious history of folk healers in England!

Part of the "Magic and Medicines" series, we start by chatting through who 'Cunning Folk' were, including quite how wide-scale their business was, as well as the time periods in which they were in their prime.

This leads us through the years of Renaissance alchemy and characters like Simon Forman and Doctor John Dee, when folk healers operated during historic crackdowns on witchcraft, prompting them to move beyond 'hedge wisdom' to become anti-witchcraft experts!

We explore how, after the Witchcraft Act of 1735, cunning folk were forced to adapt, the kinds of services they offered, how and why records of their lives and works began to be recorded during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and some of the remedies they offered for common problems.

But has the craft of being a 'cunning man' or a 'cunning woman' ever really gone away? And were many of their methods actually very helpful?

Through exploring the lives of people who gave themselves titles like, "The White Witch of Helston," "The Devil's Master" and "The Master of Witches," as well as the ways in which cunning folk have been presented in literature, we reveal some genuine mysteries - and a few examples of wonderful fakery.

Which leads us to today, and where we go, in our post-industrial world, to find help with our ills.

What has happened to all the Cunning Folk?

The answer might just surprise you...

The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

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