Series 5 Episode 3: Northamptonshire

On this week's episode we've traveled to the heart of England to rifle through the rich history and folklore of Northamptonshire!

We start off trying to revive interest in St Tecla's Day, including Tecla's penchant for getting into trouble with naughty old St Paul, her ability to avoid electrocution, and her lucky escape from killer seals - after which we navigate to "The Rose of the Shires!"

After chatting about some of the county's history, including its legacy in shoemaking, Great Fire, bizarre slang, and sites including the Rushton Triangular Lodge, Eleanor sets about trying to give us all diabetes with this week's County Dish: a 17th century recipe for 'A Curious Fresh Cheese' which is sculpted into the shape of a hedgehog before serving...

When it comes to folklore, interspersed with some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with the wonderful Dr Kevan Manwaring, author of Northamptonshire Folk Tales and many other great books besides, we talk about the ghosts of Northampton, the tale of another fiddler sent into a dangerous underground tunnel, the Grey Lady of Delapré Abbey, and more!

Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's story for this week - her take on "Dionysia, The Female Knight," in which it is proven, without question, that boys aren't the only ones who can waggle their lances about...

We hope you enjoy the episode, and we'll be back on Thursday with a new Dying Arts bonus episode about Corsetry and Stay Making and, if you're a Patreon Supporter, this month's episode of the Three Ravens Film Club about 1984's The Children of the Corn - all ahead of next week's county episode, when Martin will be whisking us back up north to Westmoreland!

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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