EP59: Storytelling, Plants and the Feminine - with Clare Viner

EP59: Storytelling, Plants and the Feminine - with Clare Viner

Author: Robin Harford May 5, 2026 Duration: 49:01

Robin Harford meets storyteller Clare Viner beneath a flowering hawthorn tree in Devon to explore the living tradition of oral storytelling.

Clare shares how stories belong to everyone - not fixed texts handed down by celibate monks, but breathing, evolving things shaped by the teller's felt sense and relationship with land.

They discuss how patriarchy silenced women's stories, how rivers and plants carry their own narratives, and why giving yourself permission to tell an imperfect story is a radical act.

The episode closes with Clare's spellbinding retelling of Merlin and the Lady Nimue - a love story rooted in hawthorn, heart medicine, and the dreaming earth.

About Clare Viner

Clare Viner has been a storyteller for 26 years.

Her roots are personal. As a child, her grandfather wove fairy tales for her. That inheritance stuck, and eventually became a vocation.

She has told to audiences of every age and disposition: toddlers, teenagers, the elderly, festival goers. Clare has performed in the children’s tent at WOMAD for the last 15 years. She works without books or props, and no two tellings of a story are ever the same.

Her book, The Emerald Dragon and Other Magical Tales of the Blackdown and Quantock Hills, reimagines the folklore of two beloved British landscapes from the perspective of someone who trusts and loves the earth. It was funded by a DEFRA grant.

She was writer in residence for Connecting the Culm, a river conservation project that culminated in a four-day River Story Pilgrimage, walking and camping along the water's edge.

She runs workshops exploring the folklore of British wild animals and trees, including Spirit of Hare, Spirit of Deer, and others. Having once been terrified herself, she takes particular pleasure in guiding the terrified through the process of finding their own storytelling voice.

She takes old stories and dreams them new, again and again.

This Episode Is Brought To You By

- Robin Harford

Transcript

Connect with Clare Viner, Storyteller

Website | Email | Facebook | Instagram

Things Mentioned On The Show

Related Resources


There's a quiet revolution happening just outside our doors, in the hedgerows, parks, and forgotten corners of the landscape. Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants is your guide to that green world, hosted by forager and ethnobotanist Robin Harford. This isn't just a list of what's edible; it's a deep, sensory dive into our relationship with the flora around us. Each episode feels like a walk with a knowledgeable friend, one who points out not just the names of plants, but their stories, their historical uses, and their place in both ancient traditions and modern kitchens. You'll hear conversations that weave together practical foraging tips with cultural anthropology, exploring how plants have sustained human life for millennia as food, medicine, and material. Robin brings on experts and practitioners who share their hands-on experiences, from turning acorns into flour to understanding the medicinal compounds in a common weed. The podcast moves seamlessly from the science of plant identification to the folklore buried in their old names, creating a rich tapestry that connects listeners directly to their environment. It’s for anyone who has ever looked at a plant and wondered, "What's your story?" This series provides those answers, fostering a deeper appreciation for the wild, often overlooked bounty that grows all around us, making every walk an opportunity for discovery and connection.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants
Podcast Episodes
EP51: Green Recovery - Beyond Sexual Trauma [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:28
In this powerful episode, host Robin Harford welcomes Hannah-May Batley, founder of Hedge School, to discuss her groundbreaking work in plant-based healing and community regeneration.Hannah-May shares her journey from a…
EP50: The Sound of Trees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:29
Welcome to Episode 50 of the Eatweeds podcast, where host Robin Harford takes us on an auditory journey into the world of sound art and ecoacoustics with guest Jez riley French.In this episode, titled 'The Sound of Trees…
EP49: So You Want To Be A Herbalist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:54
In this episode, #49 of the Eatweeds podcast, I sit down with Helen Kearney at the Betonica herb school on a lazy Summer day in the Devon countryside.We dive into the added value herbalists bring to the strained National…
EP48: The Car Free Forager - An Interview With Andy Hamilton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:43
In this episode of the Eatweeds podcast, Robin Harford invites the seasoned forager, Andy Hamilton, for a deep and meaningful conversation about the evolving world of foraging, wild food, and wildcrafting.They take liste…
EP46: Foraging In Italy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:46
This week on the Eatweeds podcast, we travel to the remote, idyllic region of Abruzzo, Italy, a haven for foragers, to meet our special guest, Marta Udalowa. Originally hailing from Poland, Marta has turned her passion f…
EP44: A Year on Wild Food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:00
My guest for this episode of the Eatweeds podcast is the remarkable Mo' Wilde. An author and experienced foraging teacher, Mo' has done something few could even contemplate: she lived for a full year completely sustained…
EP43: Plants, Enchantment and Wild Words [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:51
Embark on a captivating journey in this episode of the Eatweeds Podcast as host Robin Harford welcomes Zoe Gilbert, a talented fiction author and folklore expert. Immerse yourself in an enchanting conversation about plan…
EP42: Medicinal Forest Gardens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:48
In this episode, I talk with Anne Stobart, who set up the Medicinal Forest Garden Trust, about why we need to grow medicinal and food trees instead of just ornamental trees and shrubs.