Folklore and Storytelling: A Narrative Match Made in Heaven

Folklore and Storytelling: A Narrative Match Made in Heaven

Author: Icy Sedgwick May 30, 2026 Duration: 51:24

Storytelling is something we all do on a daily basis, whether we’re aware of it or not. Maybe we’re telling a funny anecdote about something that happened on the way to work. Perhaps we’re recounting how we first met the bride during a wedding speech. Or how about retelling our favourite folk tale to help soothe a child to sleep?

Storytelling and folklore are not synonyms. Folklore is a body of knowledge created primarily by the people for transmission between themselves. Folk tales are the stories told by these same people, though the definition of a folk tale varies. Yet storytelling can be the bridge between the two, enabling the ongoing transmission of folklore from a teller to a group of avid listeners.

The English and Welsh storytelling revival began in the early 1980s, and we can thank its success for the plethora of storytelling events, books, and podcasts now available. So let’s look at how storytelling links with folklore in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!

See the episode contributors here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/episode-contributors/

Find the blog post with all the images and references here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-and-storytelling/

Check out Dawn Nelson's Little History of Storytelling: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/12992/9781803996745

Amanda's talk at the Folklore Centre: https://www.folkloremythmagic.com/product-page/amanda-edmiston-traveller-tales-and-healing-herbs-talk

Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/

Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595

Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/

Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick

Find the Fabulous Folklore Bookshop, Icy's social media links, and other useful bits at: http://icysedgwick.com/start-here


Each week, Fabulous Folklore with Icy offers a compact, fifteen-minute dive into the strange and storied shadows of our world’s traditions. Host Icy Sedgwick, a writer steeped in fantasy and Gothic horror, brings a storyteller’s eye to the material, weaving together tales of local legends, deep-rooted superstitions, and ancient myths. The podcast moves beyond simple retellings to consider the cultural soil from which these stories grew-why people believed what they did, how these narratives functioned in society, and the peculiar, often unsettling details that make them endure. You’ll hear about the oddities and occult practices that textbooks often overlook, all delivered with a blend of curiosity and a slight chill. It’s a consistently engaging exploration for anyone fascinated by the weird corners of history and human belief, a weekly reminder that our world is far more mysterious than it seems. Sedgwick’s background ensures the tales are told with both authority and a palpable sense of wonder, making each short episode a perfect gateway into a larger, fabulously folkloric universe. This isn’t just a catalog of curiosities; it’s an invitation to look at the familiar landscapes around us and imagine the layers of story hidden just beneath the surface, all packed into a brief, compelling listen that easily fits into a daily routine.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Fabulous Folklore with Icy
Podcast Episodes
The Geordie Dialect: Its History and Some Basic Phrases [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:28
There can be a tendency to view folklore as antiquated customs, old legends, or outdated practices. Yet folklore is not disconnected from contemporary life, and is an ever-evolving part of our lived experience. Folk musi…
The Loch Ness Monster: Kelpie, Legend, or Giant Eel? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:58
The Loch Ness Monster is perhaps one of the world's most enduring mysteries. Does a giant reptile really lurk in a Scottish loch? Has it somehow survived for millennia on its own? Or is it something darker and more dange…
Legends of RMS Titanic: Mummy Curses and Ghost Captains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:13
Few maritime disasters have captured the public imagination like the RMS Titanic. Perhaps it's because of the relatively recent nature of its sinking, compared to the loss of the Mary Rose warship. The countless films, d…
Welsh Legends and Folklore Tourism with Russ Williams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:58
In this month's episode of Fabulous Folklore Presents, I'm talking to Russ Williams, the author of Where the Folk: A Welsh Folklore Road Trip. Russ grew up in Caernarfon in North Wales, where he was raised on Welsh stori…
Blue Men of the Minch: Scotland's Storm Kelpies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:14
When we look at types of folkloric creature, we often encounter the same types in different places, such as mermaids or fairies. But occasionally, you encounter a creature so localised that it only appears in a single pl…
Legends of Submerged Villages: Divine Punishment and Drowned Churches [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:30
If we think of submerged cities, lost beneath the waves, we're probably most likely to think of Atlantis, that thought-experiment that took on a life of its own. Closer to home, there's the lost Welsh kingdom of Cantre’r…
The Mouse in Folklore: Medicine, Omens, and Collecting Teeth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:10
The humble mouse appears in a surprising amount of folklore. Both a harbinger of death if spotted in the house, and a medical remedy for a range of ailments, it seems the mouse both harms and heals. This reputation even…
The Legends & Lore of the Dark Man with Darragh Mason [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:04
Welcome back to Fabulous Folklore Presents. This time, I'm delighted to be talking to Darragh Mason, a multi-award-winning photographer, author, and researcher. He studied photography at Dublin City University and has tr…
Horses in Folklore: Black Bess, Hag Riding, and Spectral Steeds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:56
Humans first domesticated horses in around 3500 BC. Since then, they’ve pulled our chariots and carts, carried royalty and soldiers, worked on farms, and been steadfast companions. Horses are actually a prey animal, whic…

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