The Folklore of Stringed Musical Instruments: The Viola, Irish Harp, Violin, and Guitar

The Folklore of Stringed Musical Instruments: The Viola, Irish Harp, Violin, and Guitar

Author: Icy Sedgwick May 16, 2026 Duration: 21:02

Musical instruments appear scattered throughout various folktales. A drum lies at the centre of the Tedworth Drummer story. Pipers and drummers try to follow underground tunnels, only to mysteriously vanish.

But what of the instruments themselves? What folklore or stories swirl around the physical items? 

A listener requested the folklore of musical instruments some time ago. Now we’re looking at Folklore and the Arts, it seemed like the ideal time to go looking!

Let's explore some folk tales and legends featuring a handful of stringed musical instruments in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!

Listen to Jon O'Sullivan talk about the harp of An Dagda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-J4OuYyjw4

Find the blog post with all the images and references here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/stringed-musical-instruments/

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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
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