Fabulous Folklore with Icy

<p>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.</p> <p>But what of the instruments themselves? What folklore or stories swirl around the physical items? </p> <p>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!</p> <p>Let's explore some folk tales and legends featuring a handful of stringed musical instruments in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!</p> <p>Listen to Jon O'Sullivan talk about the harp of An Dagda: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-J4OuYyjw4" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-J4OuYyjw4</a></p> <p>Find the blog post with all the images and references here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/stringed-musical-instruments/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/stringed-musical-instruments/</a></p> <p>Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/</a></p> <p>Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at <a href="https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595" target="_blank">https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595</a></p> <p>Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: <a href="https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/" target="_blank">https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/</a></p> <p>Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore</a></p> <p>Pre-recorded illustrated talks: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop</a></p> <p>Request an episode: <a href="https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7</a></p> <p>Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Find Icy on BlueSky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social" target="_blank">https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social</a></p> <p>'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/</a></p>

<p>Going to the theatre can often feel like a magical experience. You sit in the dark, watching a story unfold in front of you, with your imagination filling in the gaps between the sets.</p> <p>It’s unsurprising that theatre superstitions would be so plentiful. Intended to bring good luck or ward off bad luck, some of these superstitions have made their way into life outside the theatre. Look at how many people know it’s bad luck to name <i>Macbeth</i>.</p> <p>I’ve grouped these theatre superstitions according to which part of the theatre or performance they refer to. I'm thrilled to also have a special guest for this theatre-based episode, so a big welcome to actor, musician and folklore writer, and contender for one of the loveliest people I know, Mateo Oxley!</p> <p>Let's explore the strange world of theatre superstitions in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!</p> <p>Find Mateo Oxley on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mateooxley/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/mateooxley/</a></p> <p>Find the blog post with all the images and references here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/theatre-superstitions/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/theatre-superstitions/</a></p> <p>Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/</a></p> <p>Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at <a href="https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595" target="_blank">https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595</a></p> <p>Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: <a href="https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/" target="_blank">https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/</a></p> <p>Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore</a></p> <p>Pre-recorded illustrated talks: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop</a></p> <p>Request an episode: <a href="https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7</a></p> <p>Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Find Icy on BlueSky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social" target="_blank">https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social</a></p> <p>'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/</a></p>

<p>Folklore and the arts are almost natural bedfellows. As we saw with the work of Newcastle-based painter Ralph Hedley, artists can capture local traditions for posterity. The Pre-Raphaelites created some of the most enduring depictions of myth and legend.</p> <p>Even creating art becomes a part of folk life, with various arts and crafts part of enduring traditions. As we saw with the humble proggy mat, making items can be a way to engage with history and heritage in a very tangible way.</p> <p>So it seemed only natural that when I had three art-related episode requests, I would dedicate a month to Folklore and the Arts.</p> <p>The requests were for: superstitions connected to artworks; haunted portraits; and stories about the creation of certain artworks. Unfortunately, in the case of the last request, there was no indication of which artworks they wanted to know about, but hopefully, I've included them here anyway!</p> <p>In this article, we’ll explore a supposedly cursed painting, an apparently haunted portrait, and a painting at the heart of a weird urban legend in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!</p> <p>Find the blog post with all the images and references here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/cursed-artworks/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/cursed-artworks/</a></p> <p>Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/</a></p> <p>Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at <a href="https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595" target="_blank">https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595</a></p> <p>Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: <a href="https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/" target="_blank">https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/</a></p> <p>Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore</a></p> <p>Pre-recorded illustrated talks: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop</a></p> <p>Request an episode: <a href="https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7</a></p> <p>Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Find Icy on BlueSky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social" target="_blank">https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social</a></p> <p>'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/</a></p>

<p>Studying the shapes of things is a popular means of divination, relying on human pattern recognition abilities. Look at reading tea leaves and coffee grounds, or tasseography, which rely on spotting symbols in the cup. The symbols often hold near-universal meanings (like a ring for marriage), but they can also be deeply personal to the diviner.</p> <p>And let’s be honest, we live in an often chaotic and unpredictable universe. Divination using pattern recognition methods offers a way to make sense of seemingly senseless things. Perhaps you believe the brain loves connecting patterns between unrelated information to find a meaning. Known as pareidolia, it explains why people see faces of dead celebrities in the burned parts of their toast. </p> <p>Or perhaps you think we see shapes in smoke because a spirit or a god is manipulating form to pass on a message. Either way, there is a whole range of methods involving pattern recognition. There’s an entire chapter about them in the book, so let’s focus on finding symbols in the air, in fire, and in dreams in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!</p> <p>Find the blog post with all the images and references here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/dreams-divination/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/dreams-divination/</a></p> <p>Buy <i>Fate or Fortune: The Art and Folklore of Divination</i>: <a href="https://amzn.to/41SkWOF" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/41SkWOF</a></p> <p>Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/</a></p> <p>Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at <a href="https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595" target="_blank">https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595</a></p> <p>Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: <a href="https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/" target="_blank">https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/</a></p> <p>Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore</a></p> <p>Pre-recorded illustrated talks: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop</a></p> <p>Request an episode: <a href="https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7</a></p> <p>Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Find Icy on BlueSky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social" target="_blank">https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social</a></p> <p>'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/</a></p>

<p>Divination is a beautifully varied practice, with a plethora of tools and practices designed to give insight into situations. Practices like reading tea leaves or tarot cards already appear on this podcast.</p> <p>But what about those forms of divination that rely on ‘randomness’ in order to work? You might cast lots, throw dice, or interpret the connections between items that fall where they may.</p> <p>To what extent you believe the result is 'random' depends on your belief system. For some, the message comes from deities or spirits, and the tool is their communication method of choice. For others, the results come from the universe itself. Other diviners don’t accept ‘random’ as a concept, and their meanings come from the statistical results of divination. For others, the result might be truly random, but the diviner creates meaning by seeing associations between apparently disparate items.</p> <p>But how it works is not our issue here. Instead, we’re going to explore the folklore of casting lots, casting stones, and throwing dice in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!</p> <p>Find the blog post with all the images and references here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/random-chance-divination/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/random-chance-divination/</a></p> <p>Buy <i>Fate or Fortune: The Art and Folklore of Divination</i>: <a href="https://amzn.to/41SkWOF" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/41SkWOF</a></p> <p>Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: <a href="https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/" target="_blank">https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/</a></p> <p>Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at <a href="https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595" target="_blank">https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595</a></p> <p>Get weekly articles and bonus content at Substack: <a href="https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/" target="_blank">https://fabulousfolklore.substack.com/</a></p> <p>Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore</a></p> <p>Pre-recorded illustrated talks: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop</a></p> <p>Request an episode: <a href="https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7</a></p> <p>Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/icysedgwick" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/icysedgwick</a></p> <p>Find Icy on BlueSky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social" target="_blank">https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social</a></p> <p>'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/</a></p>