The Folklore Society

Unfortunately tonight's talk has been cancelled due to unforeseen events. We hope to reschedule, so keep an eye on our events page!

Call for Papers poster reading: 'Trade in Legend and Tradition: 20th FLS Legendary Weekend. A two-day conference to be held on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September 2026 at Tuckers Hall in Exeter, EX4 3AN'

📣Call for Papers📣 'Trade in Legend and Tradition: The Twentieth Legendary Weekend of The Folklore Society'. 5-6 September 2026 in Exeter at Tuckers Hall, home of the Guild of Tuckers, Weavers and Shearmen. Deadline for proposals and registration: 1 July 2026 www.folklore-society.com/event/-legen...

BOA's 'Document of the Week', "The History of Witches, Ghosts, and Highland Seers", is one of the titles from The Folklore Society Library & Archive included in the BOA digital collection 'Witchcraft and Magic in England, c. 1400–1920

Fairy Tales, Papua New Guinea, an Idiosyncratic Approach A personal view on fairy tales, Papua New Guinea & the tales found there

Next week: join us for our next online talk: Viktor Wynd, 'Fairy Tales, Papua New Guinea, an Idiosyncratic Approach'. Tuesday 10 March, 19:00-20:30 GMT on Zoom. Tickets £6.00 (£4 for members with promo code) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fairy-tale...

Cover of 'The Brothers Grimm: A Biography' by Ann Schmiesing

To mark the opening of entries to the Folklore Society's Katharine Briggs Prize 2026 we are able to offer the chance to win a copy of last year's winner, 'The Brothers Grimm: A Biography' by Ann Schmiesing. Enter by Monday 9 March. Details: www.folklore-society.com/blog/post/co...

The Folklore Society mistletoe logo

The Folklore Society’s Katharine Briggs Prize 2026 has opened for entries! Open to books in English having their initial publication in the UK & Ireland in the period from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026. Deadline for entries 31 May 2026. More info and rules: www.folklore-society.com/awards/the-k...

Tomorrow!

Next week: join us for our next online talk: George Monger, 'Folklore in the Computer Age'. Tuesday 24 February, 19:00-20:30 GMT on Zoom. Tickets £6.00 (£4 for members with promo code) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/folklore-i...

Love and luck this February — National Folklore Survey for England Revealing the latest set of findings from the National Folklore Survey for England.

We’ve released more findings relating to love and luck today. Head to: www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/news/love-an...

Tomorrow on the website we’ll be releasing the latest findings from the survey. But one glorious nugget for you today: a quarter of people in England (23.9% to be precise) believe that Friday 13th is an unlucky day. Those most likely to believe this are women, aged 16-24, and white.

Tomorrow!

Many years ago, my neighbour realised she was out of cat food, jumped in the car to get to the shop before it shut, & on her return, discovered she’d run over the cat on the way out :-()

lol! I never thought to check our own journal, hahaha!! Tho’ it’s fitting for such stories to also have phantom references.
Re Adams: a legend in wide circulation doesn’t rule out someone actually *having* the experience

The Stolen Biscuits A long-circulating tale of biscuit banditry.

Here we are now, Paul, a little late to the biscuit stealing party. Snopes says the story was circulating from at least 1972 but I can't see a reference: www.snopes.com/fact-check/p...
Also, Ian MacEwan uses the motif (re a packet of crisps) in his 2010 'Solar' novel

Neil Philip photographed at his home in Oxfordshire by C. Oates on 16 March 2025

We are very sad to learn of the death of Dr Neil Philip, folklorist, writer, poet, & long-standing member of The Folklore Society.
Jack Zipes says: ‘He was one of the most kind and helpful people I ever knew. … He was a superb scholar and devoted to the study of folklore.’

Multicoloured cats using paper cup and yarn telephones. Image credit: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/yarn-phone-communication-network-2091195/

📢Call for Papers📢 ‘When Loud Rumour Speaks’: Informal communication in the modern online world. The Tenth Folklore Society – Royal Anthropological Institute Joint Seminar. Thursday 15 October 2026. Proposal deadline 30 Jun 2026 www.folklore-society.com/event/call-f...

Aerial photograph of Avebury

Next week: join us for our next online talk: Niamh Lawlor, 'How Early Twentieth-Century Modernity Gave Avebury Its Folklore'. Tuesday 10 February, 19:00-20:30 GMT on Zoom. Tickets £6.00 (£4 for members with promo code) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-early-...

Tomorrow! Get your tickets now for tomorrow evening's online talk, 'The Art of English Dialect Literature'

The Art of English Dialect Literature This talk makes a case for the pleasure of reading dialect literature through a series of close stylistic analyses.

Next week: join us for our next online talk: Alex Broadhead, 'The Art of English Dialect Literature'. Tuesday 27 January, 19:00-20:30 GMT on Zoom. Tickets £6.00 (£4 for members with promo code) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-art-of...

Dr Alex Broadhead will be giving an online talk on English Dialect Literature to the @folkloresociety.bsky.social on 27th January.

Tickets are £6 (or £4 if you're a member). Here's a link: www.folklore-society.com/event/online...

Arthur Rackham 'Bear The Changeling Child to My Bower in Fairy Land', from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Due to high demand, extra tickets for tonight's online talk are now available! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-myster...

Hello, sorry not to have seen your message sooner! Could you please email us via our contact page? www.folklore-society.com/about/contact/

Next week: join us for our first online talk of 2026: Simon Young, 'The Mystery of Changelings: Origins, Geography and Nature'. Tuesday 13 January, 19:00-20:30 GMT on Zoom. Tickets £6.00 (£4 for members with promo code) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-myster...

Tomorrow! A lovely talk for mid-December as hoodening season approaches

I am so incredibly proud that this journal article has been published in #Folklore, from @folkloresociety.bsky.social . The amazing Evelina Liliequist contacted me a couple of years ago wondering if we could do something on Facebook Chain Letters. So we did...

James Frost with hooden horses. Credit Caroline Dyal

Next week: join us for our last online talk of 2025: James Frost, 'The Hooden Horse of Kent'. Tuesday 16 December, 19:00-20:30 GMT on Zoom. Tickets £6.00 (£4 for members with promo code) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-hooden...

Just under one week remaining now to get your proposals in for our 2026 conference 'Folklore on the Move'! Proposal deadline: Sunday 14 December 2025

James Frost, wearing a cap and waistcoat decorated with many badges, standing in Maidstone Museum near the hooden horse 'Black Beauty', during the hoodening and animal guising exhibition.

Here's another online opportunity for non-locals to learn something about the #EastKent #calendarcustom of #hoodening, courtesy of @folkloresociety.bsky.social

Date/time: 16 Dec 2025, 19:00 (suits those in USA too, q.v. www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/c...)

www.folklore-society.com/event/the-ho...

Two weeks remaining to get your proposals in for our 2026 conference 'Folklore on the Move'! Proposal deadline: Sunday 14 December 2025

Image: Estella Canziani, 'Costers Harvest Festival in the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Old Kent Road', 1936, (Large) Gouache. This is one of the gouaches given to The Folklore Society by Estella Canziani in 1937.

The Estella Canziani Post-Graduate Bursary for Research: the deadline for applications to this year's bursary is Friday 5 December 2025. For details on how to apply, see www.folklore-society.com/awards/the-e...