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The Dead of Winter

The Demons, Witches and Ghosts of Christmas

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The Dead of Winter

By: Sarah Clegg
Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
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About this listen

As winter comes and the hours of darkness overtake the light, we seek out warmth, good food, and good company. But beneath the jollity and bright enchantment of the festive season, there lurks a darker mood - one that has found expression over the centuries in a host of strange and unsettling traditions and lore.

Here, Sarah Clegg takes us on a journey through midwinter to explore the lesser-known Christmas traditions, from English mummers plays and Austrian Krampus runs, to modern pagan rituals at Stonehenge and the night in Finland when a young girl is crowned with candles as St Lucy - a martyred Christian girl who also appears as a witch leading a procession of the dead. At wassails and hoodenings and winter gatherings, attended by ghastly, grinning horses, snatching monsters and mysterious visitors, we discover how these traditions originated and how they changed through the centuries, and we ask ourselves: if we can't keep the darkness entirely at bay, might it be fun to let a little in?

©2024 Sarah Clegg (P)2024 W. F. Howes Ltd.
Christian Living Customs & Traditions Europe Winter Celebration Christmas Magic Users Witchcraft
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Lovely book

Lovely book,very good narration will be listening to it a few times over I’m sure

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Loved it

Beautiful writing conjuring beautiful images of folklore. Amazing explanations and examinations of the history and culture around these traditions.

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Festive frights and folklore

Loved this. Explores the European folklore surrounding the festive season. Beautiful connection to the more ancient characters residing over the winter season. The perfect 'anti Christmas' tonic!

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Nothing, terrible book

I totally regret buying this book, terrible, sold a lie by a sceptical arrogant author.

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