On the first episode of Three Ravens Series 5, we are back up in England's north west, exploring the history and folklore of Cumberland!

We start off chatting about a few of the long-running famous folk festivals taking place at this time of year, including the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance and Widecombe Fair, after which we cavort on up to Cumberland.

After chatting through some curious historical tidbits, including the weird history of Whitehaven, the unsettling depth of Lake Windermere, and an explanation of why being called a 'Jam Eater' is considered an insult north of the Lake District, Eleanor guides us through Cumberland's cuisine for this week's County Dish - and heads up: it's heavily reliant on rum, spices and sugar.

Then we get stuck into some folklore!

From the absolutely ridiculous cryptid 'The Cumbrian Dregpike" to the Hob Thross, the magical armband of St Bega to the county's many 'Lucks', there's loads to chat about, plus some excerpts from next Saturday's Local Legends interview with the lovely Stephen G. Rae, the Bard of Cumberland.

Then it's on to the main event: Eleanor's story "The Last Touch." And it's one of her creepy ones...

We really hope you enjoy the episode, and we'll be back on Thursday with a new Magic and Medicines episode about Tarot and a Patreon Exclusive ghost tour of Romney Marsh, all before next week's episode when Martin will be taking us on an adventure through the history and folklore of Dorset!

The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

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