The long-heralded first County Episode of Three Ravens Series 7 is finally here and is a bumper-length installment all about the historic county of Cardiganshire on the west coast of Wales!
Unable to resist discussing a local saint, Eleanor begins by introducing us to Carantoc, a dragon-slaying local hero who lost a special altar, apparently. Though luckily King Arthur was about to find it for him.
Despite maybe having stolen it in the first place...
After that, we whip through Cardiganshire's history, including its mythical ancient king Ceredig - from whom the county gets its Welsh name of 'Ceredigion' - to its conquering by gold-hungry Romans, resistance to the Normans, and the devastation wrought upon it by Cromwell's New Model Army.
Sparsely populated and extremely rural, Cardiganshire is rich with mythology, such as the drowned lands of Cantre’r Gwaelod, an astonishing number of ghost animals (including an overly-affectionate spectral pig), giants with toothache, child-stealing fairies, and the 'Beast of Bont.'
Yet, there's one tale that stands head and shoulders above the others.
As discussed with this week's Local Legends guest, storyteller Milly Jackdaw, this story is that of the birth of Taliesin, the legendary Dark Age Brythonic poet who has since come to define key aspects of Welsh national character.
Consequently, despite this week's 'Treasure of Wales' being the Holy Grail, the chewed-up remnants of which are currently located at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, and a plethora of other legends from Devilish goings-on to portentous Corpse Candles that augur doom, what choice did Eleanor have but to tell her take on that very story?
Her version, entitled "The Cauldron of Awen," is a wild and poetic ride that bridges land and sea, vast spans of time, and transformations from human to animal and back again.
After she's told it, we then discuss the legend's symbolism, share some news of an exciting archaeological discovery from just over the border in England, and dig into the Three Ravens mailbag, which is bursting at the seams from a long summer of correspondence!
We really hope you enjoy the episode and are already exciting to speak to you again on Thursday in our Forgotten Melodies bonus episode all about Harvest Songs, all before the full interview with Milly comes out on Saturday!
The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.
Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, 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 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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