Discover folklore books from across the UK and Ireland, from local legends and old customs to supernatural traditions and strange regional tales. These titles explore the beliefs, stories and traditions that have shaped communities for generations.
425 books found
Cover unavailableNot of This Wold: An Anthology of Weird Lincolnshire Writing
Edited by Kate Cherrell, this anthology gathers prose and poetry inspired by Lincolnshire’s strange stories and supernatural traditions. Its contributors approach the county through fiction, folklore and other forms of imaginative writing. Created alongside the…
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Cover unavailableNottinghamshire Folk Tales
Nottinghamshire Folk Tales gathers traditional stories linked with Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood, outlaws and the Sheriff of Nottingham, while looking beyond the county’s most familiar legends. Pete Castle also includes the Men of Gotham, tales…
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Cover unavailableOld Wives' Tales
Old Wives’ Tales examines the history of remedies, charms and spells, placing women healers, midwives and household practitioners within the wider story of medicine. Mary Chamberlain considers how cures and beliefs were transmitted, particularly through…
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Cover unavailableOnce Upon a Street
Once Upon a Street brings Norfolk’s history and folklore to life through imaginative short stories for children, each rooted in the stories of a particular street or town. The settings range from an Edwardian circus…
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Cover unavailableOrkney Folk Tales
Orkney Folk Tales gathers traditional stories linked to the islands’ Pictish and Viking past, preserving legends shaped by sea, landscape and belief. Tom Muir retells accounts in which Orkney is formed from a monster’s teeth,…
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Cover unavailableOxfordshire Folk Tales
Oxfordshire Folk Tales gathers legends, local traditions and oral stories from across the county, ranging from ancient monuments to pub lore. The Rollright Stones, Dragon Hill, Wayland’s Smithy and the White Horse of Uffington appear…
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Cover unavailablePagan Britain
Pagan Britain traces the development of belief and ritual from the Palaeolithic era through late prehistory, Roman rule and the arrival of Christianity. Ronald Hutton assesses what monuments, artefacts, inscriptions, earthworks, pits, burials and legends…
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Cover unavailablePainting the Tales
Painting the Tales brings together Katherine Soutar’s illustrations for The History Press Folk Tales series, showing how regional legends and traditional narratives became visual compositions. The collection ranges across Britain, with images connected to places…
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Cover unavailableParanormal Edinburgh
Paranormal Edinburgh gathers reports and traditions linked to the city’s darker reputation, ranging from accounts of ancient and modern witches to claimed fairy portals. Gordon Rutter also considers ghost sightings in the Old Town, placing…
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Cover unavailablePembrokeshire Folk Tales
Christine Willison gathers tales from across Pembrokeshire, linking local landscapes with stories of saints, princes, smugglers and legendary creatures. The collection includes episodes from the Mabinogion, traditions surrounding Saint David and Owain Glyndŵr, and accounts…
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Cover unavailablePercy Maylam's The Kent Hooden Horse
Percy Maylam’s 1909 study records the hooden horse, a distinctive East Kent Christmas custom involving a carved horse’s head, attendants and seasonal visits. Maylam gathered evidence from documents, correspondence and his own observations of the…
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Cover unavailablePerthshire Folk Tales
Perthshire Folk Tales gathers traditional stories linked to the county’s moors, mountains, rushing rivers and ancient woodlands. Retold by storytellers Lindsey Gibb and C.A. Hope, the collection brings together accounts of witches, faeries, black dogs,…
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Plant Magic: The Supernatural Side of Botany
Botanist Gregory J. Kenicer examines the supernatural traditions surrounding plants, from trees to herbs and ferns. Historical examples explain their associations with luck, divination, curses and magical medicine. The book ranges across European traditions, drawing…
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Cover unavailablePrehistoric Belief
Mike Williams examines how belief may have shaped human life across approximately 35,000 years of European prehistory. The book considers trance, shamanism, spirits and ideas about the afterlife, while relating them to major changes in…
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Cover unavailableQueens of Ireland in Myth and Legend
Queens of Ireland in Myth and Legend presents Irish traditional narratives centred on queens and female figures of authority. Dáithí Ó hÓgáin gathers material from the island’s mythic and legendary heritage, where royal women may…
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Cover unavailableQueens of the Wild: Pagan Goddesses in Christian Europe
Queens of the Wild examines four goddess-like figures in European culture: Mother Earth, the Fairy Queen, the Mistress of the Night and the Cailleach, the powerful Old Woman of Gaelic tradition. Ronald Hutton follows their…
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Cover unavailableQueer Folk Tales
Queer Folk Tales presents 15 short stories in which LGBTQ+ characters take centre stage, occupying roles traditionally given to princes, heroines, rogues and monsters. Kevin Walker writes in a folk-tale tradition, reshaping familiar patterns while…
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Cover unavailableRevealing King Arthur
Christopher Gidlow examines what archaeology, early documents and the landscape of post-Roman Britain can contribute to the question of King Arthur’s historical identity. The investigation considers Tintagel, the so-called Arthur Stone, Dumnonia and proposed locations…
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Cover unavailableRitual 'Litter' Redressed
Ritual 'Litter' Redressed examines ritual deposition in the contemporary West, where objects are placed in particular settings as part of personal, communal or symbolic practices. Ceri Houlbrook considers roadside memorials, love-lock bridges, wishing fountains and…
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Rituals: A Folk Journey Through the Seasons
Tim Downie explores seasonal customs in Rituals: A Folk Journey Through the Seasons. He visits places linked to British folklore and meets people maintaining these traditions. The book covers horn dances, blazing tar barrels, punkies…
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Cover unavailableRiver Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland
River Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland gathers traditional stories associated with the rivers, lakes and streams of Britain and Ireland. Lisa Schneidau follows waterways from mountain sources towards estuaries and the sea, bringing together…
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Cover unavailableRobin Hood
Robin Hood examines the uncertain boundary between historical person, outlaw archetype and Greenwood myth. Fran Doel and Geoff Doel consider how the figure may have developed from traditions of a man who leaves ordinary society…
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Cover unavailableRoscommon Folk Tales
Roscommon Folk Tales gathers traditional stories from across County Roscommon, tying local legend to the landscape in which each account is set. Pat Watson includes tales connected with Queen Maeve, the warrior queen associated with…
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Cover unavailableSacred Waters: Holy Wells and Water Lore in Britain and Ireland
Sacred Waters examines the holy wells, springs and water customs of Britain and Ireland, bringing together folklore, traditional belief and the changing religious meanings attached to local water sources. Janet and Colin Bord consider how…
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Cover unavailableScotland's Stories
Scotland’s Stories gathers historic tales, folklore, myths and legends rooted in the country’s castles, lochs, glens, islands and battlefields. Arranged by region, it links familiar landscapes with the stories attached to them, from the kelpie…
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Cover unavailableScotsferatu
Scotsferatu examines the place of the vampire in Scottish culture, history and folklore, challenging the assumption that undead blood-drinkers belong mainly to continental Europe. Dee Lawlor traces Scottish traditions and reported encounters, including the Highland…
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Cover unavailableScottish Borders Folk Tales
Scottish Borders Folk Tales gathers traditional stories rooted in the region’s landscapes, history and storytelling culture. Among its characters are the Lochmaben Harper, Tam Linn and Thomas the Rhymer, alongside Muckle Mou’d Meg and Michael…
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Cover unavailableScottish Folk Tales for Children
Judy Paterson retells Scottish folk tales involving sea monsters, water-horses, talking animals, witches, giants, trolls and the Wee Folk. The collection includes ‘The Water Horse of Loch Garve’, ‘The Changeling of Kintalen’, ‘The Puddock’ and…
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Cover unavailableScottish Folk Tales of Coast and Sea
Tom Muir gathers 35 Scottish folk tales shaped by the sea, drawing on stories from coastal communities, lochs and islands. The collection includes selkies, mermaids, pirates and the Devil, alongside tales of shipwrecks, whirlpools and…
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Cover unavailableScottish Folk Tales of Love
Scottish Folk Tales of Love brings together 24 traditional stories shaped by love in its many forms, from devotion between partners to bonds between families, friends and communities. Tom Muir’s retellings move between Celtic myth…
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Cover unavailableScottish Urban Myths and Ancient Legends
Scottish Urban Myths and Ancient Legends gathers tales from across Scotland, bringing ancient traditions into conversation with more recent stories circulated through communities, schools, the internet and campfires. Grace Banks and Sheena Blackhall present folklore…
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Cover unavailableShetland Folk Tales
Shetland Folk Tales brings together twenty traditional stories shaped by the islands’ sea-bound landscape and distinctive storytelling culture. Mermaids and mermen appear alongside trows, witches, a njuggel and a seal, while tales such as ‘The…
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Cover unavailableShropshire Folk Tales
Amy Douglas gathers thirty traditional stories from across Shropshire, shaped by the county’s fields, hedgerows, villages, market towns and wilder hills. The collection includes tales of macabre events, magic, otherworlds and local history, alongside stories…
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Cover unavailableShropshire Folk Tales for Children
Shropshire Folk Tales for Children gathers thirty traditional stories rooted in the county’s landscape, history and oral storytelling traditions. Amy Douglas retells tales of giants, ghosts, witches, kings, knights and monster fish for children aged…
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Cover unavailableSligo Folk Tales
Joe McGowan gathers Sligo’s traditional stories from the Curlew Mountains and Benbulben to Kesh Corann, Lough Gill and Enniscrone. The collection includes myths of Balor and the Battles of Moyturra, Diarmuid and Gráinne, St Patrick…
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Cover unavailableSnowdonia Folk Tales
Eric Maddern retells stories from the old kingdom of Gwynedd, ranging across Snowdonia, Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula. The collection draws on the Mabinogion, Arthurian tradition and Merlin’s legends, while also bringing in Druids, Taliesin,…
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Cover unavailableSomerset Folk Tales
Somerset Folk Tales gathers newly collected and retold stories shaped by the county’s coast, waterways, fields, woods and high ground. Its landscapes provide the settings for accounts of sea morgans crossing dangerous tides, witches in…
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Cover unavailableSomerset Folk Tales for Children
Sharon Jacksties retells Somerset stories for children aged 7–11, drawing on the county’s rivers, woods, hills, caves and villages. The collection brings together tales of magical creatures, legendary figures, dragons and the origins of familiar…
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Cover unavailableSouth Yorkshire Folk Tales
South Yorkshire Folk Tales gathers stories rooted in the county’s landscapes, communities and changing history. Its cast includes heroes and villains, giants and fairies, knights, highwaymen, dragons and boggarts, alongside accounts connected with forests, halls…
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Cover unavailableStaffordshire Folk Tales
Staffordshire Folk Tales gathers thirty stories rooted in the county’s oral tradition, retold by local storyteller Johnny Gillett, known as The Journey Man. Together they reflect Staffordshire’s character, local wisdom and recurring comic or cautionary…
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Cover unavailableStories of the Sun
Stories of the Sun combines twelve monthly sunrise vigils with nature writing, folklore and stories shaped by humanity’s relationship with the Sun. Dawn Nelson moves between personal observations of dawn, ancient cultures, myths, legends and…
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Cover unavailableStoryland: A New Mythology of Britain
Storyland retells medieval myths that imagine the origins of Britain, England, Wales and Scotland, beginning between Creation and Noah’s Flood and ending with the Norman Conquest. Amy Jeffs brings together giants, founders, kings and saints,…
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Cover unavailableStoryland: Britain Began with Myths
Storyland: Britain Began with Myths retells the legends attached to Britain’s landscapes, tracing stories of Trojans, giants, dragons, kings, goddesses and heroes. Amy Jeffs’s children’s adaptation brings together tales of magic, monsters, prophecies and contested…
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Cover unavailableStorymaker
Storymaker is a practical guide to creating and sharing new stories with children, whether in classrooms, family settings or other group situations. Giles Abbott presents methods for building narratives from simple structural prompts, helping adults…
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Cover unavailableStraeon Gwerin Cymru
Straeon Gwerin Cymru brings together a collection of Welsh folk tales from Peter Stevenson, a storyteller, illustrator, author and collector of folklore. The book presents traditional stories connected with Wales, preserving material shaped by oral…
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Cover unavailableStrange Irish Tales for Children
Strange Irish Tales for Children brings together four traditional Irish stories shaped for younger readers by storyteller Eddie Lenihan. Its folklore includes King Cormac’s Fighting Academy and the tale of how the first blackbird came…
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Cover unavailableSuffolk Folk Tales
Kirsty Hartsiotis retells thirty traditional stories from Suffolk, bringing together legends of the county’s coast, marshes, Breckland, villages and towns. The collection includes the Green Children of Woolpit, the secret behind Black Shuck, Suffolk’s last…
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Cover unavailableSupernatural England
Supernatural England brings together material on English folklore, occultism and parapsychology, presenting the subject through reports, beliefs and traditions associated with supernatural experience. Eric Maple places these themes within an English setting rather than treating…
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