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 unavailableThe White Goddess
The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth sets out Robert Graves’s theory that a recurring goddess figure stands behind much European poetry and myth. He associates her with birth, love and death, and…
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Cover unavailableThirty-Two Words for Field
Thirty-Two Words for Field examines the Irish language’s close relationship with landscape, memory and traditional knowledge. Manchán Magan considers the 32 words used for different kinds of field, including geamhar for a field of corn-grass,…
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Cover unavailableTipperary Folk Tales
Aideen McBride gathers legends, local lore and traditional stories from across County Tipperary, linking the county’s landscapes with Ireland’s older myths. The collection begins with tales of the first settlers and Fionntán’s escape in the…
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Cover unavailableTree Dogs, Banshee Fingers and Other Irish Words for Nature
Tree Dogs, Banshee Fingers and Other Irish Words for Nature gathers Irish terms for animals, birds, fish, insects, plants and the wider natural world. Manchán Magan shows how these words can carry vivid observations, folklore…
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Cover unavailableTree Folk
Tree Folk gathers folk tales, songs and lore connected with the trees of Britain and Ireland. Lisa Schneidau follows the wheel of the year, tracing a living tradition shaped by seasonal change and the enduring…
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Cover unavailableTudor Folk Tales
Tudor Folk Tales brings together stories from sixteenth-century chapbooks, cheap print and oral traditions, alongside commentary on the society that produced them. Dave Tonge uses Tudor court records, including evidence from Norwich, to illuminate attitudes…
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Cover unavailableTwilight of the Godlings: The Shadowy Beginnings of Britain's Supernatural Beings
Twilight of the Godlings examines how Britain’s fairies, elves and other supernatural beings took shape across centuries of cultural change. Francis Young considers the influence of Roman religious traditions, Germanic folklore and Christianisation, arguing that…
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Cover unavailableTyne and Wear Folk Tales for Children
Tyne and Wear Folk Tales for Children gathers illustrated retellings rooted in the folklore of north-east England. Its stories range from witches and saints to evil fairies, the Devil and a remarkable flying donkey, with…
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Cover unavailableTyrone Folk Tales
Tyrone Folk Tales gathers traditional stories linked to County Tyrone, drawing on the county’s landscapes, history and storytelling traditions. The collection ranges from the Sperrin Mountains in the west to the flat peatlands of the…
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Cover unavailableUnbroken, I May Sing
Barry McCann’s second collection follows people who discover disturbing worlds beneath familiar appearances. Childhood fears, imaginary companions, a mysterious webcam figure and a concealed village become routes into the uncanny. Across these stories, ghostly encounters…
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Cover unavailableUnhappily Ever After
Tom Phillips retells five folk tales for adults, concentrating on the stories that continue after the promise of a happy ending has fallen apart. These are tales of abandoned men, foolish choices, painful consequences and…
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Cover unavailableUnlocking the Love-Lock: The History and Heritage of a Contemporary Custom
Ceri Houlbrook examines love-locking, the contemporary custom of engraving padlocks with names before attaching them to bridges and other public structures as declarations of romantic commitment. The practice became widely popular in the 2000s, spreading…
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Cover unavailableWarwickshire Folk Tales
Cath Edwards gathers tales from historic Warwickshire, including Coventry, Rugby, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham. The collection brings together stories of Lady Godiva, Dick Turpin, Guy of Warwick and Saint George, alongside accounts of the Rollright…
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Cover unavailableWater Folk Tales
Water Folk Tales gathers stories shaped by rivers, lakes and seas, beginning in Welsh waters before flowing into traditions from around the world. Peter Stevenson brings together mermaids, selkies, swan girls, sea monsters, rain-makers and…
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Cover unavailableWaterford Folk Tales
Waterford Folk Tales gathers traditional stories from across County Waterford, linking its legends to the landscape in which they were told. The collection reaches back to the ancient Gaelic tribes and the ogham stones, while…
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Cover unavailableWelsh Bells, Wells, Stones & Dragons
This selection from Wirt Sikes’s Welsh folklore collection brings together traditions surrounding bells, holy wells, legendary stones and dragons. Its opening chapter records stories of bells said to possess occult powers, including legends associated with…
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Cover unavailableWelsh Folk Tales
Welsh Folk Tales brings together traditional stories, reported true tales, tall tales, myths, legends, gossip and memories from across Wales. Peter Stevenson draws on familiar material alongside stories preserved in forgotten manuscripts, out-of-print collections and…
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Cover unavailableWelsh Folk Tales of Coast and Sea
Peter Stevenson follows Môrwen, a Mesolithic Marsh Girl, along the Welsh Coast Path as she encounters stories shaped by the sea. The collection brings together Welsh coastal traditions including the lovesick mermaid of Llanina, the…
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Cover unavailableWelsh Folk-Lore: A Collection of the Folk-Tales and Legends of North Wales
Elias Owen’s collection records the folk-tales, legends and traditional beliefs of North Wales, presenting stories associated with fairies, goblins, witches, ghosts and other supernatural beings. The material reflects the lore of local communities and preserves…
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Cover unavailableWest Country Walks & Legends
West Country Walks & Legends combines walking and local legend across England’s West Country, linking places, landscape and the stories attached to them. John H. N. Mason’s account treats the region as both a geographical…
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Cover unavailableWest Midlands Folk Tales
Cath Edwards gathers folk stories from a county shaped by coal mining, ironworking, farming and the growth of industrial towns. The collection includes miners’ beliefs about broken shoes, warning signs, Gabriel Hounds and the Seven…
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Cover unavailableWest of Ireland Folk Tales for Children
West of Ireland Folk Tales for Children retells traditional stories rooted in the landscapes and beliefs of Ireland’s western counties. Among its tales are accounts of Knockma and its legendary inhabitants, a boy’s encounter with…
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Cover unavailableWest Yorkshire Folk Tales
West Yorkshire Folk Tales gathers stories from across the county, linking the open Pennine hills with the neighbourhoods of its industrial towns. John Billingsley presents traditions associated with local places and people, showing how communities…
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Cover unavailableWestern Isles Folk Tales
Ian Stephen gathers stories from across the Western Isles, combining traditional narrative with memories of island life and community custom. The collection reflects a culture shaped by oral storytelling, where tales could preserve local character…
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Cover unavailableWexford Folk Tales
Wexford Folk Tales gathers traditional stories from across County Wexford, bringing together accounts of witches, mermaids, grave robbing and buried treasure. The collection also includes tales of lurechan mischief, dangerous love potions and six supposed…
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Cover unavailableWhere Dragons Soar: And Other Animal Folk Tales of the British Isles
Where Dragons Soar gathers animal folk tales from across the British Isles, bringing together dragons, lake monsters, talking or scheming creatures and beasts entwined with local history. Familiar legends sit alongside less widely known accounts,…
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Who Killed Cock Robin? British Folk Songs of Crime and Punishment
Judge Stephen Sedley and folk singer Martin Carthy collect British folk songs about crime and punishment, with context for the tales of murder, poaching, piracy and injustice that have survived in song. A fascinating, sometimes…
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Cover unavailableWho Made England?
Who Made England? examines how England emerged from several smaller Saxon kingdoms during the early medieval period. Chip Colquhoun sets historical fact alongside folklore while asking whether Alfred the Great began the work of unification,…
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Cover unavailableWhy Was the Partridge in the Pear Tree?
Why Was the Partridge in the Pear Tree? traces the history of Christmas carols from medieval religious and seasonal traditions to their place in modern celebrations. Revd Mark Lawson-Jones begins with wassailing, the Welsh Mari…
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Cover unavailableWicklow Folk Tales
Wicklow Folk Tales gathers stories linked to villages, mountains, roads and historic sites throughout County Wicklow, drawing particularly on traditions from West Wicklow. Brendan Nolan, an experienced storyteller, brings together accounts of fairies, spirits, magic…
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Cover unavailableWild Waves and Wishing Wells
Wild Waves and Wishing Wells gathers 17 Irish folk tales shaped by water: the sea, wells, lakes, rivers and even a puddle. Órla Mc Govern retells stories involving Fionn and the Salmon, a boy who…
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Cover unavailableWiltshire Folk Tales
Wiltshire Folk Tales gathers 30 stories associated with the county, retold by storyteller Kirsty Hartsiotis. The collection ranges from the Giant’s Dance and the Moonrakers to Merlin’s trickery, the flying monk of Malmesbury, and tales…
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Cover unavailableWiltshire Folklore and Legends
Wiltshire Folklore and Legends gathers traditions connected with the county’s prehistoric landscape, rural communities and long-running local stories. Ralph Whitlock discusses the Devil’s supposed role in building Stonehenge and the tale of King Zel, whose…
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Cover unavailableWitches, Druids and King Arthur
Witches, Druids and King Arthur is a collection of essays on paganism, myth, ritual and the changing meanings attached to them. Ronald Hutton considers how myths are made, examines academic approaches to Arthurian tradition, and…
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Cover unavailableWolf-Men and Water Hounds
Wolf-Men and Water Hounds gathers Irish legends linked to landscapes, landmarks and creatures, travelling province by province through the island. Manchán Magan introduces the stories associated with each place while drawing attention to Irish words…
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Cover unavailableWoodland Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland
Lisa Schneidau gathers traditional tales rooted in the woodlands and forests of Britain and Ireland, where trees, hunters, rebels and otherworldly beings share the same landscape. Oak, ash and thorn stand alongside stories of hunting…
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Cover unavailableWorcestershire Folk Tales
Worcestershire Folk Tales gathers stories shaped by the county’s villages, countryside and industrial past. David Phelps ranges from mythical origins and Civil War battles to witchcraft trials, religious scandals and an unsolved twentieth-century murder, showing…
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Cover unavailableWrexham County Folk Tales
Wrexham County Folk Tales gathers stories rooted in the county borough’s landscape, communities and oral traditions. Fiona Collins combines tales passed down by word of mouth with archive material, covering animals, people and supernatural beings.…
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Cover unavailableYesterday's Country Customs
Yesterday’s Country Customs examines 18 English traditions, describing how they are observed today while considering the histories behind them. Henry Buckton covers hobby horses, mumming, wassailing, cheese rolling, Shrovetide, well dressing, rushbearing, tree dressing and…
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Cover unavailableYorkshire Folk Tales for Children
Yorkshire Folk Tales for Children gathers adapted legends, traditional tales and folk wisdom for readers aged seven to eleven. Carmel Page’s stories range from Brigg the Dragon and the Penhill Giant to Robin Hood’s beginnings…
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Cover unavailableYorkshire Stories of the Supernatural
This regional collection follows reported supernatural experiences across Yorkshire, including phantom aircraft, haunted historic buildings and encounters associated with the county’s moors and abbeys. Andy Owens brings together stories linked with places such as Temple…
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