Vanishing islands, the glass ship of Merlin and the castle of the Fairy King! Tonight, its all about William Wirt Sikes' 1880 collection, British Goblins.

'The sovereign of the fairies, and their special guardian and protector, was one Gwyn ap Nudd. He was also ruler over the goblin tribe in general. His name often occurs in ancient Welsh poetry. An old bard of the fourteenth century, who, led away by the fairies, rode into a turf bog on a mountain one dark night, called it the fish-pond of Gwyn ap Nudd, a palace for goblins and their tribe.'

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit the episodes page at thelocalmythstorian.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

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Crocks of gold, spectral river horses and the giantess of Mulgrave! Tonight we're in Yorkshire, with Reverend Thomas Parkinson's 1888 collection, Yorkshire Legends and Traditions.

'At the village of Upsall resided many years ago, a man who dreamed, on three nights successively, that if he went to London Bridge he would hear of something greatly to his advantage. He went, travelling the whole distance from Upsall to London on foot. Having arrived there, he took up his station on the bridge, where he waited until his patience was nearly exhausted, and the idea that he had acted a very foolish part began to rise in his mind. At length he was accosted by a Quaker, who kindly inquired what he was waiting there so long for. After some hesitation he told of his dreams. The Quaker laughed at his simplicity, and told him that he had had that night a very curious dream himself, which was, that if he went and dug under a certain bush in Upsall Castle Yard, in Yorkshire, he would find a pot of gold. Seeing some advantage in secrecy, the Yorkshireman pleaded ignorance of the locality, and then, thinking his business in London was completed, returned immediately home, dug beneath the bush, and there found a pot filled with gold.'

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit the episodes page at thelocalmythstorian.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky

Phantom fiddlers, haunted treasure and the Devil on long island! Its the second part of our journey through Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, the American folklore collection of Charles M Skinner from 1896.

'It was twelve o'clock, and here he was playing a dance tune on a Sunday. However, the sin of playing for one second on the Sabbath was as great as that of playing all day; so, as long as he was in for it, he resolved to carry the tune to the end, and he fiddled away with a reckless vehemence. Presently he became aware that the music was both wilder and sweeter than before, and that there was more of it. Not until then did he observe that a tall, thin stranger stood beside him, and that he was fiddling too, composing a second to Joost's air - as if he could read his thoughts before he put it into execution on the strings.'

Tales From Antiquaria is a podcast dedicated to exploring the legacy of work published regarding folklore and local history during the golden age of antiquarian writing in the nineteenth century.

For show notes and links, visit the episodes page at thelocalmythstorian.com

Episode written, produced and presented by Eli Lewis-Lycett. All source material taken directly from the stated publication. Main theme music by Humanoid Media. Incidental music from Restum-Anoush.

Find Eli Lewis-Lycett Folklore and History on Facebook and Bluesky