The Ding Dong Merrily Christmas Horror: The Berry Man's Carol

Welcome to the Wyrd Wessex Christmas AfterWyrd Special,

This year, Craig and Andy take a break from all the weird things in the news to present a piece of original festive horror: the terrifying true-ish story of a local investigation that went utterly wrong during the holiday season.

In this fictional, bone-chilling narrative, the Wyrdo's head to St. Mary’s of Temple Bottom to document a charity event—a revival of a supposed folk festival featuring the mysterious Berry Man on Faulkner's Hill. What begins as a search for local folklore soon turns into a terrifying encounter with ancient pagan madness, all set to the relentless, unsettling tune of 'Ding Dong Merrily on High'.

Merry Christmas and Don't blame the owls!

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Written by Emma Brooks and Hosted by Craig Brooks & Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Exceptional_3D - Unexplained mystery intro/outro

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In this episode, Craig sits down with Bob Barry of the Potterne Mummers to dive deep into the heart of a quintessential British folk tradition. From the "Turkish Knight" to "Little Man Jack," we explore the life, death, and comedic rebirth that defines the Potterne Mummer's Play.

Stay tuned for the full play at the end of the episode.

In this episode:

The History of the Play: Bob shares his journey from reviving Morris dancing in Oxfordshire in 1979 to joining the Potterne side in 1987. We learn about the 1953 revival by schoolmaster Bernard Baker and the older roots traced back to Reverend Buchanan in 1896.

Characters of the Performance: A breakdown of the seven traditional characters:

Father Christmas: The "Master of Ceremonies" (dressed in traditional green tatters, not Coca-Cola red!).

King George: The brash hero of the piece.

The Turkish Knight: The antagonist who meets a messy (but temporary) end.

The Spanish Doctor: The miracle worker with a questionable potion and a high fee.

The Valiant Soldier: A boastful warrior ready for a fight.

Old Almanac: The short part—perfect for the "new boy" in the troop.

Little Man Jack: The mysterious figure carrying his family (dolls) on his back.

The Spirit of Mumming: Bob explains the importance of keeping the tradition "pure" versus modernizing it with current affairs, and the friendly "territorial" agreements between different Mumming sides in Wiltshire.

Charity at Heart: The Potterne Mummers perform up to 25 times in the five days leading up to Christmas Eve, raising thousands of pounds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Resources & Links:

Wiltshire Air Ambulance: If you enjoyed the performance, please consider donating to the Mummers' primary charity.

https://www.wiltshirebathairambulance.org.uk/donate#oneoff

Don't blame the owls!

Stay Wyrd

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Dark Origins of Christmas: The Folk Horror Wild Hunt

NOTE: This episode contains strong language and adult themes related to folklore and history.

Merry Christmas! This year, the Wyrdo's dive into the dark origins of Christmas, exploring the unsettling pagan roots and folk horror tales that lie beneath the modern festive cheer. We welcome messages from friends including Eric Nelson (Bigfoot Collection, Willow Creek), Eileen Budd, Paul MacDonald (Scottish Big Cat Research Team), Author Nick Jubber, and Pat Robinson. We open the show with a nod to the classic case of the Hammersmith Ghost.

In this episode, we discuss the darker side of the season:

Folk Horror Origins: Craig and Andy explore ancient British dread, including the tale of Herla and the Herla thing (the original terrifying Wild Hunt in Britain) and the famous medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The Mythology of Santa: We track down Father Christmas himself for an exclusive interview, where we put aside the jollity to discuss serious subjects:

Tulpa vs. Cryptid: We debate whether he is a thought-form sustained by belief or simply the world's most successful cryptid.

The Miracles & Madness: We cover the historical miracles of St. Nicholas, including the unsettling tale of the children resurrected from a butcher’s brine barrel.

Pop Culture & Ethics: We cover the Die Hard Christmas film debate, the tipping point of the naughty/nice list, and the ethics of a global meritocracy of gifts.

Thank you to all our wonderful guests and friends...

Merry Christmas & Stay Wyrd!

www.wyrdwessex.co.uk

Buy our merch here

Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Leonell Cassio - The Paranormal Is Real (ft. Carrie)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.