Owen Davies

The re-issue of my 1999 book "Witchcraft, Magic, and Culture" is now out, £19.99. Glad to see it with an attractive new cover!

New Video: An Irreverent take on the history of Fortean Times magazine with Ian Simmons, their News Editor. @iansimmons1960.bsky.social
This is an extract, watch the full 50 minute live video here:
youtu.be/hQ8dhObF21E

"CNN discovers exorcism inquiries are on the rise in the US"
[video]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysD0...

That's very nice to hear Jo! We must catch up on witchy matters.

Folklorist at work. Harvesting meme images from Twitter/X regarding the not so surprising reveal yesterday that thousands of MAGA/Far Right accounts are bots/grifters in Asia, Africa, and Russian friendly countries.

Amen Mary!

"AI can summarize for you". I can do that perfectly well and better myself, thank you.

All set up for greeting future folklorists at the University of Hertfordshire open day. May the maneki-neko beckon them over! #Folklore

I love getting @folkloresociety.bsky.social newsletter in the post - it's wonderful to see in print all the fascinating folklore people are encountering. I'm especially proud of this issue because one of my MA Folklore students reviewed an exhibition for it: Dark Secrets in London

Now this is how to start a history book. A Wiltshire story teller 1890s.

"There were a time, 'tweren't in my time, neither in your time, nit (nor yet) in anybody else's time; 'twere when magpies builded in old men's beards and turkey-cocks chewed bacca”.

Black & white photograph of a man holding his outstretched hand above a woman who is dressed in white and also reaches out to the man. On the left four men, two who are sat at a camera are looking at the man and woman; the other two look at us. there is an opened parasol and an umbrella.

We're not using this photograph of a mesmerist performance in open air for the cover of 'Performing magnetism: the theatrics of persuasion in the nineteenth century' (out with Leuven UP in 2026!) but it's such a nice and evocative picture that I'll share it with you here

Photo of me holding my book, "Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen's Mother"

Found "Elizabeth Boleyn" in Blackwell's in Oxford today 🥳 It's still surreal to see my book out in the wild!

A sign of how bad are relations between academics and their universities. When I joined Twitter in 2016 it was widespread practice to include one's university in your biog to promote your institution/dept. Now it's non existent on here (& Twitter). For good reason.

Will have listen thanks.

That's all part of the engrained folklore. The Cromwells were conflated and Oliver was usually blamed for Reformation destruction!

Folklore in Music Hall. "Its a bit of a ruin that Cromwell knocked about a bit", made popular by the singing star Marie Lloyd (1870-1922). Strange but clever mix of spousal abuse with legends of the destruction wrought by Oliver Cromwell. Image from folksongandmusichall.com

Signed copies of #Folklore in three bookshops across Edinburgh - my work here is done

Tis very true!

16th Century signature

Commissioner's report with signature, 16th Century

An absolutely outstanding signature on this commissioner's return for an Elizabethan Duchy Chamber case. TNA DL 1/42/K1b

Thanks for letting me know. Very annoying indeed.

Thanks Dinah. Ah, not just me then.

Once more...

@infinitescream.bsky.social

That's HORRIFIC 😱

Introducing… Dr Ceri Houlbrook — National Folklore Survey for England In our Introducing… posts, we’ll tell you a little more about the team behind the National Folklore Survey for England. Here you can find out more about Dr Ceri Houlbrook, Senior Lecturer in Folklore ...

Coin-trees, love-locks and the Green Power Ranger - I was interviewed for the National Folklore Survey Project and you can read my ramblings here: www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/news/introdu...

Sign the Petition Save Geography at the University of Leicester

SAVE GEOGRAPHY at Leicester University (UK) - We call on the University of Leicester to urgently reconsider the proposal to dissolve Geography. This is direct attack on the discipline of Geography at Leicester with likely loss of Geography staff. Please sign + share

www.change.org/p/save-geogr...

Old, New, Precarious Data Old, New, Precarious Data is the first event of the 2025-2026 DHRH flagship seminar series on incompleteness and loss in digital cultural heritage collections.

Join us online on 2 Dec for ‘Old, New, Precarious Data’, the 1st event of the 2025-6 @dh-researchhub.bsky.social seminar series on incompleteness & loss in digital cultural heritage collections. Speakers include @beatricecannelli.bsky.social, @heatherfro.bsky.social, Leontien Talboom & Amelia Acker

Oh yes... seen it so many times. Usually starts with an ambitious member of OVC who "needs" to have a restructure on their CV to climb further. I remember one called "Agile" - you can guess the result.

Biometrics and Palmistry: The UCL Story Join this Health Humanities Seminar with Alison Bashford FBA, who will explore the central place of UCL-associated research in this unexpected strand of medical history and of somatic diagnostics.

'In her new book...Alison Bashford unpacks the strange history of palmistry and biometrics, from occult physicians to the foundations of modern science and medicine. In this talk, she explores the central place of UCL-associated research in this unexpected strand of medical history'. Free to attend.

One from the actual Shire.
A demonic elon musk about to be burned in effigy. #Lewes #Bonfire #Sussex 🔥

Owen Davies & Ceri Houlbrook: Folklore Join Owen Davies and Ceri Houlbrook as they chat about their gripping guide to the weird yet everyday world of British folklore

Join @odavies9.bsky.social & @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social as they discuss their gripping new guide to the weird yet everyday world of British folklore at @blackwells.bsky.social #Edinburgh.
Thurs 13 Nov, 7pm
Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/owen-davie...
@edincityoflit.bsky.social
#FolkloreThursday

The ritual detritus of 6th November