Round the Herne

Happy Samhain to my Druid and Wiccan friends, happy Halloween to everyone else. Last night my good friend Leo hosted an enjoyable storytelling evening at which I told several tales, and got to listen to some as well ~ horrors from the sea, Lovecraftian monstrosities, and warnings from the sublime M. R. James (recordings of whose stories are fantastic to listen to at this time of year). We were all dressed suitably, myself as Dr Jekyll in mid-transformation. At the end of the night Leo asked if I knew any werewolf stories - I know several, and have recorded one for Leo and anyone else who enjoys a lupine diversion. I am more than a little fixated with werewolves and always on the prowl for new tales to add to my repertoire.

On November 7th, 10am to 5pm at Oddfellows Hall, I will be coordinating our annual performing arts gathering - Pooka's Pageant. As in previous years there will be a full programme of speakers, performers and workshops to entertain people with (all for a mere £4, with any profits being split between animal charities). We will be opening at... 10am - a talk on Narrative Psychology and its applications within paganism 11.15 - choose between Songs of the Sea with Terry Smith, or Welsh Mythology with Beverley Price We break for lunch at 12.15 and a chance to share some poetry. 1.15 - Japanese mythology in Lady of the Mirror with Marion Leeper, or alternately a workshop for aspiring storytellers 2.15 - Joshua Harris will be telling myths of the Norse Gods, or if you prefer listen to some pagan themed poetry for disturbed and disturbing children with Robin Herne (i.e. me) 3.15 - Carys Deverell will be regaling us with pagan songs and music 4.15 - Emmalena Louise Ellis will be t...

A somewhat belated account, but the local Pagan Council held its first Camp some few weeks ago. The venue was the field attached to a lovely 15th century pub in Finningham, in deepest darkest Suffolk. A decent number of us gathered, some under canvas and some as day visitors. We entertained each other with talks and workshops on various subjects, and passed the evening with storytelling and song around the camp fire. Some of the people attending inquired about the choice of name for the event - why Wolfshead? To some extent this choice was to reflect the various lupine traditions associated with our county - such as the wolf imprinted coins of the Iceni Magni, to the coming of King Wuffa and his foundation of the Wuffinga Dynasty which ruled until the death of Edmund in 869 (and the guarding of his severed head by a wolf), to the arrival of the Norman Vis-da-loup family in the Shotley peninsular. Some of us also wonder if the accounts of the Black Dogs of Suffolk are an adaptation o...

It has been a while since I last posted properly. Life has been busy, in a good way - with an amazing new job, a lovely new partner (who is introducing me to Sicilian folklore), a short holiday away at Grey Mare Camp, and various chapters for anthologies. Grey Mare is a very relaxing pagan camp, and a good chance to tell some stories - one or two of which I may record and upload here. Alongside my own contributions, several other people told stories - it is intriguing to not only hear new stories (some of which I am "acquiring" for my own repertoire) but to also see different styles of telling. Story acquisition can be a slow process at times. Books are excellent, and there are many collections on my shelves of stories from all different parts of the world. The Net also has some excellent story resources, though also a great many badly organised ones. However, one of the best ways remains listening to other tellers and gaining not only the bare bones of th...