Local Legends #62: Peter Stevenson

The final of the three very special interviews Martin conducted with some of the biggest names in Welsh folklore and ghostlore, in this episode it's this inspirational Peter Stevenson!

As we chat about from the outset, Peter is, as far as anyone we know of can tell, the greatest living authority on Welsh folk tales.

Author of books including Welsh Folk Tales, Welsh Folk Tales for Young and Old, Welsh Folk Tales of Land and Sea, and Moon-Eyed People, about the Welsh diaspora in America, Peter has been working in folk art, music and storytelling for his entire career.

He is perhaps best known in some quarters as an illustrator. Some know him as a fine artist. Others perhaps know him as a filmmaker. Either way, his preoccupations with three themes unite his work - landscape, people, and story.

In this ranging chat, Peter discusses his life and career, his perspective on the country he calls home, and the very nature of 'Otherness.' From ghost stories to ladies who decide to live in the No Man's Land between sea and cliff, the Mari Lwyd to the important of music to Welsh folk culture, we hope you enjoy the chat and feel inspired by Peter's favourite Welsh folk tales of all.

Afterwards, Eleanor and Martin take a moment to unpack some final reflections we've come to across Series 7, try to pronounce the longest place name in all of Wales, and sign off with a big thank you to our entire community of listeners and all the people who have helped us learn all we have along the way.

We really hope you our series about Wales has been as fun for you as it has been for us, and will speak to you again on Monday for this month's Forgotten Melodies Bonus Episode all about Drinking Songs, including new versions of Bring Us In Good Ale, All For Me Grog, and The Barley Mow, arranged and performed by us!

Visit Peter's website: https://www.peterstevensonarts.co.uk/

The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

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