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Queer as Folklore – a Zoom talk with Sacha Coward

The vampire we know today has a convoluted story, from the rebellious first wife of Adam in Eden, to the original lesbian countess and the bisexual enigma that was Lord Byron. How and why are these creatures of the night so infamously queer-coded?

Unicorns originated as both a sexual and religious icon, with links to fertility and the male phallus. They’ve been used to both elevate and insult the bisexual community. Where does this leave them today and how have ‘girly’ unicorns become sexy again?

From the ancient Syrian goddess Atargatis, through to Hans Christian Andersen, the painting of Sea Maidens by Evelyn De Morgan, the burnt books of Nazi Germany and the merman in Trafalgar Square, why are mermaids so beloved by the queer community?

Learn about out all this and more as Sacha Coward takes us on an illustrated Zoom talk through the hidden queer history of myths and monsters.

Sacha Coward has worked in museums and heritage for over 10 years. For the past three years, he has been freelancing as an historian, public speaker, and researcher. He has run LGBTQ+ focused tours for museums, cemeteries, archives, and cities around the world. He has written articles for a huge number of publications, including Metro, Gay Star News, National Theatre, Art UK, Queer Bible, Royal Museums Greenwich, and Dig It Scotland, with a focus on LGBTQ+ history, underrepresented audiences in heritage and mythology and folklore.

Queer as Folklore is Sacha’s first book and is being published by Unbound in 2024. For more info see: https://www.sachacoward.com

Your curator and host for this event will be the writer Edward Parnell, author of Ghostland: In Search of a Haunted Country. Edward Parnell lives in Norfolk and has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. He is the recipient of an Escalator Award from the National Centre for Writing and a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship. Ghostland (William Collins, 2019), a work of narrative non-fiction, is a moving exploration of what has haunted our writers and artists – as well as the author’s own haunted past; it was shortlisted for the PEN Ackerley 2020 prize, an award given to a literary autobiography of excellence. Edward’s first novel The Listeners (2014), won the Rethink New Novels Prize. For further info see: https://edwardparnell.com

[Image: The Sea Maidens by Evelyn De Morgan. 1885/1886.]

Don’t worry if you can’t make the live event on the night – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day.

Viktor Wynd’s Guided Tour of His Museum with Devil’s Botany Absinthe

Wednesday 3rd January 2024 6pm -7:30pm
Tuesday 27th February 2024 6pm -7:30pm
Tuesday 19th March 2024 6pm -7:30pm

Tuesday 30th April 2024 6pm -7:30pm
Tuesday 21st May 2024 6pm -7:30pm
Tuesday 18th June 2024 6pm -7:30pm

 

In person at the museum NOT BY ZOOM!  Join the reclusive Viktor Wynd on a journey, (with a complimentary glass of Devil’s Botany Absinthe) into the bowels of the earth and his basement museum.  See things that no one else sees, or notices, hear how he collected dodo bones and shrunken heads, extinct bird feathers, old master etchings and more.  Mr. Wynd has been described as ‘a sick orchid’ by John Waters, ‘ a true exquisite’ by Derren Brown’ & as ‘one of the great latter-day collectors’ by The Times Literary Supplement and guarantees that no two tours will ever be the same as  he attempts to explain the origin of the idea and tell you what it is all about, he will ramble from subject to subject, object to object and vaingloriously explain all the obscure objects of his desire.

Bedtime Stories: These Woods More Free – Madeleine Grantham

Bedtime Stories: These Woods More Free

In These Woods More Free’ when Robin Hood goes to London adventuring, he leaves behind a web of community where the seasons turn, and at the heart of everything is the mysterious, wise Widow Sadler…

One Woman,
One Forest,
One rich tapestry of medieval men and women, surviving and thriving as the seasons turn.

Bio:

Madeleine lives on the edge of the New Forest and is inspired by its wild beauty – the wide expanse of heathland where the deer graze and buzzards soar. Inspired by authors like Ellis Peters and Candace Robb, Madeleine wanted to tale a tale of Robin Hood and place him within a living working world of ordinary men and women. Madeleine is an experienced Dorset based storyteller, who has been working in community and education settings. She took on the challenge of the Step Up Commission to step up to a national scale, to work on a piece for adults, telling traditional material to modern audiences with the vibrancy and relevance that have made these stories beloved by generation after generation. She is taking the well-known, well-loved tales of Robin Hood and exploring the role of women and gender in this very male dominated world. https://www.madeleinegrantham-storyteller.com/

Curated & Hosted by:

Dr. Amy Hale is an Atlanta based writer, curator and critic. She has a PhD in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA and has written about topics as diverse as psychogeography, occult performance art, Pagan religious tourism, color theory, and extremist politics in modern Paganism. She has written widely on artist and occultist Ithell Colquhoun, notably the biography Ithell Colquhoun: Genius of the Fern Loved Gully (Strange Attractor 2020) and is currently editing a selection of Colquhoun’s esoteric essays for Strange Attractor (2024) and an edition of Colquhoun’s erotic art and sex magic for Tate Publishing (December, 2023). She is the editor of Essays on Women in Western Esotericism: Beyond Seeresses and Sea Priestesses (Palgrave 2022) and has contributed essays for Tate, Ignota Press, Burlington Contemporary, Correspondences Journal, Camden Arts Centre, Art UK, Arusha Galleries, Heavenly Records and Spike Island, Bristol. She is currently a curator and host for the internationally loved Viktor Wynd’s Last Tuesday Society lecture series and is an Honorary Research Fellow with Falmouth University in Cornwall.

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

Surrealist Themes in the Comic Book Art of Alejandro Jodorowsky – Amy Slonaker

Surrealist Themes in the Comic Book Art of Alejandro Jodorowsky

Please join religion and myth scholar Amy Slonaker for an illustrated lecture on the Surrealist themes in the comic book art of Alejandro Jodorowsky (1929- ). This lecture includes a discussion of the early comic strip art of Jodorowsky called The Panic Fables (Fabulas Panicas) which Jodorowksy drew by hand and which appeared on a weekly basis in Mexico City’s El Heraldo de Mexico from 1967-1973. Also discussed is Jodorowsky’s collaborative work with the comic artist legend Moebius and the Surrealist themes within their expansive comic vision,The Incal, which ran serially from 1981-1988. The Incal’s comic landscape is often noted as a receptacle for ideas from Jodorowsky’s unsuccessful attempt to produce a film version of Frank Herbert’s Dune but Slonaker suggests an alternative understanding of The Incal as a mystico-visionary text intended to directly transmit Jodorowsky’s own spiritual experience to the reader. Engaging theories about the imagination as an organ of perception, Slonaker’s discussion of Jodorowsky’s comic art explores themes from her dissertation research on comic books as mystical texts.

Bio:

Amy Slonaker is a PhD candidate at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, California, where she pursues a degree in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Depth Psychology. After a career in law, she now studies theories about mystical experience and how physical images, when engaged by the imagination, can catalyze experiences of self-transcendence … even in comic books.

Curated and Hosted by:

Dr. Amy Hale is an Atlanta based writer, curator and critic. She has a PhD in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA and has written about topics as diverse as psychogeography, occult performance art, Pagan religious tourism, color theory, and extremist politics in modern Paganism. She has written widely on artist and occultist Ithell Colquhoun, notably the biography Ithell Colquhoun: Genius of the Fern Loved Gully (Strange Attractor 2020) and is currently editing a selection of Colquhoun’s esoteric essays for Strange Attractor (2024) and an edition of Colquhoun’s erotic art and sex magic for Tate Publishing (December, 2023). She is the editor of Essays on Women in Western Esotericism: Beyond Seeresses and Sea Priestesses (Palgrave 2022) and has contributed essays for Tate, Ignota Press, Burlington Contemporary, Correspondences Journal, Camden Arts Centre, Art UK, Arusha Galleries, Heavenly Records and Spike Island, Bristol. She is currently a curator and host for the internationally loved Viktor Wynd’s Last Tuesday Society lecture series and is an Honorary Research Fellow with Falmouth University in Cornwall.

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

Hulders, Witches and Bitches – the view on women and feminists through the centuries – Lena Heide-Brennand

Hulders, Witches and Bitches – the view on women and feminists through the centuries

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to embark on an enthralling journey through time, as we unravel the captivating narrative of women’s roles and the ever-evolving views on the female gender. From ancient civilizations to the modern era, the treatment of women has been a profound reflection of society’s progress and its enduring challenges.

We will journey back to ancient civilizations where goddesses held divine powers and women ruled as queens and priestesses. Then, we’ll venture into eras where women were silenced, their voices confined by societal norms. Witness the seismic shifts that occurred during the suffrage movements and the resolute strides women have taken towards equality.

Our exploration will delve into the arts, literature, politics, and the ever-influential world of entertainment, where women have been both portrayed and have portrayed themselves, reflecting the prevailing attitudes of their times. Prepare to be captivated, challenged, and inspired as we unpack the complex tapestry of women’s history and their indomitable spirit throughout the ages.

This lecture is a time-traveling experience you won’t want to miss!

Bio:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

Tales and Legends of the east with True Thomas the Storyteller

Tales and Legends of the east 

Today, we embark on a captivating journey into the world of storytelling, where we will delve into the enchanting tales of Hodja Basruddin, explore the mysterious gift of the Wali dead, and unlock the secrets hidden within the legendary rings of King Solomon.

Hodja Basruddin, a beloved character in the folklore of many cultures, is known for his wit, wisdom, and often comical adventures. Through his humorous and thought-provoking escapades, we’ll witness how cleverness and quick thinking can overcome even the most challenging situations. Get ready to laugh and learn as we follow Hodja’s clever antics!

The “Gift of the Wali Dead” is a story that transcends the boundaries of time, featuring otherworldly gifts bestowed upon a fortunate recipient by the Wali, or the holy saints. These mystical blessings and their consequences hold valuable lessons and insights into the mysterious world of spirituality and faith. We’ll unravel the layers of this tale and its profound message.Finally, we will embark on a quest to uncover the legends of the Rings of King Solomon. These rings, steeped in mysticism and ancient wisdom, are said to grant their wearers extraordinary powers. As we explore these captivating stories, we’ll reflect on the enduring fascination with artifacts that bridge the gap between the ordinary and the supernatural.

Prepare to be transported to a world where wisdom, wonder, and enchantment blend seamlessly. Join us as we embark on this storytelling session, where tales of Hodja Basruddin, the Gift of the Wali dead, and the Rings of King Solomon come to life, offering timeless lessons and moments of pure magic.

Bio about the storyteller:

True Thomas (aka Robert Seutter) is a professional Storyteller, storytelling instructor, creative coach, published author, and ULC minister. In the US, he is a nationally known Professional Santa and Christmas Performing Instructor.

True is known for his wide repertoire—from multi-cultural traditional to sci-fi and fantasy—and his fun and high energy engaging style, performing for folks of all ages. His specialties include researching and creating unique storytelling personas who educate and tell stories, first-person.

When the Getty Museum wants stories, True packs the house. He’s kept audiences from executives to cops, and from seniors to pre-schools, enthralled in storytelling magic.

True leads workshops, seminars, and provides story consulting for a wide variety of clients. He’s taught storytelling to Disney animators, Corporations and at-risk communities.

His traveling school—Christmas Performer Workshops—focuses on storytelling and character work, and gets standing ovations.

True’s credo is simply, “Believe in the Power of Stories!”

Hosted & Curated By:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

Sámi ghost stories – Lena Heide-Brennand

Sámi ghost stories

Beneath the Northern Lights, in the heart of Sámi lands, lies a world where the living and the departed intertwine in eerie harmony. Brace yourself, for you’re about to embark on a chilling journey through the ancient realm of Sámi ghost stories. In this desolate and hauntingly beautiful landscape, spirits of the past refuse to be forgotten.

Imagine the bone-chilling whispers in the winds of the Arctic tundra, tales of the fearsome “Stállos,” spectral giants whose colossal forms loom over the snowy wastelands. These ancient specters, with eyes as cold as the Nordic ice, guard the secrets of the Sámi people and, when provoked, unleash their wrath.

Among the deep, mysterious forests, you’ll hear the mournful songs of the “Raedieguovlu,” the restless spirits of those who met tragic fates in the wilderness. They beckon to lost wanderers, leading them deeper into the woods, ensnaring them in an otherworldly trance.

And then there are the “Náide,” the revenants of the Sámi, who return to the world of the living, shrouded in death’s pallor, to seek retribution or complete unfinished business. Their eerie apparitions walk amongst us, both haunting and compelling.

Prepare to shiver as we unravel these spine-tingling Sámi ghost stories, where the boundaries between this world and the next blur, and the spirits of the North tell their chilling tales under the aurora-lit sky. Brace yourself, for in the world of Sámi legends, the boundary between the living and the dead is a spectral veil that beckons with icy fingers.

Bio:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

Killer Clowns -The Evil Behind The Mask – Lena Heide-Brennand

Killer Clowns -The Evil Behind The Mask

Friday night special!

Step into the eerie realm of our lecture, where we’ll unravel the unsettling phenomenon of Killer Clowns that have haunted and captivated popular culture. From the menacing Pennywise in Stephen King’s “It” to the haunting jesters of “American Horror Story,” these enigmatic jesters have left an indelible mark.

Explore the ghoulish antics of John Wayne Gacy, a real-life serial killer who hid behind a clown persona, and how this sinister influence seeped into the twisted narratives of films like “The Joker.” Uncover how the clown, once a symbol of laughter and joy, has metamorphosed into an emblem of terror in movies, TV shows, and even the darkest corners of the internet.

Join us under the big top as we dissect the cultural impact, psychological fascination, and the societal fear surrounding these grinning malefactors. Buckle up, because this is not your ordinary circus – this is a carnival of knowledge that will leave you both enthralled and terrified!

Bio:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

Mark of the Werewolf – Robin Herne – Zoom

MARK OF THE WEREWOLF

Almost every country in which wolves have been found has legends of people who can transform into wolves and half-human monsters. This talk explores a selection of such legends and the possible explanations for how those stories started – from medical and psychiatric explanations, to shamanic transformations of consciousness, to ritualistic costumed performances. Alongside mythology and magical traditions, the talk will draw on trial records from people accused of being werewolves in centuries past to reveal what were (at the time) widely held beliefs about the kinds of monsters that dwell alongside us. We will also pause to consider the impact of Hollywood and literature on changing what we think about lycanthropy.

Bio

Robin Herne is the author of a number of books on pagan and esoteric subjects, including “Pantheon – the Egyptians” (published by Moon Books) which explores the realm of Kemetic mythology. He lives in East Anglia and regularly lectures on a wide variety of topics both academic and spiritual. He enjoys painting, poetry, baking, history, and is owned by a malamute.

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

An Animist Ethics – Robin Herne

AN ANIMIST ETHICS

An overview of animist philosophies and how they impact ethical choices and interactions with the world around us. How do we relate to a world where every tree, rock, and river might be regarded as a living being with needs and agendas of their own? This talk will draw on notions of personhood, reflect on changing laws from around the world as we reconsider our relationships with the non-human, and also reflect on the changing ways we have viewed our fellow humans over the last few centuries. How might living according to animist philosophies change the ways we act and treat the people around us?

Bio

Robin Herne is the author of a number of books on pagan and esoteric subjects, including “Pantheon – the Egyptians” (published by Moon Books) which explores the realm of Kemetic mythology. He lives in East Anglia and regularly lectures on a wide variety of topics both academic and spiritual. He enjoys painting, poetry, baking, history, and is owned by a malamute.

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day