INTERVIEW: North East Folklore Society

What is the North East Folklore Society? 
At the moment, the Society is a space to learn more about North East folklore, as well as getting people out and about in the region to explore where the stories originated and meet new people. We share local folklore and folk projects via our Instagram and mailing list, and we’ve got a WhatsApp for people to make other plans and meet up when they want.

Tell us a bit about yourself – what inspired you to start the Society? 
I’ve always had an interest in the wyrd. Growing up our house was all about myths and legends and those little superstitions that make things feel a bit creepy and magic. I’d always wanted to be an archaeologist or historian but couldn’t quite hack the academic approach and as you do, lost touch with it all as a teen. When I became a mam I really wanted to know more about my roots, and it took me back to folklore. At first, we were doing the obvious things: Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Cornwall etc., but one day I realised that the North East was missed out of a lot of the national coverage (shock) and did a bit of digging to see what I could find. Turns out, there’s loads of cool stuff and I wanted to share that with others. By setting up the Society I wanted to create something participatory that people could be part of, and share their own stories and experience, rather than just have a social media account broadcasting information to them. We have so much inspiration up here that’s shaped by history, industry and landscape. I’ll never get tired of learning about it, and I want more people to know about it and get the North East firmly on the folklore map!

What does folklore mean to you? 
Great question! For me, folklore is two things; it’s linked to my love of history and by exploring these tales and superstitions we get a little peek into what life was like for our ancestors. From the coal mining traditions to castle goblins, it helps me feel connected to the people who have come before and the places where they lived and worked. I also think it’s a lovely bit of escapism that takes me away from the ‘real world’ for a bit; researching tales, visiting sites, and speaking to people about their favourite folklore has been a great way to connect more with the local community in a more meaningful setting. And there is lots of ‘living’ folk and folklore to get involved with at various places across the region. It’s definitely given me a deeper appreciation for the North East and an outlet for my curiosity and creativity.

Despite being a new prospect, you’ve had a couple of cracking events so far, could you tell us a little about these? 
Thank you! I’m a community builder in my day job and hosting events to get people together is what I do day in, day out, so it’s been a natural thing to apply to the Society. So far, we’ve hosted Stone Lands author, Fiona Robertson, for a talk about ancient stones and winter solstice alignments. We’ve held an Imbolc [an ancient Celtic festival that marks the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox] mooch across Simonside Hills where we shared folklore and history stories with walkers, and we’ve hosted an informal meet-up where people swapped books and got to know each other.

by exploring these tales and superstitions we get a little peek into what life was like for our ancestors

What about future events and plans, are there any you can share with us? 
On Friday 6th March we’re hosting an event in collaboration with Dr Adam Soper called Archive Folk at Pop Recs in Sunderland. A 7-piece folk ensemble will play a live score over archived footage from the North East’s mining, shipbuilding, and working class community history. We’re also hosting an online Q&A with author Zakia Sewell about her new book, Finding Albion which explores an alternative story to Britain that’s focused on myths, inclusion, and folk. And there’ll be another Mooch to mark spring equinox. Beyond that, there’s another meet-up planned, a Beltane Gaderung [Beltane is the Gaelic May Day festival that marks the beginning of Summer, ‘Gaderung’ is an Old English word for ‘gathering’], and an Ancient Paths guided history and folklore walk across the Cheviots. You can find out more about any events on our website.

How can people join or get involved? 
Joining is as simple as signing up to the mailing list or joining the WhatsApp group! I want the Society to be as accessible and stress free to join which means removing hierarchal structures typically associated with Societies. Hop in one of them and I always a drop a note in about what’s being planned and how people can get involved with ideas or helping out. We have an online events committee happening at the end of February where people can drop in and give requests or suggestions too. Anyone is welcome!

And we couldn’t end this chat without asking… what is your personal favourite North East folktale? 
Got to be the Lambton Wyrm! I was lucky enough to grow up at a time when there was a whole term focused on the tale at school. We’d visit Penshaw Monument, learn the song, and even made a play about it. It’s a story that always feels like ‘home’ because I’m so familiar with it, I’ve visited the site so much, and I learned through my family tree that John Lambton is my x18 great-grandad (although the Lord benefits definitely didn’t make it down the generations to our council estate family…) I think John was a decent lad really, he was just a dreamer who did fix the problem he’d created once he heard about it…

You can find out more about the North East Folklore Society on Instagram at @northeastfolklore or at www.northeastfolklore.co.uk. The Society has also just launched a brand new podcast called Wisht! Lads which you can find at all the usual podcast spots.