Talks

Helen specialises in Black Dog folklore and the Wild Hunt. Tracking the many variants of the Black Dog archetype through time and location, she discusses the role of the canine psychopomp, Black Shuck the hellhound and benevolent dogs, such as the Girt Dog of Langport. When discussing the Wild Hunt, she considers how earlier variants on this mythic archetype involve guiding the souls of the dead, whilst later versions warn about various behaviours and incorporate the Christian Devil. Recently, Helen has spoken at the Black Shuck festival, the Mercian Gathering, the Sacred Earth Activism summit and for the ASSAP paranormal group. 

Oak specialises in Sussex Folklore. Living amidst the South Downs, her passion lays in connection to the places we live, and local history of these places translating into Folklore. Her talks incorporate what we can learn from keeping local folk tales alive in community, how they help us know these places on a deeper level, and how people use story as a way of understanding their worlds and each other.