Folklore: A journey through the past and present

by Owen Davies, Ceri Houlbrook

Overview

A gripping guide to the weird yet everyday world of British folklore.

In this ground—breaking book, two leading experts provide the definitive guide to British folklore past and present.

Owen Davies and Ceri Houlbrook explore folklore in all its remarkable variations, from village rituals and fairy tales to UFO legends and internet fanfiction. Travelling through a landscape of witches, wizards and wicker men, they reveal how folklore has been researched and written about in the past and show how it continues to be lived in the present. At the same time, they provide the reader with a valuable toolkit for understanding how to interpret the diverse examples given.

The book’s key message is that folklore is much more than the fossilised remains of a distant, rural past. Folklore is and always has been ubiquitous, dynamic and political. It is a living tradition that draws from many sources, including migrant communities, and is forever being renewed and updated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526180384
Publisher:	Manchester University Press
Publication date:	09/23/2025
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He is the author of numerous books, most recently Art of Grimoire and Troubled by Faith: Insanity and the Supernatural in the Age of the Asylum (both 2023). He has been described as Britain’s foremost academic expert on the history of magic.

Ceri Houlbrook is Senior Lecturer in Folklore and History at the University of Hertfordshire. Her books include The Magic of Coin—Trees (2018), Unlocking the Love—Lock (2021) and Ritual 'Litter' Redressed (2022). In addition to her scholarly work, she writes folklore—inspired fiction.

Table of Contents

Introduction: a tale of British folklore studies
Part I: Coming together and taking part
1 The ritual year
2 Performance
Part II: Stories
3 Storytelling
4 Legends
Part III: Environment
5 Folklore of the natural world
6 Folk medicine
Part IV: Spiritual Life
7 Living with a supernatural world
8 Ritual in the landscape
Part V: Intimate life
9 Childlore
10 Domestic life
Part VI: Modern media
11 Broadcasting folklore
12 Digital folklore
Part VII: Identity
13 The folklore of nations
Index

Editorial Reviews

'This book draws a cultural map of who we are, where we’ve come from and how we think and feel about our surroundings. Meticulously researched, imaginative in scope and rich in strange stories and rewarding insights. Fascinating reading.'
Malcolm Gaskill, author of The Ruin of All Witches

'The best overall view of the subject currently available, written by its most dynamic partnership of scholars. It not only covers the traditional remit of folklore but extends it into many less conventional areas, right up to the present moment.'
Ronald Hutton, author of The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present

‘Not just a fascinating tour of past practice but a compelling argument for the evergreen, sprouting nature of folklore. This book provides a refreshing lens through which to view a fertile, living subject.’
Zoe Gilbert, author of Folk

‘An inspiring, insightful, authoritative and entertaining survey of folklore and folklorists, covering everything from cryptids to Krampus, fairies to fakelore, beating the bounds to Brexit, urban legends to UFOs: brilliant.’
Marion Gibson, author of Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials

‘An illuminating exploration of folklore's role in shaping national identity. Davies and Houlbrook masterfully untangle how traditions are preserved, reinvented and contested across Britain. Essential reading for understanding our multi—folkloric present.’
Dee Dee Chainey, co—author of the Treasury of Folklore series and co—founder of #FolkloreThursday

‘Folklore is a timely and rigorous work, confirming both the authors’ unparalleled expertise and the ongoing relevance of folklore today. A highly engaging and accessible must—read, this comprehensive exploration of the ever—evolving nature of folklore deserves a place on every bookshelf.’
Willow Winsham, co—author of the Treasury of Folklore series and co—founder of #FolkloreThursday

‘Ceri Houlbrook and Owen Davies have created a magnificent exploration of why folklore is important to today. It shows us that folklore is not static but something that is living and constantly evolving. Full of surprising and brilliant research, the book is an excellent overview of folklore in the past and present. Essential reading for all budding folklorists.’
Lally MacBeth, author of The Lost Folk: From the Forgotten Past to the Emerging Future of Folk

‘Respected academic folklorists Owen Davies and Ceri Houlbrook have penned an accessible, meaningful and entertaining look at the state of folklore in the twenty—first century. This vital work paints a picture of modern folklore that shows how it has adapted for modern times, still providing us with our sense of identity and place but now in a global community as well as a local one. Recommended for all folklore scholars and enthusiasts alike.’
Mark Norman, folklorist, author and creator of The Folklore Podcast

‘Folklore is a hidden superpower in every part of our land and our culture. The stories we tell let us know who, where and what we are, and here they can be found in their richness and complexity. I learned from every page.’
Diane Purkiss, author of English Food: A Social History of England Told through the Food on Its Tables

‘A fascinating, insightful, contemporary take on British folklore that bridges past and present. This book reveals how tradition lives on in unexpected places, from ancient customs to internet memes. It offers a nuanced, inclusive view of folklore as dynamic, diverse and deeply embedded in everyday life.’
Ben Edge, author of Folklore Rising: An Artist's Journey Through the British Ritual Year

'As a rich and fascinating overview and introduction to British folklore this book is really essential reading for anyone interested in the subject. I know I’ll be returning to my copy again and again.'
Helen Parry, Shiny New Books

'There have been a lot of recent publications about folk customs and beliefs but Folklore is by far the best I have come across.'
Rupert Loydell, International Times

From the Publisher