Uncommon Folk
The world of folklore is a diverse, thriving mix of ancient traditions, old gods, strange beasts and curious tales.
Every land has their own folk traditions, and while some themes are universal, each has something special about them that makes them unique.
Join stand-up comedian, writer, and folklore PhD candidate Dan Mitchell as he dives into the dark oceans of folk, hoping to find a never before found denizen of the deep. Featuring exclusive interviews with academics, folklorists, scientists, poets, magical practitioners, and many more special guests from around the world, Uncommon Folk hopes to unearth the bones of folklore and resurrect them with incantations long forgotten.
From deep dives to short nuggets, Uncommon Folk will enlighten, enthuse, and entertain the folk community.
Uncommon Folk
Uncommon Folk 31 Days of Winter- The Glastonbury Thorn
Ever wondered how a seemingly ordinary thorn tree could bridge the gap between myth and history? Tune in to discover the enchanting tale of the Glastonbury Thorn, a tree that defies the ordinary by blooming twice a year and intertwining itself with centuries of English lore. We journey to the mystical lands of Glastonbury, Somerset, to unravel the captivating story of Joseph of Arimathea and the extraordinary origins of this legendary tree, which has captured the imagination and hearts of many through its unique dual blooming cycles and thorny defenses.
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the Glastonbury thorn, now the Glastonbury, also known as the holy thorn. Um, it's. It's a common hawthorn, but it has something different about it. It flowers twice a year, uh, in winter and in spring, and it bears flowers and berries at the same time. There are legends about it, and one of them is that Joseph of Arimathea came to Britain and he visited Glastonbury which makes sense, it's a spiritual centre and when he was there, he thrust his staff into the ground at Wearyall Hill and his staff, overnight, blossomed into this wonderful thorn tree, the Holy Thorn or the Glastonbury Thorn.
Speaker 1:Now, what was considered the original tree was cut down during the English Civil War because of superstition. It was like oh, this is a superstitious relic, let's remove it, let's cut it down. Apparently, one of the thorns blinded the wielder of the axe in one eye. Now, but since the 17th century, a flowering branch of the Glastonbury thorn has been sent to the reigning queen or king to adorn their table at a Christmas feast. So while it might not have been the original one, it's been replanted. It's actually a form of common hawthorn, the Cradagus Moniginar by Flora. Now it's found all over Glastonbury, somerset, england. But the one thing that makes it Now it's found all over Glastonbury, somerset, england, but the one thing that makes it different, as I mentioned before, was the fact that it flowers twice a year. It's been propagated since ancient times, actually by grafting, so people have taken grafts off older thorns and kept it alive. So there we are, a beautiful legendary tree, a holy thorn tree that protects itself by well, the thorns, just like many other thorn trees, but the Glastonbury thorn
