The History Of Folk Horror

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Explore the shadowy history of folk horror and its connection to ancient customs and rituals on the British Isles. Followed by Q&A.

Why do stories of ghosts, witches and shapes in the night continue to haunt our imaginations? What is it about those ancient landscapes, ruined churches, mist-shrouded moors and lonely country lanes which so frequently feature in folk horror tales? In this talk, Professor Marisa Linton uncovers the strange and compelling history of folk horror in the British Isles - from eerie legends rooted in pagan belief to tales shaped by the land itself, its forgotten rituals, sacred sites and unsettling past.

Tracing a line from whispered folklore through the chilling ghost stories of M. R. James and Arthur Conan Doyle, and on to Gothic classics such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula, we will explore how folk horror has continually reinvented fear for new generations. From The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General, to modern stories of outsiders stumbling upon remote communities still ruled by “old ways,” the genre has never stopped evolving. Today, folk horror is experiencing a revival, as writers and filmmakers breathe fresh life into ancient legends, revealing that the uncanny is very much alive and thriving in the twenty-first century.