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Putting magic in place: a knowledge exchange event

This podcast will feature selected materials presented in part at a one-day symposium bringing together academics from different disciplines (archaeology, history, folklore) with English Heritage staff and representatives from the National Trust and other heritage bodies.

The subject of the symposium was the supernatural in place. Presenters examine the residue of supernatural sites across the land, their loss, their ruined visibility, and what layered multifarious posterity reads into them and tells stories about them. The goal was to begin the process of recoupling the idea of unexplained story to sites in the landscape as its anchor. Contributors also discussed and investigated questions of contested ownership and contested rights, alongside questions of curatorship or its lack, local versus national identity, generational engagement, and competing layers of story, some of which directly concerned magic and others that explained it away.
Held on Friday 4th December 2020.

# Episode Title Description People Date
16 How sacred is an ancient sacred site? The interface between academics, heritage managers and modern Paganism First talk of Panel 1 - Who Owns this Place? Pondering Identities, chaired by Alice Purkiss, talk by Ronald Hutton (Bristol). Ronald Hutton 23 Jul 2021
15 The Byland Abbey ghost stories: using the dead to bring a medieval monastery to life Michael Carter (English Heritage) gives the second talk for the seminar. Michael Carter 26 Jul 2021
14 Panel 1 - Who Owns this Place? Pondering Identities Questions Questions and answers from the first panel of the seminar. Moderated by Alice Purkiss (National Trust Partnership and University of Oxford). Alice Purkiss 26 Jul 2021
13 Magic and Medicine in Early Roman Britain Nicky Garland (Durham), gives the first talk in the second panel, Tales in Place: Change and Continuity, in the conference. Chaired by Alice Purkiss. Nicky Garland 03 Aug 2021
12 Well, what about witches and wizards? Lisa Tallis (Cardiff) gives the second talk in the second panel - Tales in Place: Change and Continuity - of the conference. Chaired by Alice Purkiss. Lisa Tallis 03 Aug 2021
11 Mysterious Wales: between romanticism and tourism Juliette Wood (Folklorist), gives the third talk in the second panel, Tales in Place: Change and Continuity. Chaired by Alice Purkiss. Juliette Wood 04 Aug 2021
10 Touching the Numinous: ‘fairy places’ in legend and experience of the Irish landscape Jenny Butler (UC Cork), gives the first talk in the third panel, The Land Remembers: Place as Keeper of Story. Chaired by Alice Purkiss. Jenny Butler 04 Aug 2021
9 Remembering Irish witches Andrew Sneddon (Ulster), gives the second talk in the third panel, The Land Remembers: Place as Keeper of Story. Chaired by Alice Purkiss. Andrew Sneddon 04 Aug 2021
8 Panel 3 – The Land Remembers: Place as Keeper of Story questions Questions and answers from the second panel of the seminar. Moderated by Alice Purkiss (National Trust Partnership and University of Oxford). Alice Purkiss, Jenny Butler, Andrew Sneddon, Diane Purkiss 04 Aug 2021
7 Supernatural defences activated through death Brian Hoggard (Folklorist), gives the first talk in the fourth panel of the conference, The Dark Side, chaired by Oliver Cox. Brian Hoggard 05 Aug 2021
6 Crowd-sourcing England's legends: The English Heritage Myths and Legends Map Mary Bateman (English Heritage), gives the first talk in the fifth panel of the conference, Teaching and Learning, chaired by Oliver Cox. Mary Bateman 05 Aug 2021
5 Teaching the Folklore of British Landscapes Owen Davies (Hertfordshire), gives the second presentation in the fifth panel of the conference, Teaching and Learning, chaired by Oliver Cox. Owen Davies 05 Aug 2021
4 Telling Tales: Inspiring Creativity through the Myths, Legends and Folklore of England Kate Armstrong and Hannah Keddie (English Heritage) give the third presentation in the fifth panel of the conference, Teaching and Learning, chaired by Oliver Cox. Kate Armstrong, Hannah Keddie 05 Aug 2021
3 Tangible and intangible heritage: exploring magic, folklore, and the supernatural in the places, spaces and collections of the National Trust Sally Anne Huxtable (National Trust), gives the first presentation in the sixth panel of the conference, Show and Tell: What is Real? Chaired by Oliver Cox. Sally Anne Huxtable 05 Aug 2021
2 Is there such a thing as an authentic myth? Folklore in heritage interpretation at prehistoric places Susan Greaney (English Heritage), gives the second presentation in the sixth panel of the conference, Show and Tell: What is Real? Chaired by Oliver Cox. Susan Greaney 05 Aug 2021
1 Final Roundtable: Into the Hills Diane Purkiss, University of Oxford, chairs the final roundtable discussion of the conference. Diane Purkiss 05 Aug 2021