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Owen Davies

@odavies9

Historian and Folklorist. Writes books on witches, magic, ghosts, religion, popular medicine, and folklore.

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22.08.2023
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Latest posts by Owen Davies @odavies9

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The myth of Baba Vanga: how a mystic’s ‘prophecies’ fuel online propaganda Many of the Bulgarian seer’s predictions were never recorded, yet her name bolsters conspiracy theories and geopolitical narratives

Baba Vanga. A modern prophet and diviner, & how her name is exploited by the Russian propaganda machine. Interesting piece.

07.03.2026 20:27 👍 6 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
The media outlet
GB News
It was reported this week that 
the channel, which employs several Reform UK politicians – (including Nigel Farage to the tune of around £400,000 a year) lost
in the year to May 2025
Its total losses since launch in 2021 now stand at 
£131m

The media outlet GB News It was reported this week that the channel, which employs several Reform UK politicians – (including Nigel Farage to the tune of around £400,000 a year) lost in the year to May 2025 Its total losses since launch in 2021 now stand at £131m

What is the price of influence on the right?

The media

'GB News is a vast, monstrous spectre looming over British politics – a relentless content machine that has executed Steve Bannon’s ploy of “flooding the zone with shit”.' says Sam Bright

(2/6)

07.03.2026 12:53 👍 32 🔁 14 💬 1 📌 3
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Cat rescued before ending up mummified. #apotropoeic

04.03.2026 23:08 👍 8 🔁 3 💬 3 📌 0
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'The Haunting at the Rectory: Ghost Stories and Women’s Lives' IN PERSON RHS Lecture with Prof Sasha Handley (Manchester) at the University of Warwick, 1 May 2026

Lucky members of @cemsexeter.bsky.social got a sneak preview of some of the material for Sasha's lecture yesterday!

The haunting is a quite extraordinary survival, so if you are in Warwick I do urge you to go along.

#EarlyModern 🗃️

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-haunti...

05.03.2026 10:39 👍 10 🔁 9 💬 0 📌 2
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Physical Disability and Deformity in Nineteenth-Century Britain Offering historical primary sources that outline both medical and experiential perspectives of physical disability, this book provides frequently mentioned but rarely provided material and supports re...

I have an edited primary source collection coming out on disability and deformity in c19th Britain. My hope is that you find it useful for teaching (apologies for the abstract, I did not write it! and the cost) #histmed #dishist www.routledge.com/Physical-Dis...

05.03.2026 08:52 👍 103 🔁 44 💬 3 📌 1
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Our research shows that 13% of people in England - that’s roughly 5 million people - believe that it is lucky if swallows, swifts and/or house martins build a nest in the eaves of your home.

02.03.2026 10:18 👍 36 🔁 10 💬 4 📌 1
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Victoria Memorial Hall and the geo-logics of empire

Historical geographers of the world unite, to hear Professor Swati Chattopadhyay's talk on Victorian Memorial Hall and the Geo-logics of Empire. 10 March at 530pm BST in London at the Institute of Historical Research & online on Zoom. All welcome and free. Register with the link below. #Skystorians

03.03.2026 16:01 👍 10 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0

No what you mean!

02.03.2026 23:24 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

1970s folk horror/ @hookland.bsky.social vibe in this great bit of Nationwide footage. Take a look. This sort of thing was part of my childhood.

02.03.2026 23:16 👍 22 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 1
1975: The CARMARTHEN OAK - DARE anyone REMOVE it? | Nationwide | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive
1975: The CARMARTHEN OAK - DARE anyone REMOVE it? | Nationwide | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive YouTube video by BBC Archive

Some incredible 1970s people here www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP8e...

02.03.2026 09:03 👍 9 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 1

Excellent footage!

02.03.2026 23:10 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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The popularity of “new antiquarianism” challenges how we understand research impact - LSE Impact Research in the humanities is not confined to academic institutions. Particularly in history & archaeology where "new antiquarianism" creates public research.

The popularity of “new antiquarianism” challenges how we understand research impact - LSE Impact
blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsoci...

02.03.2026 20:15 👍 7 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
A western toad, rescued from a pit trap,.

A western toad, rescued from a pit trap,.

I don’t have anything to say that can help right now. But this toad believes in you. Stay strong. #herps

02.03.2026 00:41 👍 419 🔁 99 💬 13 📌 4

That's it! Good detective work.

02.03.2026 00:34 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Legends in British postcards. Occasional quiz. Whose oak is this? A major major legendary figure ... Last seen in the 1970s. No longer exists.

02.03.2026 00:12 👍 15 🔁 2 💬 5 📌 0
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Today we welcomed the amazingly talented @diesclara.bsky.social to class @herts.ac.uk who talked to us about her journey to folklore, her artworks & her myriad projects (including a very exciting delve into witchcraft in northern Spain). Thank you so much for joining us!

25.02.2026 19:58 👍 15 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
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Some of our amazing folklorists about to graduate and already doing amazing things, making the world a better place by caring about people's stories, customs & beliefs. You make me so proud 🥲

24.02.2026 18:23 👍 16 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
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Used my upcoming birthday as an excuse in class to talk about the caterpillar cake (be it Colin, Morris, Cecil, Maisie, Vic, etc) as a contemporary British birthday tradition - the American students were bemused, asking why a caterpillar. I had no pearls of wisdom to share. But I did have cake.

26.02.2026 21:06 👍 22 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0

Book launch at WCML tomorrow with Greater Manchester Tenants' Union
Tickets link here www.ticketsource.co.uk/gmtu/contest...

25.02.2026 14:36 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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Catch up with S1 of Folklore Matters! Our last 2 podcast episodes featured Dominic Hardy talking about his dad Robin + CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN and a discussion with leading folklorists Ceri Houlbrook + Owen Davies about contemporary British folklore. New episode tomorrow! @nfsengland.bsky.social

25.02.2026 21:04 👍 11 🔁 5 💬 1 📌 0
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France lit the Eiffel Tower in blue and yellow on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, signaling solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people. #France

24.02.2026 21:02 👍 666 🔁 115 💬 5 📌 1
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In Folklore Studies class last week @herts.ac.uk we were celebrating Lunar New Year and exploring the ways it's adapted to the present day. Then I head over to Liverpool and amidst the Lion Dance am handed a red envelope by the God of Fortune - with a chocolate 2p coin inside it

23.02.2026 20:40 👍 21 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 1
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On the website today, meet photographer Joe Barnes. His fascination with the customs and traditions of Britain has led to a body of work that he’s hoping to exhibit. He’s kindly supplied us some gorgeous images to accompany his piece. Read it here: www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/news/joe-bar...

19.02.2026 21:44 👍 12 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
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Invasion of the Saucermen — National Folklore Survey for England Senior Lecturer in Photography, Andrew Robinson, introduces the ‘Invasion of the Saucermen’ exhibition taking place this March and April in Sheffield City Centre.

Invasion of the Saucermen is a new exhibition at the Old Head Post Office at @sheffieldhallamuni.bsky.social, opening next month. We caught up with Andrew Robinson to hear about its conception - and how the Survey feeds into the display: www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/news/invasio...

22.02.2026 20:43 👍 12 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 0
The Emsworth Museum logo and a drawing of HMS York

The Emsworth Museum logo and a drawing of HMS York

#ICYMI: Join the Hampshire Archives Trust for a webinar this week all about Swing Riots in Havant and Emsworth!

Find out more: www.balh.org.uk/event-balh-d...

#WeAreLocalHistory #LocalHistoryForAll

@harchivestrust.bsky.social

22.02.2026 12:01 👍 6 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 1

"ask an AI chatbot". NO. go away.

22.02.2026 20:50 👍 14 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1
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Doing onomancy in the later Middle Ages

Next Wednesday 25 February I'm giving a talk at Magdalen College, Oxford, entitled 'Doing Onomancy in the Later Middle Ages'. All welcome, more details below.

#MedievalSky

www.torch.ox.ac.uk/event/doing-...

19.02.2026 15:41 👍 39 🔁 11 💬 2 📌 3
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Resources for Historians The IHR offers a wide range of online resources and publications for historians. These pages introduce and provide access to these resources.

The @ihr.bsky.social has brought all its online resources - journals, @vch-home.bsky.social, OA book series, @bho.bsky.social, BBIH, @layersoflondon.bsky.social, and more - into one section of its website for easier access bit.ly/4cCrpUD.

Much of this content is free to use online #Skystorians

19.02.2026 12:05 👍 80 🔁 52 💬 0 📌 1

Tis a curious one. Can't find anything on it before twentieth century.

20.02.2026 21:54 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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The Winterton-on-sea Magic Stone

19.02.2026 09:08 👍 8 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0