Art, Witch Marks, and West Country Lore (The Weird Wessex Showcase)

In this episode, Craig and Andy head to the ancient, iconic landscape of the Avebury Stone Circle for the "Weird Wessex" showcase—a gathering of local artists, musicians, and storytellers celebrating the high strangeness of the West Country. What starts as a stroll through the stones quickly turns into a deep dive into the living, breathing folklore of the region, packed with everything from medieval mysteries to silent UFOs.First, we chat with some of the festival's more eccentric living folklore characters, including the forest-dwelling Apple Man and the Cerbo Dog (a self-proclaimed son of Cerberus). Then, we catch up with traditional stonemason Toby Robson to talk about the hidden history of apotropaic "witch marks" on historic buildings, before he drops a fascinating, first-hand account of a silent, diamond-shaped craft he witnessed gliding over Devizes.Moving over to St. James's Church, event co-organiser and carver Wolfie gives us a masterclass in reading sacred spaces as he shares his deep research into replicating the mysterious, headless figure on the 12th-century Avebury font. We're also joined by muralist Bos, who details the dark, thunderous Dartmoor lore behind his painting of the 1638 Widecombe-in-the-Moor Devil attack, and storyteller Oliver Lavery (The Folk Bus), who helps us bridge the gap between ancient fairy abductions at Hackpen Hill and modern Ufology.We wrap things up with a well-earned debrief at The Barge at Honey Street, reflecting on how crop circles, stone carvings, and local legends all connect into one massive matrix of weirdness.In This EpisodeThe Witch Marks of Wessex: Stonemason Toby Robson explains the folklore of apotropaic markings, portal protection, and why people used to scrape consecrated dust from church walls for folk magic.The Silent Diamond over Devizes: Toby shares his unexplained encounter with a silent, multi-coloured, diamond-shaped aerial object that defied military aviation logic.The Avebury Font Detective: Wolfie breaks down the iconography of the church's medieval font and his theory that the missing figure is actually St. James of Jerusalem.The Devil of Widecombe: Bos brings the eerie history of Dartmoor to life, recounting the legendary 1638 lightning strike blamed on a demonic visitation, and a strange Hollywood connection to the "ghost village."Fairies vs. Grays: Storyteller Oliver Lavery explores the shared archetypal DNA between the historic fairies of Hackpen Hill and modern alien abduction lore."I don't think it's for me to say if anyone's wrong or right... I love the secrecy of it all. And your opinions are just as valid as mine."Stay Wyrd!Help keep the lights on and join our Discord here: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessexBuy our merch here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=uWritten and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy StevensEdited by Craig BrooksIntro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - RemixOutro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.