Edinburgh Fortean Society (original) (raw)

The next meeting of the Edinburgh Fortean Society (our final talk of 2024)

Gordon Rutter will be speaking on

The Folklore of Birds

Did you know the barnacle goose comes from a shellfish?
Have you any idea of why we break the wishbone of a chicken for good luck?
And talking of luck, how can we ensure all our interactions with magpies are lucky?
Come along and find out about these and other folkloric beliefs surrounding a range of birds – birds united by the fact they are all in this talk!
Oh and by the way – the barnacle goose doesn’t really come from a shellfish. Sorry.

Beehive Inn
Grassmarket
Edinburgh
7.30pm, £1

Gavin Ritchie will be speaking on

Manifest Narrative

“Conjuring Up Philip”, Magic, Poltergeists, Tulpas and the Self. Can stories change reality?

If the paranormal can be said to exist, it surely cannot stop at the boundaries of the seance room, haunted house or parapsychology lab… In this talk, we examine the possibility that aspects of the paranormal might hide in plain sight, taking examples from science and culture. Our launch point is story – something mundane enough to be taken for granted, while remaining utterly fundamental to our lives.

Beehive Inn

Grassmarket

Edinburgh

7.30pm, £1

Stuart Robins will be talking on:

The Cailleach and Bodach and Other Mysterious Stones of Highland Perthshire

A journey deep into the wild heart of Scotland, where ancient stones are said to possess magical powers. Curing toothache, regulating pregnancy, banishing the plague and controlling the seasons. On the way, we’ll encounter monstrous creatures, flee from ghosts, be thwarted by Nazis and compete in feats of legendary heroic strength. Before crawling into the fairy underworld – an adventure from which we might not return. And all from the relative comfort of your (somewhat less than comfortable) chair.

Wednesday 11th September 2024
Beehive Inn
Grassmarket
Edinburgh
7.30pm, £1

Stew Smith will be speaking on

Frogs, Flying heads and giant skeletons – Tokyo’s Vengeful Ghost

In 940 CE the death of Taira no Masakado ended a short lived rebellion against the Japanese emperor. Why did he become one of the three great vengeful spirits of Japan and a famous subject of stories told to this day, and why are there stone carvings of frogs at the Tokyo shrine that marks where his head was supposedly buried? In this talk we’ll look at the history of Masakado’s rebellion and what happened after that inspired people to call him Japan’s First Samurai.

Comedy Attic
Beehive Inn
Grassmarket
Edinburgh
7.30pm, £1

Faracy will be speaking on

Tarot: a tool in use

A sceptical practitioner tells all.

Comedy Attic, Beehive Inn, Grassmarket, Edinburgh

7.30pm, £1

Scott Lyall will be speaking on

The Changing Face Of The Strange: Trends Within Unusual Experiences

How have reports of strange phenomena changed over the years? Are there types of experiences being reported now that weren’t in the past? Are there strange phenomena that seem to be on the wane?
In this talk, I’ll look at a range of weird experiences, from UFOs to fairies to dogmen, looking at how reports have changed and considering the reasons for this.
Wednesday 8th May
Beehive Inn
Grassmarket
Edinburgh
7.30pm, £1

The Beehive Pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh, £1 entry

Explaining Witchcraft and Magic through spells, charms, and other curios.

Ash William Mills is a magical practitioner, ethnologist , author, and the curator/director of the Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling & Witchcraft in Edinburgh.
He will be discussing the Scottish Witch Trials and the history of magic and fortune-telling by showing some objects that are displayed in the museum.

The Beehive Pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh, £1 entry

Jan Bondeson will be talking on Greyfriars Bobby

No visitor to Edinburgh will miss the monument to Scotland’s most famous dog, the little terrier Greyfriars Bobby. This amazing dog, the most faithful in the world, kept vigil at his master’s grave for fourteen long years. Many children’s books, and three successful films, have been inspired by the affecting story of this little dog, said to be the most inspiring tale of love and loyalty ever heard. Every summer, Bobby’s statue is surrounded by tourists from all over the world, some of whom weep profusely when they hear dog’s pathetic story. In this book, the true story of Greyfriars Bobby will finally be told for the first time, using original sources. Was Bobby really the canine paragon of virtue he has been presumed to be, or was he an unconscious impostor, taking advantage of the notions about extreme canine fidelity that were current at the time? And was he, as the available portraits of him suggest, a dog enough for two?

The next meeting of the Edinburgh Fortean Society is Wednesday the 8th of November at 7.30pm, upstairs in the Beehive, Grassmarket. £1 entry.

Gordon Rutter will be speaking on Fortean Flora

Tales of plants, but not the nice medicinal or pretty ones. No, it’s the turn of the nasty ones to get their chance in the spotlight. Examples will be taken from folklore and fiction with some frightful factual flowers for good luck!

Have an ex you hate? Come along and find a suitable bouquet for them! N.b. the same bouquet will probably do for people you like if their interests lie more in the macabre.

Next meeting of the Edinburgh Fortean Society

Wednesday the 13th of September. 7.30pm

The Comedy Attic
The Beehive,
Grassmarket
Edinburgh
£1 entry

Fortean TV
We’ve had a look at Fortean books and Fortean films so logic dictates we should have a look at Fortean TV shows. So that is what we’re doing.
Factual or fictional. Documentary or drama. Single episodes or whole series.
The net is being cast far and wide. Come and hear recommendations, and if you want there’s still time for you to get in touch to have your own say!