The History of Folk Horror

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.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

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Speaker Bio:

Marisa Linton is a historian, writer and Professor Emerita of History at Kingston University, where she taught the history of folklore, belief in magic, the history of women, and the history of European witch-hunts. She is internationally recognised as a leading authority on the French Revolution, the European Enlightenment and the history of women in France.

Alongside her academic career, she has delivered numerous public talks, appeared on TV and radio, and served as a historical adviser for TV. Today, she also writes fantasy novels that draw on her love for ancient Celtic Britain, folklore and belief in magic, ghost stories and the supernatural.

This talk is 16+ 

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Saïd Business School (Park End Street) (University of Oxford), Park End Street, Oxford, United Kingdom

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