#InternationalWomensDay

I love to tell folk stories with women at their heart, and there are a lot of them. The idea that women in old stories were all just there to be wooed and/or rescued by a hero is a misconception - but it does have to be said that in a lot of stories, that *is* the case. You sometimes have to search a bit for the stories in which women have a more active role without being cast as 'evil witches', because there aren't all that many of them in this part of the world.

As a folk historian, I appreciate the stories as they are, the products of layers of history and retellings, and try not to look at them too much through the lens of modern values. But as a storyteller, I see myself as part of a living tradition that, by its 'folk' definition, changes according to the values of those practicing it. I find a balance of what feels right, and don't get too purist about any of it.

That said, here are a three of my favourite woman-centric stories, local to Northumberland or the Scottish Borders:

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#storytelling #folklore #WomenInFolklore #TraditionalStories #Northumberland #ScottishBorders