What the heck is a lek?
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
Fascinated by folklore? Then join us for this illuminating online talk by Professor Owen Davies, in which he puts Hardy’s references to witchcraft and popular magic into historical context. Based on historical and folkloristic research, particularly with regards to Somerset and Dorset, Owen will explore the influence of cunning-folk and the fear of witches, as well as a range of other magical healers with whom Hardy would have been familiar.
This talk goes beyond Hardy’s work, but there is a wealth of material to understand better the fictional world of folklore he created from the reality of the time.
You can book this online talk here, £5 per screen.
Owen Davies is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire and the current President of the Folklore Society, which was founded in London in 1878. He has published numerous books and articles on the history of witchcraft, magic, ghosts, religion and folk medicine.
His forthcoming book published by Oxford University Press is entitled ‘Troubled by Faith: Insanity and the Supernatural in the Age of the Asylum’.
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!