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Folklore, Ecology and Re-Enchantment
with Dr. Jack Hunter
A six week course exploring the role of folklore and tradition in re-enchanting our relationship with the natural world.
About the course
Over the course of six two-hour in-person seminars we will examine a combination of cross-cultural and theoretical perspectives on human-nature relations through traditional knowledge and take a deep-dive into the folklore of Dyffryn Tanat to explore ancestral and contemporary worldviews. All seminars will take place at Dolydd Gobaith – with spectacular views up and down the Tanat Valley – giving the stories and ideas we will be discussing a grounding and relevance in the living landscape.
Booking
Please get in touch to confirm availability and book your place, or with any questions you have.
Key Details
Duration: the course will run over six Saturdays from 16th May until 20th June.
Timings: each session will start at 10am and last for around 2 hours.
Cost: the course costs £120. We may be able to offer some concessionary places; please get in touch to discuss these.
Course outline
Folklore and Ecology: An introduction to folklore, in a broad sense, and its connections to ecological understanding, traditional ecological knowledges, and so on.
Giant Lore: introduces giants in a cross-cultural context, before considering the giants of the Tanat Valley and their role in the shaping of the landscape.
Fairy Folklore and the other-than-human: introduces fairy folklore and other-than-human beings in a broad context, before digging into the specific traditions of the Tanat Valley, and their particular connection to place.
Ghosts and Strange Lights: introduces the theme of ghosts and their connection to place, as well as weird-lights and UFOs, and explores their prevalence in the Tanat Valley.
Conjurors and Pobol Hysbys: introduces the role of the cunning person/conjuror/medicine man/witchdoctor in a cross-cultural context and explore their role in mediating between humans and the world of spirits, before examining them in the context of the Tanat Valley.
Folklore, Re-Enchantment and Nature Connection: Focusing on the role of stories and traditions in the present day to help establish a renewed sense of connection to the natural world, and as a socio-cultural response to climate change, etc.
About your tutor
Dr Jack Hunter is an anthropologist exploring the borderlands of consciousness, religion, ecology and the paranormal.
He is an Honorary Research Fellow with the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and a tutor at the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture, University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He teaches on the MA in Ecology and Spirituality and the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology. He is also a tutor for the Alef Trust on their MSc in Consciousness, Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology, where he teaches on the ‘Approaches to Consciousness’ module, and teaches ‘The Varieties of Anomalous Experience’ for the California Institute for Human Science.
He is the author of Manifesting Spirits (2020), Spirits, Gods and Magic (2020), Ecology and Spirituality (2023), and The Folklore of the Tanat Valley (2025). He is the editor of Deep Weird (2023), Greening the Paranormal (2019) and Damned Facts (2016), and co-editor of Talking With the Spirits (2014), Mattering the Invisible (2021), Folklore, People and Place (2023) and Sacred Geography (2024).
For more information visit jack-hunter.webstarts.com.
FAQs
How much does the course cost?
The course costs £120, although we may be able to offer some concessionary rates. Please get in touch to discuss these.
Where will the course be held?
The course will take place at Dolydd Gobaith, both in the main picnic area, and walking around the site. Weʼll do our best to cater for the weather and provide shelter or reschedule for particularly wet or windy days. Please take a look at the weather forecast before each session and dress appropriately for the weather.
What time will the sessions start?
Sessions will start at 10am every Saturday.
How long will the sessions be?
Typically each session will be around 2 hours long, although this might be a bit longer or shorter depending on the subject and the format of the session.
What format will the sessions take?
The sessions will be a mixture of presentations, group discussions and outdoor observation.
What happens if I cannot make every session?
No problem at all, just get in touch and we will do our best to work things out.
Is there any flexibility on timings?
If you would like to take part in the course, but cannot make the dates above, please do get in touch. We may be able to rearrange the course within reason if there is sufficient demand for other dates. We wonʼt know unless you tell us though, so please do let us know!
Will you be running the course again?
Weʼll be taking feedback on the structure, length, timings and content of the course. If everyhing goes well, weʼd love to run the course again, or offer something similar based on the feedback we receive.
Booking
Please get in touch to confirm availability and book your place, or with any questions you have.
Got a question?
We're very friendly, so please do get in touch
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hello@dolydd-gobaith.cymru
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