The Cunning Farmer

It's hard to treat the earth badly if we revere her.

What if farming has always been a little bit magic? Local farmer and author Todd Elliott thinks it has, and that we'd take better care of the land if we saw it as alive.

In this episode of Kentucky Deceased, Dr. Eleanor Hasken-Wagner talks with Todd about his book The Cunning Farmer: Agrarian Magical Practices, Mythology, and Folklore. They discuss astrology, the spirits of the land, and the "Christian animism" of the Middle Ages. Todd also reads an excerpt about a moonlit walk to an abandoned farm, where he leaves offerings for the spirits and sees the long history of the land.

Do you have a strange story from Frankfort or Franklin County? Bumps in the night, lights in the skies, or whatever else have you, we'd love to hear them! Record your story at the link below and it may end up on a future episode of Kentucky Deceased.

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