Tales for our Times

Mar 11 2025 16 ep. 43 mins 12
Tales for our Times Podcast artwork

We live in turbulent times, such times need great stories and storytelling.
 
This podcast presents the ancient craft of storytelling as tool for connection, imagination, entertainment and empowerment. 

Scottish storyteller Dougie Mackay, shares folk tales, myths and musings. Sometimes joined by guest storytellers, change-makers, rebels and poets, who share their perspective on stories and folk culture and its impact on modern life.

Themes of rewilding, nature connection, folk arts, primitive skills and regenerative culture are explored.

  Arts
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


The Clever Wish

Mar 11 2025 24 mins  
Send us a text This episode features a live telling of an Irish/Scottish folk tale, "The Clever Wish". Recorded at the Hearth Fire Sessions in Edinburgh in November 24, this episode previews the launch of the sessions again this year, starting on World Storytelling Day. This story is a favourite for all ages ,and it's riddle some quality makes it particularly satisfying to tell. St

Ramble by the River

Feb 28 2025 36 mins  
Send us a text Live recording from the banks of the River Tweed in the south of Scotland. The sun is shining, the frost is sparkling and the otters are swimming. This episode shares musings on creativity, creating moments of wonder amidst modernity, the polar pulls of to-do-lists and the wild, Fionn's true seeing and the poetry of the Otter. It's a bit different from previous episo

Marrakech Storytelling Festival

Feb 04 2025 35 mins  
Send us a text In this episode I give updates from the Marrakech International Storytelling Festival and share two short stories from the region. The stories are of a character famed through the Arab world, the wise fool, often known as Hodja, or the Mullah Nasruddin, but in North Africa he is known as 'Djoha'. I recently told one of these stories at a school in the Atlas Mountains

Culture Making with Tad Hargrave

May 01 2024 71 mins  
Send us a text As a prequel to my upcoming tour of British Columbia I speak with Tad Hargrave, best known for his Marketing for Hippies movement, but also eloquent in culture making and something of a storyteller, improv actor and street magician. You want this guy at your party! In our conversation we touch upon his own path to discover of the richness of his Celtic heritage, lear

Ep12. Wise fools with Dan Serridge

Mar 09 2024 88 mins  
Send us a text In this episode I discuss 'applied storytelling' as well as performance with Glasgow based storyteller Dan Serridge. We dive into story as a tool for community engagement and how it can break down barriers. Dan shares his experience of walking the border between England and Scotland, whilst musing the classic tale of Thomas the Rhymer, and his own experience of loss.

Ep11. Wild Awake with Lucy O'Hagan

Feb 03 2024 68 mins  
Send us a text In this episode I catch up with Lucy O'Hagan about her wilderness programmes in Ireland. We range from local myths of Lugh and Balor of the evil eye, to the Belfast Punk scene, snow shelters in Norway, cave dwelling in Dordogne, and the teepee outside Galway where we met. To find out more about Lucy's work: https://www.wildawake.ie/ To stay tuned for more story offer

Ep 10. The Witches of Kintail live at SISF

Nov 03 2023 41 mins  
Send us a text This episode features a live recording of a story told at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 23. It's a version of one of the stories I first fell in love with many years ago and has sublime musical accompaniment from the talented Rachel Newton...aswell as some random audience participation and suggestion! I also comment on various features of the story

Ep 9. The Hunter Ogalusa

Oct 04 2023 41 mins  
Send us a text In the episode I give a nod to my recent trip to Norway for a primitive skills gathering by telling a hunting tale from Sierra Leone. I also share a 'Revolting Rhyme' version of the Norwegian folk tale, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, inspired by irreverent British-Danish author Roald Dahl. There is some commentary on my time in Norway and the story too. If you'd like t

Ep 8. Rewilding Humans (with Daan Timmers)

Sep 05 2023 75 mins  
Send us a text In this episode I discuss rewilding with Daan Timmers, whom I met at the Lithica ancestral skills gathering in Norway. We reflect upon our experience at the Lithica Gathering highlighting the sense of community and connection and value of reconnecting with nature and each other in a world that often prioritizes individuality. We discuss the joy of learning and practi

Ep 7. The Old Grey Magician

Aug 17 2023 44 mins  
Send us a text In this episode I introduce Animate Lands, a live storytelling and music piece that recently showcased at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I introduce the Fianna and some of the old Celtic myths relating to them before sharing a Scottish story featuring the Old Grey Magician, a mysterious wizard type character in who appears in several old Celtic myths. This is a story