THE WULVER'S STANE

TITLE - THE WULVER’S STANE

CREATED BY - SJ LYALL

GENRE - FORTEANA/FOLKLORE/CRYPTIDS/STONE CIRCLES/URBAN WYRD

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - UNITED KINGDOM

A5/68 PAGES/B&W

PRICE - £4.50 + SHIPPING FROM SJ LYALL'S LULU WEBPAGE

A refreshingly lucid, Scottish-flavoured zine, “The Wulver’s Stane” leans more towards the Fortean with a dash of folklore, so expect articles on Bigfoot, Nessie and UFOs amidst the folk horror and urban wyrd vibes. Folklore-themed music, books and films are also covered. Created, like many new zines, during the lockdown of 2020, it has now reached its third issue.

Issue 1 starts as it means to go on with a spooky guided tour around S. J. Lyall’s native town of Luncarty and a guide to the standing stones of Edinburgh, with appropriate photos. A journal of a roadtrip around America’s weird hotspots during the downtime between metal festivals is, unsurprisingly, crazy and bizarre - it is America, after all - taking in Mothman and Foamhenge. With the zine’s focus firmly on cryptids, the legend of the Woodwose is also explored alongside a rundown of wildman sightings in the U.K. over the years.

“Folk Horror and Punk”, is exactly that: a look at hardcore bands with a folky element. Thanks to Amazon Music and my best headphones, the bands featured formed the perfect playlist to accompany the article, and all three issues, in fact. I think I will be referring to this article a lot in the future.

Issue 2 continues strongly with pieces on the strangest places to visit in Edinburgh while “Mystery Animals of the Lothians” takes a look at the various reports of big cats, sea monsters and other less corporeal thingies reportedly seen in the surrounding area beyond Edinburgh. One particular article that caught my eye in this issue is the piece on Gnarl, a one-man doom/noise outfit that has the Welsh, pant-wettingly scary horror-horse, the Mari Lwyd, as its logo (available on Bandcamp) As a taffy myself, I love it when the Mari is used in popular culture. Folk Horror and Punk part 2 looks at the broader conjunction of hardcore music and folk horror, including a list of recommended listening. Other pieces include the famous “ghost photograph” taken in Newby Church in North Yorkshire, a review of one of my favourite ‘70s sci-fi/Fortean television shows, “The Omega Factor”, and a look at the general “high strangeness” associated with Loch Ness beyond the famous monster.

“Folk Horror Against Fascism” is a timely piece about the appropriation of folklore by far-right groups in music and pagan culture, and the ways the scene is fighting back. In fact there is a strong anti-fascist thread throughout “The Wulver’s Stane” and it is an unapologetically anti-fascist and inclusive safe-space.

ISSUE 3

Issue 3 has a more apocalyptic theme, with SJ Lyall’s piece “The Apocalypse and Me” sharing space with Caledonian cannibals and Perthshire vampires. Lyall’s article covers the late 70s/early 80s (understandable) preoccupation with the end of the world in programmes like “Threads” and comic strips. I was there, mate, I know where you’re coming from. There is also an interview with regular cover artist Alex CF.

Regular features in the zine include Fortean-themed book, film, TV and music reviews, short fiction and field reports from ancient stone circles and the like. The zine is in the popular perfect-bound A5 format, b&w throughout with photos and crisp printing. Simply produced but clear, informative and well researched - articles are usually fully annotated with sources - “The Wulver’s Stane” is immensely readable and honest, and offers a rational and pragmatic presence on the folk-zine shelf.