Welcome to my website
David Clarke is Associate Professor in the Department of Media Arts and Communication at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. He teaches media law and his research specialism is contemporary legend. Previously he worked as a journalist for The Sheffield Star and Yorkshire Post and spent four years working as a Press Officer in local government. His PhD in Folklore and was completed at the National Centre for English Cultural Tradition, University of Sheffield, in 1999. From 2008-13 he acted as consultant and curator of the MoD UFO files project with The National Archives. His books include The Angel of Mons (2004) and How UFOs Conquered the World: the history of a modern myth (2015). In 2018 he co-founded the Centre for Contemporary Legend at Sheffield Hallam University. This blog covers his twin research interests in journalism and folklore. The views expressed in the contents are entirely his own.
What is Folklore?
Once upon a time… ‘Folklore’ meant ancient ballads or fairy tales or the peculiar superstitions and customs of ‘primitive’ peoples. Today folklore is a tool for studying custom and belief, urban legends, modern myth and even rumours spread via the internet. Much folklore can be found online and buried in the narrative content of media and social networking - from legends and reports of ghosts, UFOs and 'big cats' to language, customs and traditions. The study of folklore is centrally and crucially important 'in our attempts to understand our own behaviour and that of our fellow human beings' according to one scholarly definition. Folklore is a vital and ongoing area of study and one of the few academic disciplines that engage, in a fundamental way, with everyday life.My Tweets
- RT @dallascampbell: On today’s #patented podcast I’m taking to the excellent @shuclarke about the ‘invention’ of the flying saucer/UFO/UAP.… 1 day ago
- RT @HistoryHit: Today on Patented @dallascampbell is joined by journalist and author @shuclarke to discuss all things UFO — from the moment… 1 day ago
- @disclosureteam_ @BC_OceanGirl_ MoD currently investigating loss of original report. Destruction of a public record is a criminal offence. 2 days ago
- RT @SensoriaFest: Join us for our FREE 'Outlaw's Picnic' June 2nd 11am - 4pm. Live music, heritage & folklore talks, books, art, B'Reyt Dou… 4 days ago
- Most #ufos can be identified but a few defy explanation, US intelligence chiefs tell Congress. Well what a surprise… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 6 days ago
Blog Stats
- 746,313 hits
Snopes.com – Rumour has it…
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Magonia Blog
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Mark Pilkington & John Lundberg – Folklore & Deception in the UFO Age
- Mirage Men in The Guardian August 18, 2014
- Mirage Men Double Disc DVD June 16, 2014
- UFOs and F-14s over Iran May 2, 2014
- We have lift off! March 27, 2014
- Mirage Men revealed by Greenwald? February 25, 2014
Bob Sheaffer’s Bad UFOs
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The Skeptic magazine
- Ooops! TWO errors in previous message! October 1, 2015
- October Spookiness! October 1, 2015
- Empirical Sex Talk on Dacryphilia, tonight October 1, 2015
- Little Atoms 393 – Timothy Snyder & Black Earth September 30, 2015
- Ash Pryce on "How to talk to the dead" @ Greenwich SitP, 7:30 pm, 7/10/15 September 30, 2015
Charles Fort Institute Blog
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Curt Collins on saucers in pop culture
- Bill Moore and UFO Disinformation Accusations April 29, 2022
- The Pentagon UFO Program: Documents Released April 7, 2022
- UFOs: The Long Black Road December 23, 2021
- Contact in Texas: The Lost UFO Photos November 18, 2021
- The Pentagon's Updated Statement: AATIP Studied UAPs May 22, 2021
Andrew May’s Forteana blog
- Pseudoscience and Science Fiction October 9, 2016
- Astronomical debunking October 2, 2016
- Contradiction - the All-Video Murder Mystery September 25, 2016
- Sacred Porn September 18, 2016
- Astronomical computers (old ones) September 11, 2016
Paul Kimball’s The Other Side of Truth: Don’t believe, don’t disbelieve. Think
- Who Are They? What Do They Want? May 16, 2021
- An Empty Suit April 20, 2021
- Synchronicity, Irish Style September 9, 2019
- Project Blue Book - A Review January 28, 2019
- Stan Friedman Retires March 13, 2018
Tag Archives: Britain’s X-traordinary Files
British Army tried to harness ‘supernormal’ powers in WW2
Records I discovered at The National Archives show the British Army’s top brass tried to harness ‘supernormal‘ powers during the war against Hitler – and may still be conducting experiments on a range of special powers. An article by Mark … Continue reading
On the trail of the phantom copter
The Daily Mirror has published the results of my Freedom of Information research on the phantom helicopter mystery that plagued British police forty years ago. The full story was published in Britain’s X-traordinary Files and a summary can be found … Continue reading
Cat’s out of the bag?
The Beast of Bodmin Moor was really just a large domestic cat according to a study commissioned by the British government. Two tabloids, The Sun and the Daily Mail, revealed the results of the 1995 investigation, based upon information taken from … Continue reading
Nessie: shoot on sight!
The Sunday Express has published a summary of my research into official files on The Loch Ness Monster. The article by Mark Branagan is headlined: ‘The day big game hunters were called in to kill Nessie…and almost sparked war’ and begins: ‘It … Continue reading
Solway Spaceman mystery is 50 years old
It is 50 years since Jim Templeton took the famous image of a figure in a space-suit hovering behind his daughter on the Solway Marshes in the English Lake District. Since that family outing in May 1964 when the figure … Continue reading