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.… 4 hours ago
- RT @HistoryHit: Today on Patented @dallascampbell is joined by journalist and author @shuclarke to discuss all things UFO — from the moment… 4 hours ago
- @disclosureteam_ @BC_OceanGirl_ MoD currently investigating loss of original report. Destruction of a public record is a criminal offence. 6 hours 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… 3 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… 4 days ago
Blog Stats
- 746,141 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: Sheffield Hallam University
Is there anyone working out there?
Astronomers plan to listen for noise made by alien factories using the first UK telescope dedicated to the search for extra-terrestrials. The EAAROCIBO project – launched by a group of scientists and businessmen based in East Anglia – aims to … Continue reading
Two Podcasts: All About UFOs and Covid-19 folklore
Children’s publisher Usborne have reissued the classic 1977 title All About UFOs from The World of the Unknown series. The UFO title is the second in the series to be brought back through popular demand (a companion volume on ghosts … Continue reading
25 years ago: Alien film a FAKE says movie wizard
25 years ago crowds gathered to see the world premiere of the ‘alien autopsy‘ film at an international UFO congress held at Sheffield Hallam University. At the time I was journalist at the Sheffield Star and according to expert Philip … Continue reading
Close Encounters (at a distance): the UFOlore Podcast
The first episode of the UFOlore podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify and TuneIn. We hope this weekly dose of discussion surrounding the folklore of UFOs and those who see and believe in them will be a nostalgic distraction from … Continue reading
Folklore: 10 things you didn’t know about Halloween
What is the history of Halloween and when was it first celebrated? Why do we trick or treat? Why do we carve pumpkins? Dr David Clarke of the Centre for Contemporary Legend, Sheffield Hallam University, investigates the origins of this … Continue reading
Yorkshire UFO crash mystery solved – after 60 years
THE wreckage of a miniature UFO that ‘crash landed’ on the North York Moors sixty years ago has been found – hidden in the archives of a London museum. The story has been claimed by some as Britain’s answer to … Continue reading
Dead Flows the Don
Dr David Clarke of Sheffield Hallam University appeared on a BBC Radio 3 documentary about the River Don. In the Sheffield Telegraph he traces the myths and legends of the river as it flows through Sheffield: One of my earliest … Continue reading
On the Side of the Angels
Sheffield Hallam University journalism lecturer David Clarke will present his research on the origins of some of the First World War’s best known legends at a public event in Leicester on 11 November. New Perspectives of the First World War … Continue reading
The Phantom Russian Cossacks
The fruits of my research into First World War rumours and belief legends was published in the Sunday Telegraph on 23 February under the headline: A RUSSIAN REVELATION: WHERE THE MYTHICAL COSSACKS OF WW1 WERE REALLY FROM by Jasper Copping … Continue reading