Multiple epic battles and a ridiculous idea getting taken way too far end up with one king possessing a cloak made out of the beards of all the kings of the earth. He just covets one more - the beard of a man we've seen before on this podcast. This is the story of the mantle [...]
The story behind the transition from Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus is one that includes murder, priest-punching, and ominous, demonic-looking companions. This episode looks at the legends behind an austere bishop who has been transformed into a magical, portly elf. **Note: as I say in the show, this episode is not for young children. The story [...]
The final chapter in the story of Theseus, the Minotaur, and all the other people that have gotten swept up in this drama spanning decades. We'll learn exactly what the Delphic Oracle meant by her prophecy, and how you can use a spool of thread to kill a giant monster. On the creature of the week, [...]
The story of Daedalus and Icarus is much more than just Icarus flying too close to the sun. Daedalus, the inventor, is directly responsible for the labyrinth and the Minotaur. He's a man whose will to survive and desire for significance drives him to make magnificent things, which only bring death, destruction, and tragedy for him [...]
We have all heard the story of Theseus fighting that monstrous half-bull, half-man beast known as the Minotaur, but the original story starts years earlier. It involves tensions between two kingdoms, a deadly poetry slam, and dumb bandits. The creature of the week is a small chicken that will give you lots of gold...if you can [...]
On the second Fairy Tale Friday episode, it's two stories from Japanese folklore. One is a super-adorable story about a monkey playing with a crab, which turns into a bloody revenge tale. The other involves a man in the forest who discovers a very powerful alternative to Rogaine. The creature of the week is a little [...]
An episode of entirely listener-submitted stories! The main story is from South Africa and tells of how a mountain peak got its name from a deadly competition. Deadly because of the cancer risk, but also...well, you'll see. Then, on the creature of the week, you'll see which household items can repel this ferocious beast and that, [...]
A short character study looking deeper into the weirdness that is the character of the famous Russian witch Baba Yaga and why she might be the way she is. Note: this isn't the Fairy Tale Friday episode, just a little bonus one :)
The story of a young woman, her magic doll, and a witch who may be the most terrifying - or the most ridiculous - person you've ever seen. You'll also see that you should definitely not trust a gift from a witch. Especially if that gift is a human skull...that's on fire. On the creature of the week, [...]
In this Russian Fairy Tale from the same collections as the stories of Koschei the Deathless, we find a prince who goes on a quest for the firebird. This leads us into a Russian nesting quest situation, where he ends up on a quest-within-a-quest-within-a-quest. We'll also follow his doofus brothers, who decide that taking an extended [...]