Magic

55-Grimm: My (Bird) Heart Will Go On

By |2023-11-14T13:31:45-05:00January 3rd, 2017|Categories: Episodes, Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

This story from the Grimm brothers has giants, witches, magical animal organs, enchanted produce, and a helpful (and maybe a little homicidal) cloud buddy who just wants to aid you in finding the next steps on the journey that is life. This story is bizarre and wonderful and a testament to the endurance of [...]

38A-Korean Literature (Hong Gildong): Crossing the Threshold

By |2021-02-10T10:14:56-05:00July 5th, 2016|Categories: Episodes, MythPodcast, Podcast|Tags: , , , , |

Hong Gildong has been called the Korean Robin Hood, but really oversimplifies the story. It is both an awesome adventure tale with dragons, magic, assassins, demons, bandits, and betrayal, and a complex human drama, where one young man must find and understand his place in the world. It's both action-packed, and heartbreaking. The titular character, Gildong, was [...]

22A-Irish Legends (The Tain): Red Ledger

By |2021-02-10T09:27:59-05:00January 26th, 2016|Categories: Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Starting an epic string of legends from Celtic folkore. We're back in the time of kings, princesses, and intrigue. You'll see how you can steal a kingdom with fancy accounting, curse a nation because of a careless comment, and start a war to prove to your spouse how rich you are. The creature of the week [...]

16-Russian Fairy Tales: She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

By |2021-02-10T09:24:07-05:00November 18th, 2015|Categories: Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , |

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, [...]

8-Merlin: Call of the Wyllt

By |2021-02-10T09:13:09-05:00September 9th, 2015|Categories: Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

A short supplemental on one of the inspirations for Merlin, a man named Myrddin the Wyllt,  a Welsh warrior bard who went insane after seeing his friends die on the battlefield and ran off to a life in the forest. It would have been fine if people didn't keep dragging him back to civilization...or if he [...]

7-Little Mermaid: Cry with the Saints

By |2021-02-10T09:12:50-05:00September 2nd, 2015|Categories: Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The real story of the Little Mermaid is way more violent and grim than the Disney version, and does not have a happy ending. It's the story of a teenage mermaid who falls in love with a human and makes a deal to get legs, but that's where the similarities end. The original includes bald mermaids, daggers, [...]

6C-King Arthur: How I Met Your Mother

By |2021-02-10T09:12:30-05:00August 26th, 2015|Categories: Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wrapping up this current run of King Arthur episodes, we find a kingdom in shambles. We'll see the final(ish..for now at least) battle between the Saxons and the Britons, and then the rule of King Arthur's uncle and father. Uther then decides to risk this extremely tenuous peace to woo a woman who isn't into him [...]

6B-Merlin: What’s Red, White, and Fighting All Over

By |2021-02-10T09:11:34-05:00August 19th, 2015|Categories: Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

This is where we meet Merlin, a son of a demon who uses his evil powers for good. But he's not yet the bearded sorcerer we all kind of know and love. No, he first enters our story as a serious seven year-old with power over magic, the ability to prophesy, and knowledge of the past, present, [...]

5B-Slavic Folklore: The First Horcrux

By |2021-02-09T21:50:50-05:00August 5th, 2015|Categories: Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

As it turns out, Koschei the Deathless is very, very hard to kill, a fact one could probably guess from his name. This episode explores his tragic origins, as well as the ludicrously complex way he's hidden his soul (a Russian nesting doll situation that's unpleasant for everyone involved). He'll prove his name incorrect as he finally [...]

5A-Slavic Folklore: Tried and Died

By |2021-02-09T21:50:25-05:00July 29th, 2015|Categories: Podcast|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In this story of a dangerous magician from Russian folklore, you'll learn that you should maybe believe your spouse if she says you definitely don't want to know what's behind that door in the dungeon. It's the bizarre, sad, and kind of hilarious story of Koschei the Deathless, a man who seems like a much more [...]

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