Myths and Legends

This week, it is the insane original story behind the popular holiday ballet. In this story for children, we'll get some contradictory lessons for the kids. Getting into a van with a stranger offering candy? Bad. Getting into a silver carriage with a man offering a whole magical world full of candy? Awesome (not really - seriously, kids don't do that)...

Two (originally children's) tales that underscore the shocking brutality of the world in which these stories were told. The first one is that of three roommates: a sausage, a bird, and a mouse, who decide to mix things up for once. The second is the Robber Bridegroom, a story where a woman has to marry a man who horrifies her...and the lengths she'll go to in order to get out of it...

The story of a weaving contest between a goddess and a woman challenging the cruelty and tyranny of the Olympians leads us into three more stories: Pandora's box; the great flood of the ancient Greek world; and the love story of Idas and Marpessa, two people who saw the gods taking whatever and whoever they wanted, and said "no." 

The creature this week is the rolling calf. It's neither rolling nor a calf. Discuss...

A short supplemental that finishes the story of Lady White Snake...because there wasn't enough story left for a full episode. There's still a full Myths and Legends episode coming out on Wednesday! The Myths and Legends store: http://www.mythpodcast.com/store Music: "Louver" by Blue Dot Sessions

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Xu Xian is dead. He discovered the truth about his wife and he died. I mean, yeah, he's dead...but he's also unwittingly married to a 1700 year old magical demon snake on a redemption arc, so...you know...something might happen. Seriously, though, this is a packed episode. There are magical (if not wholly unexpected) resurrections, crustacean armies, Doctor Strange ripoffs, and that's just in the first half...

The legend of the White Snake is one of the four great folktales of China. Today, we start that with an act of kindness, demons lurking in the places we can’t look, and a (misguided?) monk hoping to bring justice. 

When the creature this week has time off, it prefers crashing funerals and projectile vomiting on strangers. 

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There's a surprising amount to the story of Hansel and Gretel. There's your average fairy tale weirdness, like load-bearing cake and aquatic duck Uber, but there's an unexpected humanity in the story that I think is overlooked. I hope you like it. 

The creature is punyaiama, from India, and she's the reason you can't get drunk in your own home...

The story of the 47 Ronin is a historical tale where a powerful daimyo is shamed and killed by a greedy official…the only issue? The victim had dozens of loyal samurai, and they’re not about to forget what happened to the man they served. 

The creature is Pricolici, from Romania, a were-dog that is anything but man’s best friend...

Two stories from Japanese folklore today dealing with the consequences of our actions. The first has a woman chasing a dumpling across her floor…and into a mysterious, far-away land. The second is what happens when a horrible tragedy brings two people together…only to have their fates tear them apart.

The creature is the Peluda, a vicious turtle dragon (not Bowser, though) who’s mad about not being allowed on Noah’s ark...

There's something in the forest in 16th century Scotland. It's been there for years. Anyone who sees it doesn't live to tell about it, and it moves seamlessly between land and sea, leaving nothing but body parts in its wake. With a body count in the thousands, it's a legendary historical horror story that's supposedly true. 

The creature is a goblin spider. It's a goblin who's also a spider.....