Myths and Legends

The quest for the golden fleece begins for the legendary heroes packed aboard the Argo. We find them making all haste for Colchis...except for all the times they stop to feast...and drink too much...and meet beautiful women...and get in unnecessary boxing matches. We also meet the princess Medea; catch up with Cupid (Eros), a hot-shot toddler who plays by his own rules; and Theseus will remember something very, very important. The creature this week is a roaring, spectral bull.....

The beginning of the story of Jason and his legendary Argonauts doesn't start with Jason, but with Zeus being...well, Zeus, and kidnapping an unsuspecting woman. There is a dragon, a giant bronze robot, and court intrigue, leading to some familiar names coming back to help Jason travel to a faraway land and obtain the golden fleece...

Three stories of people making deals. The first is from Japanese folklore, and it's about making the most of what you have...even when what you have is a dirty piece of straw and a fly friend. The second story is about a man who made a deal with the devil...and all the stupid (maybe brilliant?) decisions he made after that deal. The third story is that of Rumpelstiltskin, a weird little imp that might have been a hero if he didn't insist on purchasing humans...

Three and a half stories of monsters of the ancient world. We meet vile beasts that lurk in the forests, the murky deep, and the wide, desolate places of the world. We meet the baby, the Thor, and the saints that slay them. We meet bears that can be bribed with cake. Folklore is weird. The creature is a little blue person. I know it's a struggle to not play in barley fields after school. It's a temptation we all deal with every day. Just don't do it...

A story of a super-powered Russian hero fighting the evil, also super-powered villain known as Nightingale the Robber. Nightingale can fly, kill with a scream, and lives in the shadows of his forest. The journey will take our hero from home, through multiple stays with Baba Yaga(s), and finally into a confrontation with the legendary bandit on a quest to become the man he never thought he could be. The creature this week is sweaty, hairy, and naked.....

This week, it's two of the earliest Cinderella stories, one of which is the earliest written version of this type of story, pre-dating European versions by 1000 years. It has evil step-mothers, murderous step-sisters, and helpful cows who will vomit up your work and call you stupid. Trying to grow a beard and keep your five-year-old from having dreadlocks? Then you do not want this week's creature hanging around your house...

It's the conclusion of the Lancelot story, and we'll immediately pick up after last week's fairly cheap cliffhanger ending. He'll finally see the end of his quest... Either by plummeting to the choppy waters below...or by the lions on the other side of the sword...or the castle full of people who want to kill him on the other side of the lions. The creature is the Tannarak, who just wants to date you or steal your child. It really does not care, which is fairly problematic...

Things get weird on Lancelot's journey to become a knight of the Round Table...if Merlin trying to pick up a twelve-year-old last week wasn't strange enough. This week has ancient prophecies, a dangerous quest, a father and son stalker duo, kind of too much hair-smelling, and a sleazy innkeeper. Arthur has a particularly bad month, where his two closest friends turn in their resignations. The creature this week will protect your kids...by kidnapping them? Sponsor! Blue Apron is delicious...

We're back in the time of King Arthur, picking up right about where we stopped off last time (though you don't need to have heard last time to listen today). We'll be talking about the story of Lancelot - where this incredibly important character came from and why he's know as Lancelot of the Lake (spoiler alert, he grew up in a lake). Merlin gets weird, and we catch up with a certain lion-befriending knight that helped to kick off this whole podcast...

Five stories of a very savvy, completely unscrupulous turtle from Nigeria. He's a trickster we've met before, but he has an entire episode of semi-murderous turtle hijinks. Even though turtles are cute and seemingly harmless, they should not be trusted under any circumstances ever. You should also avoid going into business with them, when possible. The creature this week is the hyosube, from Japanese folklore. He's a crazy little guy who will give you fevers for just being polite...