Tales From The Enchanted Forest

Today we have three tales of Sæmund: The Wise Priest-Wizard of the North! Saemunder/Saemund, an Icelandic folk hero, attended the Black Magic school run by the devil himself. We look at how his tales may have been canonized from their original oral traditions. These tales are "Saemund at the Black School," "The Magic Whistle," and "Saemund on his Deathbed" which all come from “Scandinavian Folktales,” edited and translated by Jacqu...

The consequences of accidentally partying too hard after a hurling-match are too much to handle for one little fairy and his fairy tree. Edmund Leamy's Irish Fairy Tale includes the shortest exile known to storytelling, a helpful ogre, ugly princesses and helpful animal companions. Truly a tale for the bingo cards.  

Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com

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March is in full swing as the long preparations towards Nowruz (the Persian New Year) begin! To celebrate spring and all things pickled, we have two stories today- "The Pumpkin Child" and "The Rolling Pumpkin" from Iranian folklore traditions. Whether you want to listen to a Cinderella-esque fairy tale or the misadventures of an old woman, we have something for you! 

Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchan...

Finish the story of the Snow Queen with us as we continue Gerda's journey to save Kai with the help of a chatty crow (and his sweetheart), another couple's happily ever after, the little Robber Girl and a reindeer from Lapland! Will Gerda's quest to save her beloved childhood friend end positively or will she have to just let it go? 

Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com

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With the Groundhog proclaiming an extension to winter, why not go back to one of the most timeless tales of frost and shivers- Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen." She is an infamously familiar figure, but how many of us actually know this wild tale of friendship and love? Join Fox, Sparrow, Kai and Gerda as they tell this story about good and evil (with some trolls for effect). Part One covers chapters one to three of the t...

Happy Lunar New Year / Spring Festival to all those celebrating! Join Fox and Sparrow as we share the the tale of the Nian, the Jade Emperor's Great Race and the tale of the animals visit to Buddha. Out of the twelve zodiac animals, we discuss some of their attributes and what lies in store for us during the year of the wood Snake! 

Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com

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Spring and Father Frost had a lovely daughter who could never love, but what happens when she yearns to?

Aleksandr Ostrovsky's folk play "The Snow Maiden" had many harsh critics including ones that called it anti-theatrical, a story about a stupid king and his stupid subjects, and a pale imitation of Shakespeare's Midsummers Night Dream. However, despite the initial onslaught, the mythologically rich folk story later became a nati...

With Midwinter a few days away and the reign of the Holly King coming to an end, we turn to a Midsummer Tale to help warm us up during these cold months. Barbara Leonie Picard's tale "Lord Alaric's Lady" comes from her fairy tale collection called "The Faun and the Woodcutter" and reminds us what the true meaning of fairy-love stories should be. 

We'll see you again in the New Year, Travellers! May your holidays be full of wonder a...

Shrek is full of fairy tale references and none are as cute as the character of Puss in Boots! Join us as we tell the tale of the oldest version of this 'trickster' cat-helper character from Giovanni Francesco Straparola's 1551 story Costantino Fortunato and Charles Perrault's 1697 version which was translated into Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book. 

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Last time, Inanna, the Sumerian Goddess of war, love and sexuality stole the Mes, fought against Gilgamesh and lost while getting her brother-in-law killed. Now, she's on her way to pay her respects in the underworld to her sister, Ereshkigal, but unsurprisingly things do not go as planned. Join us in the second part of our Inanna series which includes the seasonal myth of Dumuzi! 

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Inanna, the Sumerian Goddess of war, love and sexuality is used to getting her way, but when she's rejected by Gilgamesh, her fury knows no bounds. Screaming down the heavens, getting her brother-in-law killed, and stealing the very essence of human civilization make up just the long list of what she does. Join us for part one of the tale of Inanna, possibly among the first female protagonists in a written text! 

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They say strange things happen in the Bayous of Louisiana. Hauntings, ghosts, mysterious disappearances and pirates. That's right, pirates! It's time to hoist the colours with Fox and Sparrow as they recount the tale of the Pirate Ghost of Gombi Island. This story comes from "Gumbo ya ya: A Collection of Louisiana folklore." 

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Travel with us to the Isle of Mull today as we share the story of the two sisters and a curse! Sibling rivalry maybe goes a bit too far in this revenge drama and the cost of betrayal is heavy. Listen to us chat about the corn maiden, folk traditions around the harvest, fae and of course, little sisters. This version is retold from “Clan Traditions and Popular Tales of the Western Highlands and Islands” collected from oral sources b...

Continuing with our Campfire Tales, we have a hauntingly heroic tale from Uzbekistan! A haunted wood in Bukhara that no one dares step foot into, a poor cobbler's son and a beast of unimaginable horror....or is it? Step inside this unexpected folktale by Amina Shah as we explore more of the campfire tales told around the world.

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There's a slight chill in the air which means its time for falling leaves and tales of horror! Before there were True Crime Podcasts, there was just a campfire and the desire to scare your friends. So, join Fox and Sparrow as we explore the world of campfire tales, especially in North America! Our story is from Doc Forgey's retelling of the Minnesota Maggot! Where else do we find death, graveyard maggots and a line of corpses? 

E...

Heists are all fun and games until somebody gets caught. Or was the person getting caught part of the REAL plan? And what happens if you're stealing from Thor the Thunderer himself? Join Sparrow as she explores The Lay of Thrym from the Poetic Edda.  

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It's a little bit too early to be celebrating the Chinese Qixi Festival or the Korean Chilseok, but the Japanese Tanabata festival is just around the corner, so we are sharing the tale of the Sky Bridge of Birds! You may know the story better as the Tale of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, but this version has a little more gambling and bankruptcy! Story adapted from William Elliot Griffis' book on Korean Folktales. 

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Meg just wants to manage her coven of daughters in her quiet Cumbrian village, but when the solstice falls on the day before Lord's Day, she knows they have a strict curfew. Too bad that the Devil or the wizard Michael Scot (not affiliated to Dunder Mifflin) have other plans. Come join us as we explore the folktales around this Neolithic stone circle and recount the tale of Long Meg and her Daughters. 

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Today's episode is all about Japanese Yōkai and Thersa Matsuura's new book "The Encyclopedia of Japanese Folklore." We chat about moving to a completely different country, crows, everyday folklore and the process behind compiling a book on folklore! You can find out more about Thersa's Uncanny Japan Podcast and books!

The gorgeous illustrations were done by Michelle Wang! 

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