Wise Crone Cottage Podcast
Welcome to the Wise Crone Cottage podcast with storyteller, Kathy Shimpock. Here we'll meet the crone and uncover her wisdom as found, in fairy tales, folktales and myths. New episodes are released each month. All rights reserved.
Episodes
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will read her version of the story, the Three Crones. It’s an Italian folktale that speaks of obsession, deception and gullibility. What will we do and what cost are we willing to bear for our own obsessions? This story offers up a warning.
Story: Created from: Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino (1956), Italian Popular Tales, by Thomas Frederick Cane (1885) and And...
In this episode, the storyteller Kathy Shimpock will be exploring three legends of sacrifice and heroism. One is the "Burning of the Rice Fields," a legend from Japan. The second is "St. David's Hood" from England and the third is "Tante Tina" from Germany. In each, we'll see how the "little old woman's" or the "little old man's" actions saved t...
In this episode we’ll discuss a story from the “Arabian Nights” collection. It is entitled “Delila the Wily.” This is a long story, so long in fact, that we’ve covered it in two previous episodes. (Please listen to those episodes if you wish to hear the actual story. Here I will only share a summary.) Delila is a trickster figure who brings chaos wherever she goes. But she is much more than that. Her acts of cun...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, shares a Scottish story about the changing seasons. It comes as we reach winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere. This is a story of the Cailleach Beira, the Queen of Winter. She may be frightening but she has much to tell us about our role as elders and how we should best approach the winter season. She’s a very wise crone indeed!
Story: Donald Alexander MacKenzi...
In this episode the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will continue reading from the Arabian Nights collection, “Delila the Crafty/Wily.” Delila is a trickster figure who brings chaos wherever she goes. In this episode, we'll discover how this wise old woman's story ends. Is she punished or rewarded for her acts? Her acts of cunning cause the listener to reflect on justice, law, morality and the ability of w...
In this episode the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will read a story from the Arabian Nights collection. It is entitled “Delila the Wily.” This is a long story that will be completed over the next three episodes: two for the actual story and one for our discussion of this tale. Delila is a trickster figure who brings chaos wherever she goes. But she is much more than that. Her acts of cunning cause the listener to...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will read to you a Russian folktale: “The Three Sisters and Their Glass Hearts.” It’s a poignant story, nonetheless, and one you’ll long remember.
Story: "The Three Sisters and Their Glass Hearts," in The Golden Fairy Book, H.R. Millar, illus. (London: Appleton & Co., 1894), 195-206.
Illustration: "The Three Sisters and Their Glass Hearts,&qu...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will continue her discussion of the Danish folktale, “Prince Lindworm.” We began our analysis in the last episode, but there is much more to share. This story is filled with metaphors and symbols. It can be viewed in many ways. That fact alone emphasizes the power of folktales to bring understanding and healing to issues we deal with today.
Story: East of the Sun ...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will share the Danish folktale, “Prince Lindworm.” It’s a story of shadow and light, female agency and transformation. It’s also a story with a sequel. This mash-up or compilation of folktales is filled with metaphors and symbols. There is so much to discuss that will carry this on to the next podcast.
Story: East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, shares the story of "The Vampire Skeleton Corpse." This is a frightening tale from the Iroquois tradition. Although there is never a single meaning for any story, this one has an important teaching for the days ahead.
Story: This story is a conflation of early Iroquois variants and my version of the story as told by Joseph Bruchac. Iroquois Stories: Heroe...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will be reading Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. The work is a novella, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843. Because of the story's length, it will be read over four episodes. This is chapter four and five (or what Dickens called Stave Four, The Last of the Spirits and Stave 5, The End of It). In this story Scrooge will h...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will be reading Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. The work is a novella, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843. Because of the story's length, it will be read over four episodes. This is chapter three (or what Dickens called Stave Three, The Second of the Three Spirits). In this story Scrooge will have a visit from "Chr...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will be reading Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. The work is a novella, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843. Because of the story's length, it will be read over four episodes. This is chapter two (or what Dickens called Stave Two, The First of the Three Spirits). In this story Scrooge will have a visit from "Christm...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will be reading Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, A Christmas Carol. The work is a novella, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843. Because of the story's length, it will be read over the next four episodes. This is chapter one (or what Dickens called Stave One, Marley’s Ghost). You'll find a link in the credits to the tale, so you can rea...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will be reading “Stribor’s Forest.” It’s a Croation literary tale written by Ivana Brlic-Mazuranic. It is a tale longer than most, so grab some tea and your journal before we begin. After listening to this story, you might have some thoughts to jot down and ideas to explore.
Story: "Stribor's Forest" by Ivana Brlic-Mazuranic in Croation Tal...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will explore elder abuse, as seen in stories, folklore and actual life. We'll start our exploration with a practice found in Japanese stories called ubasute or "abandoning the old woman." Then we'll shift to modern day America and the recent death of my friend who was killed by a family member in an unspeakable act of "elder abuse."
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will explore the Chinese folktale, “The Old Woman and the Tiger.” The story is retold by Mary Hemingway who grew up in northern China. In this story, we’ll see a different side of the wise crone archetype. No longer a side character, she is now the protagonist. And rather than serving as the “helper,” this old woman puts herself first. She shows us that one person...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock explores the Grimm tale “Frau Trude.” It’s a short didactic story that allows for many surprising interpretations. Whether she be a witch or a crone, there’s a lot of cackling and crackling going on. Hopefully, we can stay out of the fire without getting burnt! Either way, she's a friend you'll want to have. Fingers crossed!
My latest blog post...
In this episode the Storyteller Kathy Shimpock explores the relationship of the crone within the maiden, mother, and crone trilogy. She tells the Greek myth of "Demeter and Persephone" and shares a lesser known variation in which Hecate plays a pivotal role.
Story: "Demeter & Persephone" (a traditional Greek myth) as told by Kathy Shimpock.
Cover illustration: "The Night o...
In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, meets again with Master Hypnotherapist, Linda Bennett. Together they discuss the Norwegian folktale, "Tatterhood," and explore its many meanings and interpretations by looking at its symbols, metaphors, and archetypes. It's a fascinating model for dream interpretation too. Part 2 of their conversation continues on the "Crone & Queen's...
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