Myths, fairy tales, folklore, campfire stories, the tales your grandpa would spin about "when he was your age"--it's these sorts of mystical tales that Johanna and Olivia focus on for this 12th episode of Air Castles. We start with Olivia's tale of the abandoned city of Xanadu in Inner Mongolia, and then Johanna regales to us the significance of elves and faeries of Iceland.

Air Castles is a cultural anthropology podcast where Semi-Qualified Hosts/World Travelers/Best Friends Johanna Schöllauf and Olivia Schmitz try to learn more about world cultures one topic at a time.

Questions/Comments/Compliments/Corrections? Email us at [email protected] or reach out to us on Twitter @aircastlespod

Johanna:

History of Europe - 6013 years in 3 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxDyJ_6N-6A

“Myths and Legends of Iceland”: https://global.hurtigruten.com/destinations/iceland/inspiration/myths-and-legends-of-iceland/

“Most Famous Myths, Stories and Creatures in Iceland”: https://www.fodors.com/world/europe/iceland/experiences/news/how-much-do-you-know-about-icelandic-mythology-and-folklore-because-oh-my-god

“Meet the Thirteen Yule Lads, Iceland’s Own Mischievous Santa Clauses”: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-thirteen-yule-lads-icelands-own-mischievous-santa-clauses-180948162/

Olivia:

“Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43991/kubla-khan

“Xanadu”: https://www.ancient.eu/Xanadu/

“Kublai Khan - Death, Accomplishments & Facts”: https://www.biography.com/political-figure/kublai-khan