Between Myth and Belief

Time is like a river, or perhaps a babbling brook. Michelle and Beth jump into the time stream and visit fantastical places like across the street or down the road. Every place has a time slip story, those moments that capture you like a leaf in a dust devil and keep you twirling until you find yourself no longer in Kansas but out of time.

The mystery, the history, and the…science? This week Beth and Michelle discuss an area of the U.S. they both love as they set the scene for many myths and lore to come. This area can make a person ask a lot of questions and give few answers in return but will definitely leave a ton of room for speculation. So, close the curtains, don’t whistle, and ignore the voice in the woods calling your name. Don’t worry, it’s just the Appalachian Mountains.

Some beings endure over the centuries, not just surviving the encroachment of the modern world but thriving within new mediums. Whether it is in a Marvel movie, video games or a podcast about folklore, some beings still retain their relevance. Michelle and Beth discuss the nature and duality of Baba Yaga and her walking hut. 

Beyond the Mother Metaphor: Baba Yaga's Ecofeminist Manifesto

Music by Ønetent from Pixabay

Michelle's favorite cryptid finally swoops into an episode! Beth takes a skeptical, if empathetic, eye to the cryptids origins. Everything you ever wanted to know -or hypothesize- about the Mothman is in this episode. Is the Mothman real or a mass hallucination? A harbinger or a watcher? Or maybe a lonely soul looking for a companion. The Mothman may be the only one who knows.

"The Mothman Song" by Melissa Starfall

The Cailleach, ancient hag, goddess of winter, she is the shaper of mountains. She is the keeper of storms and the weaver of endings. In this episode we discuss her steps through Celtic myth from Ireland to Scotland and beyond. We will uncover tales of icy reign, the power to sculpt land and her dual nature which is in the end so very human.

Music track: Heritage by Pufino

Source: https://freetouse.com/music

Copyright Free Music (Free Download)

What started as a morbid fascination with how some saints met their deaths, this episode turned an emotional corner as we discuss different martyrs and how they came to be. Michelle focuses on the ancient past and the more ‘creative’ endings these saints met. Beth touches on more recent history and we find ourselves angered and appalled. Why does someone need to die just to further their message? Could change have come about if these individuals were allowed to live? What gives someone the right to claim another human’s life? What sicko decided to name the flayed saint the patron of tanners? Come listen and be frustrated by the lack of answers to these questions.

Martin Luther King Jr - I Have A Dream

Harvey Milk - The Hope Speech

Fog hangs heavy, the road ahead is barely visible by the light of your lantern. You hear the thudding beat of hooves in the distance, perhaps a messenger on his task. An angry orange light ahead pierces the fog, and the heavy lantern drops away from your numb fingers as you stare in shock at the headless figure wrapped in a dark cloak astride a black steed. It's upheld hand gripping a jack-o'-lantern, it's blazing orange eyes fall upon you and you feel the light burrow into your soul. The last thing you hear is your name escaping the horseman as if being pulled from a wet grave. Michelle and Beth take you on a journey across the Atlantic and back for this figure from folklore and myth.

Every state and every town has that one road where we are all a bit more cautious. Some of them are dangerous and have taken many lives, others have stores of phantom hitchhikers or ghostly headlights. Throw in a castle and a cryptid and you have one of the scariest stretches of asphalt: Clinton Road.

What are your teeth worth? It might be bartered for protection, traded for good health, or you may find a shiny half dollar as payment. We discuss the mythical creature known as the Tooth Fairy and it's many international incarnations.

Welcome to our first episode of Between Myth and Belief! Join us as we have conversations about all things preternatural and odd. This week we explore the mysterious unicorn and discover that Michelle is a Unicorn Girlie!