Fireside Folklore with Hades

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Greetings, listeners! It is with much deliberation that I have decided to change the release schedule for this podcast to "no set schedule". It wasn't a decision I made hastily. However, after realizing that I couldn't delegate my scripting or relegate the folklore to artificial entities, lazy deities, or spirited ghosts, I decided this was the only way forward for me. The duties of the Underworld are endless, my creativity is boundless, but time is precious, so our officially unofficial weekly schedule, (Olympian family willing), will be as follows: 

Toss-Up Tuesday: Anything goes 
Trailer Thursday: You'll get a sneak peek into the next full-length episode so you know I'm putting my money where my mouth is.
Story Sunday: My Olympian family will tell some story from the treasure trove of folklore, twisted or otherwise. It may be sung, read, or adlibbed. I'll give them license to decide how they tell their tales. 

If you have any commentary, questions, or complaints, send those dead letters to [email protected] and be well. 

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Is it good? Who knows? Was it fun? Definitely! The story went something like this: a father who was down on his luck couldn't feed or care for his thirteenth child, so he decided to find the kid a godfather. Why didn't he just send him to the Mafia? I don't know. Anyway, he rejects God and the Devil, because one has his favorites and the other lies, cheats, and steals. Finally, when Death comes along, the guy's like, "Hey! Death comes for us all. If my boy had that guy on his side, he'd really make it in life!" What irony, right? Unfortunately, the best of intentions can go awry, but hey, it wasn't the father's fault. If only the young man had the sense to listen to his godfather, Death! 
If you've got any comments, you can send a dead letter to my uncle, but he's a bit busy with his script. At least, that's what he claims. So, you might not here from him for awhile. If he's even paid the mortal bill for the domain, it's at [email protected]. Ciao!

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Greetings listeners! Okay, so Hestia may be right. The key should be changed for her to minimize the cracking, but she's not getting off without us giving it a valiant try so that she can sing this one. I loved it so much I actually shared it with the mortal world, and I don't do that often, folks! So, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, or at the very least, don't run for the Upperworld because it's too unsettling for you. 

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Hello there, listeners! I thought you'd enjoy a little preview of a song (our first song) in our long overdue episode, The Golden Pail. However, I, Hestia, think I'm not the right one for this, and I was hoping you'd help me talk my brother out of this? Or at the very least, tell him to change the key so that it's more comfortable for my ... ahem ... contralto range!

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Soldiers of folklore, it's Ares here! I just thought I'd pop in with a little song to stir the pot. Also, I wanted to be first! Did you know that Tuesday is associated with Mars, my Roman counterpart? So I'm releasing this (or at least immortalizing this content) on Tuesday. Enjoy! Or if you don't, tell anyone but me because unlike my uncle Hades, I will send my horde of dragon-tooth soldiers on you! Just kidding ... or am I?
 And speaking of irony, this song uses the infamous "Ice Cream Changes" chord progression for a good part of it. Do you hear it? Funny, wouldn't you say? Especially since my recent tale featured a society that only allowed those very chords and banned all else. Our hero cleverly helped his people break free from the censorship overlords before riding off into the sunset to become the oud player he always wanted to be. 
Enjoy the music, my warriors, and remember: not all rules are meant to be followed and not all guidelines need to be shunned. It just depends on what lights up your world. Be bold, be fearless, and never forget that true strength lies in staying true to yourself--whether you savor vanilla or cucumber dill!

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Greetings, listeners! This retelling of the Golden Pail is akin to the quest for the holy grail. I've run into all sorts of impediments, but this time, my friends, it's a good one! That is, good for me and perhaps a touch of a nuisance for you, for you see, my friends, I've thrown myself headfirst into the process of creating the episode in a way I haven't before. Prior to this episode, the deadline was front-and-center. Of course, I wanted to create meaningful and enjoyable content for you, but making sure that things got out on time (or as on time as I could be) took centerstage. This time, I'm letting my creativity, my enjoyment of the writing process and the story itself propel me forward. That said, I've decided to allow my kin to commandeer this feed until I return. What that means for you is anyone's guess, but if things become too wild and rowdy, or mind-numbingly boring, you may reach out to me at [email protected]. 

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Greetings, listeners. We have been feverishly working on the Golden Pail but it hasn't been completed and my father, Chronos, isn't doing me any favors! So, I thought I would share a letter from a listener ... with her permission, of course! As we close out May and Mental Health Awareness Month, please know that whatever struggles you may be going through, you are not alone. After my response, I was struck by inspiration and sang a song, but listeners, let me tell you: this won't be winning me any Divine Idol trophies! And if you don't listen to that, I will not begrudge you in the slightest! Until next time, whenever next time comes, I bid you farewell. 
As ever, if you wish to comment, order me never to sing, or provide feedback, send your dead letters to me at [email protected]. 

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Greetings, listeners! Time in the Underworld moves differently, hence my delay in sharing the conclusion to the ceasefire between Hera and I which was too many millennia too late! Ironically, it was my podcast which convinced her that Zeus wasn't cheating on her and I really (and truly) wanted to make peace. You see, listeners, we gods do love to hold our grudges, and after Heracles came down to the Underworld all those millennia ago and requested that I allow him to bring Cerberus to King Eurystheus, I held my grudge tighter than a baby holds onto any object you give it, and she held her pride with the same tenacity. 
With a whole lot of ambrosia cookies and shared understanding, I, Hades, can now say that my sister Hera will be joining us on this folklore podcast to tell tales and be part of what has become a beloved family activity. 
And before we say our farewells, I'd like to thank one of our listeners, Francisco, for his contribution. You see, we gods can't project our voices into the mortal sphere anymore, but what we can do is use AI, and so, our friend Francisco chose the voice for our regal Olympian queen!
If you'd like to give one of us a more divine voice or have other commentary about this podcast, please send me a dead letter at [email protected]. 

Send over your dead SMS messages.

Send over your dead SMS messages.

Greetings, listeners! I received quite the audacious dead letter the other day, and given the fact that I appreciate honesty and chutzpah, I decided to humor it. Yes, I really am deliberately delaying my ceasefire! Although I won't swear this upon the river Styx. After all, such an oath isn't the sort of thing I'd make for something as trivial as this. 
In any case, it appears that Ares did quite the job with this podcast. Perhaps I should let him take over more often. 
This is a story about a swordsman whose job is to guard the beauty and wonder of music from his tribe. Thankfully, he wasn't the order-taking type, and he found a cunning way to turn the entire situation on its head. I'll soon be making up with Hera, listeners, and I guarantee that things will return to a more normal state of affairs soon. Until next time, continue authoring your own destiny.
If you would like to send a dead letter of your own, I'm at [email protected].