The story comes from the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and the version I based my telling on is called 'The Dark Doctor' in 'Celtic Sea Stories' by George Macpherson. I've made a few little tweaks but the story is essentially the same.

Get access to every House of Legends episode and patron-only worksheets by becoming a patron at:

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 Get my FREE ebook Silverborn at:

https://www.houseoflegends.me/landing-page

Study with me at the Roundhouse Storytelling School and get a FREE pack of stories to tell:

https://www.roundhouseschool.com

Learn about Myth Singers, my storytelling coaching program, at:

www.houseoflegends.me/story-coaching

Get my books, Scottish Myths & Legends, The Shattering Sea and Finn & The Fianna, at Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daniel+allison&crid=3LFU9R8PFUBP1&sprefix=daiel+all%C3%AD%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_10

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daniel-Allison/e/B081PNRL92/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

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https://www.amazon.ca/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3ADaniel+Allison&s=relevancerank&text=Daniel+Allison&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1

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Music by Kate Young 

https://www.kateyoungmusic.com

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

This episode was recorded at Storyfest Singapore in June 2019, where I was fortunate enough to see a group of young storytellers perform. The group had been mentored by festival organiser and legendary storyteller Kamini Ramachandran, and it was such a pleasure for me to see young people taking up the art of storytelling and doing so with passion, grace and skill. 

Charlotte was part of that group. She and I got talking over our welcome dinner and thankfully she agreed to tell a story for House of Legends! 

The story tells the origin of the Kitchen Gods, or Tao Quan. These gods were traditionally an important part of every Vietnamese household, and even have a day dedicated to them - the 23rd day of the last month of the lunar calendar. On the day they report what they have seen to the Jade Emperor. It was fascinating to hear Charlotte talk about how her mother would make offerings to the Kitchen Gods while she was growing up.

You can follow Charlotte at @_charlotteelizabeth on Instagram, and catch her storytelling at events across Singapore. 

Get access to every House of Legends episode and patron-only worksheets by becoming a patron at:

https://www.patreon.com/houseoflegends
 
 Get my FREE ebook Silverborn at:

https://www.houseoflegends.me/landing-page

Study with me at the Roundhouse Storytelling School and get a FREE pack of stories to tell:

https://www.roundhouseschool.com

Learn about Myth Singers, my storytelling coaching program, at:

www.houseoflegends.me/story-coaching

Get my books, Scottish Myths & Legends, The Shattering Sea and Finn & The Fianna, at Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daniel+allison&crid=3LFU9R8PFUBP1&sprefix=daiel+all%C3%AD%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_10

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daniel-Allison/e/B081PNRL92/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Amazon Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3ADaniel+Allison&s=relevancerank&text=Daniel+Allison&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1

Join us on FB

https://www.facebook.com/houseoflegendspodcas

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/houseoflegendspodcast

Music by Kate Young 

https://www.kateyoungmusic.com

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

A European folk-tale that feels absolutely universal. 

In some versions, there is an axe in the soup, instead of stones.

No source for this - I've only ever heard it orally. Try telling it yourself - its a very simple story to get started with!

Get access to every House of Legends episode and patron-only worksheets by becoming a patron at:

https://www.patreon.com/houseoflegends
 
 Get my FREE ebook Silverborn at:

https://www.houseoflegends.me/landing-page

Study with me at the Roundhouse Storytelling School and get a FREE pack of stories to tell:

https://www.roundhouseschool.com

Learn about Myth Singers, my storytelling coaching program, at:

www.houseoflegends.me/story-coaching

Get my books, Scottish Myths & Legends, The Shattering Sea and Finn & The Fianna, at Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daniel+allison&crid=3LFU9R8PFUBP1&sprefix=daiel+all%C3%AD%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_10

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daniel-Allison/e/B081PNRL92/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Amazon Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3ADaniel+Allison&s=relevancerank&text=Daniel+Allison&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1

Join us on FB

https://www.facebook.com/houseoflegendspodcas

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/houseoflegendspodcast

Music by Kate Young 

https://www.kateyoungmusic.com

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

A Brazilian tale from storyteller Ana Maria Lines.

Get access to every House of Legends episode and patron-only worksheets by becoming a patron at:

https://www.patreon.com/houseoflegends
 
 Get my FREE ebook Silverborn at:

https://www.houseoflegends.me/landing-page

Study with me at the Roundhouse Storytelling School and get a FREE pack of stories to tell:

https://www.roundhouseschool.com

Learn about Myth Singers, my storytelling coaching program, at:

www.houseoflegends.me/story-coaching

Get my books, Scottish Myths & Legends, The Shattering Sea and Finn & The Fianna, at Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daniel+allison&crid=3LFU9R8PFUBP1&sprefix=daiel+all%C3%AD%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_10

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daniel-Allison/e/B081PNRL92/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Amazon Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3ADaniel+Allison&s=relevancerank&text=Daniel+Allison&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1

Join us on FB

https://www.facebook.com/houseoflegendspodcas

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/houseoflegendspodcast

Music by Kate Young 

https://www.kateyoungmusic.com

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

An episode from the Tain Bo Cauilgne, The Cattle Raid of Cooley, the great epic of Irish & Celtic oral literature.

A great translation of the Tain is:

The Tain by Ciaran Carson

I've been so inspired by this stunning reimagining of the Cuchulainn tales - it is heartbreaking how little attention this book has received:

Cuchulainn & The Crow Queen by Bernard Kelly

Both are essentials for any mythic library!

Get access to every House of Legends episode and patron-only worksheets by becoming a patron at:

https://www.patreon.com/houseoflegends
 
 Get my FREE ebook Silverborn at:

https://www.houseoflegends.me/landing-page

Study with me at the Roundhouse Storytelling School and get a FREE pack of stories to tell:

https://www.roundhouseschool.com

Learn about Myth Singers, my storytelling coaching program, at:

www.houseoflegends.me/story-coaching

Get my books, Scottish Myths & Legends, The Shattering Sea and Finn & The Fianna, at Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daniel+allison&crid=3LFU9R8PFUBP1&sprefix=daiel+all%C3%AD%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_10

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daniel-Allison/e/B081PNRL92/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Amazon Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3ADaniel+Allison&s=relevancerank&text=Daniel+Allison&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1

Join us on FB

https://www.facebook.com/houseoflegendspodcas

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/houseoflegendspodcast

Music by Kate Young 

https://www.kateyoungmusic.com

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

A tale from the legendary Scottish Traveller storyteller, Duncan Williamson.

I heard this on an audio recording of Duncan. The same story can be found in:

'The Coming of the Unicorn' by Duncan Williamson, edited by Linda Williamson

Learn more about Duncan in the two volume biography written by his friend and student David Campbell,  'A Traveller in Two Worlds' by David Campbell.

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

A story from the island of Skye, on Scotland's west coast. It can be found in my book, Scottish Myths & Legends.

Skye also plays a part in the Cuchulainn legends, when Cuchulainn comes to the island to study at the warrior school belonging to Scathach. 

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

Our first guest on House of Legends is Martina Pisciali, a young storyteller from Italy whom I was fortunate enough to work with at Storyfest in Singapore. 

Martina is a regular performer at Raccontaminuastoria, the International Storytelling Festival of Rome, as well as at international festivals in Sharjah and Bolzano. She is the apprentice of the highly-regarded storytellers Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi and a translator of bilingual performances. Martina's repertoire consists of Greek and Roman myths and global folktales, with a focus on the Middle East and the Mediterranean. 

Follow Martina on Instagram at @martinapisciali and catch her live if you can!

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

A classic Russian tale, taken from Men and The Water of Life by Michael Meade.

Dedicated to Mon, Head Trainer at Diamond Muay Thai, Koh Phangan.

Learn more about Michael's amazing work as a storyteller, teacher and community leader here.

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.

A literary, pseudo-folk tale by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami, featured in his novel IQ84.

Support the podcast by buying an ebook for the price of a cup of coffee here.

Get Daniel's free full-colour Celtic Mythology Handbook here.

Thanks for being part of House of Legends.