Myths and Legends

Hrolf Kraki must avenge his father by confronting his step-father...and brother-in-law. Don't worry, though, the weirdness of last week gets ironed out when we enter more familiar territory for the Viking legends. Our wonderful one-eyed wanderer makes an appearance, kings battle kings, and berserkers battle trolls, draugr, other berserkers, random bystanders, and, well, just about everyone.

The creature this week is Penny Dragon, a dragon that will leave you pennies and maybe also burn down your home.

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Music: “Lost Shoe” by Blue Dot Sessions “I Recall” by Blue Dot Sessions “Smooth Actor” by Podington Bear “Delta” by Podington Bear “Illustrated Novel” by Podington Bear “Calla Lily” by Podington Bear “Slow Rollout” by Blue Dot Sessions

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We’re back in the Norse Sagas with witches, trolls, Norns, magic, elves, and this one-eyed wanderer who definitely isn’t named Odin but have you heard about how awesome Odin is? No? We’ll he’s happy to tell you. This is the saga of Hrolf Kraki and his twelve legendary berserkers. 

The creature is the reason you should actually follow that strange creature into the dark forest (free all-you-can-eat shrimp!) 

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Music: “Keo Keo” by Blue Dot Sessions “Convoy Lines” by Blue Dot Sessions “Degradation” by Podington Bear “Den” by Podington Bear “Senseless” by Podington Bear “Relinquish” by Podington Bear “The Things We Save” by Podington Bear
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A boy is born, fated to be one who brings strife. Two sons seek to outrun a family curse. A wife is spared the grisly fates of her husband and son...only if she will marry the one who committed the atrocities. A daughter is saved from certain death...by judgy ducks. These are the stories of the names that would go down in legend: Odysseus, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Clytemnestra, and Penelope, and their lives before the event that would make them all famous: the Trojan War. 

The creature this week is a dragon who is living his best life in Ireland. 
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Music: "Lakkalia" by Blue Dot Sessions "Last Lights" by Blue Dot Sessions "Hedgeliner" by Blue Dot Sessions "Children by the Creek" by Chad Crouch "Barefoot" by Chad Crouch "Song Sparrow Serenade" by Chad Crouch "Headwaters" by Chad Crouch
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Things are going well for King Arthur for once. He’s in complete control over the island of Great Britain, he’s got a bunch of awesome knights, and dragon attacks are down. What could go wrong? King Arthur should know to never ever ask that question, because twelve men from the definitely not defunct and/or fictional Roman Empire are here to show him exactly what can go wrong. 

The creature this time is orphan bird, because when you can turn a bird that abandons her children into an religious allegory, why not? 

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Music: “Drifting” by Chad Crouch “Daybreak” by Chad Crouch “Order of Entrance” by Blue Dot Sessions “The Snowgarden” by Blue Dot Sessions “Three Stories” by Blue Dot Sessions “The Bluff Trail (Instrumental)” by Chad Crouch
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Faust decides that if he's going to have these powers, he's really going to enjoy them so, in no particular order, he gives himself: A Doctor Strange cloak Telekinesis A demon common law wife and baby A get-out-of-debt plan that involves humorously tearing off his own limbs And grapes. In the winter. Crazy, right?   Seriously, though, we take the somewhat more grounded story of last week...and then completely go off the rails while Faust (and the writer of the chapbook...mostly the writer of the chapbook) imagines all the things he can do with powers from the devil, and then does them. 

The creature this week is the ophies pteretos, and you might feel bad for them...if they weren't angry flying snakes. -

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Music: "Ghost Byzantine" by Blue Dot Sessions "Hardboil" by Blue Dot Sessions "Ballad of the Blackbirds" by Chad Crouch "Pacing" by Chad Crouch "Small Hours" by Chad Crouch "Undying" by Blue Dot Sessions
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The story of Faust and his infamous deal is one that has survived for hundreds of years. Beginning as whispers in Germany in the 1500s, it grew to plays and, most famously, a play by the German writer Goethe, largely considered to be one of the greatest works of German literature. 

The story has been done and redone, and the phase Faustian bargain is still in use to this day. In today's episode, we're getting back to the very beginning - to the legends behind the masterpieces, and the story of a doctor who just wanted every question answered and desire granted. Was that too much to ask? If you don't mind trading your soul, apparently it's not too much to ask. 

The creature this week is the onocentaur...a sad donkey centaur that needs to put down whatever he's carrying in order to run like a weird little bug. 

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Music: "Cover Letter" by Blue Dot Sessions "The 49th Street Galleria" by Chris Zabriskie
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From the end of the world to the underworld and Armageddon itself, Kalevipoeg does way too many things. 

The creature will throw acres of caustic feces in your direction. 

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From the Estonian epic, the Kalevipoeg, comes the story of, well, Kalevipoeg, the son of a giant who battles sorcerers who are trying to get with his mom and throws rocks the size of Volkswagens to win the kingship, all while trying to carve out a place in the world for his people and his homeland. 

The creature this week is an annoying piggyback ride from a stranger in the dark forest and why you should go along with that. -
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Music: “Light Filtering Canopy” by Chad Crouch “The Pond” by Chad Crouch “Li Fonte” by Blue Dot Sessions “Palladian” by Blue Dot Sessions “Rainday” by Blue Dot Sessions “Daymaze” by Blue Dot Sessions

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Why you absolutely should take the biggest peach you can find in the supermarket and sing to it. It might just hatch a baby! Unfortunately your fairy tale baby will do what fairy tale babies do: grow up and hear that call to adventure, going out to seek their fortune, taking no more than a plucky attitude and an angry dog to battle the evils of the world. 

The creature this time is Batman...if Batman was a literal bat who turned into an old man. 

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Music 

“Adventure” by Chad Crouch “Coin Op” by Chad Crouch “Periwinkle” by Chad Crouch “Chyrsalis” by Podington Bear “Gambrel” by Blue Dot Sessions “Holding Hands” by Podington Bear

The monkey king has done it all: he was immortal, he had allied with all the mythological creatures he could find, and he controlled an army 40,000 strong...but heaven didn't care about any of that. They were coming for him, whether or not it was legal, and there was nothing he could do to stop them. 

The creature this week is a big, angry, hairy unicorn with a...weird surprise. 

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Music: “Cicle Desert” by Blue Dot Sessions “Wide Eyes” by Chad Crouch “Illustrated Novel” by Chad Crouch “Pythagoras” by Podington Bear “Crosswire” by Blue Dot Sessions “Lunette (interlude)” by Blue Dot Sessions
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership