Myths and Legends

Today's story comes from Slavic folklore and it was so much fun. It's surprisingly complex and full of magic, love, and a sleazy little kidnapper who just can't catch a break. 

Did you know cotton balls were vegetarian friendly snacks? I mean, they're also living things, but they are primarily plants. They taste like old fish and/or honey, but they are low cholesterol so, you know, there's that. 

--- 

Music: "Vanagon" by Podington Bear "Qi" by Blue Dot Sessions "Waypoint 7" by Blue Dot Sessions "We Drive Three Days" by Blue Dot Sessions "Old Regrets" by Lee Rosevere "The Secret to Growing Up" by Lee Rosevere
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Threes are everywhere in folklore, and today we look at stories where they feature the most prominently: The three bears, the three little pigs, and Cinderella. The tales told and adapted for children children, the three pigs and Cinderella,  are extremely bloody and unforgiving, while the one that was originally for adults - the three bears - is about three very chill best bear friends enjoying a fun afternoon before dealing with a deeply psychologically troubled intruder. 


The creature this time adds to our list of mythpodcats...and it's further proof that, given half a chance at victory, your cat wouldn't hesitate to kill you. 

 --- 

Music: "Associations" by Podington Bear "Don't Go" by Podington Bear "In My Head" by Podington Bear "Rope Swing" by Podington Bear "As I was Saying" by Lee Rosevere "More on That Later" by Lee Rosevere "Alphabet Soup" by Podington Bear "Relinquish" by Podington Bear
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

The "Tale of Tales" is a very famous, moderately deranged collection of folklore from 16th century Italy. It's by the author Giambattista Basile, a storyteller who traveled the Mediterranean region collecting stories. The collection known as "Tale of Tales" follows a similar framing narrative to "1001 Nights", with the storyteller telling the king stories in a very loosely-connected fashion. I'm not even going to say the titles for today's stories, but they are two of the most famous in the collection and wildly unpredictable. They're gross, violent, weird, and interesting - so, basically like everyday life. 

The creature is a man...who is a bat. But he's not Batman, because Batman can't handle this little guy's intensity. 

----- 

Music: "Sad Marimba Planet" by Lee Rosevere "Are we Loose Yet?" by Blue Dot Sessions "August (Summer Nights)" by Kai Engel "November Mist" by Blue Dot Sessions "Shiny" by Podington Bear "Yellow Dust" by Rolemusic "Swapping Tubes" by Blue Dot Sessions "In the Back Room" by Blue Dot Sessions "Petaluma" by Blue Dot Sessions
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

We have to go deeper. 

Well, for Scheherazade to survive, she always has to have another level of story to go to - she always has to have another layer of protection, to keep the king interested or her story might end with the rising of the sun. Luckily the king is very easy to impress because these stories are bananas. 

The creature is a funny little guy who just wants to wash his beans in piece. Or eat you. Depending on how playful he's feeling.   

----- 

Music: "Myrian" by Blue Dot Sessions "Pieces" by Blue Dot Sessions "Slimm" by Blue Dot Sessions "Sage the Hunter" by Blue Dot Sessions "Venndet" by Blue Dot Sessions "Fits" by Podington Bear "Glitter" by Podington Bear "Samara" by Podington Bear
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

(Have you checked out Fictional? Check out Fictional! There are three episodes waiting for you. Go to https://fictional.fm for more info.) The collection known as "Arabian Nights" actually has an overarching story. And it is...interesting. Full of djinn, demons, kings, and slaves, it's an incredibly interesting way to set up one of the best known collections of folklore. The framing narrative (a way to set up a story-within-a-story) is actually much more interesting than many of the stories it sets up, with betrayal, trickery, and probably the most sex and violence we've encountered so far on this podcast. 

The creature this time is a wise old owl...who doesn't have a problem bringing it in the fight against demons trying to steal your fingernail clippings. 

----- 

Music: "Changing Reality" by Kai Engel "Modum" by Kai Engel "All the Colors in the world" by Podington Bear "Don't Go" by Podington Bear "Everybody" by Podington Bear "Falling Falling" by Podington Bear "Turning to You" by Blue Dot Sessions "When in the West" by Blue Dot Sessions
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

An episode with a story from Scandinavia about trolls. Not the internet kind. No, these are the less annoying ones that will murder you in the forest.  

Two creatures this week! And they are dogs! And Myths and Legends will ruin dogs for you, too! 

Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

**Have you subscribed to Fictional yet? You'll love it! https://fictional.fm/subscribe** 

Wrapping up the story of Perseus, we'll see that fated confrontation with the eternally cosmetologically-challenged monster, Medusa, as well as fall in love. Turns out it's really easy to meet people when they are imprisoned beneath you. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 

The creature this time is the gargoyle, which ages phenomenally...because it's in indestructible dragon head. Unlike the monsters from that 90s cartoon that was awesome at the time but which did not age well at all... 

----- 

Music: "Thematic" by Blue Dot Sessions "Doghouse" by Blue Dot Sessions "Are We Loose Yet?" by Blue Dot Sessions "A Simple Blur" by Blue Dot Sessions "A Palace of Cedar" by Blue Dot Sessions "Sensitive" by Podington Bear "Small Pond" by Gurdonark "Quantum Field Theory" by Rolemusic
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Hey! Have you subscribed to Fictional? Go subscribe to Fictional! You'll love it, and it will be an amazingly huge help to us. Thank you!! You can find it at: https://fictional.fm/subscribe

--- 

Medusa is probably the most misunderstood villain in all of Greco-Roman Mythology, famous only for being a monster...and the hero's quest to kill her. We'll learn all about her background and follow the quest of one fated to clash with her. Also this is Greek mythology so everyone is terrible all the time always. 

The creature this week is the floating head and he's kind of like Pac-man...if Pac-man had a taste for people and delicious chestnuts. 
---
Music: "Toppler" by Blue Dot Sessions "Soothe" by Blue Dot Sessions "Seamless" by Blue Dot Sessions "Partly Sage" by Blue Dot Sessions "Old Skin" by Podington Bear "Little Dipper" by Podington Bear "Astrisx" by Blue Dot Sessions "Comet Trails" by Moon "Orbs of Light" by Moon     

---
Disclaimer: Non-graphic talk of Zeus impregnating a woman by turning into a shower of gold (?) and non-graphic talk of how Poseidon raped a woman and then the woman was blamed for it because she was irresistible.
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

We're back in the cold, unforgiving north, at the very beginning of Odin's reign. We'll see him meet a new friend while being completely unsuspicious in giant land, a threat come from another world to try to topple the Aesir, and the lengths Odin will go to in order to gain power, acquire knowledge, and thwart his coming doom. 

The creature this week is an antlion. When a mommy ant and a daddy lion love each other very much, they think of ways to express their love and, well, you'll see... 
---
Music: "The Nightmare" by Lee Rosevere "Not Alone" by Lee Rosevere "Sad Marimba Planet" by Lee Rosevere "Twirl Into Insanity" by Keshco "Decompression" by Blue Dot Sessions "Bogero" by Blue Dot Sessions "Pukae" by Blue Dot Sessions "Midday" by Blue Dot Sessions "Sunset at Goat Fell" by Graham Bole "Rooftop" by Jahzzar
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Starting at the beginning of the universe and going to the beginning of the epic and mildly disturbing battles between Set and his nephew Horus, Egyptian mythology is epic, funny, interesting, and bizarre. It's taken way too long to get into this mythology, and I'm excited to dive in. 

The creature has no problem diving in...to your mouth. As a newt. 

Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership