Hey folks. As the title suggests, I am indeed going on a little hiatus so there won’t be a new episode this week as scheduled. I’ve got an absolute bear of an exam looming over me - a two-day, 16-hour licensing extravaganza coming up in April. I’ve been able to balance work, studying, life, and the podcast up until now but, as the exam nears, I’m finding that harder and harder to do. For my own sanity, something has to give and unfortunately, the podcast is the only thing that can. Have no fear, intrepid listener - I’m not about to leave you dangling from a cliffhanger episode forever. MYTH will be back on May 6th with part 2 of Raiko and Shutendoji. See you all then!

This week on MYTH, we’re climbing up the mountains of ancient Japan for a monstrous encounter.  You’ll see that not all goblins are as sexy as David Bowie, that ronin travel in packs, and that you shouldn’t trust wandering monks.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, a magical cloak gets stolen. This is Part 1 of 2 of the Raiko story.

Source: Japanese Folklore

This week on MYTH, we’re having a new variation on an old familiar story.  You’ll discover that selling children can be profitable, that strange old women can definitely be trusted, and that trolls can’t clean.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, we’ll meet the selfish king and the powerful women who left a permanent mark on the oceans of the world.

Source: Norwegian Fairy Tale

This week on MYTH, it’s our more or less annual Valentine’s romance special.  You’ll meet the sexier cousin of Frosty the Snowman, an old school mean girl, and a wandering spirit with a taste for vengeance.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, we’ll look for love out under the pine trees at sunset.

Source: Algonquin Folklore

This week on MYTH, we’re going to break in this new year with a creation myth from a new pantheon - the Yoruba people of western Africa.  You’ll learn how much gold it takes to reach the sky, how much sand it takes to fill the ocean, and how much clay it takes to build a person.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, we’ll fight over colors with a new trickster god.

This week on MYTH, we’re celebrating the New Year with a mix of light and darkness that feels appropriate to this time of year.  You’ll see that it’s tough to be a door-to-door match salesperson, that there is magic in flames, and that you should be careful of the cold.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, out with the old and in with the new - it’s the Little New Year.

Source: Danish Folklore

This week on MYTH, it’s once again that special time of year - the annual holiday special.  You’ll find love in a hopeless place, find a ring in an unexpected place, and find hubris in a disappointing place.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, get in losers - we’re riding brooms and delivering candy.

Source: German Fairy Tales/Italian Folklore

This week on MYTH, we’re headed to the woods of Armenia for a unique spin on a classic fairy tale trope.  You’ll see that you should always part an old woman from her walking stick, that some animals deserve to be punished, and that orphans don’t always grow up to be heroes.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, the cat’s got your tongue, but who has the cat’s tail?

Source: Armenian Folklore

This week on MYTH, we’re bound for South Australia.  You’ll see that little old ladies are dangerous, that it rarely pays to be bait, and that sometimes the killer is who you most medium suspect.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, shifting shadows creep in the darkness in search of blood.

Source: Aborigine Folklore

This week on MYTH, love is in the air, but so are some eight-legged creepy crawlies.  You’ll learn how to make a spider house out of bread, how to pilot a rooster, and how to get rich in the shoe business.  Then, in Gods and Monsters, spiders aren’t the only arachnids in search of love.

Source: Portuguese Folklore