Stories from the Hearth

By flickering candlelight, Chinese storytellers have been telling tales with exquisite, colourful shadow puppets for over two-thousand years. Surviving war, famine, regime changes and revolutions, this is one of the world's oldest and most intricate storytelling traditions. I look at the music, singing, and puppetry of the artform, the training its mastery requires, why it has a decentralized, anarchist structure, how it survived its tumultuous history, and what a future version of Chinese shadow puppetry might look like.

This is Part Three in the second season of Stories from the Hearth's bonus historical and interview series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of The Wandering Bard examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as people behind it. In season two of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Who are the storytellers?”, and in today's episode, we examine the Griots of West Africa.

The next episode in The Wandering Bard series will be an extra special interview episode with Joe Fisher of sci-fi audio drama podcast Midnight Burger.

Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Support the podcast and get early access, exclusive content, bonus story-episodes, in-episode shout-outs, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Today's sources: chineseshadowpuppetry.com, China Puppet and Shadow Art Society, UNESCO, travelchinaguide.com, Google Arts & Culture

Video links! - 
Traditional Chinese Shadow Puppet Show, Bazhong, China
Ballerina - Chinese Shadow Puppetry
Clever Monkeys - Chinese Shadow Puppetry
Puppet Master Liu Laoshi Shows Off His Skills

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Fire Daemon Character Artwork by Anna Ferrara
Anna's Instagram: @giallosardina
Anna's Portfolio: https://annaferrara.carbonmade.com/

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this bonus episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reaching the elven town of Eldritch, it soon became clear to Lucky the troll that their kind was unwanted. Now, Lucky is set to face an even greater threat: a sect of zealous mages whose singular purpose is to bring about the extinction of the trollish race. Where has Lucky's sister-in-law Diaphony Le Viol disappeared to? How will trollish pacifism stand up to elven aggression? Find out how this family-friendly, queer fantasy epic concludes in Caveworm: Part Two. (This episode is part 2 of 2)

Stories from the Hearth is an immersive storytelling experience featuring truly original fiction backed by thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Episode #13 out Sunday 26th September 2021 (26.09.21)

Support the podcast and get early access, bonus content, extra episodes, shout-outs, the chance to become part of a wider community, and more by visiting my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Come say hi!

Original Artwork by Anna Ferrara
Anna's Instagram: @giallosardina
Anna's Portfolio: https://annaferrara.carbonmade.com/

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

Some of the recorded audio in this episode is courtesy of www.freesound.org. Special thanks go to Kevin Luce, Kyster, Dynamicell, and klankbeeld.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In West Africa, speech goes deeper than just communication - the spoken word is imbued with the natural power to create and to give life. For centuries, West African storytellers have been advisors to kings, emperors, village elders and tribal chiefs. They have served as walking libraries, fonts of all knowledge, "the memory of humankind". And whilst the brutal slave trade of the 16th-19th centuries did its best to destroy West African culture, the legacy of the griots lives on in hip-hop, poetry and activism to this very day.

This is Part Two in the second season of Stories from the Hearth's bonus historical and interview series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of The Wandering Bard examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as people behind it. In season two of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Who are the storytellers?”, and in today's episode, we examine the Griots of West Africa.

The next episode in The Wandering Bard series will take a look at the shadow puppetry of ancient China.

Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Support the podcast and get early access, exclusive content, bonus story-episodes, in-episode shout-outs, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Today's sources: The Culture Trip, Cultures of West Africa, TEDxUnilorin, and Green Global Travel

Sirata by Habib Koité - listen here!

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Fire Daemon Character Artwork by Anna Ferrara
Anna's Instagram: @giallosardina
Anna's Portfolio: https://annaferrara.carbonmade.com/

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this bonus episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucky is the unluckiest troll in the Hole: a massive cave system which has provided sanctuary for trolls like Lucky since his great-great-great-grandpappy Grimblade's time. But now there's a newcomer - Lucky's sister has married an elven woman - and with the elf's arrival, the peace between trolls and the outside world threatens to come crashing down. 

Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Caveworm will conclude in Episode #12 out Sunday 29th August 2021 (29.08.21)

Support the podcast and get early access, bonus content, exclusive extra episodes, an in-episode shout-out, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Original Artwork by Anna Ferrara
Anna's Instagram: @giallosardina
Anna's Portfolio: https://annaferrara.carbonmade.com/

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

Some of the recorded audio in this episode is courtesy of www.freesound.org. Special thanks go to Kevin Luce, Kyster, Dynamicell, and klankbeeld.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Polynesians first settled the isolated Hawaiian Islands, they transformed traditional dancing into Hula, which almost all of us recognise in some form, even to this day. Except, Hula isn't just a dance, it is a complex, beautiful, and culturally important form of storytelling.

This is Part One in the second season of Stories from the Hearth's bonus historical and interview series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of The Wandering Bard examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as people behind it. In season two of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Who are the storytellers?”, and in today's episode, we examine Hawaiian hula dancers.

The next episode in The Wandering Bard series will take a look at the Griot storytellers of West Africa.

Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Support the podcast and get early access, exclusive content, bonus story-episodes, in-episode shout-outs, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Fire Daemon Character Artwork by Anna Ferrara
Anna's Instagram: @giallosardina
Anna's Portfolio: https://annaferrara.carbonmade.com/

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this bonus episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The end of the world isn't caused by a meteor, a nuclear blast, a monster or god. The end of the world isn't exciting, nor is it terrifying. The end of the world comes slowly, quietly. It is so subtle that humanity doesn't realise the end has come until it is too late. In the ruins of old Tokyo, one woman - born at the beginning of Lights Out - imagines what life must have been like in the days before...

Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Episode #11 out Sunday 25th July 2021 (25.07.21)

Support the podcast and get early access, bonus content, exclusive extra episodes, an in-episode shout-out, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Original Artwork by Anna Ferrara
Anna's Instagram: @giallosardina
Anna's Portfolio: https://annaferrara.carbonmade.com/

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

All of the music in this episode is the work of Kumiko and is courtesy of Free Music Archive, licensed under a Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication. To read more about the license, click here. 

Songs (in order of appearance)

1. Fight the apocalypse, but before a quick nap
2. Wake up, heroic figure
3. Un desért
4. Something to save
5. The first person crossing the bridge since a century

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deep in the jungle interior of the Southern Islands, a species of sentient beings live out their lives at peace and in harmony with the forest, and with the mountain at its heart. The Cónglín yōulíng, however, are not the only sentient species on their world, and as Onyongo is about to find out, there are others out there with less than honest intentions...

CW: misgendering, violence

Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Episode #10 out Sunday 27th June 2021 (27.06.21)

Support the podcast and get early access, bonus content, exclusive extra episodes, an in-episode shout-out, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Original Artwork by Anna Ferrara
Anna's Instagram: @giallosardina
Anna's Portfolio: https://annaferrara.carbonmade.com/

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

'Surreal Forest' is the work of Meydän and is courtesy of Free Music Archive, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. To read more about the license, click here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part Three in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's bonus historical and interview series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of The Wandering Bard examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as people behind it. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?”, and in today's episode, we examine the role of storytelling in education and learning, and examine storytelling as a tool used to pass historical, moral, and practical lessons down through the generations.

This marks the end of Season One of The Wandering Bard - Why Do We Tell Stories? In Season Two, we'll be looking at the history of the storytellers themselves.

Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Support the podcast and get early access, exclusive content, bonus story-episodes, in-episode shout-outs, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Original Artwork by Anna Ferrara
Anna's Instagram: @giallosardina
Anna's Portfolio: https://annaferrara.carbonmade.com/

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this bonus episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this extra special episode of Stories from the Hearth, The Pale Blue Dot comes to its dramatic (and rather silly) conclusion. Flying freelancer Jahanara Khan is wanted by the Intergalactic Council of Sentience for the theft of the Brainiac - the multiverse's single standard of intelligence. But it seems all Khan is concerned with is money, and fame. Will she and her friend Glorfindel, the extraneously-conscious light-orb, escape the burning space station? Or will they fall prey to one of its many weird and wonderful alien mercenaries... such as the lava monster?

CW: drug use, violence, sexual reference

With character design and guest voice acting from Robbie Durham, and original guest artwork and character design from Jack Magee, this is set to be one of Stories from the Hearth's most ludicrously fun episodes to date. Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

Episode #9 is out Sunday 6th June 2021 (06.06.21)

Support the podcast and get early access, bonus content, exclusive extra episodes, an in-episode shout-out, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Original Artwork by Jack Magee
Jack's Instagram: @mackjagee
Jack's Website: www.jackmagee.co.uk

Additional Voices by Robbie Durham
Robbie's Instagram: @robbie_durham

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

"Breakdown" is the work of Monplaisir and is courtesy of freesound.org, licensed under a Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license. To read more about the license, click here.

"2.12.05 elevator" is the work of BOPD and is courtesy of freesound.org, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) license. To read more about the license, click here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this extra special episode of Stories from the Hearth, flying freelancer Jahanara Khan seeks refuge in a run-down space station called the Pale Blue Dot. It is a den of depravity and illicit transactions, run by a ragtag group of aliens including a disgruntled green blob, and a frighteningly upbeat Texan automaton. What Jahanara wants with such a place, we can hardly guess. But when she runs into an old, hyper-intelligent, floating friend, her dangerous secret soon becomes everybody's problem.

CW: drug use, violence, sexual reference

With character design and guest voice acting from Robbie Durham, and original guest artwork and character design from Jack Magee, this is set to be one of Stories from the Hearth's most ludicrously fun episodes to date. Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Stories from the Hearth is the brainchild of queer punk poet, environmentalist, and anarchist Cal Bannerman. Vive l'art!

This story concludes in Episode #8 - out Sunday 9th May 2021 (09.05.21)

Support the podcast and get early access, bonus content, exclusive extra episodes, an in-episode shout-out, and the chance to become part of a wider community, by visiting our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthehearthpodcast

Instagram: @storiesfromthehearth
Twitter: @Hearth_Podcast
YouTube: Stories from the Hearth
Email: [email protected]

Original Artwork by Jack Magee
Jack's Instagram: @mackjagee
Jack's Website: www.jackmagee.co.uk

Additional Voices by Robbie Durham
Robbie's Instagram: @robbie_durham

Thank you for listening. Please consider following, subscribing to, and sharing this episode, and please do tell your friends all about Stories from the Hearth.

"Yellow Star", "Breakdown" and "Overdriven Rain" are the work of Monplaisir and are courtesy of freesound.org, licensed under Creative Commons 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication licenses. To read more about the licenses, click here.

"2.12.05 elevator" is the work of BOPD and is courtesy of freesound.org, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) license. To read more about the license, click here.

"Behind Our Efforts, Let There Be Found Our Efforts" is the work of LG17 and is courtesy of freesound.org,  licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. To read more about the license, click here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.