Tales From The Enchanted Forest

Have you ever been distracted by a sweet treat and a silver tongue? The masters of trickery and deception include Loki, the Fox, and our current favourite, the Jackal!  Join our animals as they attempt to outwit the Trickster Jackal! In this episode, we discuss African folklore, Anthropomorphism, Jackals, and lots more! This story was collected by E. Jacottet for his book on South African folktales. 

Sometimes the universe keeps you apart and sometimes it would be better for you to listen. Shirin and Khosrow are the result of ignoring all the red flags and having a train wreck relationship that is a tragedy for all involved. Join us on this adventure through ​​Nizami Ganjavi’s epic poem that has inspired generations of writers including William Shakespeare. This version also features the legendary story of Shirin and Farhad. 

We loved having a guest so much we are releasing another episode with her! Our five fantastic finds this week feature Aphrodite’s motives, the myth in YA literature and video games, the Sumerian origins, and the triple goddess! Come join us for a quick show on all the best tidbits!

Hades and Persephone have one of the most well-known myths, but did you know the whole debacle might be Aphrodite and Eros’ fault? In this episode, we delve deep into the origins of the myth with the Homeric Hymns’ and Ovid’s poetry to examine the way they treat Demeter’s smothering, Hades’ villainization and Persephone’s agency. Joining us for this episode is Queen’s University doctoral candidate, Jessica Caravaggio.

What do you do when your incestuous father tries to marry you following your mother's death? Wear the skin of his favourite gold pooping donkey and run away to find Prince Charming! In this bizarre Cinderella tale, we explore a classic French story and get to the bottom of why Disney hates alive mother figures.

This tale will make you want to crawl right out of your skin. 

You know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, but do you know the story of “Jack Spriggins"? A less likeable, more fantastical story of Jack!  Instead of stealing from the giant three times to aid his financial woes (and mismanagement), Jack abandons his toad ‘grandmother,’ marries an Empress who can turn into a Basilisk, and gets a pretty cool castle in the sky.

Trespassing, property rights, destruction of property and assault are just some of the things the Billy Goats Gruff can be charged with! Norwegians love their Trolls and we love talking about them so come talk about Hilda, trolls in the dungeons and three very fat Billy goats. 

Welcome to our first episode of “Tales from the Box Office” where we will explore all the different elements in a movie relating to fairy tales, literature, myths and legends! For our premiere episode, we decided on exploring the differences between Disney's “Raya and the Last Dragon” and Netflix’s “Wish Dragon!” Raya is a fast paced, fantasy epic about the world of Kumandra featuring heavy emphasis on SE Asian cultures. Wish Dragon is a romantic comedy based in Shanghai with some heartwarming familial roots! 

Vasilisa is known by many adjectives, the beautiful, the fair and the just. On a parallel note, Baba Yaga is also known by many names but her house with chicken feet remains a fun constant. Join us as we take on the classic Russian fairy tale about a magic doll, disembodied hand, and a murder skull lamp that puts your lava lamp to shame!

If those aren't enough tropes for you then we also have absent father, wicked step-mother and impossible tasks! 

From tiny bamboo babies to Moon People straight out of a science fiction novel, 10th century Japan was a rough time for our fictional bamboo cutter. His bamboo baby, Princess Kaguya has a hard time too, what with all the available suitors being jerks and her pen pal being the emperor, and don’t forget the casual extraterrestrial exile. Is it comforting knowing that simply living on earth is punishment for other beings?

Enjoy the tale of the Bamboo Cutter and his Daughter: Kaguya-hime.