The Fairy Tellers

TW: Incestuous desires

In this episode, Geoff and Katrina are celebrating 5 years of podcasting myths, legends, folklore, and fables with another take on Cinderella. While we normally talk about ATU 510A, or Cinderella tales, for our 5th Anniversary, we're shaking things up with ATU 510B! In this tale type, we explore a tale of riches to rags and back to riches again. Filled with magical dresses, real fairy godmothers, and persecuted heroines, it's clear why this tale type falls under the same number in the index as Cinderella. But what makes this a "B" tale? 

In this episode, Geoff and Katrina fight burn out by talking about one of their favorite things...the dead. While attending the Western State Folklore Conference in 2022, Katrina was inspired by an essay written by Christopher James Blythe "The Legend of the Naked Dead: Apparitions and Proper Burial in Latter-day Saint Folklore", which led to a stunning bonus episode for our patrons. Recently published in the Journal of American Folklore Spring 2024, Katrina was inspired to head toward the fairy tale stories of The Grateful Dead. Join our hero on his adventure to win the heart of his "dead crow on snow" looking dream girl.

And if you haven't listened to the podcasts that we featured on back in March 2024, check out these links.

Not My Fantasy podcast: In this episode, Cullen and Hannah look at the lore that inspired the Disney 2015 Cinderella.

Fairy Tale Fix podcast: In this episode, Abbie and Kelsey listen to stories read by Geoff and Katrina from Ireland in celebration of Irish month.

In this episode that Geoff and Katrina recorded back in March, they delve into one of the "why"s of Pourquoi tales, the passing on of Ancestorial Wisdom. Whether it is the knowledge of where their people came from or how best to behave in the environment, these tales are found throughout the world. Katrina and Geoff tell tales from Australia, southern Africa, and North America.

Olga Murray, who founded the Nepal Youth Foundation, passed away at the age of 98 in February of this year.  Founder's Day, an annual celebration of the creation of this nonprofit, will be held on May 30th. While this event will include a celebration of life for Olga Murray and all she was able to do in her life, it will also be a time to look forward and walk a path that was started by this hardworking and loving woman.

After a member of the Nepal Youth team in Nepal reached out to The Fairy Tellers podcast, Katrina and Geoff decided to come back from their current hiatus to tell some tales specifically requested by listeners in Nepal. Please enjoy the tales, what they communicate about the Nepalese culture, and what they can teach about life.

The Nepal Youth Foundation

In this episode, Katrina and Geoff retell a tale from Armenia that was recommended to them by one of our wonderful Patreon patrons! The tale of "Dyjhycon the Coward Hero" has many similarities to the tale of "The Brave Little Tailor" found in western Europe except for some vast personality differences between the two protagonists. The cultural differences between what makes a person worth rooting for are very stark in these two tales. And of course, plenty of jokes are made about "7 in one blow".

If you like what we are doing and wish to support our endeavors please consider becoming a patron of the arts over on Patreon.

Katrina and Geoff are back at it again with a new series to kick off the next 100 episodes of the podcast! Even though Geoffrey joked that the last episode we would ever do would be an episode on "Pourquoi Tales", we've decided to use it as a jumping off point for more fun. In this episode, Katrina starts off the series by telling us what Pourquoi Tales are NOT, and that is stories that have to be believed to be True to carry truths. She retells a tale from Ghana and then focus in on tales recorded by Zora Neale Hurston in her book Mules and Men.

If you love what we are doing with the podcast and want to help us create more content, please consider becoming on of our Patreon supports! You would receive bonus content and our undying gratitude!

Happy 100th Episode from Geoff and Katrina to you! This year had a ton of milestones and we're excited to send off 2023 with our 100th episode. We've had a blast the last 4 years podcasting about myths, legends, folklore, and fables. To celebrate we had another installment of Cinderella tales but this one comes with a Snow White twist. This tale from India recorded in the 1800's starts off with a princess missing a shoe and ends with our heroine coming back from a death like state from her Rajah. 

It's winter time once again in the Northern Hemisphere and we're getting ready for winter celebrations.  Plant life plays a lot into the season and while there are plenty of traditions associated with these plants, there are also stories. Geoff and Katrina talk about a few of holiday plants and stories surrounding the mysterious properties of plants that appear to be evergreen. They also talk about the tradition of wassailing and pour one out for our plant homies.

If you want to support the podcast and get to hear some bonus material, consider joining our Patreon!

In this episode, Geoff and Katrina get into more tales featuring the iconic Baba Yaga. During the December Divinations episode, the Fates decided that we needed more Baba on the podcast and who are we to deny fate? We discuss two tales which show how differently Baba Yaga can appear in stories. When men are bumbling through the woods looking for help saving their lives, they can count on Baba Yaga to save the day with her advice. When little girls need help in the woods, they better bring some magic of their own.

In this episode, Geoff and Katrina complete their shining tiara of a series, with this crown jewel. After a year devoted to exploring the motifs, themes, and elements that have traveled through the ocean of stories for centuries, we cover the story of Snow White. Crafted and created by the Brothers Grimm, Little Snow White is a tale that most people feel familiar with, but there are still surprises to be had in this episode. 

Book that we used in this episode: