The Fairy Tellers

Geoff retells Hansel and Gretel, specifically the 1857 version made famous by the Brothers Grimm. Katrina compares this version to the first publication from 1812 and the changes made along the way. We also learn that people (AKA buzzkills) have been complaining about the graphic content of these tales from the beginning.

Bundle up! We're going to Russia! In this episode, Geoff retells the story of Morozko, Russia's Father Frost. And in return Katrina repeatedly traumatizes him with various tales of Snegurochka, the snowmaiden. We discuss the kind/unkind girl tale type and how the Russian people stuck it to the man by disguising critiques of the Soviet Union among innocent-seeming stories. And in a bit of a tangent, Geoff forces Katrina to recount a personal story of the time she was almost arrested in Russia for antiquities smuggling.

Katrina retells the story of Mother Holle, German folk goddess of winter, industriousness, and lost and troubled children. Join us on a journey to find out how the mythology surrounding this kindly figure leads directly to the wild and rambunctious Krampus tradition that continues in Germany today.

Katrina and Geoff continue their discussion of geomythology. Geoff recounts the tale of the giant catfish responsible for earthquakes in Japan and shares his own experience of the infamous 2011 earthquake. Katrina retells the story of Ngurunderi and how she stumbled upon this tsunami tale while researching how to catch a ferry to Kangaroo Island in Australia.

Katrina and Geoff discuss geomythology! Join us as we retell the story of the formation of the Hawaiian islands by the volcano goddess Pele and why actual geologists are obsessed with her tears and hair, the dueling volcanoes that lead to the formation of Crater Lake in the northwestern United States, and the heartbreaking story of an impact crater created by a fallen baby star in the Australian Outback.

Katrina and Geoff discuss monsters from around the world and discover that the true monster was us all along.

CW: 10 minute discussion of cannibalism. Brief mention of rape.

Katrina retells "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, a single author story that has ascended to "folklore" status in the eyes of many Americans. We discuss the possible folklore origins for Irving's headless horseman, including the story of the Dullahan, quite possibly the most terrifying creature that Geoff has ever heard of, and why we think shared stories are so important.

Katrina and Geoff retell Momotaro or the Story of the Son of a Peach, a Japanese fairy tale about a young boy who comes into the world by way of, you guessed it, a giant peach. He grows big and strong, befriends wild animals, and takes on an island full of demons. We discuss the fascinating reasons so many Japanese fairy tales were translated into English in the early 1900's and why reading different versions by insiders and outsiders of a culture can give different perspectives on the same tale.

Katrina and Geoff retell eight of Aesop's famous fables. We discuss how these nearly 3000 year old stories function in a modern context. What exactly is so relatable about talking animals?

Katrina and Geoff retell two versions of an obscure little tale called Cinderella. We discuss the similarities in this tale type and what the differences can tell us about what the storytellers valued.

*We had a complication with the sound quality and would plead for mercy since this is our second episode and we're still learning.*