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How the Rabbit Lost its Tail
How the rabbit lost its tail Brazil, 11 minute read This explanatory tale comes just in time for Spring and all things Easter. Did you know Rabbits used to have long tails? To find out how they ended up with just a tuft, be sure to listen to the episode or read the notes below! I’m sure you’re all gearing up to grab your Easter baskets, chocolates and, for some, preparing for your Easter festivals! In central Europe, our town centers are all decorated for Osterfest, while the Canadian supermarkets are bursting with their chocolate displays. And, of course, somewhere…
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The Cleaning Pooka of Kildare
Irish Fairies are a hot topic in the folklore world, so whether you are looking for a romanceable one or just a lovable sidekick, there are plenty of fair folk to choose from. A personal favourite of mine is the cleaning variety, but I might be biased since I’ve just finished the Emily Wilde series about Professor Wilde’s scholarly adventures as a dryadologist. This story isn’t about the aloof and haughty fair folk, though we will hopefully cover them in detail later. Today, we have the trickster phantom fairy called the Puca or Pooka. These solitary creatures can take on…
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The Eagle and the Whale
Greenland, 8 minute read What happens when a brother mocks his unmarried sisters? Well, they get carried off by animal bridegrooms and must be rescued! Today’s story comes from the book, Eskimo Folktales, collected by Knud Rasmussen and translated by W. Wooster. Knud Rasmussen was an anthropologist and polar explorer in the early 20th century. His native name was “Kunúnguaq” and he collected tales from all over Greenland with a deep understanding of the role of the Eskimo storyteller. Some stories, like that of “The Eagle and the Whale,” are full of similar tropes that sprouted from ancient storytelling traditions…
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The Little Girl and the Whirlwinds
Bulgaria, 7 minute read A wicked Winter Witch decides to prolong winter forever and casts a spell to hide the sun from the Earth. No one volunteers to go seek help from the Frost Wizard- no one except a brave little girl with a warm heart. The Bulgarian tale of the “Little Girl and the Whirlwinds” or “The Little Girl and the Forever Winter” is hard to pinpoint. Our research led us to various retellings and other Bulgarian folktales, but no clear link to where this tale came from. Other versions are closely tied to the Russian story of the…
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The Tale of the Boneless Jellyfish
The Jelly Fish’s Journey Japan, 7 minute read How did a mishap with monkey liver lead to the Jellyfish losing all his bones? This story comes from the 1910 book “Green Willow and Other Japanese Fairy Tales” by Grace James who was a folklorist and children’s writer specializing in Japanese stories. Her book credits many of the stories to the Ko-ji-ki, or the Book of Ancient Matters, although as far as our research can tell, this Jellyfish story is not specifically in that book but more so a folktale told through the generations. The Tale of the Boneless Jelly…
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Beware of Auntie Tiger
Hóo-Koo-Pô Taiwan, 7 minute read So, this story is one that I found months ago when I was looking at folk horror from Korea, Taiwan, China and the Philippines. Specifically, the story I chose is based on the Aunt Tiger or Auntie Tigress folklore and the most well-known version is by Taiwanese author, Wang Shilang. A long time ago, many people in Taiwan believed spirits and Gods roamed among us. They believed that animal spirits could transform themselves into human beings to trick other humans before devouring them. This sets the stage for our story of the Tiger Witch, the…
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Nigerian Animal Tales
The Election of the King Bird There was once a King of Calabar named Essiya. Like many kings and those of royal blood, King Essiya was very wealthy and powerful. Despite that, he didn’t own any slaves. At least not any human slaves. Instead, he would call upon animals to aid his people with their work. But he wanted to make sure that the work was being communicated quickly and efficiently to all the animals. So, one day, he decided to appoint the chief head for all the different kinds of animals. These creatures will be referred to as kings.…
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Storyteller Series: Jack Finn
An exclusive interview with storyteller and author, Jack Finn! Read all about his inspirations, writing advice and his unique take on weaving a story based on folklore.
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Daughter of the Sword
This coming-of-age story from South Africa has all the basics of a good story: enraged cattle lord, arrogant warriors, a bratty Princess being put in her place and best of all- lots and lots of cows! What more could we ask for? Based on the retelling by Ethel L. McPherson of Cape Town.
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Sparrow Shorts: The Cottager and His Cat
The Cottager and His Cat Happy New Year, Travellers! Welcome back to the Enchanted Forest. I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and are as eager as we are for another exciting year full of new and old stories! This week, Fox is out in the winter wonderland, searching high and low for new tales to share. But do not worry! Fox will be back in a fortnight with her shorts to share! But solo or not, it is still my job to bring old and new tales for you, and that is just what I have done.…
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Aesop’s Fables
Fantasy encompasses a wide, wide spectrum of writing. We have beast fables, we have Gothic, we have tales of vampires and werewolves, and we have sword and sorcery; we have epics from Homer, and there is just so much out there that we put under the umbrella of ‘fantasy.’ – Robin Hobb Aesop’s Fables by V.S Vernon-Jones illustrated by Arthur Rackham (1912) from Wikimedia Commons Greetings Travellers! Welcome back to Tales from the Enchanted Forest! This week, Fox is on her own heroic quest to recover ancient tales and secrets from beyond the enchanted forest. This means that today’s episode…
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The Mitten: Ukrainian Folktale
We have used many different versions of “The Mitten” from Barbara Suwyn, Irina Zheleznova, Svitlana Yakovenko, Pavlo Chubynsky (1878) and Ivan Rudchenko (1870). Today, we have a famous folktale from Ukraine that some of our travellers might have heard already! The story of the mitten has been translated from Ukrainian into many different languages and retold in children’s books! One popular one from our childhood was Jan Brett’s version! If you haven’t listened to the story yet, be sure to listen here or download it wherever you listen to your podcasts! Let us know what you think in the comments or reviews. Mitten Mischief There…
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