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Festive Folklore Figures
Festive Folklore Figures Various, 10 minute read Folklore Figures in January? Have we missed the memo or are we just recovering from the bliss of Folklore Festivities? No! It’s January 6th which marks Perchtatag and the end of the “Rauhnächten” (the time between the solstice and Epiphany). So in the spirit of Frau Perchta, here is our list of some monstrous creatures of Yuletide! We have previously covered many different types of Christmas tales so look at the list below if you are searching for something specific: If you are interested in Christmas ghosts and the Victorian obsession with them,…
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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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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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The Flower Queen’s Daughter: A Fairy Tale Retelling
Welcome back Travellers to another tale that will remind you just how fun some fairy tales can be and fall in line with the current trend of myth retellings. The Romanian tale of “The Flower Queen’s Daughter” is definitely a version of the seasonal Persephone story, however, this one includes lots of mysterious old people, flirty Dragon mothers, runaway mares and a Flower Queen (plus her daughter). Stick around till the end for our Five Fantastic Finds on: Images from Andrew Lang’s Yellow Fairy Book with illustrations by H.J. Ford. The Flower Queen’s Daughter A young Prince was out for…
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The Australian Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent comes from the Indigenous Australian concept of the Dreamtime or Everywhen- the time of creation. Read about how the Rainbow Serpent created the rivers and the mountains, how humans came to be and where the Serpent has gone now. Hint: you might find more than you bargained for at the end of the rainbow.
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The Mermaid of the Magdalenes
The Magdalen Islands in Quebec, Canada offer more than just a breathtaking landscape; they are also home to the Great Lobster stories. Settle in as we tell the tale of the self-indulgent Maiden, a box of Sardines and a Vengeful Lobster. Originally this mournful tale of the ‘The Mermaid of the Magdalenes’ comes from Professor Cyrus MacMillan’s Canadian Fairy Tales.
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Caledonian Boar Hunt: Atalanta
The Greek Myths are an interesting web woven from characters with intermingled fates, recurring archetypes and motifs. Find out how the Caledonian Boar Hunt relates to not just Atalanta but Heracles, the Argonauts and Prince Meleager.
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Grimm Tale: Death’s Messenger
Enjoy this lesser known Brothers Grimm story about a deal with the devil. Is helping Death worth the reward or is it more of a curse? Find out on our episode of “Death’s Messenger.”
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Aztec Tale: Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl
Read and listen to the Mexican/Aztec tale of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. These two star-crossed lovers ended up as two volcanoes with many fertility festivals attributed to them- but why? Find out here!
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The Young Man Who Would Have His Eyes Opened
In an age where there is so much easily accessible information, it is easy to get caught up in all the details that we can no longer see the forest in the trees. Today’s Estonian story comes from Andrew Lang’s The Violet Fairy Book, first published in 1901. As stated in previous episodes, Nora and Andrew Lang have collected many well-known fairy tales in their books, but their sourcing is not always adequate. While this will not stop us from enjoying this tale, this knowledge is good to keep in mind when analyzing it. After all, knowledge is power. The…
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The Poor Prince: An Afghan Tale
Greetings, Travellers! Today, I want to share a story from Afghanistan with you! The story of the “Poor Prince” itself was retold by Adel Mahria with a translation from Dari by Sabzikar which can be found in Kabul’s former Ministry of Information and Culture bimonthly publication on folktales Volume 2, no. 2-3, published in 1974. It has been further retold by Afghan-Canadian Alaheh Amini. I discovered this tale while researching variants of the Polish Glass Mountain story we did a few episodes back. There are several clear links between this story and the Princess on the Glass Hill folklore type,…
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Princess Aubergine: Baingan Bádsháhzádi
Princess Aubergine is a Punjabi story of a beautiful fairy, wicked Queen, cursed necklace and an unlikely romance. Read the story, listen to the podcast and dive deep into the tropes/sources with us!
Tales from the Enchanted Forest 