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Rostam: Horsin’ Around
It’s finally time for Rostam! Our previous episode kicked off our trilogy on the Shahnameh or “Book of Kings,” an epic by Ferdowsi on the history of Persia’s Greatest Kings and Heroes. We last spoke of the Hero Sam and his son Zal so if you are interested in knowing more about them, then make sure to check out our previous episode! Today, we will continue our series on the heroes of the Shahnameh. Rostam is the archetypical Iranian hero and predates the Shahnameh as a long-standing folk hero. He is among the Greatest literary heroes, including others like Gilgamesh,…
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Shahnameh: Sam, Zal and Rudabeh
The Shahnameh (The Book of Kings) by Hakim Abu al-Qasim Mansur is one of the world’s greatest Epic poems, detailing the history of Iran’s Kings and Heroes. He is known as “Ferdowsi Tusi,” which is actually a title meaning “The Tusi Poet from Paradise”. The work has morphed with every retelling, and the stories have existed prior to Ferdowsi penning them down. In the poem, Ferdowsi says that his book is a collection of stories that he painstakingly collected. To see a list of the author’s sources and a brief history, click here. The Epic itself starts from the beginning of…
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LGBTQ+ Retellings
June is Pride Month, and as we all gear up to celebrate ourselves and our loved ones, it’s also time to celebrate the strides we have taken in the literary world of retellings! From all corners of the world, we have seen a rise in the representation of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ protagonists! While the days of sassy “token” characters are not over, we still have a lot to celebrate. The current rise of fairy tale retellings has taken us by storm, and I have endeavoured to read and review some of the best-rated LGBTQ+ fiction! Please keep in mind that…
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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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Six Crimson Cranes
Six Crimson Cranes is book one of Elizabeth Lim’s duology. Princess Shiori of Kiata is the youngest sister of six brothers. As their last summer together approaches before adulthood, Shiori discovers a part of herself that she had inadvertently locked away. She conceals her forbidden powers, but when she uncovers a greater secret, she is confronted by her stepmother, the Empress Consort Raikama. Raikama banishes the princess and turns her brothers into six cranes with crimson crowns. With a bowl fused to her head and a warning that every word she speaks will be a death sentence for her brothers,…
Tales from the Enchanted Forest 