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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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Running Deer and the Wampus Mask
Today, we are going to settle in with a story from the Appalachians, more specifically, with a from the Cherokee First Nations. Snuggle in and get ready for the thrilling story behind the nightmare creature- the Wampus Cat. The Wampus cat, the Whistling Wampus or the Gallywampus as it is called, is a half-dog/half-cat creature that lurks in dark places, piercing the hearts and souls of those it comes across. However, the Wampus stories’ potential origin could be the story of Running Deer. So, before we run out of time, here is our story for today, Deer Travellers. The Spirit…
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How the Moon was Made: New Zealand
New Zealand, 10 minute read We found this story in a book titled Maoriland Fairy Tales (1913) by Edith Howes. With all that said, it’s unclear if this story is an exact retelling, if it’s changed slightly or if it was just inspired by Māori folklore. There are some more popular stories regarding the moon including Rona and the Moon where Rona curses at the moon after it disappears behind a cloud while she is carrying water, causing her to spill it. Incensed, the Moon shakes the ground and causes such a storm that it lifts Rona off the ground.…
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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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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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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!
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The Glass Mountain: A Polish Tale
The Polish Tale of the Glass Mountain is a variant of the Princess on the Glass Hill archetype! Come join us as we meet Cinderlad/Ashlad, catch some golden apples and watch the Golden Knight fail!
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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.
Tales from the Enchanted Forest 