The Fairy Tellers

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Welcome to The Fairy Tellers podcast! We explore what myths, legends, folklore, fables, and fairy tales say about cultures then and now. Grab a hot cup of cocoa and a comfy seat while we retell you a thing. New episodes twice a month.

The Fairy Tellers


    • May 3, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 23m AVG DURATION
    • 128 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Fairy Tellers

    #116 Ethiopian Sons: An Evaluation of Values

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2025 49:54


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina turn to a pair of tales from Ethiopia that illustrate how stories can talk about what we value without being overly didactic. They retell two stories stories come from Elizabeth Laird's When the World Began: Stories Collected in Ethiopia. Katrina starts us off with "The Shield of Kindness," where three sons are tested not on strength or bravery, but on kindness and compassion. Then Geoff retells The Best Home, a tale of two brothers who take very different approaches to building a home.

    #115 All's Well That Ends Well For Catherine the Wise

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2025 120:44


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina celebrate Shakespeare Day on April 23rd! Shakespeare employed folklore in his tales to connect his audience with the familiar while also reworking it enough to pull a new message into the forefront. Our patrons on Patreon picked out "All's Well That Ends Well" and Katrina enjoyed learning about a tale that was unfamiliar to her. And Geoff retold the tale of Catherine the Wise, another ATU 891 The Man Who Deserts His Wife tale type.   Check out Shakespeare and the Folktale: An Anthology of Stories edited by Charlotte Artese   And listen to our recap of the Live Action Snow White on Not My Fantasy podcast.

    #114 The Golden Trunk

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2025 79:20


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina dive back into The Tale of Tales by Giambattista Basile. Is it violent? And misogynistic? And unnecessarily sexual? Yes. But it's also racist. Katrina was sent a copy of Specters of the Marvelous: Race and the Development of the European Fairy Tale by Kimberly J. Lau, a professor of literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This book was chocked full of fascinating research about how the tales that most famously make up the genre of fairy tales, have unique place and time specific types of racism. Katrina retells the tale of The Golden Trunk, which reveals what we can learn about how Italians in the late 1500's viewed Black people, particularly those that were enslaved. Not only that, but the audience also gets to hear a classic Basile variant of the Cupid and Psyche story, which is a precursor to Beauty and the Beast.  Content Warning: Violence, Racism, Sexual Assault Not My Fantasy- Live Action Snow White 

    #113 Speranza Wilde and the Evil Eye

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 83:33


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina talk about some of the work of Lady Jane "Speranza" Wilde. An Irish nationalist who was gathering the lore of the folk, Lady Jane Wilde believed that the heart of the Irish culture could be found in its myths, legends, and superstitions. Katrina discusses some of what can be found in Lady Wilde's folklore collection, including how to become invisible, cure a toothache, and remove the Evil Eye. Unfortunately, in the discussion, Katrina becomes aware that she might have accidentally placed the Evil Eye on some people in her own life. Oops. Next, Katrina tells a tale of a woman who is lured into the fairy realm but saved by a mysterious red haired man. Then, Geoff retells a tale of a leprechaun. Katrina gives a final pitch for why everyone should grab a copy of  Lady Jane "Speranza" Wilde's book and give it a read for themselves. Other Podcasts Mentioned: Not My Fantasy Podcast - Specifically the episode on Disney's 1935 Snow White Fairy Tale Fix- Specifically episode 83

    #112 Wise Men of Gotham and the City of Chelm

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2025 87:57


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina take a trip to several different cities of fools (and feel right at home). First Katrina explains how the folkloric village of Gotham ended up turning into a city of Batman. Then the pair travel backwards in time to take a peek into one of the oldest joke books, from the 4th century AD. They discuss how common it is for people to come together to bad mouth the people one town over. Katrina takes a couple shots at LA and her own cousins, while Geoff wants to talk Florida Man and Idiotsville, USA. And then they dive into the Jewish folkloric town of Chelm for several fun stories that illustrate the power of these silly stories to showcase human nature.   Books Used: The Jar of Fools by Eric A. Kimmel Yiddish Folktales by Beatrice Weinreich Favorite Folktales from Around the World edited by Jane Yolen   Book Mentioned at the Beginning of this episode: Specters of the Marvelous by Kimberly J. Lau

    Dog and Sparrow [Surprise Instagram LIVE]

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2025 26:02


    For National Tell a Fairy Tale day, Katrina and Geoff decided to hop on and do an Instagram Live and Katrina tells the story of The Dog and the Sparrow straight from the Brothers Grimm. This was one of the first fairy tales that Katrina encountered way back almost a decade ago that made her go, "What the freak did I just read?!" A classic tale with some classic Grimm Brothers violence. 95% of the characters die so don't get attached to any of them.

    #111 Stone Soup and Long Spoons

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2025 56:35


    In this episode, Katrina and Geoff talk about stone soup and the travels this story has gone on. This ATU 1548 tale might have started off as a story where a clever man does what he can to trick unsuspecting people out of their food and resources, but over time it has come to be a symbol of communities learning to come together in love to make sure that everybody has enough. Katrina and Geoff retell a couple stories that feature so called "clever men" who lie, cheat, and steal to illustrate what kind of company the story of Stone Soup kept in the ATU Index before launching into a retelling of this ubiquitous tale. 

    #110 Riff Raff and Ragamuffins

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2025 58:21


    Content Warning: Animal on Animal Violence In this episode, Geoff and Katrina welcome the new year by retelling tales of slapstick violence and murder. In ATU 210, a bunch of random objects team up to create an ending with a domino effect of violence. But it's FUN! Katrina starts off by telling a Brother's Grimm version of this story called Riff Raff or A Pack of Ragamuffins. Reading this short story in the German collection might feel random and weird but it is part of a story tradition where the listener knew what kind of tale was being set up. Geoff then tells another tale from the Brother's Grimm following this pattern before Katrina takes us all the way to Japan. And now that the audience knows where the story is going, we demonstrate how this story can be mixed and matched to bring pleasure even when it reaches its familiar conclusion.

    #109 Albuquerque Ghosts

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2024 48:08


    In this short episode, Geoff and Katrina talk ghost stories in Albuquerque. This year, the American Folklore Society conference was being held in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Katrina is still recovering her brain from working over time all week. So, to recuperate, she retells some ghosts stories from locations that she was able to go to while in town. Besides revisiting the classic La Llorona story that has a New Mexican flavor, she tells about ghosts holding grudging and preforming on stage.   

    #108 Jack and the Northwind and Muncimeg

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2024 90:22


    In this episode, Katrina and Geoff dive back into the tales of Jack in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. First Katrina does a quick review of how Jack tales crossed over the ocean and wound up in the Americas before Geoff tells us the tale of Jack and the North Wind. After a quick conversation about similar tales types and the differences to be found back in Europe, Katrina introduces us to a new kind of Jack tale as we go on an adventure with Muncimeg. Books to Check Out: The Jack Tales: Folk Tales from the Southern Appalachians by Robert Chase Mountain Jack Tales by Gail E. Haley

    #107 Just So Stories and Rudyard Kipling

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2024 70:56


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina bring us back to the topic of Pourquoi tales, by way of literary folk tales. In 1902, Rudyard Kipling published his own tales that he wrote for his daughter in the style of pourquoi tales. The title "Just So Stories" have stuck in the mind of the public and became synonymous with Pourquoi tales because they answered such questions as "Where Did the Camel Get His Hump?" and "Why Does Elephant Have Such a Long Nose?" But as Katrina points out in this episode, Kipling's stories are literary works from the brain of one man and even though people use the term "Pourquoi tales" and "Just So Stories" interchangeably now, these tales are not what they seem.

    #106 Flying Witches: Tatterhood

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2024 95:01


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina fly into the world of witches, thanks to an article by folklorist Kay Turner. In her article titled, "The Witch in Flight" published in the Winter 2023 addition of the Journal of American Folklore, Turner discusses some of the reasons why we encounter so many winged females in myths, folklore, and fairy tales. Katrina describes some of the mythical magical flying females and how cultures have shaped how we view witches in the modern day. And then she tells the Norwegian tale of Tatterhood and the many witches and their personalities on display in the story. For further reading: Check out "Women Who Fly: Goddesses, Witches, Mystics, and Other Airborne Females" by Serinity Young. It is an incredibly fascinating book.

    #105 Donkeyskin: The Fifth Anniversary Episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2024 89:16


    TW: Incestuous desires In this episode, Geoff and Katrina are celebrating 5 years of podcasting myths, legends, folklore, and fables with another take on Cinderella. While we normally talk about ATU 510A, or Cinderella tales, for our 5th Anniversary, we're shaking things up with ATU 510B! In this tale type, we explore a tale of riches to rags and back to riches again. Filled with magical dresses, real fairy godmothers, and persecuted heroines, it's clear why this tale type falls under the same number in the index as Cinderella. But what makes this a "B" tale?  We're back to podcasting after a long hiatus! Welcome back to the podcast!

    # 104 - [FIXED] The Grateful Dead

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2024 84:16


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina fight burn out by talking about one of their favorite things...the dead. While attending the Western State Folklore Conference in 2022, Katrina was inspired by an essay written by Christopher James Blythe "The Legend of the Naked Dead: Apparitions and Proper Burial in Latter-day Saint Folklore", which led to a stunning bonus episode for our patrons. Recently published in the Journal of American Folklore Spring 2024, Katrina was inspired to head toward the fairy tale stories of The Grateful Dead. Join our hero on his adventure to win the heart of his "dead crow on snow" looking dream girl.   And if you haven't listened to the podcasts that we featured on back in March 2024, check out these links. Not My Fantasy podcast: In this episode, Cullen and Hannah look at the lore that inspired the Disney 2015 Cinderella. Fairy Tale Fix podcast: In this episode, Abbie and Kelsey listen to stories read by Geoff and Katrina from Ireland in celebration of Irish month.

    #103 Pourquoi Tales: Ancestorial Wisdom

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2024 101:37


    In this episode that Geoff and Katrina recorded back in March, they delve into one of the "why"s of Pourquoi tales, the passing on of Ancestorial Wisdom. Whether it is the knowledge of where their people came from or how best to behave in the environment, these tales are found throughout the world. Katrina and Geoff tell tales from Australia, southern Africa, and North America. Also, a much overdue shout out to Fairy Tale Fix podcast and Not My Fantasy podcast for having us as guests back in March!! Fairy Tale Fix had Geoff and Katrina come and read stories from Ireland for the month of March and there were many laughs shared with the ridiculousness of priests cursing people to die and cats getting kings pregnant. Then Katrina went onto Not My Fantasy podcast to discuss the live action Disney Cinderella from 2015. Not only did we find ourselves laughing while dissecting the differences found in this new remake but Katrina started to think that maybe she needed to give a therapist a call.

    Surprise Live: Nepal Youth Foundation in honor of Olga Murray

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 85:08


    Olga Murray, who founded the Nepal Youth Foundation, passed away at the age of 98 in February of this year.  Founder's Day, an annual celebration of the creation of this nonprofit, will be held on May 30th. While this event will include a celebration of life for Olga Murray and all she was able to do in her life, it will also be a time to look forward and walk a path that was started by this hardworking and loving woman. After a member of the Nepal Youth team in Nepal reached out to The Fairy Tellers podcast, Katrina and Geoff decided to come back from their current hiatus to tell some tales specifically requested by listeners in Nepal. Please enjoy the tales, what they communicate about the Nepalese culture, and what they can teach about life.   The Nepal Youth Foundation

    #102 The Brave Little Tailor/Dyjhycon the Coward Hero

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2024 124:30


    In this episode, Katrina and Geoff retell a tale from Armenia that was recommended to them by one of our wonderful Patreon patrons! The tale of "Dyjhycon the Coward Hero" has many similarities to the tale of "The Brave Little Tailor" found in western Europe except for some vast personality differences between the two protagonists. The cultural differences between what makes a person worth rooting for are very stark in these two tales. And of course, plenty of jokes are made about "7 in one blow".   If you like what we are doing and wish to support our endeavors please consider becoming a patron of the arts over on Patreon.

    #101 The Why of Pourquoi Tales

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2024 62:13


    Katrina and Geoff are back at it again with a new series to kick off the next 100 episodes of the podcast! Even though Geoffrey joked that the last episode we would ever do would be an episode on "Pourquoi Tales", we've decided to use it as a jumping off point for more fun. In this episode, Katrina starts off the series by telling us what Pourquoi Tales are NOT, and that is stories that have to be believed to be True to carry truths. She retells a tale from Ghana and then focus in on tales recorded by Zora Neale Hurston in her book Mules and Men.   If you love what we are doing with the podcast and want to help us create more content, please consider becoming on of our Patreon supports! You would receive bonus content and our undying gratitude!

    100: CinderSnow White

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2023 82:56


    Happy 100th Episode from Geoff and Katrina to you! This year had a ton of milestones and we're excited to send off 2023 with our 100th episode. We've had a blast the last 4 years podcasting about myths, legends, folklore, and fables. To celebrate we had another installment of Cinderella tales but this one comes with a Snow White twist. This tale from India recorded in the 1800's starts off with a princess missing a shoe and ends with our heroine coming back from a death like state from her Rajah.  Thank you to everyone who has been sticking with us this year while we've worked through life, death, sickness, school, and travel. It's been a wild year and we're hoping that 2024 will allow us to create even more fairy tale content.

    99: Holiday Plants

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2023 84:02


    It's winter time once again in the Northern Hemisphere and we're getting ready for winter celebrations.  Plant life plays a lot into the season and while there are plenty of traditions associated with these plants, there are also stories. Geoff and Katrina talk about a few of holiday plants and stories surrounding the mysterious properties of plants that appear to be evergreen. They also talk about the tradition of wassailing and pour one out for our plant homies. Books Mentioned: Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland by Lisa Schneidau   If you want to support the podcast and get to hear some bonus material, consider joining our Patreon!

    98: 2 Baba 2 Yaga

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2023 112:50


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina get into more tales featuring the iconic Baba Yaga. During the December Divinations episode, the Fates decided that we needed more Baba on the podcast and who are we to deny fate? We discuss two tales which show how differently Baba Yaga can appear in stories. When men are bumbling through the woods looking for help saving their lives, they can count on Baba Yaga to save the day with her advice. When little girls need help in the woods, they better bring some magic of their own.

    97: Snow White

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 120:14


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina complete their shining tiara of a series, with this crown jewel. After a year devoted to exploring the motifs, themes, and elements that have traveled through the ocean of stories for centuries, we cover the story of Snow White. Crafted and created by the Brothers Grimm, Little Snow White is a tale that most people feel familiar with, but there are still surprises to be had in this episode.  If you are enjoying the content that we are creating and you are interested in listening to more or want to support our efforts, consider becoming a patron of the arts on Patreon. Book that we used in this episode: The Fairest of Them All by Maria Tatar The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers' Grimm translated by Jack Zipes

    96: Bestiary of Bakemono; The Yokai Party

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2023 123:05


    CW: Violence and Death of Children Fate dictates that we provide our audience with a “B” inspired episode and Geoff does not disappoint with his Bestiary of Bakemono. In this Geoff-isode, we dive into tales of Japanese spirits that explain why things so often go bump in the night. While some might be downright silly sounding, with eyeballs for buttholes, others are waiting to bounce at the least provocation, frighten you by bodies of water, or marry you. Geoff has us all exploring the line between monstrous creature or beautiful gods. If you like the work that we are doing and would like to encourage our efforts monetarily, please consider joining our Patreon. For more information on Michael Dylan Foster and his work, check out this FolkWise episode (FolkWise: Michael Dylan Foster) The Book of Yokai

    Tree Stories | Fifth Friday Folklore Fest LIVE

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2023 60:10


    The 5th Friday in September was a special selection of tree tales from various locations around the world. With the prompt for "plant tales" picked out by our Patreon subscribers, we decided to do an episode on trees. We retold tales of Baobab trees, which were flipped upside down for their ungratefulness and Hera's marriage present of citrons. Greeks weren't the only people to have a special relationship with citrons. And we also talked briefly about items made of trees and how their tie in to folklore help give them context.

    95: Tale of Tales PART 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2023 105:29


    Katrina and Geoff are back to finish up the frame story of The Tale of Tales by Giambattista Basile but first, one last story about a hunt for a woman started by the colors red, white, and black. But unlike the other tale, the color black is framed as a force for harm, giving us some cultural context on how to view the tricolors in the tale. With Diarrhea Linda out of the picture, we see if Zoza is able to outwit Lucia and claim the prince that she cried a bucket of tears for. And Katrina ends with a mic drop quote from Maria Tatar.

    94: The Tale of Tales PART ONE

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2023 148:41


    In this episode, Geoff and Katrina dive into The Tale of Tales by Giambattista Basile for another installment of the Snow White series. The tri-colors of fairy tales (white, black, and red) appear over and over but in Snow White we think of these elements being embodied by one beautiful woman. Retelling these tales inside The Tale of Tales requires an understanding of the frame narrative that The Crow/The Raven is found in so Katrina embarks on framing the stories with the trials and quest of Zoza, no matter who many nuts and tears are required.

    93:The Story of Hedgy

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2023 126:10


    In this episode Katrina and Geoff fight their burnout by turning to ATU 650 Strong John, an episode that the fates decided we would do during our December Divinations episode. While researching this tale type, Katrina came across a wild tale with twists and turns that happens to take place in The Un-United Kingdoms of America. Throw away your textbooks and get ready to hear the history of castles and kingdoms that never were. This tale is a crazy ride with the prince of West Virginia trying to claim his rightful crown, while falling in love with his coworker Tom (at least in Katrina's version), fighting dragons, and saving his mother. Buckle up for one of the most unhinged stories of the year!

    Episode 92- The Little Mermaid

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 155:29


    Happy Mer-MAY...or rather...this episode was recorded in Mer-MAY in anticipation of the release of the new Little Mermaid movie coming out in theaters. In our most long awaited episode, after a very unplanned hiatus, we are back talking about mermaid lore and the Christian tone that this story was originally written with by Hans Christian Andersen. We first start the episode with two short mer-man tales from the area that Hans Christian Andersen grew up that might have helped inspire his tale that has long since left the confines of the shores of Denmark. Please enjoy this 2 and a half hour long special. We are happy to be back.

    Travel Folklore | Fifth Friday Folklore Fest | Instagram Live

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2023 79:13


    Katrina and Geoff have been traveling! And they came back with some fascinating folklore from their travels. Join us for the recording of our Instagram Live episode all about it.

    Episode 91- Magic Mirrors and Divination

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 77:56


    Content Warning: Child Abuse, Infanticide, Suicide, Domestic Violence and Assault In this episode, Geoff and Katrina talk magic mirrors in another installment of the Snow White project. We dissect the importance of the mirror in the Snow White tale by telling a tale of vanity and another of tools for divination. The first tale is the story of Narcissus from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Tales of reflective surfaces serve the important function of communicating the theme of vanity. But if this was the only purpose, why do some Snow White variants not have a mirror but instead feature magical trout and the anthropomorphic sun?  Links to Some Sources (These are unaffiliated links and I don't receive compensation for you using them): SurLaLune The Fairest of Them All by Maria Tatar   If you are enjoying what we are doing, please consider supporting us by becoming a Patron on Patreon 

    Episode 90- Entomology Etymology Mythology

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2023 72:03


    Content Warning: Greek/Roman Gods, sexual assault, physical assault After making a joke months and months ago on one of our LIVE events on Instagram, we make good on the episode devoted to bug names and how they got them. Geoff takes the lead in this episode while Katrina literally lies back and relaxes (while her back is healing). But first she retells the story of Arachne weaving truth to power against Athena. Then Geoff tells us the story of Scorpio and Orion followed by a tale from Romania of how the dragonfly got its name. Support our work and get access to bonus content on our Patreon.

    Fifth Friday Fable Fest: Friendship Tales | Instagram Live

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2023 77:52


    Join us for this recording of our first Fifth Friday Fable Fest of 2023. In this Instagram Live event, we retell a variety of Friendship Tales and discuss what we can learn from them.

    Episode 89- Turkish Tales, Peris, and Dews

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 72:48


    Geoff and Katrina talk Turkish Tales! A collector of tales over a hundred years ago tried to determine if tales from Turkey are more European in flavor or Southwest Asian. This leads to conversation we had in our Zora Neale Hurston episode where she was quoted talking about universality of stories but the flavors that ever region adds. These tales are richly flavored and extremely entertaining. Join Us on Patreon to Support Our Endeavors!

    Episode 88- Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree : Polygamous Snow White

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2023 114:41


    Does the title sound like click bait? It is because in this episode, Geoff and Katrina are talking about a tale that, in 1892, shocked Joseph Jacobs as he was looking for Celtic Fairy Tales for his book of the same title. After our episode on the Lai of Eliduc, we're uniquely situated to talk about why he was off the mark when he said that this Snow White variant couldn't have originated in Europe. But it isn't the only Snow White tale from this area with polygamous wives saving the day and each other. Katrina tells the tale of Lasair Gheug, the King of Ireland's Daughter. In this episode we also start to collect helpers in the woods and reflective surfaces that are too honest for our dormant heroine's good. Join Us on Patreon to Support Our Endeavors!

    Episode 87- Zora Neale Hurston Anthropologist

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2023 69:20


    Katrina and Geoff talk Zora Neale Hurston, ethnography, and why women rule over men! In this episode, we discuss some of the amazing work to preserve African American folklore in the South done by the incredible Zora Neale Hurston. We compare two tales that are almost identical when Zora Neale Hurston collected them but differ slightly between the genders. Through these stories we also get to discuss how much richer books from Zora Neale Hurston (such as "Mules and Men") are because she included the context about the setting and conversations that take place around the telling of tales. Link to Our Patron: Please support us on Patron and help keep our podcast running!   Check Out Not My Fantasy Podcast: The Fairy Tellers discuss La Belle et La Bete with Not My Fantasy Podcast  

    Episode 86- The Lai of Eliduc

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2023 118:24


    Katrina and Geoff talk little known medieval women, specifically Marie de France, for our 2nd installment of our Snow White project. But first, has anyone ever told you that the tale of Snow White was based on a true story? Katrina explains how that theory came to be before diving into this episode's tale, The Lai of Eliduc. A story of a knight who falls in love while serving a new king...the only problem? He's already married. But when the princess swoons, see how quickly this tale becomes relevant to our project.

    Episode 85- Two Tails One Horse

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2023 61:25


    Katrina and Geoff are letting fate lead with this episode as they explore ATU 47A (Fox Hangs Onto the Horse's Tail). That's right. Fate led us right back to fox, a character that's impossible to get away from. Interestingly, this also leads us into a Grimm's story that would probably have readers today scratching their heads if they didn't know about the history of Reynard the Fox. 

    Episode 84- The Apple of Discord: The Trojan War

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2023 113:59


    Trigger Warning: Greek Mythology...so literally everything. Sexual Assault, Infanticide, Suicide, Desecration of a Corpse, War, and Zeus. Katrina and Geoff are starting out the year strong with our first episode on the road to Snow White. The first stop on the journey is a look into Greek Mythology, specifically the tales surrounding The Trojan War to pick out motifs that echo through the centuries. Specifically, apples. But less specifically, soft power and the commodification of beauty.

    December Divination | Instagram Live

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2023 58:13


    We tried to finish out 2022 with as much enthusiasm and silliness as possible. We announced our new project for 2023 AND we used some divination methods to help us pick out a few episodes for the year. But first, Katrina quickly retold the Norse myth of Idun and her apples of eternal youth. Apples were a major theme of this episode and Katrina had no idea how sticky apple seeds could be until they were stuck on her face. Happy New Year! And thank you for all of the support through 2022!

    Episode 83- A Very Devil Christmas Special

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2022 123:56


    Happy Holidays to One and All from The Fairy Tellers! All during 2022 we were taking audience requests and suggestions. We are happy to present the last one (for this year) which is both a Ukrainian literary folktale by Nikolai Gogol and a story featuring the devil. What more could you want from a story about Christmas Eve, on Christmas Eve? Katrina and Geoff have fun laughing as Old Sly ruins the evening for himself and everyone else.

    Episode 82: Riquet of the Tuft and Disability in Fairy Tales

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022 86:15


    In one of the last listener requests for 2022, Geoff and Katrina turn to a discussion on disability in fairy tales. A lot has been said through the years about disability representation in fairy tales but not all of it is helpful. In this episode, Geoff and Katrina turn to a story recorded by Charles Perrault where he makes some *almost* insightful comments on the social model of looking at disability. Katrina and Geoff also encourage listeners to learn more about disability studies and finding out what activists in this space are already doing.

    Episode 81- Great Claus and Little Claus

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2022 85:06


    Katrina and Geoff dive back into the collection of Hans Christian Andersen to have a look at one of his tales that comes almost directly from the folk, Great Claus and Little Claus. Hold on to your horses, hug your grandma, and punch a sexton because this story is wild. And wilder still is how far afield this story has traveled. Katrina retells this story from the African diaspora and you'll never expect where the devil shows up.

    Episode 80- Mothman and Other American Cryptids

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2022 76:03


    Katrina and Geoff are back from a hectic October and ready to jump into cryptids! Katrina retells the story of The White Screamer which oddly tied in with Geoff's retelling of the Mothman legend. And even though this episode was NOT about aliens and UFOs, it's pretty hard to escape their presence. Finally, Katrina and Geoff talk about The Lizard Man of South Carolina, tourism and ostension. Also, Andy of Mr. G's Pizza and our friend who produces our music has written a children's book called The Nice Witch and it can be found for purchase at this link.

    October Surprise Instagram Live~ | Tales Fit for the Campfire

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2022 61:11


    After a month of life throwing curveballs, Katrina and Geoff decided to have a surprise LIVE in Instagram, both to explain their absence and to share two tales fit for the campfire. Geoff shares a tale of "Grandfather's Eyes: The Story of Three Wicked Yezinkas" where we see plenty of familiar motifs and Katrina does a quick search for the magical properties of brambles. Then Katrina retells the tale of "The Corpse that Died 4 Times" from Japan where the town wise man has a bit of "Weekend at Bernie's" level fun.

    Fifth Friday Fable Fest LIVE | Bird Tales

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2022 65:53


    Between Katrina being back in the hospital (finally getting rid of her kidney stone), computer crashes, and traveling, we're once again behind in posting an episode. But have no fear, we'll make sure to load you up on October content when Katrina gets her life back together. Until then, please enjoy September's 5th Friday Fable Fest Live!

    Episode 79 The Dodo; Swallower-of-Men

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2022 78:30


    CW: Cannibalism, sort of. In this episode, Katrina takes Geoff on a journey down a research rabbit hole into stories of the Dodo. The bird? No. The Swallower-of-Men. After researching African Cinderella tales, Katrina followed a trail of sources that led her back to a story she had read years before but found difficult to get more information about.

    Episode 78- African Cinderella Tales

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2022 97:35


    Katrina and Geoff celebrate 3 years of podcasting! As is our tradition, the topic of the day is ATU 510A or Cinderella and this time we are in Africa, specifically Nigeria and South Africa. The "Cinderella" tale in Nigeria gives Geoff the most happy of ever afters and the "Unkind and Kind Girls" tale in South Africa makes us contemplate how we are treat people on our journeys through life.   Happy Three Years of The Fairy Tellers! And thank you to everyone who has been listening and supporting us along the way!

    Episode 77- The Nightingale(s) and Oscar Wilde

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022 120:42


    Katrina and Geoff tackle Oscar Wilde, Hans Christian Andersen, and literary fairy tales in this listener requested episode. How are literary fairy tales different from other fairy tales? How do you define art and love? And can a boy live on metaphysics alone? We answer one of these questions...maybe. We retell two tales in conversation with each other from two fabulously famous European writers.

    Insta LIVE Event: Frog Fables

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2022 78:33


    On the 5th Friday of July, we had a LIVE Event on our Instagram page thefairy_tellers where we discussed frogs and politics. Katrina was grateful to be doing the Fable Fest at all since she had a rough medical month and barely made it home from a doctor's appointment. "Physician, heal thyself!" Join us as we discuss a character that we haven't explored in fable form before, Frog.

    Episode 76 - The Old Woman in the Woods

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2022 69:13


    Katrina (and Geoff) lived through JULY although a little roughed up. But they are returning with a listener request, "The Old Woman in the Woods". While the title might sound like it's describing every other Grimm's Fairy Tales, this one has a flavor all its own and was made into an 1980's Japanese cartoon series, Grimm's Fairy Tales Classics. Join us while we talk about other stories that share motifs.

    Episode 75 - Sedna, Inuit Goddess

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2022 72:23


    Katrina and Geoff talk about Inuit mythology! Katrina retells the epic (and gruesome) origin story of Sedna, the life and death-giving goddess of the artic. We use this as a launching point for discussing Inuit mythology and how it related to the lived experience of the various Inuit peoples.

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