

Myths and Legends
Jason Weiser, Carissa Weiser, Nextpod
Jason Weiser and Carissa Weiser tell stories from myths, legends, and folklore that have shaped cultures throughout history. Some, like the stories of Aladdin, King Arthur, and Hercules are stories you think you know, but with surprising origins. Others are stories you might not have heard, but really should. All the stories are sourced from world folklore, but retold for modern ears. These are stories of wizards, knights, Vikings, dragons, princesses, and kings from the time when the world beyond the map was a dangerous and wonderful place.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 28, 2018 • 35min
129B-Persian mythology: Champions
Rostam embarks on his quest to free his king, taken captive in the land of the demons, where he'll not only have to free his stupid, stupid ruler and end the war, but embark on seven labors which will include: letting his horse do a lot of the heavy lifting, a dragon fight, a new friend, and tossing a demon's head like a bride throws a bouquet. The creatures this week are the kakamora, from Polynesian mythology and, yes, from Moana. Unlike Moana, however, they are way less violent, way more naked, and have a taste for the finer things in life (possum). -- Sponsors: Bombas. They are fantastic. Go to http://www.bombas.com/legends(code LEGENDS) to try them out and get 20% off your first order. Empty Faces: an amazing new mystery box that you can solve. Check out http://emptyfaces.com/legendsfor 10% off your first box. Check out Call Your Girlfriend at http://callyourgirlfriend.com! -- Music: “Zulia Conspiracy” by Blue Dot Sessions “Watercool Quiet” by Blue Dot Sessions “Santo Apure” by Blue Dot Sessions “Rambling” by Blue Dot Sessions “Elephants on Parade” by Podington Bear “Assmack” by Podington Bear “Paramo Ocho” by Blue Dot Sessions “Besos y Abrazos” by RolemusicSupport the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership
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Nov 21, 2018 • 33min
129A-Persian Mythology: The Mammoth that Rides
The story of Rostam from the Shahnameh, an important book in Iranian Mythology. It starts out in a weird place, with a strange little Benjamin Button-type baby being raised by a mythological peacock dog, and only gets stranger, but it explores themes of loyalty, fealty, and power, even if a leader is not deserving.
The creature this week is the Jackalope, from Wyoming, and you can only hunt them one day a year. Unfortunately, that day doesn't exist.
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Music: "Softly Villainous" by Blue Dot Sessions "De Facto" by Chad Crouch "Common Merganser" by Chad Crouch "Gadwell" by Chad Crouch "Investigation" by Chad Crouch "An Oddly Formal Dance" by Blue Dot Sessions "Tessalit" by Blue Dot Sessions "Drch" by Blue Dot Sessions "As Nihilism Gives Way to Existentialism" by Nihilore
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Nov 14, 2018 • 40min
128-Irish folklore: Give Him the Finger
A fairy tale from Ireland with a genre savvy queen who has one request for her husband: don't let his surely evil next wife get anywhere near her three sons. Of course, things don't really go as planned.
The creature this week is hook girl! Don't bug hook girl, or hook girl will bug you...and by "bug you" I mean "tear you to tiny pieces."
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Music: "Building the Sled" by Blue Dot Sessions "Flashing Runner" by Blue Dot Sessions "Awaiting an Arrival" by Blue Dot Sessions "Bauxite" by Blue Dot Sessions "The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan" by Chris Zabriskie "Masonry" by Blue Dot Sessions
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Nov 7, 2018 • 39min
127-Finnish Mythology: The Boy who Lived
A story from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, about revenge, letting go, and moving on. Also why you shouldn't mess with babies that can whisper threats at three months old and survive way more things than you could.
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Music: "Alphabet Soup" by Podington Bear "Thin Passage" by Blue Dot Sessions "Readers do you Read?" by Chris Zabriskie "Vik Fenceta Lan" by Blue Dot Sessions "Another Version of You" by Chris Zabriskie "Vik Fenceta" by Blue Dot Sessions "NirvanaVEVO" by Chris Zabriskie
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Oct 31, 2018 • 31min
126-Wendigo: Hunger
On our annual Halloween episode, it's stories of a monstrous creature who stalks the north woods...and how they might be sitting right next to you.
The creature is a vampire that's super scary...only it can't actually walk...and moreso bounces everywhere...and hates messy rooms.
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Music: "Traffic" by Kai Engel "Somnolence" by Kai Engel "Delirium" by Kai Engel "Nothing (Bonus Track)" by Kai Engel "Mare" by Kai Engel
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Oct 24, 2018 • 36min
125-Norse Mythology: Bound
We're back in Norse Mythology. It's set before Ragnarok (obviously), and it's a story we never got to of Freyja, Odin, Loki, and four dwarves. Freyja makes a lot of new friends, and Loki gets completely out of control at a party and tells all the Aesir exactly what he thinks of them.
The creature of the week is the invunche, a very sad, hairy, contorted baby
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Music: "Catching Feathers" by Ketsa "Midnight" by Ketsa "The Confrontation" by Podington Bear "Direct to Video" by Chris Zabriskie "Walking Shoes" by Blue Dot Sessions "House of Grendel" by Blue Dot Sessions "Thom Yorke at Home" by Podington Bear "Hard Sell" by Ketsa
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Oct 17, 2018 • 42min
124-Greek Mythology: The Fall
Theseus has had a long and storied life, but now he faces his greatest challenge: after you've accomplished everything you set out to do and your name will live on for generations, what comes next?
The creature is the, impundulu environmentally-conscience bird who only uses alternative fuels for its tiny plane. Unfortunately, the alternative fuel is human blood.
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Theseus episodes: 17A: https://www.mythpodcast.com/3329/17a-theseus-its-dangerous-to-go-alone/
17B: https://www.mythpodcast.com/3339/17b-icarus-and-daedalus-a-portrait-of-the-artificer-as-a-young-man/
17C: https://www.mythpodcast.com/3390/17c-theseus-i-volunteer-as-tribute/
46A-D (Argonauts): https://www.mythpodcast.com/4228/46a-argonauts-assembly-required/
76 (Atalanta): https://www.mythpodcast.com/12714/76-greek-myths-lioness/
93A: https://www.mythpodcast.com/12938/93a-amazons-wonder-women/
93B: https://www.mythpodcast.com/12945/93b-theseus-love-and-war/
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Music:
"A Rush of Clear Water" by Blue Dot Sessions "Baroque" by Blue Dot Sessions "Curio" by Blue Dot Sessions "Dirty Wallpaper" by Blue Dot Sessions "Myrian" by Blue Dot Sessions "Celadon" by Podington Bear "Tweetstorm Gathering" by Podington Bear "Telltale" by Podington Bear "SuzyB" by Blue Dot Sessions "John Stockton Slow Drag" by Chris Zabriskie "There's Probably No Time" by Chris Zabriskie "Trap" by Jahzzar
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

Oct 10, 2018 • 32min
123-Dark Tower: Directions
A game turns dark as a child disappears. Her brothers must follow her into a land that's like a mirror image of our own to get her back from the king who lives in the dark tower. Oh and also Merlin is barely any help at all.
The creature this time is the ilomba, from Zambia, and it's a terrible reason to collect your fingernail clippings.
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The Stephen King Quote: https://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/2017/08/how-did-stephen-king-to-the-dark-tower-come-through-robert-brownings-childe-roland/
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Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership

10 snips
Oct 3, 2018 • 32min
122-Indian Folklore: Let it Be
A king fights against fate, a young man survives the impossible, a hermit reads the future from his toilet. The podcast explores the long road to becoming who you were always meant to be in Indian folklore.

Sep 26, 2018 • 35min
121-Grimm Brothers: King of the Mountain
A man loses everything except for his children and his field, but it's while he's in that field with his children that he receives a visit from a mythological creature...and makes a deal that will change all of their lives forever.
The creature of the week is a mythpodcat! She just loves to dance! And set you on fire!
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Music: "Red-winged Blackbird" by Chad Crouch "Clear and Present" by Ketsa "Divider" by Chris Zabriskie "Lope and Shimmer" by Podington Bear "That Kid in the Fourth Grade Who Really Liked the Denver Broncos" by Chris Zabriskie "Retrograde" by Podington Bear "Minor Islands" by Podington Bear "Bell Solo" by Blue Dot Sessions
Support the show: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership