I Might Believe in Faeries

What are the mysterious beings known as fairies? Can they be defined? How have fairy encounters in Europe changed over the centuries? Dr. Francis Young returns to the show to discuss his new book, Fairies: A History, by Polity Books (2026). Dr. Young traces fairies and fairy encounters from pagan Europe all the way to the 21st Century. He argues that it is not useful to think of fairies as beings...

A bold, new story for the 21st Century. Charles Shoultz has had the dream to write a modern story that would rival the great tales of old. He has finally begun to release his story in pieces, like an old magazine serial. Let me tell you, he does not disappoint. Writer and poet, C. A. Shoultz joins me on the show to discuss his first book, Technocracy. We talked about his background in poetry as we...

In this episode, I am joined by the award winning fantasy author, Tim Powers, and my friend, iSamwise, to discuss Tim’s newest book, The Mills of the Gods (Baen 2025). We talked about pagan gods, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Scriabin, and all of the weird things going on in post-WWI Paris. Enjoy! The Mills of the Gods can be found here: https://www.baen.com/Chapters/9...

In this special episode, I am a guest on Thomas Mirus’ Catholic Culture podcast. We discussed Tolkien’s darkest story, The Children of Hurin. Thomas gave me permission to publish the episode on my own show as well. The original episode was published here: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/tolkiens-darkest-tale-w-aaron-irber/ Thomas Mirus can be found on Twitter.com @CatholicPods and on Su...

Today, I am joined by my friend Gregorio Montejo to discuss a subject that has caused a minor controversy in the world of re-enchantment and Traditionalist Catholicism. I am talking about a book titled Mysticism, Magic & Monasteries: Recovering the Sacred Mystery at the Root of Reality (Os Justi Press, 2024) by Dr. Sebastian Morello. In this book, Dr. Morello argues for the integration (possibly r...

In this episode, Susannah Black Roberts returns to the show to discuss the best books we read in 2025. We talked a lot about C. S. Lewis, Philip Pullman, Patrick O’Brian, Tim Powers, and others. We discussed how some authors are able to depict “holiness” in their books and what that can do to the reader. Check it out! Susannah is the editor of both Plough and Mere Orthodoxy and she can be found on...

“Master Nathaniel Chanticleer, the actual head of the family, was a typical Dorimarite in appearance; rotund, rubicund, red-haired, with hazel eyes in which the jokes, before he uttered them, twinkled like a trout in a burn.” I am joined by Carla Arnell, Professor of English at Lake Forest College, to discuss the almost unknown fantasy novel, Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees. We discuss the plot o...

A lot of ink has been spilled over the Catholic and religious underpinnings of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings . Pretty much everyone knows this by now, but very few have probed the depths of how the liturgy and the Catholic Mass influenced the very foundation of Middle Earth. In this episode, Professor Ben Reinhard joins the show to explore Tolkien’s deep liturgical roots in his book, Th...

*This episode contains content that may not be suitable for children. Essayist, poet, and playwright, Jane Scharl returns to the show to discuss her new play, The Death of Rabelais. This is the second in a loose trilogy featuring France’s infamous humanist and humorist, François Rabelais. In this play, Rabelais finds himself lost in a snow storm on the Eve of Epiphany only to find that Death await...

It is spooky season when the veil between the material and spiritual worlds becomes thin. Halloween is right around the corner and monsters prowl about the edge of society often taking the forms of something either enticing or frightening. Church music plays backwards and carnivals arrive at 3:00 AM. In this episode of IMBIF, I discuss Ray Bradbury’s classic horror story, Something Wicked This Way...

Last month, I was a guest on iSamwise’s YouTube channel and we discussed, you guessed it, Tim Powers! Check it out! iSamwise kindly shared his audio file with me so I could share it with all of you. Link to iSamwise’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@iSamwise ************************************************************************************************************* Follow me on Twitter...

In this episode, I am joined by medieval scholar and author, Jason Baxter. Dr. Baxter is the Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College and the author of many books, including a new translation of Dante and The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis. Dr. Baxter and I discussed The Medieval Mind , C. S. Lewis as medievalist, and why he had a medieval mind. We also talk about how Lew...

Two wonderful guests return to the show, the editor of Plough and Mere Orthodoxy, Susannah (Black) Roberts, and poet and playwright, Jane Scharl. We discuss Rudolf Otto’s The Idea of the Holy and the “Numinous”, which is a term he coined in that book. The goal of this discussion is to talk about the concept of the Numinous and where it can be found in fantasy fiction. We specifically discuss the w...

Cinderella is one of the oldest folktales in the world. Academic librarian, Rosie Liljenquist (Rosy Rambles), joins the show to discuss this story. We compare the different versions told by Charles Perrault, The Brothers Grimm, and Giambattista Basile. We explore the religious symbolism of the Grimm’s version and I even try to rehabilitate the wicked step-sisters. Enjoy! Rosie’s work, including th...

Author and cultural commentator, Leila Lawler, joins the show to discuss the book, St. Hildegard's Garden: Recipes and Remedies for Healing Body and Soul. We talk about St. Hildegard of Bingen, her views on medicine, healing and the cosmos, what she means by “hot, cold, moist, and dry,” and what modern people (New Agers, Feminists, etc.) get wrong about her. Leila Lawler’s website is here: https:/...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aaronirber.substack.com This video is about how ancient and medieval people viewed apes and monkeys. *************************************************************************************************************Follow me on Twitter @AaronIrber Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 Subscribe t...

Science fiction author, Patrick Abbott, joins the show to discuss whether alien life forms are compatible with Christianity, the UFO phenomenon, cattle mutilations, and more! The truth is (maybe) out there! Follow Patrick Abbott on Twitter.com @PatrickKAbbott Subscribe to his Substack: ************************************************************************************************************* Fol...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit aaronirber.substack.com This is the first of my medieval bestiary videos to be behind a paywall. To get access to the full video, become a paid subscriber to my substack. In this video, I cover the antelope and the serra/sawfish. ************************************************************************************************************...

Lord of the World was written in 1907 and is considered one of the classics of dystopian literature. The author, Fr. Robert Hugh Benson, was a Catholic convert from Anglicanism who wanted to write a book about the Antichrist. Lord of the World is that book. Malrubius (Chris), from The Sun Eater discord, joins the show to discuss Lord of the World, why it was important to Pope Francis, and how it i...

Today, we delve into how Medieval Christians depicted ants and their predator, the sometimes legendary antlion, in Medieval bestiaries. Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563 I Might Believe in Faeries is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Resources: “The Aberdeen Bestia...

This is a solo episode where I discuss medieval bestiaries and announce a new project I have been working on. I discuss animal symbolism, how Medieval bestiaries depicted animals, and the stories behind them. There are supposed to be pictures with this episode so check out the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/h06opKxl444 *************************************************************************...

How the heck do I describe this book? In 1969, R. A. Lafferty wrote a novel. In it, he combined the spirituality of St. Theresa of Avila, conspiracy theories, immortal frog-men, psychic brain powers based on the ideas of the French paleontologist priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, badgers, modernist painters, and much, much more. Reading a Lafferty story is like listening to an excitable drunk te...

A myth retold. This book is C. S. Lewis at his most mature, and he considered it to be his favorite of his own works. Many readers find it to be a difficult book and hard to decipher. What is the story of Cupid and Psyche and how is Lewis retelling it? Teacher and Lewis scholar, Annie Crawford, joins the show to discuss all of this and more. Follow Annie Crawford on Twitter.com @annielcrawford Che...

How does magic work in The Lord of the Rings? Does Tolkien have a "magic system?" Richard Rohlin returns to the show to discuss how Tolkien uses magic in his Legendarium. This is a continuation to our previous episode on magic systems in fantasy. Follow Richard Rohlin on Twitter.com @richardrohlin *******************************************************************************************...

In this episode, I get to discuss two of my favorite things: bees and mythology. Salvator R. Tarnmoor, or Ludovico Ambrosius when he is writing, joins the show to discuss his recent collection of poems on honeybees. This anthology collects poems from authors thousands of years apart and includes selections on bees from Virgil, Homer, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and many, many more. Get ready for...