Myths and Legends

A story from Korean folklore about friendship, kindness, moving on, and why magicians are terrible actors.  The creature is the Silver Lake Serpent, and it's not actually in Silver Lake, near Perry, NY, but hanging out in a nearby hotel.   Links :  Allll the stuff about the Silver Lake Serpent: https://myths.link/315 Want ridiculous villains? Because this is how you get ridiculous villains: https:...

The story from Greek mythology of how Hermes became an Olympian by killing a turtle and eating some barbecue. The creatures are the heikegani (平家蟹), that angry crab that might just be a deceased samurai who has waited at the bottom of the sea for centuries...to snap at your toes a little. Best of the Worst! https://villains.lol Everything becomes a crab: https://myths.link/crabs The show post w...

We wrap of the stories of the dervishes (and the mysterious visitors to the party who are DEFINITELY NOT the caliph and Jafar) and then the hostess and her sisters find the tables have turned...because, yes of course, they have been threatening the life of their ruler, but more because...why were they beating those dogs and weeping??  The creature is Napf-Hans! A German version of the butter cat w...

A party no one can speak of under threat of death. Genie fights, wizard battles, and grocery shopping. Yes, we're back in One Thousand and One Nights.  The creature is haakapainizi, a folksy grasshopper! Who is also a cannibal!  The membership! https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership   The Best of the Worst! https://villains.lol/listen   Tiny Lobster Hands! https://myths.link/lobsterhands   * * * S...

A Norwegian tale about why you should pay your employees a living wage (or at least not beat them and try to have them executed), or else you could end up in a never-ending dance party.  The creature is why you should avoid home improvement projects like the plague...because you could be literally plagued with wood and earth imps.  Membership! Want ad-free and bonus episodes? Check out Myths and L...

A Ronin (a masterless samurai) goes on a quest to find a stolen sword and restore the honor of his family's name, but, when it comes to pushing the limits of what is right in order to see his mission through, how far is too far?  The creature is Rübezahl, a turnip counter, and we'll see why you shouldn't trust people who love vegetables.  Best of the Worst! https://villains.lol/listen/   The discl...

The story of Sigrgarthr and the Maiden King, from Icelandic folklore has Viking male models, ruthless princesses, people shoving metal down their pants to make unbeatable weapons, dragons, trolls, witches, and monsters. There's a lot going on this week.  The creature this week is the Pope Lick Monster, who shows that the most dangerous thing of all is our own superstition. And also being hit by tr...

This week, there are three stories of people bargaining: with the devil, with that angry lady who owns too many cats, and with...rocks, and we'll see that the person you need...might be the one you least suspect.  The creature this week is a forest creature who won't lope lazily past your out-of-focus camera...because he'll fly past. He's Batsquatch!  Show post and Batsquatch article: https://myth...

Stories of tricksters from the folklore of the Hopi, Northern Pueblo, and Algonquin people. Coyote makes an enemy when he steals Fox's best friend...and eats him. We meet Rabbit Boy and learn how to get a free ride from your worst enemy. Then, we see how that guy who keeps trying to bite your tail off...might not be your friend? -- Membership: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership Assorted insect...

The story of why, no matter how good of an idea it sounds like after a few drinks, you shouldn't steal church bells and drop them into a nearby pond. You might awaken an ancient evil. Because of course you will. This is the tale of the Knucker. The creature this week is Bunny Man! He throws axes at cars! -- The post with the disclaimer and pictures and all that: https://myths.link/307 Crayfish: ht...

Two stories from Latin America folklore about people (and animals?) getting payback. The first is a story about why you shouldn't bite strangers. The second is about a man who can make the dead rise...but for a small fee will make sure that they stop. The creature is the magician's monster from Castle Frankenstein, a living lesson of why you shouldn't brag about your elixir of life and then die a...

The story of the Bird of Sorrow, from Turkish folklore, has love, loss, gratitude, people messing up coffeehouses, genie girlfriends, and elaborate pranks involving not being able to take off your pants. It's a big week. The creature is the neugle, a handsome little horse that gives Lil' Sebastian a run for his money. -- Music: "Among the Reeds" by Podington Bear "Caprese" by Blue Dot Sessions "Ch...

Two stories from Celtic folklore of the things that lurk among us: witches that live in our home town, trolls that hold dance parties on the frozen wastes, and tiny, 1000-year-old fairy creatures who are buying drinks after work. The creature this week is the Giant of Smeeth, who would really like you to watch your language, please. ***Slight correction*** I mention that it is 9th century Scotland...

Two stories from Japan about samurai (and wannabe samurai) following their dreams. Too bad it takes fights with giant creatures and a little bit of murder to do so. The creature this time is ao nyōbō, and she doesn't want you to stop by her beautiful, horribly dilapidated mansion. -- Creature page: https://yokai.com/aonyoubou/ Fart spray: https://myths.link/ohfarts Membership: https://www.mythpodc...

This week, we learn where you shouldn't kiss a rabbit (it's exactly where you think), and how a dance party can save a city. The creature is B.O.B., the Beast of Blattenboro, and he's here to do two things: exsanguinate dogs and scare people...and there is a lot of dog blood to suck and people to scare, so it's going to be around for a while. -- Links! Links here! Get your links! Creepy baby hand...

The story of a family and the monsters that hunt them. The twist? These are monsters that they might know better than they realize. The creature is snow snake! It's a snake that lives in the snow, and if you're thinking, "that's ridiculous, snakes are cold blooded!" Well, while you were thinking about that it bit you and you died. Congrats. -- Links! Reuter's fact-check on Snow Snakes (2021): http...

An abbot spends Christmas surrounded by outlaws in the dark forest, so he can listen to mysterious, otherworldly music. A farm has a fun Christmas tradition where employees end up dead on Christmas morning. It must be the holidays in Swedish and Icelandic folklore. The creature is draugr of the sea, Norse sea zombies, who are going to get in the way of your holiday mead run. -- Like ad-free and bo...

The spies are coming. Governor Sim has gone too far and earned the attention of the king, who's sending people to see what's going on in Sim's district. The only thing? Sim is four steps ahead of the king and those spies don't know what they're walking into. The creature is Western Europe's first vampire! And why you want to avoid mixing sorcery with your home improvement projects! -- Links! Say h...

A home improvement project 800 years in the making that includes way too many wolves, rat parts, and beards. It's the story of the Tomten of Åbo Castle, from Finnish folklore. The creatures are women with varying degrees of faces from British folklore. The one thing they have in common? Drunk, possibly concussed guys are the only people that have seen them. -- Åbo/Turku Castle tour Youtube video:...

We're back in the story of the Monkey King as he and the crew continues their journey to the west. Xanzang, the monk, of course gets captured again, but this time, it's by the son of an old friend of Monkey's from back in his pillaging days! He figures things should go well. Because, of course, there is nothing children love more than being bossed around. The creature is the L'esak, and it's why y...

Lucius has been turned into a donkey after using the wrong body lotion. Then, he was kidnapped by bandits. Things are about to get a whole lot worse for Lucius. The creature is the Korori (虎狼狸), who offers a new way to feel better after you get sick. -- Links! Shop: https://shop.bardic.fm Disclaimer: https://myths.link/296b Source one for creature of the week: https://yokai.com/korouri/ Source...

Lucius’s lifelong dream, as of ten minutes ago, is learning how to do sorcery. Luckily, he’s not only in a city crawling with witches who are slicing bits off people’s faces to do their magic and bringing wineskins to life, but his hostess is a sorceress herself, and all he has to do is catch her in the act. The creature is the Lizard Man, lover of sinking his claws into cars…and his teeth into so...

The story of a merchant gets lost ducking out early from a funeral and who ends up sleeping in a graveyard…and that’s somehow the least scary thing that happens to him that year. The creature is the Sirin, and they’ll only sing for you if you’re super happy and harmonious. So, kind of never. — Disclaimer: https://myths.link/295 Membership: https://www.mythpodcast.com/membership Come say hi on Mast...

The story of Moremi Ajasoro from modern-day Nigeria has love, loss, and, of course, evil forest monsters. The creature is the Van Meter Visitor, a dinosaur that was apparently stinking up the Old West. -- The newspaper article for the creature and the disclaimer: https://myths.link/294

Two stories, two small things making enormous problems. We have "The Princess and the Pea" and "The Red Shoes". For two stories about young women learning and growing, they contain kind of a lot of dismemberment. The creature is Striga! And she's the reason to put on that extra loaf of garlic bread and leave pig bones all over church. -- Disclaimer: https://myths.link/293 Fictional! https://www.fi...