Myths and Legends

The legendary story of Olga of Kiev, a 10th century queen who's always four steps ahead of her enemies. For the creature of the week, when you're the dogai, you always have a sleeping bag handy. Because they're your ears. -- Sponsors: Best Fiends: Download Best Fiends on the App Store or Google Play! Simplisafe: Get 50% off your entire new system. http://simplisafe.com/legends Grubhub: Order throu...

The story of a pirate princess from Jewish/Polish folklore, we'll see how many fiancees is too many fiancees (the answer, of course, is however many try to marry you at sword-point), and that you really, really don't want to mess with a team of pirate princesses. The creature is a foot umbrella and yoga instructor that doesn't skip leg day. -- Links: Yodeling pickle: https://myths.link/pickle Memb...

A story from Georgian folklore about a king who needs a cure for his condition, the prince who decided that cure was going to be his new pet, and all the problems that come from an animal blood eye wash so maybe don't do an animal blood eye wash. If you give the creature of the week the moon, he's going to want the sun to go with it. Then, we're all pretty much doomed. -- Links: Disclaimer: https:...

Arthur has been kidnapped. Guinevere's evil twin is at large. The kingdom is thrown into chaos. Their hope rests with a bunch of knights putting others first and doing the right thing. Yeah, they're pretty much doomed. The creature is a soft-bodied, vampire hunter with crazy black hair. Finally, a Halloween costume I can pull off. -- Sponsors: Zocdoc: Go to http://zocdoc.com/myths and download the...

The story of Queen Guinevere as she goes from princess, to queen, to convict. The creature is the Ciguapa, from Haitian and Dominican folklore, and you'll see that if you're asking which monsters to follow into the dark forest, you're kind of already making questionable decisions. -- Sponsors: [Gravely voice] Check out The Sandman: Act Two on Audible by going to http://audible.com/dreaming Best Fi...

The story of Zjermi, Handa, the dragon Kuchedra, and about a hundred naked armpit angels from Albania. When it comes to the creature this week, look, we all need our "me" time, just don't transform your children into sleepy foxes to get it. -- Sponsors: Headspace: Get one month free of their entire meditation library at http://headspace.com/legends ! Bombas: Get 20% off your first order at http://...

In a story from the folklore of the Sorko people who lived along the Niger river in West Africa, a hippo is causing all sorts of trouble. I mean, hippos are dangerous, but ones that can sprout ovens on their back and shoot fire streams like some kind of final-evolution Pokemon mean this village needs a hero. The creature is Babamik! She's a deranged murderer who had it all...until her daughter sta...

The conclusion of "A Heart of Stone" by Wilhelm Hauff, where we see what happens when Peter Munk, out of options after threatening the Little Glass Man, turns to the devil to help himself through dire circumstances. The creature, the okuri-inu (送り犬) is a dog that might help you out when you need it most...because when it comes to killing you, this dog has dibs. -- Links: Disclaimer and source:...

A German fairy tale about striving, falling short, and then seeking help from dangerous mythological creatures to help you pick up the slack. The creature is Azrail, the giant who is terrible at fighting. -- Sponsors: Butcherbox: Get free ground beef for life! Sign up at http://butcherbox.com/myths and get two pounds of ground beef free in every order for the life of your membership. Grubhub: chec...

Three stories from the Grimm brothers of people helping someone out. Sometimes that goes well. Other times you end up with an indescribable urge to bury your nose in filth and hunt for truffles. The creatures are three generations of sleazy Irish water creatures on a redemption arc. -- Post/disclaimer: https://myths.link/239 Shakespeare bandages: https://myths.link/insult-bandages Twitter: https:/...

A story from India about what happens when a murder cult who turns intruders into dogs moves in across the river and why you should get as far away as possible...because of the murder cult that turns people into dogs. The creature is Bolster the giant! He has fun festivals celebrating him (dying)! -- Sponsors: Simplisafe ! Save 20% off your Simplisafe system and get your first month free when you...

Odysseus confronts the suitors, and our long journey comes to its end. The creatures (Bakwas and Dzunukwa) just want to make you a roommate in their strange, invisible house. Or kill you. Or both. -- Sponsors: Halo Collar: Go to http://shophalocollar.com/myths to save 20% on your Halo Collar! Grubhub: Check it out! Order through the Grubhub app or online at http://grubhub.com Butcherbox: Right now...

Odysseus finally landed on Ithaca, but, with 120 angry, armed men in his house who want his wife and life, can he survive his homecoming? The creatures are Black Annis and Gentle Annis. Black Annis is a pale blue and Gentle Annis wrecks boats. -- Sponsors: Simplisafe ! Save 20% off your Simplisafe system and get your first month free when you sign up for Interactive Monitoring Service by going to...

This week, we're in French fairy tales with queen who prepared her daughter for the world a little too well, and to the queen's despair she doesn't want to marry, choosing to rely instead on her own strength and judgement. Oh, and also there are griffin fights, dragons, sphinxes, giant turkey chariots, evil fairies, and cat-riding mythological dwarves. It's a big week. The creature is a toad full...

Three stories from Korean folklore! On the first, a boy loves collecting stories, but no one really taught him proper story care, so they went the way of so many carnival goldfish. On the second, a young man protests his unfair (and kind of murdery) working conditions...by turning his boss's lunchbox into a toilet. On the third, there are people, there are cows, and no one can tell the two apart....

This week, there are two stories from the north. On the first, a young Danish man is doing the hero's journey thing...but it's not going well, and that leads to him taking a job working for an actual troll. On the second story, from Iceland, we learn why, if a merman ends up in your net, you should pull an Elsa and just let it go. The creature is a rock monster who goes up against the Slayer of Al...

We finish up our current run of King Arthur episodes with the most evil castle in the land having fallen...maybe. Some knights will learn that the threat might not be so far removed, and Lancelot meets the dastardly commander of the Dolorous Guard...who might actually be pretty terrible at his job of being terrible. The creature is the Yech, a tiny shapeshifting cat in a top hat! Who wants to set...

We catch up with the strange knight in the white armor, the boy who doesn't know his own past, as he travels the realm, and we witness him come up against the cursed fortress known as the Dolorous Guard. The creature is an old bearded dude who's like a male siren, which, if you're into murderous older fishermen, might be your thing? -- Sponsors! Bombas: Bombas belong on your feet. Go to http://bom...

We're back in the world of King Arthur! It's been too long, and if you haven't heard our King Arthur stories (or it's been a while) then this is the perfect place to jump in. A beginner-friendly episode that kind of resets our timeline. I'm so excited to be getting back into the stories of Arthur and his knights because there are so many good ones still left to tell. The creature is the hairy, gre...

Robin decides that, you know what he needs? To walk directly into the home of his greatest enemies. Nothing bad can come from this. Nothing bad at all. The creature is the Wolpertinger, a German chimera who might help you solve some problems...but at the expense of your soul. -- Links: Tortilla blanket: https://myths.link/tortillas Twitter: https://myths.link/twitter Store: https://myths.link/stor...

Two stories from Ireland. On the first, Finn McCool, a giant Irish here, isn't scared! He totally isn't! He's just speed walking away from that guy he's been threatening for weeks who finally showed up at his shore after leaving an incorrect forwarding address. The second is the story of a Leprechaun, and why you never want to take your eyes off the little guy. The creatures are the wish hounds! T...

A story from the Brothers Grimm about an evil king and a bad penny of a kid who's apparently unkillable. Oh, and prophesied to marry his daughter. The creature is a squirrel who wants to surprise you and shove psychotropic substances up your nose. -- Links! Left-handed candle: https://myths.link/lefties Twitter: https://myths.link/twitter Store: https://myths.link/store Membership: https://www.myt...

We're back in the story of the Monkey King and the Journey to the West. After picking up Sandy, the sand monster and final member of their party, the guys haven't seen a soul for two months. All that will change with a mysterious stop in the forest. The creature is the Wilser dragon, where the only thing more dangerous than fighting it...is killing it. -- Sponsors: Simplisafe : http://simplisafe.c...

Two stories from the Italian writer Giovanni Francesco Straparola, who earns the title of one of the earliest fairy tale writers, putting tales down to paper in the 1500s. On the first, you'll learn that you can't con an honest man...and that you really shouldn't, because the honest man three con men do trick out of a mule comes back for vengeance...and beats the con men at their own game. On the...

Two stories from Greek/Roman mythology this week with the (not remotely) love story of Apollo and Daphne as well as the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe, where we'll see that a wall can bring people together as well as keep them apart. The creature is the Bakru, from Suriname, a mythological creature in the form of a child that stopped on the way to becoming a real boy and you can also hire him to burn...