Myths and Legends

A story from Hans Christian Andersen about becoming your best self…after that self completely separates from you and leaves you as merely a shadow. The creature this time is the invincible bear monster your ghost grandpa warned you about. — Scoundrel: All new this week! https://myths.link/scoundrel Fictional: All new tomorrow! https://fictional.fm/subscribe — Sponsors: BOMBAS: Suuuuper comfortable...

Two stories from Norse myth. The first is about how you should just be you, even if people think you're a fool for doing so...actually, kind of especially if people think you are a fool for doing so. The second is about why you shouldn't go to the bathroom alone at night: Norse toilet zombies. The creature is the Mimick Dog, a dog that will mimic you and maybe put on plays. -- Sherlock Holmes on F...

A story of believing in yourself and finding your own way in the world...by imitating Pokemon and Hodor and wearing flashy suits from your best friend's stone safehouse. From a story from what's now Czech Republic and Slovakia, called "Prince Bayaya." Coming to a garden near you, the creature is the Jidra, from Medieval Europe. You might think you're a fantastic gardener, what with growing a plant...

A story from One Thousand and One Nights of an incompetent dude, a genie that's more than happy to be used for evil, and how the best legal outcome is one that involves free honey cakes. This is also where we wrap up the framing narrative, and we see if Scheherazade's gambit, of keeping herself alive by telling her husband stories every night for the past 989 days, finally pays off. The creature i...

A super-powered monkey from Chinese folklore meets more than he bargained for: a sloshing hollow gourd full of pus. The creature is the Mikaribaba (箕借り婆) from Japanese folklore, a great reason not to shower (because she will literally gouge out your eyes). -- Scoundrel! New episode of Scoundrel this week. Check it out: https://myths.link/scoundrel New episodes of Best of the Worst out, too. Th...

Five stories from Korean folklore all woven together to tell a grand narrative of the lives of normal people (and animals...and trees) on a mountainside in medieval Korea. The creature is the Iara, from Brazil, a vampire mermaid who isn't thrilled to be a vampire mermaid but hey, it was the best her fish friends could do for her a the time. -- Best of the Worst! Check out our (other other) new pod...

Three stories of things worth more than gold from Slavic, Celtic, and Chinese folklore. Also, why you shouldn't eat gold (it will literally kill you), why you should dig into that road cake early on, and why you should remember where you put stuff before getting the authorities involved. The creature is a cow's stomach with bone melting eyes! Who hates it when evil barons are evil! -- New Scoundre...

Three stories from Japan about love gone wrong. On the first, the fairest youth in all the land is set to marry the daughter of a rich noble. The problem? His father kind of oversold his looks... On the second, we'll see why moths and other nighttime bugs go toward the light, and on the third, a lovelorn samurai meets a woman from his past he thought was long gone. The creature just wants you to c...

Two stories of King David's magic mirror. One actually involves a folklore version of the Biblical king facing off against an enemy from his past...and maybe turning into a balloon? The second involves a rabbi, a murderous sorcerer, and a magic battle dinner party. The creature is what happens when you stay too long as a vampire. You turn into what's basically an angry George Costanza with seven g...

Heidrek the wise...was not actually all that wise. He took ownership of a cursed sword for one. He also got in a riddle battle with Odin, which is never a good idea. In fact, if you want to be wise, it might be a good idea to just look at Heidrek's life, and do the opposite. The creature is the Kaibaan, and he's that guy hanging out with his guitar on the quad trying to meet girls. You can spot hi...

From Jason and Carissa Weiser, the hosts of Myths and Legends, comes Scoundrel: History's Forgotten Villains. History consists of heroes and villains (and, I suppose everything in between)... but it's usually the villains who are the most interesting: Their flaws, their quirks, the voids in their hearts that force them to do the unthinkable. These are the characters that fascinate us, that pull us...

NEW SHOW NEW SHOW! We have a new show out. We've partnered with Kast media to make a history podcast called Scoundrel: History's Forgotten Villains. Carissa and I host it and we really think you'll love it. Please check it out here: https://myths.link/scoundrel -- This story has a little bit of everything: genies, sorcerers, insecure kings, true love (with two practice marriages beforehand that th...

Two stories from Iceland. On the first, Signy has a shot at the good life. Unfortunately, that shot involves camping out in a cave with giants, tone deaf swans, and magic flying beds. Oh, and some light kidnapping. On the second the pastorage servant just wants to kiss that dead guy and does not care who knows it. The creature is stuck between two dimensions, and they're going to take out their an...

It's (almost) Valentine's Day, and we have two stories from Chinese folklore about love, loss, and marrying all sorts of things you shouldn't be marrying, like ghosts and livestock! The creature is a sleazy alligator man who's looking for love* in all the wrong places** -- Links: Cereal Killer: https://myths.link/cerealkiller Store: https://shop.bardic.fm Membership: https://www.mythpodcast.com/me...

A story from India that's like a more awesome version of two different Grimm fairy tales. A woman is promised in marriage to a stranger and we learn that, yeah, that's actually a pretty terrible idea. The creature is the reason why you don't want pigeons to pity you. -- Sponsors: Check out Vanished, the new Wondery show! Bombas: Get 20% off any purchase by going to http://bombas.com/legends Grove:...

A story from China where we see a young man embark on a dangerous journey for love that definitely isn't a knock-off version of "The Journey to the West" and/or "The Hobbit". Then, we learn how the world's first selfie resulted in kind of more death than you'd think. The creature his a demon from Japan...who's working through a bad breakup. -- Sponsors: Honey: Get the browser extension and start s...

A story from Spanish folklore of three brothers, a crafting competition, a smelly Trojan parrot, and a lesson that it's never too late to start on the Hero's Journey. I mean, you might end up in jail, but it's still inspiring? The creature this week is the Gohonga, a creature that will take your child, educate them, and return them as a forty-year-old -- Links: The earbags: https://myths.link/earb...

Monkey has been fired. Sandy has been captured. Pigsy is fleeing in terror, and the monk is about to be cut to pieces by a room full of angry guys. Things are not going well. The creature is a buff angry dude whose solution to everything is hitting it with a spiky club. -- Disclaimer: https://myths.link/253b Giant Hoodie Snuggie: https://myths.link/snuggiehoodie Store: https://myths.link/store Mem...

We're back on the road on the Journey to the West and our heroes are starving. The solution? Some murders, some personnel changes, and human buns. The creature is a devil fish, a not-so-friendly businessfish. -- Sponsors: Best Fiends: Download Best Fiends on the App Store or Google Play! Simplisafe: Get 20% off your entire new system. http://simplisafe.com/legends Bombas: Get 20% off any purchase...

Fighting your own fate: it's a theme nearly as old as human civilization. We'll hear two stories of people who both lament their fate...and see that they are profoundly bad at doing anything about it. The first has a sack maker with a one-hit wonder...and a friend who wants to help him change...and who's also a super-rich king. The second is about a man who goes to look for Chance to try to change...

Two stories of Christmas in Iceland. So that apparently means wizards and zombies? The creature is the Cuegle! It's like a walking great white shark with terrible self-esteem -- Sponsors: June's Journey: Check it out on the Apple App Store or Google Play! Grubhub: This holiday season, give the gift of Grubhub. http://grubhub.com Quip: Go to http://getquip.com/myths and you'll get your first refill...

Two stories of absolutely real and definitely not fake doctors! The first is a Grimm tale where a guy goes to medical school and opens a practice! Never mind that his medical school is just a white coat and a bone saw! The second is a bit more legit with one cure-all elixir that really does cure all...and it may or may not be yule ale. The creatures are the buschfrauen! And they will hunt you to t...

Two stories from Giambattista Basile, Neapolitan writer, of angry sisters, busted Mario pipes, and she-bears that are only mad if you try to force them into marriage. The creature is the wiffenpoof, who only wants to eat fancy cheeses and not get your chewing tobacco in his eyes. -- Sponsors: Indeed! Get started right now with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at http://indeed.co...

Two stories of sorcerer's apprentices. The first picks the wrong major at wizard school. The second finds a creative way into school...by becoming a dangerous sorcerer's BFF. The creatures are the elle maids, definitely not suspicious women offering wine to strangers on the road. -- Simplisafe: Get 40% off your entire new system. http://simplisafe.com/legends Olive and June: go to http://oliveandj...

This week, it's the story from Argentina about Senorita Maldonado. We'll learn that sometimes the beasts of the woods might be better than your cruel, micromanaging boss. The creature is a shapeshifting water monster who has one rule for her spouse. Just one. Think he can go without breaking it? Yeah, neither do I. -- Sponsors: Simplisafe: Get 50% off your entire new system. http://simplisafe.com/...