Wise Crone Cottage Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will read the story of “Old Rinkrank.”  It’s a Grimm Brother’s tale with a surprising ending.  We’ll discuss the innocent persecuted heroine and how her journey differs from the traditional hero’s journey tales. Where is the wise crone in this story?  I can’t wait to tell you! Story: "Old Rinkrank" in  Grimm's Househ...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will read the literary fairy tale, "The Maiden in the Castle of Rosy Clouds."  It's a story written by the Swedish author Harald Ostenson in the early 20th century.  We'll identify the differences between traditional folktales and literary tales.  Finally, we'll discuss how older characters are depicted in...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’ll look at three stories in which an old woman meets and outwits the devil.  The first is “Devil’s Bridge,” a Welsh legend.  The second, “The Devil and His Grandmother,” is a German folktale recorded by the Brothers’ Grimm. The last story, “Kitta Grau” is from Sweden.  The old woman in these tales runs the course of characters from helper to hero and villain to...

Send us Fan Mail In the last "Wise Crone Cottage Podcast,"  storyteller, Kathy Shimpock shared the Grimm fairy tale "The Girl Without Hands."  This is a continuation of that discussion. This time we'll focus on the earlier 1812 version of the story. We'll see how the Handless Maiden shifts from a persecuted figure into a heroine.  We'll also explore the ways this...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will explore the Grimm tale, "The Girl Who Lost Her Hands."  It's a story that packs a punch and leaves listeners quaking in the dust.  Well, maybe that's a bit extreme.   You can judge for yourself!  We'll look at several versions of the story, its derivation and multiple interpretations.  And finally, and...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, we’ll be exploring the folklore around the "nisse," a Norwegian house spirit, found throughout Scandinavia (by different names).  I’ll read the story  “Round the Yule Log,” by P. Chr. Asbjornsen which includes several folktales.  Further, we’ll reflect on the negative stereotype of the old maid.  What should we do with the stories from the past that no...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’ll be exploring the Cailleach, the Celtic goddess of winter. She’s found in both mythology and folktales in Ireland and Scotland. She sometimes appears as the sovereignty goddess.  I’ll read the Irish myth, “The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedon,” which addresses issues of gender, power, land, and kingship.  Further, we’ll reflect on our cultural taboo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will tell you the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.  Her version is one you may not have heard before, for it tells this story from the eyes of Ariadne.  In doing so, we’ll discover how a single shift in perspective can make all the difference. Story: Derived from  "Ariadne's Lament" by Catullus. Cover illustra...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we'll reflect on two stories that demand retelling. In each tale (from "Star Wars" to King Arthur), we'll see how the story is poised to continue through the intervention of a single storyteller.  In the sharing of the story, its meaning, values, and Truth continue to inspire and motivate those who stop to listen and tell again. Story:  White, T...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we’ll explore the Irish folktale “The Witches Excursion.” It was recorded by Patrick Kennedy in the book Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts published in 1866. Like the Grimm tale, “Frau Holle,” here is another story that began as a myth and became a folktale.  We’ll discuss how the character of Queen Medb is reflected in this tale and how the wise crone once aga...

Send us Fan Mail In these very dark days, when the world has gone awry, a story comes out of the darkness.  In this episode, we're entering a haunting tale with storyteller, Kathy Shimpock.  It is a dire tale rarely told to children.  Over time, the story grew even darker, more dire and its message corrupted.  It is the corruption of that message, that we'll explore. And so, before we ca...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we're in the world of Irish fairies with the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock.   Our story is called "The Brewery of Eggs."  It's a changeling legend in which the wise old woman saves the day by bringing the right baby home.  We're also going to explore how women stories may be coded, so they can share topics too difficult to address directly....

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’ll meet Medusa with the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock.  Some call Medusa a Gorgon, others a cursed beauty.  Maligned in popular media, controversy has followed Medusa wherever she goes. In her first recorded interview, Medusa will sit down with the Wise Crone for a tell-all exchange.  Her visit is courtesy of the Jungian technique “active imagination.”  Hold on t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock explores the stories that must be told and what happens when we try to forget them.  We'll look at three tales from India. Each one addresses stories that are untold, the need to find a willing audience, and the consequence when they are hidden.  Finally, we'll discuss how traditional stories from the oral tradition, hold...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, explores La Befana, a crone character from Italian folklore.  Befana appears on January 5th to give gifts to children.  I'll share with you my story that consolidates many of the tales surrounding her.  Finally, we'll look at how La Befana compares to some other legendary figures (who also appear during the season of Epip...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock explores  the crone's role as the midwife in Irish and European folktales.  The story she will share with you is called "Midwife to the Fairies." In this story, we'll learn more about the crone and even more about those disagreeable fairies.  Finally, we'll ponder medieval midwifery, and in doing so perhaps...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock explores  Norwegian folktales surrounding the Black Death. She shares a story that incorporates many of the motifs and elements found in these tales.  It's the story of two very different old women.  One is the wise crone and the other is Pesta! Perhaps we'll uncover some plague wisdom we can use today! Story:  a creative...

Send us Fan Mail Greek mythology has a full pantheon of gods and goddesses.  Each deity has a story line with the past and present clearly defined.  There are stories of triumph and petty jealousies. There are stories of conflict.  Their relationships with humans and other gods are often tempestuous. Rarely do we see these gods and goddesses as exemplars.  More often than not, they teach the audie...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will explore the power of story. What is it?  How can a simple tale impact our lives so deeply?   The story I will tell (as the wise crone) provides one answer. “The Story that Grew in My Heart” was crafted from a book written by Walter Hackett entitled The Swans of BalleyCastle . It contains clear references to Irish mythology and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller Kathy Shimpock, will read you the Grimm tale, "The Goose-Girl at the Well." It's a tale within a tale - a story of a young girl's initiation into womanhood and the guiding hand and protection of the wise crone.  First discussed in an earlier podcast (S1, #4), this story just won't go away!  It is categorized as Aarne-Thomps...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we'll explore the magic of spring.  I'll share two stories: one from Europe and one from China in which the beauty of the natural world is both honored and rewarded.  It's a message we all need to be reminded of after a long cold winter and an even longer pandemic.  In these stories we see the creation and protection of the flower-elves who bring fo...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will share the story of "The Crone vs. the Cyclops: A Confrontation in  the Forest."  It’s a fun story filled with motifs from both folklore and mythology that she wrote long ago.  These elements fill fantasy literature today and can be an excellent way to get the imagination going. Finally, we’ll explore how these stori...

Send us Fan Mail In the wake of insurgents overtaking the U.S. capital in pursuit of a “big lie,” this episode explores the truth that is found in stories.  The storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will start by reading a Spanish tale entitled “Falsehood and Truth.” Next, we’ll look at those folktales that provide a context to current events.  Finally, she will tell you a more positive counterpoint to the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, will share the story of "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen.  It is a tragic, Danish, literary tale written in 1845.  The subject has similarities to Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" written two years earlier in  Victorian England.  Both tales focus on the fate of the poor when the world is divid...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, it's all about Santa: the folklore, story, and the greater archetype.  I posit the question of whether Santa can be gender-neutral.  We'll explore an adapted version of the poem, "A Visit from Santa Claus" written by Clement Clarke Moore, Think on it, for just a moment.  Santa as the wise crone?  Why not? Story: "A Visit from St. Nicholas&...