Tales From The Enchanted Forest

Episoder

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  Little Red Riding Hood: A French Fable 14.10.2026 38min

  “Grandma, what big ears you have!” “All the better to listen to this episode with my dear!” Join Fox & Sparrow as they do a deep dive into the timeless tale of Little Red Riding Hood! Little Red Riding Hood is often attributed to Charles Perrault in 1697 and then the Brothers Grimm in 1812, but French folklorist Paul Delarue claims to have found an older folk narrative called “The Story of the Grandmother” which was recorded in Brittany in 1885. We examine the cultural, social and feminist lens that the story has been viewed through over the years using Jack Zipes’ work from his book “The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood” as well as Athena Bellas’ “Fairy Tales on the Teen Screen” and of course Catherine Orenstein and Sandra L. Beckett.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  The True Bride: A Finnish Tale 23.09.2026 33min

  Something is always up when your sibling- willingly and without duress- compliments you. Osma is a gold digger by proxy, but his sister, Ilona, is less willing to fall in love with the first King that pops by. So join us as we follow their misadventures in matrimony from the 1922 book on Finnish tales called “Mighty Miko” by Parker Fillmore. Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  Sparrow Short: Caribbean Crow Queen 02.09.2026 7min

  We searched the warm tropical islands of the Caribbean for a fun tale to end this summer season. Thankfully, the region offers no shortage of rich tales, bringing us to today's story from St Maarten.   Join Sparrow as she recounts the story of Toewi and Kroemoe from the book “Stories from the Caribbean” by Dr Petronella Breinburg. This tale of love will leave you smiling, laughing, and picturing crows on your wedding day!   Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  Monster of the Week, Indigenous Folktales and The Flying Head 19.08.2026 16min

  Welcome back to another Fox Short and my ramblings into what I am interested in- this time we talk about all things indigenous folktales as a source for the monster-of-the-week-trope in shows like Supernatural, Scooby-Doo and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. and Shane Hawk's introduction to the new anthology, "Never Whistle at Night: Back for Blood" helped vocalize something that was playing on my mind with the misuse of Native folklore and folk horror as a thing of the past. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC of the book, it was a treat!  Also rounding out we have the story of "The Flying Head" from “Tales of the Iroquois” by Ray Fadden also known as Tehanetorens.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  Fox Short: The Chinese Seafaring Goddess 05.08.2026 14min

  Had enough of the Odyssey? Well, join Fox on a solo trip with the seafaring goddess, Mazu as we dive into Hong Kong folktales, Chinese legends and historical retellings of both! Born human, Lin Moniang has a gift for forecasting upcoming storms, but can she save her father and brothers from a hurricane that threatens to tear her family apart? How does a girl become a goddess?  Also mentioned in this episode are Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim and Harbour of Hungry Ghosts by Eliza Chan. Come find safe harbour in this episode on transmission, identity, and migration. Huge shoutout to  Klaas Ruitenbeek for the article "Mazu, the Patroness of Sailors, in Chinese Pictorial Art.” Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  Denise Gallagher: Seasonal Tales and the Candle Dragon 22.07.2026 1t 10min

  We have a special interview today with author and illustrator Denise Gallagher on her upcoming folklore collection, "How to Calm a Rain Bull" releasing September 2026 through Moon+Bird! Join us as we pick her brain on folklore, everyday magic, Kidlit, rabbit holes and seasonal tales! Stay tuned for the end where she reads us "The Candle Dragon" from her collection. A condensed/edited version of the interview can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com. You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  Looney Animal Toons: Latin American Folktales 08.07.2026 23min

  There is no place we'd rather be than in Latin America to explore some more animal tales! Latin American folktales and animal tales are a truly remarkable fingerprint of history (as Nadine McFadden puts it) of their native cultures and the transmitted cultures from Europe. Join us for "Señor Coyote and Señor Fox" from Mexico and "The King of Leaves" from Nicaragua both adapted from The World of Folklore's "Tales from Hispanic Lands" collection.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  How Summer Came to Canada 24.06.2026 29min

  Today it's Canada versus Switzerland in the Fifa World Cup and we thought we would cheer on our team with a story from Canadian First Nations! Of course, being on the cusp of summer vacation, we also had to pull out a seasonal tale just for you, travellers.  This story is called “How Summer Came to Canada” collected by Cyrus Macmillian in his “Canadian Wonder Tales.” This story is a Glooskap story and these stories were first collected by Silas Tertius Rand and then by Charles Godfrey Leland in the 19th century. Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  Sparrow Shorts: Monkey Banana Bananza 10.06.2026 9min

  We all know that monkeys love bananas. But did you know that they also believe all bananas belong to them? Join Sparrow as she flies to Brazil to learn more about this in this week's story, "Why the Bananas Belong to the Monkey". Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  The Lad and the Dubious Magical Item: Sámi Folktale 27.05.2026 21min

  The story of “The Lad who stole a Troll’s Hat, a Bird and a Horse and Married the Princess” comes from “Sámi Folktales from the Near and Far Worlds” by Just Knud Qvigstad and Isak Saba as translated by Barbara Sjoholm published just yesterday through the University of Minnesota Press! We were lucky enough to receive an early edition of the book and it was a treat to look through all the different stories of the Sámi people.  This story is truly one that makes you ask: WHY and HOW instead of what since it's all technically in the title!  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  The Enchantee Awards 13.05.2026 39min

  Happy 5th Anniversary, Travellers! What started as a pandemic project is still going strong and we wanted to share our top "Enchantees" with you! We scoured our entire catalogue to find the best myths, fairy tales and folklore that cover such prestigious categories as:  The Failing Forward Award Wait, that's why? Award It’s Hot and it’s Cold Award Somehow that works Award Let us know what your nominations would have been!  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok Award music was by paulyudin. 
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  Sparrow's Search For Rain: A Canadian Tale 29.04.2026 27min

  It is a truth universally acknowledged that a beautiful, accomplished young woman must be in want of a husband who can keep her happy. Unfortunately, she ends up being courted by a Canadian-Wolf-Bird and a trickster fox. How does that lead to a Sparrow searching for Whirlwinds and Rain? Well, you'll have to listen to find out!  April showers bring May flowers and we'll be searching for rain in this Canadian story from the 1922 book of Canadian fairy tales by Cyrus Macmillan.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Instagram   Mastodon TikTok
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  Greek Myths: Artemis and Orion 16.04.2026 21min

  With all the buzz around NASA's Artemis II lunar mission with the Orion spacecraft, we thought now was a great refresher on the Greek Olympian herself- Artemis! The Goddess of the Hunt is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, sister of Apollo, and the maybe lover of Orion!  Learn about her origin story, the Homeric Hymns to Artemis, some of her wrath myths involving Niobe and her involvement in the Trojan War (where we also mention an epic roast by Hera). Of course, we also cover the three different storytelling traditions involving the Goddess and Orion. Stick around for the end when we review some of our ARC's for the month including: “How to Calm a Rain Bull” by Denise Gallagher, “Nell O'Dell Hates Quests” by Emily B. Martin, "Aicha" by Soraya Bouazzaoui and "The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances" by Glenn Dixon.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok
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  The Women of the Trojan War III 01.04.2026 54min

  Travellers, we've covered most of the major players coming into the Trojan War and now it is time for the Iliad itself! That's right, the prologue and preamble was longer than the Iliad section, but don't worry as we will pull from the Odyssey along with other plays and writings to draw a picture of what happened to our sisters who started it all- Helen and Clytemnestra. Featuring one of my favourite confrontations with a Goddess probably ever and lots of feminine rage!  Fox and Sparrow draw a close to the Trojan War series (for now) with part three: The Women of the Trojan War.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok
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  House of Troy and Atreus: The Trojan War II 18.03.2026 40min

  Last episode we dove into the beginnings of the Trojan War- namely centred around Helen of Sparta and her legendary, divine beauty that changed the world forever. However, more threads of fate were being woven together than just in the House of Sparta. The Trojan royal family had many secrets of their own....as did the House of Atreus...things are about to get a lot more messy before we can step into the war itself. So back in time we go! Weaving through Homer's Iliad & Odyssey, the Cyrpia and countless histories, plays and poems, we bring you part two on the House of Troy and the Curse of the Atreides.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok
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  House of Sparta: The Trojan War I 04.03.2026 46min

  The Trojan War is the last great clash of the Greek heroes and it was all due to one face that launched a thousand ships- or was it? Join Fox and special guest, Squirrel, as we launch our first episode in our three part series on the lead up to the Trojan War and the women at the centre of it all. There are two prophecies Zeus receives about bringing calamity to mankind. The first involves Helen of Sparta who was born with a curse already laid upon her by both her divine father, Zeus, and her mortal stepfather. Starting with Leda and the Swan, the Abduction of Helen by Theseus and the Suitor's Oath, we work our way through Helen's story. The second prophecy involves Thetis and her son so we side quest through the history of Peleus as well.  Weaving through Homer's Iliad & Odyssey, the Cyrpia and countless histories, plays and poems, we bring you part one of our series on the Trojan War with: The House of Sparta.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok
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  Thor Vs Utgard-Loki: The Norse Olympics 11.02.2026 27min

  With the 2026 Winter Olympics in full swing, let's take you on a journey to the Norse Olympics in the Land of the Giants! Thor and Loki make their way to Utgard where King Utgard-Loki challenges them to feats in order for them to stay. But, not all is as it seems... Collected from Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda and "Folklore and Legends of Scandinavia" edited by Charles Tibbitts.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok
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  Heer and Ranjha: Punjabi Folklore 29.01.2026 47min

  Ever wondered where the "Heer and Ranjha" verse in Bachna Ae Haseeno's “Jogi Mahi” come from? Or who the Ranjha from the movie Sheershah's hit song is about? Well, we went down the rabbit hole so you don't have to! Join us as we tell the tragic tale of Heer and her lover, Ranjha that is sadly still applicable to life today.  We used many versions in our retelling with the main text being from Waris Shah with English translations by Charles Frederick Usborne and Umer Munir. Also, Muhammad Sheeraz’s translation of the urdu version by Shafi Aqueel from his book Folk Tales of Pakistan and R.C Temple's Legends of the Punjab.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok
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  King Frost and the Snow Maiden: A Russian Folktale 14.01.2026 13min

  Based on the snow conditions, it looks like King Frost has passed by, so why not tell a story to keep him at bay? For the first episode in the new year, we have a Fox short as Sparrow gathers more tales for the rest of 2026.  Our story today has the classic trope of "Kind and Unkind Girls" as taken from Edith Martha Almedingen’s retelling of Russian folktales based on the works of Aleksandr Nikolaevich Afanasev. Sometimes, it's nice to just see good rewarded and bad punished. Oh, and there's a Fairy Queen.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok
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  Tales from the Box Office: The Swan Princess 31.12.2025 28min

  It's time to say farewell to another year and as everyone settles into the internight days before the real start of 2026, we have a light hearted episode today on the Swan Princess movie! By now, you must be sick of Christmas classics and hallmark shows full of snow and Santa, so join Fox and Sparrow for a look back on one of Sparrow's favourite tales based on the ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok