Tales From The Enchanted Forest

The Prince of the West runs off for seven years to win the hand of the Princess of the East, but when things go sideways, she has to rely on her own skills and wit to survive! Joining her are 40 beautiful maidens as they don disguises, blades and even crowns to survive. The Betrothed of Destiny comes from The Golden Maiden and other folk tales and fairy stories told in Armenia by A.G. Seklemian (1898).  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com [https://talesfromtheenchantedforest.com/] You can also find us on: * Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/fromenchanted.bsky.social] * Mastodon [https://mstdn.ca/@talesfromtheenchantedforest] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtheenchantedforest/?igshid=3mwp9519opx0]   * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talesfromfoxandsparrow?lang=en]

It is May which means a whole host of things from Bealtaine to the emergence of the Oak King and Holly King, the Green Man, Persephone, the May Queen and other figures associated with rebirth and fertility. So, in honour of these celebrations and folk figures, we turn to the Welsh Mabinogion, a collection of stories from the 12th-13th centuries. Our first story is the abduction of Creiddylad and our second is the creation of the flower queen, Blodeuwedd.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com [https://talesfromtheenchantedforest.com/] You can also find us on: * Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/fromenchanted.bsky.social] * Mastodon [https://mstdn.ca/@talesfromtheenchantedforest] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtheenchantedforest/?igshid=3mwp9519opx0]   * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talesfromfoxandsparrow?lang=en]

Today we head back to Brazil and our animal folktales straight from Fairy Tales from Brazil: how and why tales from Brazilian folk-lore by folklorist Elsie Spicer Eells. This explanatory tale takes us to a capitalist Tiger and his just punishment for exploiting his sole worker- the rabbit.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com [https://talesfromtheenchantedforest.com/] You can also find us on: * Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/fromenchanted.bsky.social] * Mastodon [https://mstdn.ca/@talesfromtheenchantedforest] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtheenchantedforest/?igshid=3mwp9519opx0]   * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talesfromfoxandsparrow?lang=en]

Today we have three tales of Sæmund: The Wise Priest-Wizard of the North! Saemunder/Saemund, an Icelandic folk hero, attended the Black Magic school run by the devil himself. We look at how his tales may have been canonized from their original oral traditions. These tales are "Saemund at the Black School," "The Magic Whistle," and "Saemund on his Deathbed" which all come from “Scandinavian Folktales,” edited and translated by Jacqueline Simpson. Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com [https://talesfromtheenchantedforest.com/] You can also find us on: * Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/fromenchanted.bsky.social] * Mastodon [https://mstdn.ca/@talesfromtheenchantedforest] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtheenchantedforest/?igshid=3mwp9519opx0]   * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talesfromfoxandsparrow?lang=en]

The consequences of accidentally partying too hard after a hurling-match are too much to handle for one little fairy and his fairy tree. Edmund Leamy's Irish Fairy Tale includes the shortest exile known to storytelling, a helpful ogre, ugly princesses and helpful animal companions. Truly a tale for the bingo cards.   Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com [https://talesfromtheenchantedforest.com/] You can also find us on: * Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/fromenchanted.bsky.social] * Mastodon [https://mstdn.ca/@talesfromtheenchantedforest] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtheenchantedforest/?igshid=3mwp9519opx0]   * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@talesfromfoxandsparrow?lang=en]