Tales From The Enchanted Forest

Horsin’ Around: Shahnameh’s Rostam

Often likened to the great Greek Heroes, Rostam quickly turns from a mammoth baby to a warrior and hero. To prove himself as the child of prophecy, he adventures out to save a king-in-distress and overcome his seven labours. Special shoutout to his saviour, steed, and sidekick: Rakhsh! For being the true hero during Rostam's power naps.
Episode Image: "Rustam and Rakhsh in the Third Trial" 891/1486, Turkman/Timurid style.
 
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Lord of the Wings: Shahnameh’s Zal

The Shahnameh is an epic chronology of Kings and Heroes, none greater than the line of Nariman which descends through the generations. Join us as we explore this generation of heroes starting with Sam and Zal, a story featuring the mythical Simurgh, letting down your hair, lots of passive-aggressive letter writing, and daddy issues. We retell the story using a variety of both Farsi and English sources to recreate the essence of the story.
Episode image: "Zal is sighted by a Caravan' attributed to Abdul Aziz
 
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Tales From The Podcast: One Year Anniversary

Fox & Sparrow celebrate the podcast's first Anniversary in this special bonus episode! Join your animal companions as they reflect on the past year and give some insight into their journey in making this podcast.
 
Also, Tales From The Enchanted Forest will be going on a brief break! But we will be returning in July with more magical stories! In the meantime, stay in touch with us on Twitter @FromEnchanted.
 
And check out our website for updates and more Footnotes with Fox: TalesFromTheEnchantedForest.com
 
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Star Wars: Fairy Tale or Fantasy?

A Long Time Ago, in an Enchanted Forest Far Far Away, Sparrow uses her Jedi mind trick to hijack this episode! In honour of Star Wars Day, she will make her case to the Jedi council (Fox), as to why she believes Star Wars is a modern fairy tale. We discuss everything from the greater Star Wars canon and wonder when will Hollywood make more space pirate movies?
Hear the arguments and let us know what you think on Twitter @FromEnchanted!
 
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Mitten Mischief: Ukrainian Folktale

Fox and Sparrow explore the Ukrainian animal tale of the 'Mitten,' popularized by children's authors like Jan Brett! Stick around for our five fantastic finds afterwards which explore the role of folklore in children's stories, the reality of an endless mitten, the bag of holding trope, the brief history of Ukrainian folktales, and the tragedy of the commons! 
 
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Beauty & Pockface: A Lin-Lan Cinderella

Lin Lan brings you the "Three Wishes," one of the earliest Cinderella retellings with no ordinary twists! Beauty and her stepsister Pockface can't seem to stay apart. From vicarious living to straight-up murder, this is a fairy tale for those who want a good true crime fairy tale without the true part. Stick around for a breakdown of the Lin Lan movement, Weekend at Bernie's, Forgetful soup, and walking on eggshells!
 
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The Doomed Prince: An Egyptian Tale

Sometimes you are fated to die and you stay away from your 'fate,' however, that becomes impossible when your fate includes a dog! Join us as we translate, read, and contextualize the "Tale of the Doomed Prince" from the Harris 500 Papyrus! Glass castles, shadow-fearing giants, and man's best friend are all prominent parts of our story today! Discover the secrets of collectors and donors, Selima Harris and her father, Anthony Charles Harris.
 
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Luck O’ The Leprechaun: An Irish Folktale

Top of the mornin' to ya! Joseph Jacobs' collected works include folklore right from the source and we scoured the Irish Folklore Commission for more context on Leprechauns, boliauns, and superstitions! Our Five Fantastic Finds delve deep into the differences between Irish myth and folklore, the beer brewing process, and the history of drinking stereotypes! You'll never be fooled again after hearing this tale!
 
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East of The Sun, West of The Moon (Part 2)

Three helpful crones, golden apples, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Norse mythology are all discussed as we continue our story from last week! Unnamed Female Protagonist (dubbed Thordotter) goes on a quest to save her husband from the 3-yard long nosed troll! Tune in at the end for our first Five Fantastic Finds of the year!
 
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East of The Sun, West of The Moon (Part 1)

Sometimes finding a groom can be unbearable, but other times, the beast comes knocking! Curses, magic castles, Beauty and the Beast, and Thor all feature in this episode starring "the beautiful younger sister" and "mysterious bear husband." Join us as we tackle part one of this Nordic story from Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe! Stay tuned for the end when we answer some of your questions!
 
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Welcome Back To The Enchanted Forest

Fox & Sparrow are back in the Enchanted Forest! And they are bringing along with them more fantastic fairy tales, legends, myths and much much more! 

Twas‘ A Visit From St. Nick

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the burrow
Not a creature was stirring, not even a sparrow;
The stories were told in the forest with care,
In hopes that the fox soon would be there!'
 
Enjoy our holiday wrap-up and an exploration on the modern image of Santa Claus from Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem! Happy Holidays from the Enchanted Forest and we are excited to see you in the new year! 

Christmas Ghosts: Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens' isn’t for everyone, but he does a fantastic job here with his modern fairy-tale, a Christmas Carol. Join us as we discuss the classic story revisited from the original source and talk about all things Victorian Christmas from Queen Victoria to Yuletide giving. 
Happy Holidays from Fox and Sparrow! 

Filipino Animal Tales

Disappear from the cold winter with us in the cozy Filipino forests! We have three bite sized stories to help warm you up! Enjoy the Hawk and the Hen, The Battle of the Crabs, and the Spider and the Fly. 
 
Make sure to give your animal friends a cuddle throughout this episode where we discuss Netflix’s Trese, Indigenous Filipino folktale classifications, the ‘didn’t think this through’ trope, and Darwin!

Sky Woman: An Iroquois Tale

And I’m free, free fallin’! We’d like to imagine Sky Woman from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) tale was into Tom Petty, but just in case she wasn’t, we also have the musical styling of ABBA, Elvis, and Bob Dylan on standby. Our story today is one of many First Nation "Creation Stories" that describe the world before land and people. 
 
If you enjoy animal self-sacrifice, good-and -bad twins, lots and lots of water, and crab apples, then this story is for you!

Mythical Monster Mash

Join Fox and Sparrow as we round up our favourite monsters and create a Monster Mash in the Enchanted Forest! We discuss the origins of our top ten creatures, including Jörmungandr, Simurgh, Godzilla, Banshees, Doppelgängers, Sphinx, Tah-tah kle’-ah, La Muelona, Koschei the Deathless and Jinn. Travel from Asgard to a gambling house in Colombia with these vibrant tales of terror! 
 
Are you ready for a spooky good time? Let us know what monsters made it in your emporium!  

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow: Japanese Tale

No one does horror better than Japanese folktales, and this one is no exception! The Tongue-Cut Sparrow tells the tale of an old man and his beloved pet, with a horrible twist caused by a jealous wife. You reap what you sow with this tale so choose carefully.

Hiku and Kawelu: A Hawaiian Love Story

A demi-god Bachelor agrees to marry a partner chosen for him by his relationship expert (which happens to be a ‘sentient’ magic arrow). Looking forward to the perfect match, he meets his mate, abandons her, and then swings down to the underworld to get her back.
Let’s head to the original Love Island with this Hawaiian tale. 

The Jackal & The Spring: South African Folktale

Have you ever been distracted by a sweet treat and a silver tongue? The masters of trickery and deception include Loki, the Fox, and our current favourite, the Jackal!  Join our animals as they attempt to outwit the Trickster Jackal! In this episode, we discuss African folklore, Anthropomorphism, Jackals, and lots more! This story was collected by E. Jacottet for his book on South African folktales. 

Shirin and Khosrow: A Persian Love Story

Sometimes the universe keeps you apart and sometimes it would be better for you to listen. Shirin and Khosrow are the result of ignoring all the red flags and having a train wreck relationship that is a tragedy for all involved. Join us on this adventure through ​​Nizami Ganjavi’s epic poem that has inspired generations of writers including William Shakespeare. This version also features the legendary story of Shirin and Farhad.