Podcast What The Folklore

This week on WTFolklore we conclude reading Princess Nobody, Andrew Lang's fanfic about some of Richard Doyle's paintings AND A Midsummer Night's Dream, apparently. We also stumble on the potential catalyst for all the strife between birds and fairies we've documented since the podcast began... Suggested talking points: The Tenants of Carpetpunk, L…

This week on WTFolklore we begin reading Princess Nobody, Andrew Lang's fanfic about some of Richard Doyle's paintings. It also has some serious Kingdom Hearts energy. Suggested talking points: A Two-Year Degree in "Sun", Speaking of Goblin Messes…, Fairy Heist of the Century, Constant Gallivanting, Pondering Princess Strats If you'd like to suppor…

Wow! 365 Episodes! You've got one for every day of the year now! This week on WTFolklore we read The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese, which is frankly a reasonable position to have. Suggested talking points: This Episode Brought To You By Carpets, Non-Tenured Adjunct Professor Laminate, The Raunchiness of Cheese, You Have To Earn Pockets, Paws at the Th…

This week on WTFolklore, after a little bit of education on the storied profession of Butling, we read The Disobedient Son, which continues OUR storied tradition of misnomers. Suggested talking points: Dr. Carpets, Practical Butling, Little Devil Dormitory, We Don't Know Anything, Nudged Toward "Acceptable" If you'd like to support Carman's artisti…

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Barrel Bung, A Swedish tale about jump scares and glory holes, and we peppered in a light dusting of Satanic Panic at the end, for flavor. Suggested talking points: The Timescale of Omens, Jumpscare Jenny, The One Thing a Bat Cannot Tolerate, BURN THE BUNG, Son of Pikachu, Down the Satanic Panic Hole If you'd li…

This week on WTFolklore, we read Hans Christian Andersen's The Swineherd, which may or may not even feature a swine herd in it... Suggested talking points: Crime-Awareness Fighter, The Minimum Square Footage for Wedding, Free Bird! (Imperative), A Stack of Pigs to the Sky, Efficient Ways to Rot the Brain, Instinctual Curtsy If you'd like to support…

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Legend of Leech, which is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it titular detail. Suggested talking points: Posthumous Donut Title, When Your Blood Goes Away, Woke Up Married, Coconut Lard, Turn Off the World 'til Tomorrow If you'd like to support Carman's artistic endeavors, visit: https://www.patreon.com/carmandaartsthings…

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Two Kings' Children, Another Grimm tale. Gotta be honest, the boys REALLY phoned it in on this one. We'd have been better off if the prophecy in the beginning actually came true... Suggested talking points: Now That's What I Call Folklore!, Begging to be Final Destination'd, Stag Is Man, Man is Drag, Drag is Foo…

We'll be honest, we got a little smug this week. We felt confidant in our abilities to predict where a story featuring an Animal A- Team would go. We forgot who we were dealing with... Thanks to Mars for joining us this week! You can also catch him streaming "Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms" Suggested talking points: See and Omen, Say an Ome…

Well, Here we are, right on time, in the first week of 2023. Time to rev up the ol' Folklore machine again, after it's winter slumber. For some reason, we've decided the best way to shake off the cobwebs is the read another Madame d'Aulnoy tale, Fair Goldilocks...but we're gonna need some help. Thanks to Mars for joining us this week! You can also …

Don't let the title fool you, this is DEFINITELY a Christmas themed episode, and it is chock-full, jam-packed with 3 different tales of holiday cheer, just for you dear listeners. Just don't think to hard about the mysteries of Santa Claus... Suggested talking points: Advent Calendar of Robbery, Festive From a Turkey's Point of View, Off to Kid Mou…

This week we read Why the Sea is Salt, courtesy of Asbjornsen and Moe. The answer is much, much closer to "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" than anyone could've possibly anticipated. Suggested talking points: Cheerleader Zamboni, The Sandwich Wars Accord, Brothers on Brothers on Brothers, Bacon Hot Takes, The Piss-cific Ocean If you'd like to support Car…

This week we read The Goat of Mr. Seguin, and in the process accidently dredge up a centuries-old subtweet from an extremely bitter windmill adressed to a semi-fictional character. Oh yeah, and Gordie is back. Suggested talking points: H.P. Amorcraft's "Le Cthuleaux", Not a Windmill in the Classical Sense, The Mastertruck Chronicles, Number One In …

This week we continue reading Dwarf Long Nose, by Wilhelm Hauff, AKA Satan's Ghostwriter. Based on how things went last week, if you weren't expecting a Fairytale Bake-off, a magic goose, and a war over pastries, you need to turn in your damn folktale gun and badge. Thanks to Dave for joining us this week! Suggested talking points: Atrocity Tourist…

This week we begin reading Dwarf Long Nose, by Wilhelm Hauff, AKA Satan's Ghostwriter. In it, our precious good-boy hero is rudely accosted by a strange woman with very particular herb sensibilities. War looms on the horizon... Thanks to Dave for joining us this week! Suggested talking points: A New Fun Boy, The AI Art Equivalent of a Human, Inside…

This week we're reading Sangkuriang or Legend of Tangkuban Perahu, a tale rife with...complicated and troubling genealogies. Thanks to Dave for joining us this week! Suggested talking points: Were-Husband, The Piss Baby's Son So Easily Forgotten, It's a Nanowrimo Miracle!, Throwing a Tantrum So Hard it Creates Geography, Narratively Necessary Inces…

This week, while reading The Tale(s) of the White Elephant with Six Tusks, we get some conflicting information on the relative coolness of this elephant. You be the judge, dear listener! Thanks to Melissa for joining us this week! Suggested talking points: If you'd like to support Carman's artistic endeavors, visit: https://www.patreon.com/carmanda…

Zalutations listeners! On this week's episode of What The Folklore, we're reading Three Boys With Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions Marvel as we descend further into Rootabaga-Tale-Madness Before all that, though, Tyler has some spooky-times movies he wants to bring to your attention I'm truly sorry Even though it eats up the runtime, we hope y…

This week on WTFolklore, we hear two different Tales of the Boo Hag, a skinless Sailor Moon who loves to drink breath and hates poker players. Man, Myth-Times had some wild explanations for sleep apnea! Thanks to Dave/Psythe for joining us this week! Suggested talking points: The Boo Spectrum, Subsistence Breath Farmers, Knitting is Sweaty Work, Fl…

This week on WTFolklore, we're joined again by the magical sweet potato as we read Struwwelpeter, a confusing collection of cautionary tales about some of the worst kids you've ever heard of. Also, a rabbit gets a gun at one point, unrelatedly. Thanks to Jayson for joining us this week! Suggested talking points: The Mythos Manspreading Hour, Shotgu…

To kick off Spooklore this year, Sun Wukong has us covered by encountering a tree with the creepiest fruit we've ever heard of! Thanks to DEFINEPROG (AKA Matt) for Joining us this week! Suggested talking points: FRUIT IS BACK ON THE MENU BOYS, Height-to-Demon Ratio, Cup O' Immortality, Bad Cop Worse Cop, Trauma-Bonded to a Monkey If you'd like to s…

This week on WTFolklore, we're joined by a talking sweet potato to help us read through Godmother Death, but we do take some side roads to talk about Google's "feeling lucky" button, and how to best christen a new sketchbook. Oh, and lube. Lots and lots of lube. Thanks to Jayson for joining us this week! Suggested talking points: The Robin Hood of …

Breath? You should take a deep Faith? this is quite the leap Taste? You KNOW it's bittersweet This week on WTFolklore, we face our fears, and recap a tale that, as one Grimoire Highwind puts it, is "Not Meant for Human Consumption". We're also joined by special guest, Nate! Music in chronological order: Victory Fanfare (Holder & Ephixa Remix) Face …

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Blue Light, a sort of remix of two other tales we've read rather recently, see if you can guess which! In it, we learn of the terrifying capabilities of color-coded dwarves, and the frightening lengths they will go to in order to alleviate their own boredom. Suggested talking points: Beyond the Pavlov Barrier, S…

This week on WTFolklore, we continue our trudge through Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, this time in China, which is not a sudden change of scenery at all. Turns out life is just nothing but problems, especially if you continually, almost deliberately forget you have a magical genie living on your finger. Suggested talking points: Hungry Hungry Him…

This week on WTFolklore, we learn possibly THE most efficient way to squander two genies, chock full of wish-juice, as we begin (but do not conclude) reading Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Suggested talking points: AMAB, Amp-to-Amp Genie Wishes, The Round Boy and Jafar, PLEASE Nort the Vizier, A Cause to Lube Up, Hit-Genies If you'd like to support…

This week on WTFolklore, we read pull the ripcord on an Emergency Rutabaga Bomb, and dip back into Carl Sandburg's Rootabaga Tales, to read through How They Broke Away to go to the Rootabaga Country. Yes, "rutabaga" is spelled wrong on purpose. Prepare to learn a lot more than you ever cared to know about the gestation of Clowns. Suggested talking …

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Twelve Dancing Princesses, the classic Grimm Bros. tale about a rat king made out of daughters who dance their lives away every night down in Space Jam World. Suggested talking points: Busted Podcasting Rig Covered in Spikes, A Ratking of Girls, Just a Tame Inside Fire, High Top Emu Boots, A Monarch's Dozen, Twe…

This week on WTFolklore, we read two vastly different versions of The Legend of the Hero, Menesk, which both purport to be true accounts. Shockingly, Astoundingly, and with great effort, we DO manage to make both accounts true simultaneously. All we had to do was tear open a TIME HOLE. Suggested talking points: The "English" to "Why-is-this-happeni…

This week on WTFolklore we finish reading the Hans Christian Anderson tale, The Tinder Box, which is shockingly revealed to be a collaboration with Mary Shelley (the inventor of Mars), and a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of infinite dog money. Suggested talking points: Digital Space Knapsack, Largely a Work of Spite, Old-Timey Zippo, One Milli…

This week on WTFolklore we check in with the Hans Christian Anderson catalogue, reading The Tinder Box, which is a story that definitely, totally, 100% takes place on Mars, and you can't change our minds. Suggested talking points: Backwards Engineering Excuses, Punzel Chassis, Giger's Big Red Kaiju, Whips and Sugar Sticks, No Sentiment on Mars, Too…

This week on WTFolklore we read the Grimm tale, The Iron Stove, wherein we finally decide to test our mettle as Folklorists, and employ the new GTC Classification System to better inform YOU about what kinda story you're in for. Mileage may vary. Suggested talking points: Return to the Cotton Eye Joe Void, The Tyler Hate Zone, Nut Dress, Magic Payc…

This week on WTFolklore we read The Shoes of Abu Kassim, which as far as we're concerned is a film franchise with Rowan Atkinson's name plastered all over it. We also discover just why Elon Musk is SO obsessed with tunnels. Truth bombs abound on this episode. If you'd like to support Carman's artistic endeavors, visit: https://www.patreon.com/carma…

This week on WTFolklore we read The Snow, The Crow, and The Blood, a story largely about none of those things! Surprise! It IS a cautionary tale about letting your horny be your guide in life, and falling under the charming spell of a little red man who needs some extra dps for his sidequests. But at the end of the day, he'll help you lobotomize a …

This week on WTFolklore after a short...Divergence...from our normal banter, we read an anthology of King Midas tales from around the world, all focused on a, uh, lesser known aspect from the original tale. Suggested talking points: A World Where Parkour is Important, One Hundred Percent None Percent Normal, Bloated with Secrets, The Sweeney Todd P…

This week on WTFolklore we check in on Carman's time at FWA, Tyler's ongoing Robin Hobb Problem, and then read the Grimm's tale, Bearskin. Somewhat appropriately, as this is only half the Devil's number, he only appears for half the episode Suggested talking points: Hotboxing All the Buzzy Boys, Cybergrams, A One-Man Island of Misfit Toys, Army Tea…

This week on WTFolklore we revolutionize book-buying, before then convincing you to never buy a book again by reading The Story of Jason Squiff and Why He had a Popcorn Hat, Popcorn Mittens, Popcorn Shoes, a distinctly American tale. Either that, or this recording is just a long stretch of static, you tell me. Suggested talking points: Chadow, Shre…

This week on WTFolklore, after a brief update to our resumes and tax forms (keepin' it strictly business this week), we finish reading The Bird 'Grip', from Sweden. Suggested talking points: Men of Indeterminate Age, Kickflipping Burgers, Jiminy Cricket's Kettlebells, Now That's What I Call Gurdy, Wikihoofs, The Valley That's Bad to Look At If you'…

This week on WTFolklore, after redoubling our efforts to bring you the greenest podcast on the net, we begin reading The Bird 'Grip', from Sweden. We also encounter the saddest possible party we've ever seen. Suggested talking points: USB Sunflower, Earth Shanties, Old Lady Zubjöks, Two Sons for the Price of None, Door-to-door War Salesman, Clown E…

This week, it's a new entry in the Anthology edition, with classic clips from the following episodes: 126: The Whitest of Privileges 127: A certain Grimminess 129: Jessica Fidgetspinner 132: Flowers for Goofy 137: The New Ghost-Based Economy Ramblecast 139 139: Pokemon: Gun 141: Were-Bud If you'd like to support Carman's artistic endeavors, visit: …

This week on WTFolklore, we meant to just read The Magic Cap, but you accidentally get a double feature, cause Tyler also really, really, REALLY needed to talk about Pinocchio: A True Story. Suggested talking points: Budgeting Pinocchio Time, Pay Me In Smiles, The Hero's Meander, The Red-Nose Thirst, Great-Great-Grandwitch, The Dexter of Pranks If …

This week on WTFolklore, we read Johnny Reed's Cat. Rather than write a bunch of words here, instead we ask you simply picture a cat in your mind's eye...woah! where's it going! Ah it stopped suddenly! Now it's sleeping... Yeah, now you're gettin' it... Suggested talking points: The Lazy Man's Train Tracks, Door Real-estate, Are You Foppish or Bwap…

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Iron Wolf, a Ukrainian tale about a (probably) mechanical beast who's WAY into that grindset-mindset, and is mysteriously linked to the beef dimension Here are some links if you'd like to make donations in support of Ukrainian civilians currently displaced due to the occupation of their country: https://donate.c…

This week on WTFolklore, we tell the exceptionally short Glooscap and the Baby, which only takes us roughly 12 minutes to get through. "How can this be?" You ask yourself, looking at the runtime. We simply ask that you trust us on this one... Suggested talking points: Celebrity Treasure Maps, Tangent Sandwich, Daily Cannibal Raid, Peaked as an Infa…

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Singing, Springing Lark, a Grimm tale with...a number of familiar elements. Suggested talking points: There's No Hole in Volleyball, Frasier Crane Lego Set, Maybe Sometimes a Lion, Here's a Nut Go It, Timon and Pumba's Excellent Bedroom Encounter (But there's a Bird at the Start) If you'd like to support Carman'…

This week on WTFolklore, we return to that old classic Pentamerone to read The Young Slave, a story so engaging that we spend a good chunk of the episode enumerating which ghosts are and are not useful, as well as a number of points of history we could irreparably damage with a time machine and a Bop-It. Suggested talking points: Art Is Ruined Fore…

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Jaguar and the Little Skunk, the heartwarming, inspiring, and encouraging tale of a little dude who really shoulda just stayed in his damn lane. Suggested talking points: Crave The Pod, Eat the Meat that We didn't Eat, An Eensy Weensy Bit Dead, Orbital Dunks If you'd like to support Carman's artistic endeavors, …

This week on WTFolklore, we're headed to France to read The Legend of the Arrode Cavern, where we learn what does and does not constitute a "Dragon", all about changing tires on a car, and what kind of horse memorabilia you can get at Cracker Barrel...wait, what were we talking about? Suggested talking points: Snowfish, The Protagonist's Glow, The …

Hey! It's Tyler's Birthday! Or, at least it was! When we recorded this! For such an auspicious occasion, Carman elected to read Lazy Jack, a tale that was allegedly tailor-made to upset Tyler. Suggested talking points: See a Sooth Say a Sooth, Pokemon Butthole Catalog, Personal Finance Folklore, Soft Cheese on a Hot Day, Temp Tiger's Promotion If y…

This week on WTFolklore, we're reading the Cu Chulainn tale The Death of Derbforgaill, from Ireland in addition to weighing in on only the hottest topics of the day! Suggested talking points: Another Omen for the Year, The Raunchy Death of Deborah, Beefus Geesus, Red-Faced White American Shout Boys, The Piss-Wizard from Ireland, The Natural Knife I…