Do you also have Epic the Musical by Jorge Rivera-Herran's on repeat? Learn about the story of Odysseus and his men, including his family, in this deep dive of Homer's The Odyssey!

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Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres

Map of Journey: https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/15906.png?v=1725269531-1681478901

Links to Research:

• ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer, Translated by Emily Wilson
• ‘The Greek Myths’ Vol. II by Robert Graves, co. 1955, 1960
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laestrygonians
• https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey/section1/
• https://www2.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/homer/index.php?page=timelines
• https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/15906.png?v=1725269531-1681478901
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicones
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odyssey-epic-by-Homer

Ever wondered what the Unseelie and Seelie Courts consists of? While there might be a hot fae on either side, we're certain that both will get a kick out of torturing you.

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Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens - any donation automatically invites you to our discord!

Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres

Links to Research:

• https://britishfairies.wordpress.com/2021/01/24/the-seelie-and-unseelie-courts/
• https://seasonofearth.com/seelie-vs-unseelie-fairy-courts/
• https://www.britannica.com/
• https://folklorescotland.com/

Happy New Year, listeners! Starting off the year with some cute and rather crazy (because, folklore logic) folktales, fables and facts on our furry little friends: foxes!

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Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres

FOX SPIRIT by Min Ding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCQ6C03Ln5A&t=322s

Links to Research:

https://www.theoi.com/Ther/AlopexTeumesios.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmus

https://www.britannica.com/topic/kitsune

https://yokai.com/kitsune/

https://sakura.co/blog/what-is-a-kitsune-japans-shapeshifter?srsltid=AfmBOooAARYZ0P5fUSOULs96qsRWhfpmQSfz-DpnfWCa09UPdQQN4TUJ

https://vampire_mythology.en-academic.com/307/Huli_Jing

https://academia.issendai.com/chinese-fox-stories.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumiho

https://pantheon.org/articles/k/kumiho.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Reynard-the-Fox-literary-character

https://www.torch.ox.ac.uk/files/reynardlowresforblogpdf

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/664/aesops-fables/#:~:text=Written%20by%20a%20former%20Greek,teaching%20a%20moral%20or%20lesson.

https://aesopsfables.org/C18_aesops_fables_about_foxes.html#:~:text=There%20are%2028%20fables%20in,order%20based%20on%20their%20title.)

https://www.wildthingsfood.co.uk/news/10-facts-about-foxes-that-may-surprise-you/

Christmas was yesterday and we hope you were on the Nice list. If not, you were probably greeted by the meanest, scariest, most gruesome Christmas demon… KRAMPUS! Join your Story Sirens as they deep dive into the Santa's co-conspirator and all-around evil spirit, Krampus.

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Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres

Links to research:

http://www.rvakrampus.com/p/history.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krampus

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/frau-perchta-christmas-witch-winter-goddess

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/krampus-could-come-you-holiday-season-180957438/

We all know about ol' Saint Nick - but do we know the true origins of how he came to be so beloved? Time to deep dive into Santa Claus' true origins... and some of his helpers, too!

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Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres

Poems and Stories:

Katherine Lee Bate’s poem “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride - https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Goody_Santa_Claus_on_a_Sleigh_Ride

Thomas Nast’s Santa Claus - 1881 - https://longislandwins.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nast-cover.jpg and https://www.thedailymeal.com/img/gallery/jolly-facts-you-didnt-know-about-santa-claus/24_A_political_cartoonist_first_portrait_GettyEditorial.webp

Podcast Episode:

A Christmas in Pine Grove NOSLEEP BONUS episode - for purchase only!

Links to Research:

• https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Nicholas
• https://explorethearchive.com/where-did-santa-claus-originate-from
• https://www.norsegarde.com/blogs/lore-and-mythology/odin-the-allfather?srsltid=AfmBOooj6lzlIf6feHP6_NM7fvkAIdXbOxp2JMvn-yddbc4nWdeNe7UT
• https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas
• https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus
• https://www.sttammanylibrary.org/blogs/post/the-legend-of-santa-claus-part-1-the-origin-and-history-of-a-christmas-legend/#:~:text=The%20name%2C%20Santa%20Claus%2C%20was,minister%20for%20his%20three%20daughters.
• https://www.thoughtco.com/clement-clarke-moore-1773672#:~:text=Moore%20died%20in%20Newport%2C%20Rhode,accessed%20October%202%2C%202024).
• https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/why-does-santa-wear-red

We all have gone to The Nutcracker ballet at least once in our lives... but what's the story behind it? Time to travel to 1816, and deep dive into this! Get ready for a (rather startling) tale of ETA Hoffman's The Nutcracker and The Mouse King.

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Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres

Links to research:

• https://www.npr.org/2012/12/25/167732828/no-sugar-plums-here-the-dark-romantic-roots-of-the-nutcracker
• https://www.thecollector.com/german-romanticism-revolt-against-capitalism/
• https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nutcracker_and_Mouse-King/Chapter_1
• https://nutcracker.com/history-of-nutcracker/
• https://nutcrackerballetgifts.com/blogs/blog/history-of-the-nutcracker#:~:text=The%20story%20for%20the%20Nutcracker,was%20in%201892%20in%20Russia.
• https://www.nutcrackermuseum.com/history.htm#:~:text=The%20first%20wooden%20nutcrackers%20were,or%20screw%2C%20is%20cracked%20open.
• https://www.oldstyletales.com/single-post/2018/12/17/e-t-a-hoffmanns-the-nutcracker-an-analysis-of-the-dark-creepy-story-behind-the-classic-ch#:~:text=The%20fickle%2C%20eccentric%20Drosselmeier%20uses,instead%20of%20assuming%20that%20the

It's December! Time to deep dive into winter tales, and your Sirens are starting off the month with Snow Maidens, particularly the tales of Snegurochka and the Yuki-Onna. Also, Happy Mariah Carey Christmas Album Month!

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Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres

Book to Read:

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn

https://www.amazon.com/Kwaidan-Stories-Studies-Strange-Things/dp/0804836620

Myths and Legends of Japan by F. Hadland Davis

https://www.amazon.com/Myths-Legends-Japan-Hadland-Davis/dp/0486270459

Mysterious Tales From Japan by Rafe Martin

https://www.rafemartin.com/bk_mysterious.html

Links to research:

https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/145/the-pink-fairy-book/4841/snowflake/

https://www.russianamericancompany.com/the-snowmaiden/#:~:text=The%20Snowmaiden,in%20at%20least%20two%20folktales.

https://yokai.com/yukionna/

https://www.americanfolklore.net/the-snow-maiden/

https://hyakumonogatari.com/2013/12/18/yuki-onna-the-snow-woman/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafcadio_Hearn

Happy Thanksgiving! Deep dive with your Sirens on the history of fruit in mythology from around the world... which mostly involves some kind of death. It'll make you think twice about that fruit bowl!

Follow us on Instagram @StorySirensPodcast

Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens - any donation automatically invites you to our discord!

Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres

Links to research:

• https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fruit-mythology
• https://www.onmanorama.com/food/features/2020/06/30/mythical-tales-fruit.html
• https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/surprising-pomegranate-facts#:~:text=Symbol%20of%20death%20and%20fertility&text=It%20also%20prominently%20featured%20in,in%20Ancient%20Greece%20and%20Rome.
• https://www.alimentarium.org/en/fact-sheet/pomegranate-miracle-fruit#:~:text=Pomegranates%20have%20diverse%20cultural%2Dreligious,in%20Greek%20and%20Persian%20mythology.
• https://www.worldhistory.org/Idunn/
• https://www.nps.gov/npsa/learn/historyculture/sinatuna.htm
• https://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/food/the-story-of-the-strawberry/
• https://www.nativerootsde.org/blog/strawberries#:~:text=Strawberries%20are%20a%20traditional%20Indigenous,said%20she%20was%20never%20returning.
• https://mythcrafts.com/2019/07/25/strawberries-the-fruits-of-love/
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/pantao
• https://archive.shine.cn/district/jinshan/Peach-of-immortality-in-Chinese-mythology/shdaily.shtml
• https://www2.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/homer/index.php?page=timelines
• https://academics.nsuok.edu/Portals/39/Three%20Sisters%20Legend.pdf
• https://thegardenstrust.blog/2023/06/10/the-garden-of-the-hesperides/
• https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Eris.html
• https://hilo.hawaii.edu/news/kekalahea/spring-2023/march/origin-of-hawaiian-plants
• https://deeprooted.co/blogs/religious-and-cultural-significance-of-mango
• https://ima.princeton.edu/2019/11/18/digging-into-the-horn-of-plenty/