Hans Christian Andersen's classic and violent tale is looked at through the lens of the man who wrote it, and the 1948 film which changed the way we see it today. From Denmark to dance via the Devil we explore the iconic red footwear.

Rapunzel

Jun 8th, 2017 24m 41s

This week we look at the tale of the girl with the impossibly long hair, from it's ancient roots to the court of Louis XIV and the fascinating woman who recorded the version of the tale we know. Featuring Rapunzel expert Kate Forsyth author of

The Wild Swans

Dec 8th, 2016

The story of a girl who saves her brothers from a curse that turns them into swans is older than you think. Swan have been symbols of royalty, purity, and love in many cultures. Here we trace the stories of people who transform from swans to hu

Rumpelstiltskin

Nov 16th, 2016

Illustration by Edward GoreyRumpelstiltskin is a story about spinning and names. We look at the traditions in making of yarn in fairy tales and how the history of the textile trade is woven into an older story of breaking a bargain w

Asbjørnsen and Moe

Aug 29th, 2016 22m 10s

Episode fourteen is about the Norwegian fairy tale collectors Asbjørnsen and Moe. Famous for their rigour, their poetry, and their expression of their national culture. Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe recorded tales such as The Three

The Little Mermaid Part 2

Aug 8th, 2016 47m 30s

The Little Mermaid is a famously dark and melancholy fairy tale. This week we look at the stories that inspired Hans Christian Andersen stories of sirens, of Undine, and Eastern European rusalka and the scary watermen known as Vodnik. We also

The Little Mermaid Part 1

Jul 21st, 2016 22m 20s

Part one of two traces the history of The Little Mermaid, from Ancient Goddesses of love and fertility to folk stories of love and marriage, slavery and gender politics. This episode focuses on selkies, finfolk, and Sea Kings, with an intervi

Ali Baba and 1001 Nights

Jul 7th, 2016 21m 36s

Illustration by Walter CraneTo tell the history of Alibaba is to tell the story of the "Arabian Nights" stories. From a 14th Century Syrian text called 1001 Nights the European world fell in love with Middle Eastern wonder stories.Al

Twelve Dancing Princesses

Jun 12th, 2016 23m 20s

The Twelve Dancing Princesses or The Shoes That Were Danced To Pieces, are stories of fairy kidnapping and possession. In this episode we look at the stories of the fey, the she, elves, devils, peri, and all sorts of wicked spirits that wisk yo

Little Red Riding Hood

May 25th, 2016 22m 12s

Little Red Riding Hood is a story with origins in largest witch trials in history. The hysteria and fear translated into a lesson for young ladies when in the hands of storytellers, and thus a story of sex, violence, and male dominance was bor

Bluebeard

May 12th, 2016 22m 46s

Bluebeard is one of the most gruesome and dark stories of the fairy tale cannon. Before true crime or horror stories people told the story of the serial killer with the un-naturally blue beard, and the many wives he murdered. Before we had the

The Brothers Grimm and Sisters Wild

Apr 22nd, 2016 36m 1s

The Brother's Grimm are synonyms with fairy tales. Yet most people do not know how they collected their tales, or more importantly who they collected them from. Born in a time of war and shifting borders and fearing a loss of national identit

The Singing Bone

Mar 23rd, 2016 14m 36s

The Singing Bone is one of the oldest folk tales and is often considered a bridging point between folk tales and ghost stories. With origins going back 2200 years to China and Africa it continues to live in folk and country songs. Telling the s

The Sleeping Beauty

Mar 10th, 2016 26m 42s

Sleeping Beauty is one of the darkest and most erotically charged tales and this weeks episode is not suitable for those that simply want to hear the picture book story. From origins in Icelandic and French folklore through to the forgotten sec

Jack and The Beanstalk

Feb 24th, 2016 22m 47s

Giants are our fears and foes made large, Jack and The Beanstalk comes from a history of the small against the strong. It is what remains of a lost tradition of boys own adventure tales. In this episode we follow our fears from Goliath, to Norw

Snow White

Feb 11th, 2016 22m 46s

Snow White is one of the best known tales, how and why did it become so? In Episode three we look at poisoned Baronesses, Persephone and Hades, pantomime, and early cinema. Looking at the dark story of jealousy and blossoming beauty.

The Pied Piper

Jan 28th, 2016 29m 1s

In episode two we look into the only fairytale that does not start 'once upon a time' but rather 'in 1284'. The mystery of what happened to the children of Hamlin has fascinated Johann Goethe, Robert Browning, and troubled the minds of historia

Beauty and The Beast

Jan 18th, 2016 20m 2s

In our first episode I unlock the history of Beauty and The Beast, from Roman myth through to modern tale, the Animal Bridegroom has fascinated and repulsed us for over a thousand years. For who could ever love a beast?....

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