Fabric of Folklore
Fabric of Folklore is a folklore podcast for curious, lifelong learners exploring myths, fairytales, music, and traditions from cultures around the world. Each week, we go beyond retelling legends and folktales to uncover what they reveal about the shared human experiences that connect us — because the story is important, but what's underneath is the gold.
We're weaving the fabric of our past and present stories to move from feeling disconnected from our roots toward a deeper sense of continuity — grounded in the wisdom of the tales that shaped us. These stories, many rooted in oral history, remind us what it means to be human, connected to one another and to this earth, like the gossamer fibers of a spider's web. Though we live in drastically different corners of the world, folklore reminds us our hearts and minds beat as one human race.
Episodes
118 episodes
Scheherazade: The Woman Who Outsmarted a King with 1,001 Stories (Storytelling)
Scheherazade: The Woman Who Outsmarted a King with 1,001 StoriesAfter a series of executions left his kingdom in terror, King Shahryar took a new bride each night — and had her killed by morning. Scheherazade volunteered anyway, a...
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Pandora's Box: Storytelling Episode
Pandora's Box: Where Curiosity Really Came FromThe myth everyone knows — but not everyone knows it right. Zeus's "gift" to humanity was actually a punishment, the box was really a jar, and the one thing that stayed inside might be...
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The Brahmin, the Tiger, and the Jackal: Storytelling Episode
A Brahmin walking down the road hears a tiger trapped in a cage, begging to be freed. Against his better judgment, the Brahmin opens the cage — and the tiger immediately threatens to eat him, arguing that ingratitude is simply the wa...
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NEW Trailer
Have you ever read a fairy tale and not quite understood it? Fabric of Folklore takes you down the curiosity rabbit hole — exploring where these timeless stories come from, what they meant to the people who told them, and what they still have t...
Fairy Tale Flip Ep 25 pt 2: The Fisherman and the Djinn
In Part 2 of this Fairy Tale Flip deep dive, Vanessa Rogers and Donna Fields trace the same "something sealed, something freed, someone clever enough to trick it back" story across three different cultures — a Brothers Grimm tale about a woodcu...
Fairy Tale Flip Ep 25 pt 1: The Fisherman and the Djinn
Most people have heard of the fisherman who pulls a genie out of a bottle. Very few people know what that genie actually swore to do once he got out — or why. And almost nobody knows the story behind the story: the king who married a new woman ...
The Enchanted Lake and the Ensorcelled Prince: Storytelling
The sultan followed the fisherman to the lake to find out why the fish wouldn't cook. What he found instead was a prince who was half stone, trapped in a palace at the edge of an enchanted lake — and a story underneath the story he thought he w...
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Fisherman and the Djinn (Storytelling)
What do you do when the thing you just rescued wants to kill you?That's the problem facing a poor fisherman who pulls a sealed copper jar from the sea — and makes the mistake of opening it. Out pours a djinn. Ancient. Enormous. Furious. ...
Fairy Tale Flip Ep 24: Talking Eggs
Talking eggs. A mysterious old woman in the woods. Two sisters. One choice. This Creole folktale from the American South has been hiding in plain sight — and it has a lot to say. This episode dives deep into that tension through one of the most...
Frau (Mother) Holle: A German Fairy Tale
Frau Holle (Mother Holle)What if the portal to your transformation wasn't a doorway or a wardrobe — but a well? In this Brothers Grimm classic collected in 1812, a hardworking stepdaughter drops her spindle into a well and jumps i...
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Talking Eggs: Louisiana Folktale - Storytelling
Deep in the Louisiana bayou, a kind-hearted girl named Blanche is overlooked, overworked, and underestimated — until a chance encounter with a mysterious old woman in the woods changes everything. The Talking Eggs, retold by Robert D. ...
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale
Set against the breathtaking landscape of ancient Zimbabwe, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters is a luminous retelling of one of the world's most beloved folktale patterns — the story of two sisters, one kind and one cruel, and a king i...
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Diamonds and Toads Fairy Tale: Storytelling
What happens when kindness is the currency that changes everything? Diamonds and Toads is a classic French fairy tale by Charles Perrault about two sisters whose words literally reveal their character — one speaks gems and flowers, the...
Moura Encantada- Storytelling
She is found at the edge of rivers, inside ancient stones, and at the mouth of caves — combing her golden hair, waiting. The Moura Encantada is one of Portugal's oldest and most haunting supernatural figures. Cursed to exist between world...
The Abduction of Persephone- Storytelling
For thousands of years we have told the story of Persephone — and for much of that time, we have softened it. Romanticized it. Made it a love story. But strip that away and what remains is one of mythology's most honest and uncomfortable examin...
The Princess of the Spring: A Brazilian Folktale- Fairytale Flip Ep:23
Forget the gods of Greece, Brazil has Giants!Join us as we explore the rich tapestry of Brazilian folklore, mythological transformation, and cultural influences from indigenous tribes, Portuguese colonization, and African heritage. In t...
Robert Browning's Poem: The Pied Piper of Hamelin- Storytelling
What happens when a town breaks a promise? In this retelling of Robert Browning's beloved poem, the town of Hamelin is overrun by rats — and a mysterious, colorfully-cloaked stranger offers to solve everything, for a price. The Pied Piper deliv...
The Princess of the Spring: A Brazilian Folktale - Storytelling
Born of the Moon Giant and the Giantess of the Great River, the Princess of the Springs rules over every river and lake in the rainforest. But when love, loss, and betrayal scatter her family across the world, this mighty princess must fi...
Fairy Tale Flip Ep: 22 The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Did you know that the Pied Piper was based on historical records? In episode 22 of Fairy Tale Flip, we dive into the mysterious tale of the Piper and his alluring music and what really happened in the medieval German town centuries ago. We look...
The Pied Piper of Hamelin Story
🎶 The Pied Piper of HamelinIn the town of Hamelin, a mysterious stranger arrives dressed in colorful clothes, carrying a silver pipe. When the town is overrun by rats, he promises to solve the problem — but what happens when the m...
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Louhi Steals the Sun, Moon and Fire- Fairy Tale Flip EP: 21
Can you imagine the fear of losing the sun every winter? Would it ever come back?In episode 21 of Fairy Tale Flip we journey into the snowy landscapes of Finnish mythology to explore the enigmatic sorceress of Louhi from the ...
Louhi Steals the Sun, Moon and Fire Story from Finland
In Finnish mythology, Louhi — the powerful and mysterious ruler of Pohjola — grows jealous of the light and comfort enjoyed by others. To assert her power and plunge the world into darkness, she steals the Sun and Moon, hiding the...
Jorōgumo: The Seductive Shapeshifting Spider of Japanese Folklore - Fairy Tale Flip Ep: 20
Beware the shape-shifting man-eater. Jorōgumo, the seductive spider woman of Japanese folklore, lures her victims with beauty before revealing her true form. In this Fairy Tale Flip episode, we dive into Japan’s religious an...
Jorōgumo, The Japanese Shapeshifting Spider Spirit, Mini Episode #4
This is one of the most famous versions of the Jorōgumo, the Japanese shapeshifting spider spirit. Part love story, part horror, it is a wonderful folktale you wont want to miss!Known for transforming into a beautiful woman to lure unsus...
Yara Ma Yha Who: Fairy Tale Flip Ep 19
Forget Dracula. Australia has its own vampire story—and it’s stranger than you think. Have you heard of the bloodsucking creature that hides in Australia’s fig trees? In episode 19 of Fairytale Flip, we dive into the Aboriginal Australian myth ...
