Fabric of Folklore Fabric of Folklore

Have you ever visited a museum dedicated to myths? In episode 54, Fiona Boyle, the spokesperson for Mythstories Museum of Myth and Fable, walks us through this amazing online resource. Founded over 20 years ago by Dez and Ali Quarréll the physical museum amassed a wide collection of paintings, artifacts and educational resources to help make intangible stories tangible. Over the years, Mythstories Museum has helped to introduce young people to traditional oral storytelling, through storytelli...

How can storytelling help a city create community? In episode 53 Elizabeth Coffee, the Director of Storytelling of the Know Your Neighbor Program in San Antonio, Texas, talks to us about how this organization is using storytelling as a tool to inspire, create empathy and dialogue across the city. The program which is a part of with The H. E. Butt Foundation, aims to answer an age-old question: “Who is my neighbor?” Through storytelling, developing learning resources, and crafting unique event...

What do you know about the evil Baba Yaga, the most famous of the Russian fairy tales? Baba Yaga is one of the complex characters, and therefore one of the most fun and fascinating to discuss. In episode 7 of Fairy Tale Flip, Donna Lee Fields and Vanessa Y Rogers discuss the deeper meaning of this ambiguous child-eating witch who lives in a hut with chicken legs. We discuss the significances of her hut lit with skull lanterns deep in the forest. We explore the hidden meanings of the forest, B...

How can storytelling be used to heal? In episode 52 with Jazmine, a Lebanese-Australian a bilingual storyteller, we discuss the benefits of storytelling craft for both for the immigrant experience, but also as a medical tool. The daughter of a multilingual and multi-faith family, Jazmine is a domestic violence worker, writer, educator and oral bilingual storyteller and performer studying creative arts, and health and wellbeing. Through storytelling, she empowers marginalized communities using...

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas. The work you do is important. Mothers make the world go round! Episode 51, we're celebrating American Revolutionary Mothers and their accomplishments with historian, author, playwright, actress and storyteller Darci Tucker. She is the author of a one-woman play, Revolutionary Women, and the book ‘Embodying the Story through Character Interpretation'. We focus on two incredible women, Jane Long, nicknamed "Mother of Texas" and her contributions behind-the-s...

Why does the Welsh flag have a dragon on it? In episode 50 with fairy tale author Claire Fayers, we explore this and more Welsh folklore mysteries. In our discussion, Claire, author of 'Welsh Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends', gives us insights into Welsh language revival efforts and the resurgence of interest in Celtic traditions. Claire was born and brought up in South Wales and has built a successful writing career, including her award-winning children’s book The Accidental Pirates: Voyage t...