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Stories, Tales, Myths, and Legends
Nathan Hansen
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Explore what defines cultures throughout the world—their stories, tales, myths, and legends. This podcast provides a new story, tale, myth, or legend each episode for you to listen to and think about.
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Society & Culture
Society & Culture
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Jan 1 2022
A Case of Trespass
This episode is a story from 1897 written by Lucy Maud Montgomery and is titled "A Case of Trespass." She was in her early twenty's when it was published. L.M. Montgomery went on to publish over 500 short stories and poems and is most famous for the Anne of Green Gables series. If you liked this podcast, check out the episode some of my coworkers at the library put together on "Anne of Green Gables" on the podcast "The Book isn't Necessarily Better"
Episodes
Jan 1 2022
A Case of Trespass
This episode is a story from 1897 written by Lucy Maud Montgomery and is titled "A Case of Trespass." She was in her early twenty's when it was published. L.M. Montgomery went on to publish over 500 short stories and poems and is most famous for the Anne of Green Gables series. If you liked this podcast, check out the episode some of my coworkers at the library put together on "Anne of Green Gables" on the podcast "The Book isn't Necessarily Better"
Oct 23 2021
The Eyes Have It
"A little whimsy, now and then, makes for good balance. Theoretically, you could find this type of humor anywhere, Bot only a topflight science-fictionist, we thought, could have written this story, in just this way..." ~Science Fiction Stories introduction to Philip K. Dick's "The Eyes Have It."
Sep 11 2021
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
The short story in this episode was published by the San Fransisco Examiner in 1890. The author is Ambrose Bierce and the story is titled “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."
Sep 4 2021
The Star and the Lily
This episode covers two short stories that are titled "The Star and the Lily." Published nearly four decades apart, each story covers a unique cosmology as they unfold. One explains why we find water lilies where they are, the other explains why garden lilies bloom when they do.
Aug 14 2021
The Paradise of Children
This episode is myth from antiquity retold by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It comes from his “Wonder Book” and is titled “The Paradise of Children.” You may have heard of Pandora's box, this myth is where that idiom originates.
Aug 1 2021
The Master Cat; or Puss in Boots
This tale is from a translation from Charles Perrault’s original French version of his 1697 book “Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals: more commonly known as Tales of Mother Goose and is titled “the Master Cat; or Puss in Boots.For more about the podcasts visit nahansen.com
Jun 10 2021
The King and the Fisherman
This Persian fairy tale comes from a book published in 1906 titled, The Cat and the Mouse:A Book of Persian Fairy Tales.
May 16 2021
Wild Horse Hunter
This story was published in, “The Boy Scouts Book of Campfire Stories” that was printed in 1921. The title of the story is, “Wild Horse Hunter” by author Zane Grey.You can see resources for many of the stories, tales, myths, and legends read on this podcast at nahansen.com.
Apr 24 2021
Anger on Mt. Wudang
This episode explores a tale from one of my real-life adventures. It's from a trip I took with my son to Mt. Wudang in China.
Apr 4 2021
The Origin of Death
This is a story that was recorded by Albert D. Hesler from his interactions with the Yoruba people of Nigeria. It was collected in Helser's book titled, African Stories, published in 1930 and is titled “The Origin of Death.”
Mar 10 2021
The Choice of Hercules
This is an original adaptation of Nathan's based on the work of Xenophon. In book two chapter one of Memorabilia, Xenophon has a short excerpt regarding the choice of Hercules, it is this excerpt that has been adapted and expanded upon.
Mar 3 2021
Flight From Time
This episode explores the genre of Science Fiction. This story was found in the winter 1949 edition of the pulp science fiction magazine, Planet Stories. It was written by Alfred Coppel and is titled "Flight From Time."Alfred Jose De Arana-Marini Coppel was an American author from Oakland California. After he served as a Fighter pilot during world war II, he started a prolific career as a writer. He went on to become one of the most prolific pulp authors of the 1950’s and 60s, pounding out short stories and novels across multiple genres. He topped the bestseller list with a suspense thriller titled “Thirty-Four East” in 1974.
Feb 21 2021
The Bet
This episode is a reading of a work by the Russian writer Anton P. Chekhov. I found this story in a publication titled, “Best Russian Short Stories” compiled by Thomas Seltzer in 1917. The contribution from Chekhov from this compilation is titled, “The Bet." I hope you enjoy!
Feb 18 2021
The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom
This piece of Japanese folklore, recorded by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, was originally published in 1871 in a book titled, “Tales of Old Japan.” The piece of folklore I’ll be reading from it is a fairy tale titled, “The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom.”
Feb 10 2021
The Little Mermaid
This episode is a reading of a classic tale written by Hans Christian Anderson titled, "The Little Mermaid." If all you know is the Disney version, you are in for a tale that is much darker, I hope you enjoy.
Jan 29 2021
Cat in the Rain
This piece wasn’t even on my radar until I read about it a week or two ago in George Saunders new book “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain,” even though it is from one of my favorite authors. It was published in 1925 and is titled, “Cat in the Rain” by Ernest Hemingway.
Jan 18 2021
The Cask of Amontillado
Written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1846, The Cask of Amontillado is a particularly macabre representation of the darkest thoughts of humanity.If you are looking for additional resources from the podcast, you can visit nahansen.com to find them.
Jan 11 2021
Metamorphosis
Please enjoy this reading of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis. Kafka's work wasn't recognized as influential until after his death, but now it has influenced many writers and film makers.If you want to find out more about the readings on the Stories, Tales, Myths, and Legends podcast visit www.nahansen.com.
Dec 29 2020
The Doorway
"A discerning critic once pointed out that Edgar Allen Poe possessed not so much a distinctive style as a distinctive manner. So startlingly original was his approach to the dark castles and haunted woodlands of his own somber creation that he transcended the literary by the sheer magic of his prose. Something of that same magic gleams in the darkly-tapestried little fantasy presented here, beneath Evelyn Smith's eerily enchanted wand." Fantastic Universe, September, 1955.To see resources pertaining to the Stories, Tales, Myths, and Legends podcast visit www.nahansen.com
Dec 21 2020
A Visit From St. Nicholas (The Night Before Christmas)
This week I'm taking a slight departure from our normal readings to bring you one of the most recognizable pieces of English poetry. Please enjoy this reading of Clement Clark Moore's, "A Visit From St. Nicholas."