In Jacob Grimm's official favourite story, a jealous fox puts his wife to the test by playing dead. But will any of her new suitors hold a candle to her late husband's attributes? As their family cat servant tries to control the ensuing mayhem, we get an impromptu crash course in butter beer and bread milk making. Find out how this strange story taps into a world of suppression in occupied Napoleonic Germany, why it doesn't pay to indulge your jealousy, and what someone called Wooden Johannes ha...
Feb 23, 2020•38 min
In Gambling Hansel, an anti-hero with a chronic gambling addiction has dangerous run ins with Luficier, God, St. Peter, and our old friend Death. In what we’re calling 'Hansel and Gretel Part II', Hansel threatens to destabilize heaven itself with the aid of loaded dice, a troupe of demons, and a magical tree. Will he win his battle against celestial deities? Or will his dark-side prove his downfall. After the story, we interrogate the surprising conclusions of a linguistic paper on emotional te...
Feb 09, 2020•32 min
In our final adventure of the cock and hen trilogy, things go south fast for the incurable rascals and Chanticleer is soon faced with a life without Partlet. Can he ever move on? And will the beasts of the forest ever make it to the funeral? Meet some old friends, find out the true meaning behind the trilogy, and discover what two murderous chickens have to do with The 12 days of Christmas, in this week's episode: The Death of the Little Hen. Tw itter Facebook Instagram Patreon grimmreadingpodca...
Jan 26, 2020•38 min
Despite the machinations of an evil king, a prophecy sees a cocky luck child marry the princess. But his happily ever after is cut short when he is forced to embark on an epic quest that will take him to the very depths of hell, and into the dress of the devil’s grandma… In our first ever Patron chosen story, we embark on one of our biggest adventures yet, where we meet confused city guards, soft-hearted robbers and even some good millers. We then try to pick apart this extremely dense tale and ...
Jan 12, 2020•54 min
Join us for the second annual Grimm Reading Christmas Party! We get into the festive spirit once more with port, mince pies and crackers! We also exchange gifts, enjoy an epic Christmas story, and have a bit of a round up of the year's scores. Thank you once again to everyone who has messaged us, supported us on Patreon and social media, and listened to the podcast throughout the year - it's been a really fun one and we're both excited for the year to come! Keep it Grimm. Twitter Facebook Instag...
Dec 22, 2019•1 hr 4 min
In this week’s episode, a young girl embarks on a psychedelic quest to rescue her brothers. after their father accidentally turns them into ravens. Glass mountains, dwarf butlers and helpful stars all make an appearance in the strange, gothic tale The Seven Ravens. We discuss the significance of the motifs, learn about ravens in folklore, and contemplate a popular socio-historical approach to the meaning of the story. Twitter Facebook Instagram Patreon [email protected] Theme music: ...
Dec 15, 2019•37 min
After escaping her murderous witchy step-mother, a girl and her sweetheart take flight on a magical journey of heartbreak and betrayal. In this week’s epic, lovelorn story, meet a lonely Shepard, a house-keeping flower, talking drops of blood, a complicated couple, and some pushy village girls. After the tale, we discuss the thorny issue of sexism in fairy tales, consider the peculiar Hansel and Gretel connection, and recount the incredible french story Hop o’ My Thumb. This episode is Certified...
Dec 01, 2019•43 min
The cock and hen continue their mischievous adventure, this time with some new friends and a souped-up carriage. In part two of The Adventures of Chanticleer and Partlet, the motley crew pay a visit to the unfortunate Mr. Korbes where things escalate quickly. After the story, we look into the history of Chanticleer and his dealings with Reynard the Fox, Geoffrey Chaucer, US mountain ranges, the French national rugby team, and of course Shakespeare. Twitter Facebook Instagram Patreon grimmreading...
Nov 17, 2019•38 min
A poor cobbler, an illiterate sweeper and a distraught mother all have run ins with some cheeky elves – it’s finally time for the festive tale 'The Elves and the Shoemaker'! After the story, we discuss the history of elves from the Anglo-Saxons to Queen Elizabeth, Iceland and Victorian Christmas, as well as belief in changelings and the surprisingly early theory of relativity. Finally, we choose the next batch of stories we’ll be reading and reveal the results of our first Patreon listener story...
Nov 03, 2019•47 min
A passing queen hears a daughter being beaten, she intervenes and whisks her off to the royal palace. Setting her a spinning challenge, the girl loses all hope before three mysterious women come to her aid... In the three spinners, a lazy girl has the chance to escape poverty, will she find her way out of a life of spinning? After the story, we discuss the importance of spinning through history and the surprising incarnations of the three spinners through time. Twitter Facebook Instagram Patreon...
Oct 20, 2019•37 min
After a vicious duck attack, a cock and a hen find shelter at an inn. But the host is unsure about this unscrupulous bunch, and after first refusing them entry, he eventually lets them in. Will they prove his prejudices wrong? Find out why you should always judge a book by its cover, and why you should never put an egg shell near a fire, in this week’s story: The Pack of Ragamuffins. The sound quality isn't great during the story but rest assured, it gets better after the first few minutes. It w...
Oct 06, 2019•38 min
With the help of a sticky golden goose, Dummling, the youngest of three brothers, inadvertently woos an overly serious princess and proves he’s not so dumb after all. This week, discover how kindness always pays, why you should never cross small magical grey men, and what Venetian skater shoes have to do with German folklore. We’re back from our summer break with a new series and a Patreon to go with it! Find out more info on how you can support the podcast and what goodies you can claim here: h...
Sep 29, 2019•31 min
For our first series finale we finish off with Rapunzel, the famous story of a well coiffured heroine trapped in a tower. We find many surprises in what may be thought of as the most childish of the Grimm’s tales, including silk ladders, salad addiction, barren deserts, and a villain with more depth than first meets the eye. After the story we discuss the more adult themes of the tale, why witches get such a bad rep, a Lithuanian long hair festival, and how it can all be traced back to 17th cent...
May 28, 2019•47 min
In The Hare’s Bride, a young maiden minding her cabbages gets whisked off to an unexpected wedding under a rainbow. In desperately trying to unpick the meaning of the story, we discuss ‘animal bridegrooms’ in folklore, beauty and the beast, and blade runner. Twitter Facebook Instagram [email protected] Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko Other music: Johannes Brahms's 16 Waltzes, Op. 39, #2 - Performed by Martha Goldstein// Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata no. 15 in d major, op...
May 11, 2019•19 min
Decapitation, magical singing birds, and human black puddings – it can only be the long-awaited story 'The Juniper Tree'. After we read the story, we discover what Björk, the bible, and a painter named Philipp have to do with it all. Twitter Facebook Instagram [email protected] Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko Other music: Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 "Spring" by Corey Cerovsek, (violin) & Paavali Jumppanen (piano) // Chopin's Opus 10, No. 7, Twelve ...
Apr 28, 2019•48 min
In ‘The Riddle’, a princess pits her wits against a wandering king’s son. But who will win? And where does a gang of murders, a witch, a hungry raven, golden syrup and Batman fit into all this? After the story, we go on a riddling journey through time from the Queen of Sheba to Turandot. Twitter Facebook Instagram [email protected] Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko Other music: Johannes Brahms's 16 Waltzes, Op. 39, #4 Performed by Martha Goldstein // Ludwig Van Beethoven's...
Apr 14, 2019•40 min
After three stories of carnage and mayhem, has the fox finally met his match? In the final episode of The Fox Quadrilogy the fox boasts to a friendly cat of his skills, but perhaps the cat knows something the fox doesn't. An Greek proverb unlocks the key message behind the entire Quadrilogy, sending us on a journey from medieval France to ancient India. And we pick the next four stories we'll be reading and we read out some listener messages. Twitter Facebook Instagram grimmreadingpodcast@gmail....
Mar 31, 2019•27 min
In this episode our old friend Thumbling is back with more wacky adventures! In Thumbling as Journeyman (AKA Thumbling’s Travels) our hero joins a gang of thieves on a heist job before trying his luck as a barman. After the story, we deep-dive into the fascinating world of different thumbling stories, exploring the mysterious roots of this tale type from Tom Thumb in the UK to The Inch-High Samurai in Japan. Twitter Facebook Instagram [email protected] Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by G...
Mar 18, 2019•45 min
Tricked by a lying goat, a tailor kicks out his three sons. After acquiring magical gifts, they head back home to their father, but a dastardly inn-keeper has other plans… In "The Wishing-table, The Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack" we meet a table with no appearance, a gold-depositing donkey, and a time-keeping cudgel. The story then leads us to investigate a potentially out of business London ice cream parlour and the grisly French fairy tale ‘Donkey Skin’. Twitter Facebook Instagram grimm...
Mar 03, 2019•49 min
Welcome to a special episode where we reveal the winner of our book competition and read out some of our listener’s messages and votes. Afterwards, we treat ourselves to one of the “hands down freakiest” of the Brothers Grimm tales: The Strange Feast. This leads us on nicely to exploring why the brothers erased many of their stories and uncovering the history behind the deleted tales. And finally, we give our review of the 2005 Brothers Grimm movie! Thank you so much to everyone who got involved...
Feb 24, 2019•40 min
Three unlikely kitchen survivors set off on an adventure. But will they overcome their first challenge, a very small stream? In 'The Straw, The Coal And The Bean' we learn why you shouldn’t mock the misfortune of others and uncover the truth behind that biggest of mysteries - how beans got a black seam. The competition is now closed! Thanks to everyone who entered and sent us such lovely messages, the winner will be announced in the next episode! Twitter Facebook Instagram grimmreadingpodcast@gm...
Feb 17, 2019•26 min
It’s a double whammy of foxy fun as we read parts two and three of The Fox Quadrilogy: The Wolf And The Man & The Wolf And The Fox. Afterwards, we delve into the spicy world of the Kitsune: the shapeshifting nine-tailed fox of Japanese folklore. Join us by the fire as we try to answer The Riddle of the Sphinx, finally discover what a cudgel is, and Adam chooses the next four stories we’ll be exploring on Grimm Reading. Twitter Facebook Instagram [email protected] Theme music: Bicycle...
Feb 03, 2019•37 min
On an adventure with his brothers, an insignificant dwarf rescues some animals before stumbling upon a mysterious castle. In return, they help him unlock the bedroom door of identical triplet princesses. But will he pass the three deadly challenges and deliver the castle from enchantment? In ‘The Queen Bee’ we meet a rampaging unicorn, hear how a Greek man became a lion’s pet, and we learn why kindness always triumphs. Twitter Facebook Instagram [email protected] Theme music: Bicycle...
Jan 20, 2019•39 min
Witches and breadcrumbs, giant ducks and gingerbread houses. This week we explore one of the most famous fairy tales of all time: Hansel and Gretel. After our surprise Christmas episode, we thought why stop the fun there? We're kicking off 2019 with a bona fide classic! We discover how this story was used in a U.S supreme court ruling, learn how it all started with a terrible famine, and we dissect various highfalutin analyses of this uber famous story. Happy new year everyone! Twitter Facebook ...
Jan 01, 2019•55 min
Join us at Castle Grimm for our first ever Grimm Reading Christmas party! In this special festive episode we indulge in some yuletide treats including port, mince pies, and maybe even the odd Christmas fairy tale... Thank you so much to everyone who's been listening to us, sending messages and writing kind reviews. We hope you enjoy this special episode! Twitter Facebook Instagram [email protected] Theme music: Bicycle Waltz by Goodbye Kumiko Other music: Tchaikovsky - Dance of the S...
Dec 25, 2018•1 hr 6 min
A tale of familial betrayal, divine justice and rampaging boars. Thanks to a magical horn, a body has been discovered under the bridge (downtown), but what is the story behind this tragedy? And how will the truth ever come to light? ’The Singing Bone’ sees a forensic team, led by a maverick King, uncover the truth behind a brutal murder. In this episode, the haunting, powerful story of justice and peace leads us on a journey across Europe and on to America where stories and ballads of singing bo...
Dec 09, 2018•31 min
Viking vampires, Cretan honey murderers and dyscalculic snakes - yes, Grimm Reading is back! War, death and infidelity feature in a rollercoaster of an adventure this week, as a young hero fights for his life (and his wife) with the help of magical foliage in ‘The Three Snake-Leaves.’ We go deep into the history of this story type and have a few addendums to confess to as well. This leads us nicely onto discussing a debate raging at the heart of the study of folklore - are fairy tales the true v...
Nov 28, 2018•44 min
A magical gift destroys a family, but perhaps out of the ashes something beautiful will bloom. In this week's episode we read 'The Pink': a tale of deception, love, justice, health and safety breaches and fire-breathing poodles. There's also an extra special treat in the form of 'The Myrtle', a related story by the titanic Neapolitan fairy tale writer Giambattista Basile. Seduction, murder and high drama - it's quite the roller coaster. And finally, we pick the next four stories we'll be giving ...
Oct 14, 2018•42 min
A kindly wolf invites cousin fox to be her child’s godfather to teach it some valuable foxy skills. But the dastardly fox has other intentions and leads the wolf through the worst day of her life… In part 3 of The Fox Quadrilogy - the epic story of the rise and fall of the Reynard the fox- discover how peasants wash and why you should never get a barn and stable confused. We reflect on some shocking fox behaviour and trace the idea of the trickster fox from Aesop through to medieval France and G...
Sep 30, 2018•16 min
Sneakily gorging on some delectable white snake gives one servant extraordinary powers and sets him on the journey of a lifetime. With the help of new faunistic friends, the servant tackles a series of perilous challenges to win the heart of a fair princess. We hunt down other stories featuring white snakes in Europe to try to discover what it all means and why everyone is chowing down on yummy albino serpents. Over in Botswana, Matt outlines his outlandish pagan snake theory and in China we lea...
Sep 16, 2018•33 min
