Episode 488: Detective Tardigrade is on the Case!

Episode 488: Detective Tardigrade is on the Case!

Author: What the Folklore May 26, 2026 Duration: 1:01:51
After reading a much-too-long epic (that really could've been boiled down to a single episode), we decided we needed a palette cleanser. For some reason, we also decided that palette cleanser would be Hans Christian Andersen. This week, we read "The Rose Elf".

Ever wondered why the witch lives in a gingerbread house or what the giant really wanted at the top of that beanstalk? What The Folklore? is a weekly dive into the strange, hilarious, and often baffling world of traditional tales. We take a well-known story-or sometimes a deeply obscure one-and give it a thorough and deeply unserious examination. This isn't an academic lecture; it's a conversation that revels in the weird logic, the glaring plotholes, and the bizarre character motivations that get glossed over in polite retellings. You'll hear us attempt to fix narrative inconsistencies, only to inevitably create even more absurd new ones in the process. The real joy of this podcast is drawing completely unintended connections between different myths and legends, asking what would happen if these worlds collided. It's for anyone who loves the stories but has always thought the original versions could use a few more jokes, a lot more questions, and a healthy dose of modern skepticism. Join us as we pull back the curtain on the stories you thought you knew, treating them with the mix of reverence and ridicule they truly deserve. Expect a blend of comedic commentary, spontaneous rewriting, and a genuine appreciation for the foundational weirdness of folklore itself.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

What The Folklore?
Podcast Episodes
Episode 501: READY THE WOMAN CATAPULT! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:18
Welcome to Season 2! Our inaugural story is "Cherry the Frog Bride", a Grimm tale that starts silly and becomes increasingly...well...Grimm.
Episode 499: I AM THE HORSE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:40
This week, on the eve of episode 500, we read "The Baker's Apprentice", a story that serves as a tortured metaphor for the kingdom of Heaven, but works great as a metaphor for the worst cake you've ever heard of.
Episode 498: The Kindly Wizard, Updog [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:15
This week, after a brief look at the stupid, stupid future of Golf, we journey to Scandinavia for the tale of "Wet George"
Episode 497: The Moon is Full of Meat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:38
What's the best way to chill out and relax after the 5-Part Epic of Sundiata? Well, I can think of several, but the one Carman CHOSE is to read a Rootabaga Tales double feature...so please enjoy "How The Potato-Faced Bli…