Story Sirens: Legends, Myths, and Laughs

Mothman: Point Pleasant, West Virgina's Cryptid

Story Sirens welcomes Intercultural Studies Scholar, and Creative Director of the publishing house and studio Cold Open Stories' Colyn DeGraaff! Today we cover Mothman: a cryptid that has been perfectly reinterpreted for modern anxieties of Americana, myth, and legend. But can this cryptid be as scary as legends say? Or just a misunderstood soul? Colyn & your Sirens will find out! 
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Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Links to Documentaries:
Animal Planet's Lost Tapes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aKB_FTgxmY
Netflix's Inside Job: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqxZ5KxMMkc
Books:
The United States of Cryptids by J.W. Ocker
Chasing American Monsters by Jason Offutt
The Big Book of Cryptid Trivia by Bernadette Johnson
Links to Research:
https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/mothman-point-pleasant-west-virginia
https://www.mythfolks.com/mothman-legend
https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/bridge_facts/Modern-Bridges/Pages/Silver.aspx
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2279&context=researchweek
https://uwm.edu/letters-science/in-focus-2021/history-student-tells-the-story-of-the-mothman/
https://medium.com/@jackpatrickbrooks/mothman-the-harbinger-of-death-1652671ef71c
https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-stories/31-days-of-halloween/the-true-story-behind-the-mothman-of-west-virginia/

Pan's Labyrinth: Moral Disobedience & Magic

Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth is a terrifyingly beautiful dark fantasy that has captivated our Siren's interests! Join them as the deep dive into the film and it's magical creatures and myths. 
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Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens 
Join our Discord on https://discord.gg/YvVRCQHAYe
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Links to Research: 
Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 Pan’s Labyrinth
https://mythology.net/roman/roman-creatures/faun/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC539425/

Egyptian Gods 101

With over 2,000 Egyptian gods, your Sirens have decided to give you the first, second and some third generation gods that have quite the drama to be told! The tea in this family tree is truly pippin' hot! 
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Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens 
Join our Discord on https://discord.gg/YvVRCQHAYe
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Links to Research: 
https://discoveringegypt.com/ancient-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses/
https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/
https://www.tripsinegypt.com/blog/ancient-egyptian-civilization/judgement-of-the-dead-in-ancient-egypt/
https://arce.org/resource/goddess-bastet-and-cult-feline-deities-nile-delta/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/ancient-Egyptian-religion/The-cult
https://www.thecollector.com/egyptian-demons-guardians-wanders/

The Legend of Blackbeard: Riches Galore

Who was Blackbeard, really? Where is his famed treasure, if any? How did a pirate become so famous that his name is still well known centuries later? Join us as we cover BLACKBEARD! 
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Join our Discord on https://discord.gg/YvVRCQHAYe
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Link to Queen Anne’s Revenge Project: https://www.qaronline.org/history/discovery-shipwreck
Links to Research: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbeard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Hornigold
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Blackbeard
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/blackbeard-edward-teach-pirate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Charles_Johnson
https://coastalreview.org/2022/10/search-for-blackbeards-treasure-based-on-enduring-myth/
https://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/blog/post/vabeach-haunts-the-lost-treasure-of-edward-teach/
https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/queen-annes-revenge/#:~:text=Soon%20after%20the%20incident%20at,under%20CC%20BY%2DSA%204.0.

Mirrors: Objects of Luck, Spirits & Portals to Other Worlds

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall... what do you mean you can make us unlucky, hold spirits captive, and be portal to Other Worlds?! Enjoy an episode all about the object found in every household! 
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Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens 
Join our Discord on https://discord.gg/YvVRCQHAYe
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Links to Research: 
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/you-asked/how-are-mirrors-made
https://www.maicar.com/GML/Narcissus.html
https://www.mirrorhistory.com/mirror-facts/
https://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Fauna_of_Mirrors

Snow White & Rose Red: Grimm vs. Disney

You might be familiar with Disney's Snow White & The Seven Dwarves... but do you know of the Grimm Tale? Join your Sirens as we deep dive into the first Grimm Tale of the podcast! Learn about the true Snow White... and her sister, Rose Red! 
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Join our Discord on https://discord.gg/YvVRCQHAYe
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Links to Research: 
https://www.fabledcollective.com/snow-white-rose-red/
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/175/grimms-fairy-tales/3182/snow-white-and-rose-red/
https://www.worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Brothers_Grimm/Grimm_fairy_stories/Snow-White_And_Rose-Red.html#gsc.tab=0
http://ianellis-jones.blogspot.com/2018/04/snow-white-and-rose-redor-how-to-become.html
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/07/the-tale-of-snow-white-and-what-the-various-versions-mean-to-us/

St. Patrick's Day: The Man, The Myth, The Holiday

It's St. Patrick's Day week! Cue the green confetti and pints of Guinness! Enjoy this deep dive into the man behind this holiday and what is celebrated around the world. Special thanks to our very own Adam for joining us in this episode and sharing some fun facts about Irish traditions! 
Follow us on Instagram @StorySirensPodcast
Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens 
Join our Discord on https://discord.gg/YvVRCQHAYe
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
St Patricks Confessio: https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/confessio_english#
John Ford’s Subversive St. Patrick’s Day Classic - The Quiet Man: https://newrepublic.com/article/112666/subversive-st-patricks-day-classic
Links to Research:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Patricks-Day
https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day
https://time.com/4261456/st-patrick-day-2016-history-real-saint/
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/celebrations/article/st-patricks-day

Balto & Togo: The True Story About Nome's Saviors

You may have heard about Nome, Alaska's famous dog, Balto, but have you ever heard of Togo? Or how about the other eighteen dog sledding teams who helped save the town? Join your Sirens as the deep dive into this historical story! 
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Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens 
Join our Discord on https://discord.gg/YvVRCQHAYe
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Map of the Great Serum Run: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_serum_run_to_Nome#/media/File:Iditarod_Trail_BLM_map.jpg
Links to Research:
https://www.alaska.org/detail/leonhard-seppala
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/900800
https://americacomesalive.com/balto-and-togo-two-great-sled-dogs/
https://www.nps.gov/people/togo.htm
https://dogtails.dogwatch.com/2012/03/06/balto/
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/togo-siberian-husky-sled-dog-hero-of-1925/
 

Giants: The Ironically Short Episode

What better way to explain the history of massive humanoid creatures than by doing so in an incredibly short episode? Join your Sirens as they unravel the legends of GIANTS! 
Follow us on Instagram @StorySirensPodcast
Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens - any donation automatically invites you to our discord! 
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Links to Research:
https://www.worldhistory.org/Giants/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/giant-mythology
https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/giants-in-the-bible/
https://vikingr.org/

Selkies: The Lovable Shapeshifter of the Sea

Time to deep dive into Scottish and Irish myths! Join your Sirens as they discuss the Selkie, a type of merfolk that you cannot help but fall in love with. 
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Support us on ko-fi.com/storysirens - any donation automatically invites you to our discord! 
Music by Donald Guzzi & Artwork by Alexis Torres
Links to Research:
https://intrepidusoutdoors.co.uk/scottish-folklore-the-selkie#:~:text=Selkies%20are%20shapeshifters%2C%20transforming%20between,them%20falling%20desperately%20in%20love.
https://sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tfm/tfm062.htm
https://folklorescotland.com/selkies/
https://www.wildernessireland.com/blog/irish-myths-legends-part-4-selkies/
https://www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2016/12/selkies-sex-and-the-supernatural/
https://www.houseoflegends.me/blog/what-is-a-selkie-selkies-psyche-scottish-folklore
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkie