Story Sirens: Legends, Myths, and Laughs

Santa Claus: The Holly Jolly History of Ol' St. Nick

We all know about ol' Saint Nick - but do we know the true origins of how he came to be so beloved? Time to deep dive into Santa Claus' true origins... and some of his helpers, too! 
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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
Poems and Stories:
Katherine Lee Bate’s poem “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride - https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Goody_Santa_Claus_on_a_Sleigh_Ride
Thomas Nast’s Santa Claus - 1881 - https://longislandwins.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nast-cover.jpg and https://www.thedailymeal.com/img/gallery/jolly-facts-you-didnt-know-about-santa-claus/24_A_political_cartoonist_first_portrait_GettyEditorial.webp
Podcast Episode:
A Christmas in Pine Grove NOSLEEP BONUS episode - for purchase only! 
Links to Research: 
https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Nicholas
https://explorethearchive.com/where-did-santa-claus-originate-from
https://www.norsegarde.com/blogs/lore-and-mythology/odin-the-allfather?srsltid=AfmBOooj6lzlIf6feHP6_NM7fvkAIdXbOxp2JMvn-yddbc4nWdeNe7UT
https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas
https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus
https://www.sttammanylibrary.org/blogs/post/the-legend-of-santa-claus-part-1-the-origin-and-history-of-a-christmas-legend/#:~:text=The%20name%2C%20Santa%20Claus%2C%20was,minister%20for%20his%20three%20daughters.
https://www.thoughtco.com/clement-clarke-moore-1773672#:~:text=Moore%20died%20in%20Newport%2C%20Rhode,accessed%20October%202%2C%202024).
https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/why-does-santa-wear-red
 

The Nutcracker: The Story Before the Ballet

We all have gone to The Nutcracker ballet at least once in our lives... but what's the story behind it? Time to travel to 1816, and deep dive into this! Get ready for a (rather startling) tale of ETA Hoffman's The Nutcracker and The Mouse King.
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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://www.npr.org/2012/12/25/167732828/no-sugar-plums-here-the-dark-romantic-roots-of-the-nutcracker
https://www.thecollector.com/german-romanticism-revolt-against-capitalism/
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nutcracker_and_Mouse-King/Chapter_1
https://nutcracker.com/history-of-nutcracker/
https://nutcrackerballetgifts.com/blogs/blog/history-of-the-nutcracker#:~:text=The%20story%20for%20the%20Nutcracker,was%20in%201892%20in%20Russia.
https://www.nutcrackermuseum.com/history.htm#:~:text=The%20first%20wooden%20nutcrackers%20were,or%20screw%2C%20is%20cracked%20open.
https://www.oldstyletales.com/single-post/2018/12/17/e-t-a-hoffmanns-the-nutcracker-an-analysis-of-the-dark-creepy-story-behind-the-classic-ch#:~:text=The%20fickle%2C%20eccentric%20Drosselmeier%20uses,instead%20of%20assuming%20that%20the

Snow Maidens: Snegurochka & Yuki-Onna

It's December! Time to deep dive into winter tales, and your Sirens are starting off the month with Snow Maidens, particularly the tales of Snegurochka and the Yuki-Onna. Also, Happy Mariah Carey Christmas Album Month!
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
Book to Read:
Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn
https://www.amazon.com/Kwaidan-Stories-Studies-Strange-Things/dp/0804836620
Myths and Legends of Japan by F. Hadland Davis
https://www.amazon.com/Myths-Legends-Japan-Hadland-Davis/dp/0486270459
Mysterious Tales From Japan by Rafe Martin 
https://www.rafemartin.com/bk_mysterious.html
Links to research:
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/145/the-pink-fairy-book/4841/snowflake/
https://www.russianamericancompany.com/the-snowmaiden/#:~:text=The%20Snowmaiden,in%20at%20least%20two%20folktales.
https://yokai.com/yukionna/
https://www.americanfolklore.net/the-snow-maiden/
https://hyakumonogatari.com/2013/12/18/yuki-onna-the-snow-woman/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafcadio_Hearn

Magical Fruits: Gifting Immortality and Love, with a side of Death

Happy Thanksgiving! Deep dive with your Sirens on the history of fruit in mythology from around the world... which mostly involves some kind of death. It'll make you think twice about that fruit bowl! 
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.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fruit-mythology
https://www.onmanorama.com/food/features/2020/06/30/mythical-tales-fruit.html
https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/surprising-pomegranate-facts#:~:text=Symbol%20of%20death%20and%20fertility&text=It%20also%20prominently%20featured%20in,in%20Ancient%20Greece%20and%20Rome.
https://www.alimentarium.org/en/fact-sheet/pomegranate-miracle-fruit#:~:text=Pomegranates%20have%20diverse%20cultural%2Dreligious,in%20Greek%20and%20Persian%20mythology.
https://www.worldhistory.org/Idunn/
https://www.nps.gov/npsa/learn/historyculture/sinatuna.htm
https://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/food/the-story-of-the-strawberry/
https://www.nativerootsde.org/blog/strawberries#:~:text=Strawberries%20are%20a%20traditional%20Indigenous,said%20she%20was%20never%20returning.
https://mythcrafts.com/2019/07/25/strawberries-the-fruits-of-love/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/pantao
https://archive.shine.cn/district/jinshan/Peach-of-immortality-in-Chinese-mythology/shdaily.shtml
https://www2.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/homer/index.php?page=timelines
https://academics.nsuok.edu/Portals/39/Three%20Sisters%20Legend.pdf
https://thegardenstrust.blog/2023/06/10/the-garden-of-the-hesperides/
https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Eris.html
https://hilo.hawaii.edu/news/kekalahea/spring-2023/march/origin-of-hawaiian-plants
https://deeprooted.co/blogs/religious-and-cultural-significance-of-mango
https://ima.princeton.edu/2019/11/18/digging-into-the-horn-of-plenty/

Sinbad the Sailor & The Seven Voyages

Get ready to go on an adventure with the coolest sailor in Baghdad, Sinbad! Journey with your Sirens through Sinbad's seven (absolutely insane) voyages.
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:
http://mythfolklore.net/3043mythfolklore/reading/arabian/pages/04.htm
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Thousand-and-One-Nights
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sindbad-the-Sailor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinbad_the_Sailor
https://artuk.org/discover/stories/scheherazade-the-story-of-a-storyteller
https://forebears.io/surnames/sinbad
https://www.thebump.com/b/sinbad-baby-name
https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=sinbad
https://www.britannica.com/topic/roc-legendary-bird

Deer Woman: Protector of Women

The Sirens deep dive into a being from Native American folklore that protects women and children.
A note to our listeners: most legends of Deer Woman deal with topics such as sexual assault and death. Listener discretion is advised. 
If you or anyone you know is experiencing abuse, help is always available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline has advocates available 24/7 at 1(800) 799-SAFE OR you can text ‘BEGIN’ to 88788.
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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
‘Deer Woman: An Anthology’ links:
https://globalvoices.org/2017/10/03/deer-woman-an-anthology-sheds-light-on-violence-against-native-women-in-north-america/
https://atcgbooksandcomics.com/products/deer-woman-an-anthology-digital-edition
Links to research:
https://www.wernative.org/articles/who-is-deer-woman-from-reservation-dogs
https://endicottstudio.typepad.com/articleslist/deer-woman-and-the-living-myth-of-dreamtime-by-carolyn-dunn.html
https://fauna-protect.com/en-us/blogs/spirit-animals/spirit-animal-deer?srsltid=AfmBOor63MDzO7uO-lToVkb7Q65IZ0nSzuUprGIgUVB0erH8MKwaUpCS
https://www.pioneerwomanmuseum.com/history/the-deer-woman
https://www.allcreation.org/home/the-deer-woman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_Woman
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Artemis-Greek-goddess
https://www.faena.com/aleph/notes-on-the-symbolism-of-deer#:~:text=In%20the%20Christian%20imagination%2C%20the,a%20magnificent%20and%20enormous%20deer.
http://www.buddhistsymbols.org/animals.html
https://www.samyeinstitute.org/sciences/arts/dharma-wheel-pair-deer-buddhism/#:~:text=Dharma%20wheel%20symbolism,teachings%20of%20the%20holy%20dharma.

The Lost City of Atlantis: Plato's Masterpiece

Buckle up, because we are deep diving into one of the biggest legends out there that still has people searching for clues today! Where did Atlantis come from? Why is there so much mystery surrounding it? How are people still trying to look for it centuries later?! Let's find out!
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:
Critias by Plato - https://classics.mit.edu/Plato/critias.html
Timaeus by Plato - https://classics.mit.edu/Plato/timaeus.html
'Atlantica' Documentary Trailer by Merlin Burrows - http://www.ingeniofilms.com/
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/07/atlantis-the-story-behind-the-legend/144097
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis
https://www.thecollector.com/atlantis-truth-behind-myth/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Plato
https://www.historydefined.net/history-of-atlantis/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/atlantis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis:_The_Antediluvian_World
https://atlantipedia.ie/samples/wirth-hermann/
https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/bimini-road-mystery-unearthing-atlantis/
https://www.livescience.com/64176-lost-city-atlantis-spain.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X18302591?via=ihub
https://www.livescience.com/28219-holocene-epoch.html
https://www.merlinburrows.com/

Hallow's Eve & Dia de los Muertos

What better way to celebrate Halloween than by discovering all about the days where the barrier between the living and dead is at its thinnest? Take out your pumpkin and start carving - we've got a spooky (and silly) episode!
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.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain
https://dayofthedead.holiday/history/
https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/day-of-the-dead
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/the-history-of-trick-or-treating-and-how-it-became-a-halloween-tradition#:~:text=In%20modern%20times%2C%20trick%2Dor,that%20fell%20on%20November%201.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/trick-or-treat-history
https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingy_Jack
https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/
https://poets.org/poem/halloween
https://www.today.com/life/holidays/history-of-halloween-rcna34503