Dark and Twisty Tales: folk stories and fairy tales for the unafraid.
Channel Details
Dark and Twisty Tales: folk stories and fairy tales for the unafraid.
This is a bi-monthly podcast featuring songs and stories from some lesser known fairy tales and folk stories. Stories which lean toward the grisly and unnerving, stories which might help us deal with the ogres and wicked step mothers in our own lives. You can support this podcast by buying Julia a...
Recent Episodes
52 episodes
The Three Little Men in the Woods
Belching up toads, paper dresses, beheadings and murder, this story has them all. I love this Grimm fairytale from the Philip Pullman collection, and...
The Old House
An old man in velvet pantaloons is befriended by a little boy with a toy soldier, however the soldier is NOT happy about this, has a tantrum and finds...
The Marriage of Mrs. Reynard
Reynard the Fox is a bit tricky and tricks his wife that he's dead to see if she'll marry again ... never a good plan.
Tamlane
Childhood sweethearts Tamlane and Janet were all set until he 'disappeared' before their wedding day. He was off with the fairies (that's what you get...
The Dog and the Sparrow
A very clever and vengeful sparrow gets his own back after his buddy the dog comes a cropper. Many things get chopped with an axe by accident and many...
The Blinded Giant
A very short story about a boy called Jack, a bone bread eating giant and his favourite dog ... shame about the dog.
The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs
A 'lucky' boy escapes death is helped by two old ladies (because he was so polite and good looking) is very courageous ... and also a bit of a know it...
Snowdrop
So there's a narcissistic cannibalistic witch Queen, a Prince who thinks it would be cool to have a pretty dead girl in a glass coffin for a trophy an...
The Old Witch
Independently wealthy senior citizen robbed by teen and locked in oven. Harsh.
The Buried Moon
When the moon gets curious and snagged on a branch and then dragged into the bog by witches and bogles ... yeah that.
The Adventures of Chanticleer and Partlet
Chanticleer a canny rooster and his wife Partlet, have adventures, that usually involve nuts, carts, deceit, slavery, violence, cannibalism and death....
The Raven
Welcome to the first episode of Season Three!
Mom, needs a nap, hero can't stop snacking and a bewitched Princess can't stop spinning around and...
The Frog King
Less frog kissing and more frog splatting really and then at the end a weirdly obsessed servant has been to the blacksmiths...
Hans My Hedgehog
Come on, who can resist a story about a half boy, half hedgehog, who rides a cockerel and plays the bagpipes?
Credit must be given to my husban...
The Musicians of Bremen
A not very dark or twisty episode this week, but a favorite of mine since childhood. The darkness I suppose lies in the fact that all these animals we...
The Singing Bone
Like the earlier story I read Binnorie from the British Isles, this story also has a magical singing bone involved which identifies it's killer. Who c...
The Stars In The Sky
When a little girl is just not satisfied unless she has the stars in the sky to play with...what could possibly go wrong?
My Own Self
Playing with fairies and fires...hmm that sounds like a plan.
From Joseph Jacobs 'English Fairy Tales'
The song at the end is called 'Fair...
Sweetheart Roland - how sweet exactly?
This Grimm's tale again has little to recommend it from a feminist standpoint, so I won't. However I think it's my third story in a row where I get to...
BlueBeard
Whether it's a telltale blue beard, horns, webbed hands or whatever...listen to your intuition. Sometimes there's more to a rave in the countryside th...
The Tinder Box
This classic Hans Christian Anderson Folk Tale is certainly darker than I remember. What's with all the stealing the sleeping princess? Not to mention...
The Goose Girl
Season Two begins with some pretty harsh treatment of horses and self inflicted punishments.
Not for the squeamish! Or kids...definitely not for...
Season Two Intro!
The second season of Dark and Twisty Tales is releasing at midnight in California! Be there or miss out! lol.
Thank you SO much for listening an...
The Juniper Tree
This story has it all, beheadings, cannibalism, and my favorite, deep appreciation of a good dark folk song. Enjoy and I'll see you all again in Septe...
Godfather Death
Death! What an excellent choice! What could possibly go wrong?
#parentingfails
The Three Snake Leaves
One strange obsession and death, followed by magical resurrection and betrayal. What more could you want for a Valentine's Day episode.
Clever Grethel
About a boozy cook who dupes her master after she's eaten dinner for two! No carving knives necessary.
Mr. Fox
I found this in a collection of English folk tales. Wow, it could totally be the storyline for any current violent serial killer show, the accusatory...
The Little Match Girl
A short story by Hans Christian Anderson about a little girl dying of cold in the streets on New Years Eve. This was another favorite of mine as a chi...
The Snowman
You might look like a snowman on the outside, but it's what's holding you together on the inside that really counts.
A festive snow tale.
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
Did he fall or was he pushed? Will he ever make it through flood and fish to get back to his true love? You'll have to listen to find out. Classic Han...
The Mouse the Bird and the Sausage
This is a story about not reaching or getting ideas above your station. Or perhaps it's a story about not traveling without your identity card, or swi...
The Monkey's Paw - Part 3
The third and final installment of The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs.
Seriously, be careful what you wish for.
The Monkey's Paw - Part 2
The second installment of this macabre tale about wishing for more, when you already have all you want. What could possibly go wrong?
The Monkey's Paw - Part 1
"The Monkey's Paw is a supernatural short story in 3 parts by WW Jacobs first published in England in the collection The Lady of the Barge in 1902."
The Tell-Tale Heart
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It is relayed by an unnamed narrator who endeavors...