Shows
Widdershins Stories39. Tam LinTam Lin comes to us from Scotland and Childe’s ballads. Tam Lin is a human captured by the fairy queen who spends his free time tormenting fair maidens in the woods of Carterhaugh. After a tryst with fair Janet who becomes pregnant with his child, they devise a plan to free him from being the Halloween tithe. This version combines many of the story points from the earlier ballads with a bit easier listening and updated language from Jennifer Holm.
If you’ve been enjoying our tales, give us a review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on Spotify or o...2023-08-0113 minWiddershins Stories38. Dracula's Guest by Bram StokerIt is Walpurgisnacht, and we find ourselves in Munich before leaving for Transylvania to be a guest of Count Dracula. Our titular Englishman, interested in taking some local sights, wanders into a desolate valley and finds himself at nightfall in a cemetery beset by a curious storm and strange forces. This story is thought to be a preliminary chapter of Dracula that was later removed, with our main character being Jonathan Harker.
If you’ve been enjoying our tales, give us a review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on Spotify or our various social accounts!
To learn more about Wi...2023-04-3031 minWiddershins Stories37. Dando And His Dogs by Robert HuntIn this tale, sinful priest Dando lives a life as one who worships “the sensual gods” despite his godly attire. He hunts, drinks, and does what he wishes regardless of cost. While out hunting one sabbath morning with his dogs and other men, Dando finds a strange hunter in his company who offers a drink so good, Dando would go to hell for it.
A fun aside, this Cornish tale ties into the lore of the Wild Hunt with Dando’s dogs who number among the pack.
If you’ve been enjoying our tales, give us a review on Apple Podcasts...2023-04-1110 minWiddershins Stories36. Snow White And Rose Red by the Brothers GrimmEpisode 36: Snow White & Rose Red by the Brothers Grimm
Journey with us back to a classic: Snow White & Rose Red. A mother with two lovely daughters named after the roses growing in her yard one day are visited by a great black bear who spends many a snowy winter evening by their fire. When summer comes, the bear must leave to protect his home from a wicked dwarf. Will the sisters find the bear again? Will the dwarf ever be grateful for their aid? Is this a tale of uncomfortable bestiality? (spoiler alert: it’s not) Join us and find ou...2023-01-0816 minWiddershins Stories35. Cupid & Psyche by Josephine Preston PeabodyCelebrate love this Valentine’s Day with a retelling of Apuleius’ “Cupid & Psyche” by Josephine Preston Peabody. When a princess rivals the goddess of beauty, Venus sends her son Cupid to punish her for her charms. But when Cupid’s arrow strikes himself, he falls in love and protects her from the wrath of his mother in a royal home where she is treated like a goddess herself although never seeing this prophesied “creature” who is now her husband. When her sisters visit, in their jealousy they poison her mind against Cupid and she looks upon him while he sleeps, breaking the p...2022-02-1420 minWiddershins Stories34. A Christmas Ghost Story“A Christmas Ghost Story” by an unknown author is a tale much like the Dickens classic. A miserly old man heads to bed on Christmas Eve only to find himself face to face with a ghost who offers him all the gold he could wish for-which comes with a hard price to look back on his life’s mistakes. He cannot undo the past, but perhaps he can learn from the bitterness he sewed along the way.
***Content Warning***
While in the tradition of Victorian ghost stories for Christmastime, this tale does stray into some darker territory with suicide. This can be...2021-12-2422 minWiddershins Stories33. October in the Chair by Neil Gaiman“October in the Chair” by Neil Gaiman is a dark and whimsical tale. What do the months of the year do to harken the change of their time? Why tell stories, of course! And with October in the chair, you know it’ll be something to give you a bit of a shiver.
Special thanks to Neil Gaiman for his affirmative tweet giving our lowly little podcast permission to read one of his works. Neil Gaiman is the much beloved author of such great pieces as The Sandman, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, and frankly too many amazing works...2021-11-0135 minWiddershins Stories32. Madam Lucifer by Richard Garnett“Madam Lucifer” by Richard Garnett is a bit of a divergence in our tales of fairy and nature, offering a peek into the whimsical fantasy realm from his classic, The Twilight of the Gods, written in 1903. Lucifer sits with Man, playing chess for his soul when, hearing his lament for his beloved, decides to keep her company. Smitten upon sight with Adeliza, he gets it into his head to marry, but to do so would have to leave Madam Lucifer and lose his dominion over Pandemonium...what’s a devil to do?
If you’ve been enjoying our tales, give us a rev...2021-05-2117 minWiddershins StoriesDaughters of Darkness Special: She by Allison Carr WaechterOn this special episode for Salem Daughters of Darkness Festival, we have created a virtual wander through the woods to go along with our tale. To celebrate the dark and strange, we chose “She” by Allison Carr Waechter for our tale. Listen on to this queer and dark tale of a curious entity taking over the body of another. A tale that brings us the fey strangeness of changeling tales and the wild feral nature of Other.
Join us on YouTube to enjoy the visualizer that accompanies this episode or stick around here for the audio.
Allison Carr Waechter, is the...2021-04-2526 minWiddershins Stories31. Wild & Sacred: Poems By Tom HironsA special diversion from the normal stories this week, we have a journey into the woods for you to read two brilliant poems by Tom Hirons. “Sometimes a Wild God” and “The Worship of Place” both speak to our relationship with nature both in a feral and wild sense as we have, many of us, become domesticated things and also to the awe of the sacred beauty of the world around us.
It was an absolute delight to read and perform these poems, and a special thanks again to Tom for giving us permission to read his works!
Tom Hirons was born...2021-04-2319 minWiddershins Stories30. Ecdysis by Christina Rosso“Ecdysis” is retelling of Rapunzel from Christina Rosso’s She is a Beast. What if the damsels in distress you read of in fairy tales, those ladies in waiting of a prince to come, were a bit more beastly and self-reliant than you thought? After being locked in a tower and sold out to lusty suitors, Rapunzel decides to take matters into her own hands through blade and escape from the Enchantress that has locked her away for so many years.
Content Warning: This episode mentions rape and sexual brutality.
Christina Rosso-Schneider lives and writes in South Philadelphia with her rescue...2021-04-0918 minWiddershins Stories29. Little Wildrose by Andrew Lang“Little Wildrose” is a Romanian folktale that was collected by Andrew Lang in his Crimson Fairy Book but otherwise given no authorial identification. We love this tale for its little bits of absurdism that you find weaving their way in and out of folk stories, especially where the narrator has a little bit of cheek. Wildrose is a girl “born” of longing and a bitten apple who grows up in an eagle’s nest only to be spotted by a prince and longed for so badly, the emperor calls for a place at court for anyone who can bring her to him. An...2021-03-1920 minWiddershins StoriesAural Narrative - A rainy evening in the book stacks.You have returned home after a long day and take off your rain sodden boots, for now it's time to wind down in the study. Settle in with some books from your personal library stacks and while away the evening as the rain pours down over roof and windowpane. In the other room, you overhear the hushed sounds of your reclusive neighbor gently playing their guitar like a personal concert just for you. Brew a cup of tea, light your candles, and let the cloak of night richly settle upon your shoulders.
This is the first in a series of...2021-03-0943 minWiddershins Stories28. The Maiden-Tree by Catherynne M. Valente“The Maiden-Tree” by Catherynne M. Valente is a dark look at the classic Sleeping Beauty. What attraction does a spinning wheel have to a sixteen year old girl? What comes from a hundred years kept preserved after the first blood soaked stab of the needle? The prince is not really coming, at least not for what you think he wants. And really, who is to say what happens when the briars take over the castle and are hungry for more? Take care that the roses don’t take you too.
CW: this episode contains descriptions of body horror
Catherynne M. Valent...2021-03-0526 minWiddershins Stories27. Midnight Wren by Allison Carr Waechter“Midnight Wren” is the second story from the Tales of Wolf Hollow by Allison Carr Waechter. A young girl abandoned at a second-rate boarding school wonders about her empty future when she stumbles one day upon a glossy raven black feather. As more appear, she collects them up in woven baskets only to find when the moon shines upon them, they feel alive and she begins to hear a strange song upon waking up to talon claw in sleep. Where is the song coming from, and why does it sound so familiar and uncloud nightmarish memories?
Allison Carr Waechter, is the...2021-02-1923 minWiddershins Stories26. The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar WildeA surprise bonus episode for you all for Valentine’s Day! “The Nightingale and the Rose” by Oscar Wilde is a bit of an anti-Valentine’s Day tale but we couldn’t resist sharing. A student bemoaning his lack of a red rose to give his love is overheard by a nightingale who believes she has finally found purity of love. Attempting to help the lovestruck student, she makes the ultimate sacrifice to bring the most perfect red rose into existence. Alas for her, our student’s heart is not quite as pure as she thought….
If you’ve been enjoying our tal...2021-02-1416 minWiddershins Stories25. The Truths of Wolf Hollow by Allison Carr Waechter“Come out of the dark night and sit by my fire.” This week, we have the dark and enchanting tale, “The Truths of Wolf Hollow” by Allison Carr Waechter. A retelling of the familiar story of Little Red Riding Hood with a twist that the Grimm’s never would have dared to discuss. What happens when a village is divided by an ever growing wood and the wolves aren’t the only things to be frightened of in the dark night full of whispering winds? You’ve come this far, why not stay for the whole telling?
Allison Carr Waechter, is the author...2021-02-0533 minWiddershins Stories24. The Siren And Russalka - Tales by Antsey and BaringTwo tales of treacherous maids of the water, this week we have “The Siren” by F. Antsey and “Russalka” by Maurice Baring. “The Siren” tells of a siren upon an island who uses her power upon men without heed, when one day a stranger comes unbidden to her shores and makes her question her ways and learn the meaning of love. In “Russalka” a young couple in love run afoul of the powers of the rusalka when on a whim, young Petrushka leaves his work on the river’s edge and finds himself in the thrall of the woman of the water to his u...2021-01-2236 minWiddershins Stories23. The Weird Violin by UnknownA curious tale by an unknown author, “The Weird Violin” was written in a monthly magazine in 1893 in the tradition of Victorian Christmas ghost stories. A virtuoso musician, right before a major performance stumbles into a music warehouse when he encounters a strange and somewhat menacing violin. Upon his horror when he plays it, he is greeted with visions of the past sending him into a stupor mid performance.
If you’ve been enjoying these, we’d love if you’d give us a review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on Spotify!
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Widdershins Stories22. The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton by Charles DickensThis week we are bringing some classic Dickensian cheer with “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton.” With a similar arc to “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens tells us the story of a glum and grim sexton who delights in suffering, who through a long night with a band of goblins learns of the delights of nature in the world.
And just in time too, as we’ll be doing a live streamed reading of “A Christmas Carol” on Christmas Eve at 8pm EST. You can join us over at www.instagram.com/oldgrowthalchemy, www.facebook.com/oldgrowthalchemy, or www.youtube...2020-12-1831 minWiddershins Stories21. The Phantom Coach by Amelia EdwardsCozy up with a blanket for the chilling tale of “The Phantom Coach” by Amelia Edwards. An unfortunate man gets caught outdoors in the middle of a snowstorm after a day of lackluster hunting and, while in search of shelter, finds an old man with a lantern who reluctantly brings him back to his master’s farmhouse. There, he has some curious conversation with a recluse who upon realizing it has stopped snowing bids him goodnight with a warning of ghosts on the road to town. Unfortunately, the dark night will prove to lead our unfortunate wanderer into grimmer circumstances than h...2020-12-0436 min
Widdershins Stories20. The Man and the Snake by Ambrose Bierce“The Man and the Snake ” by Ambrose Bierce is a grim tale of an eccentric bachelor who goes to live for a short time with a doctor who has a peculiar fascination with reptiles. A chance encounter with one of the beasts leaves the man full of fear and trepidation and to an untimely fate, but upon his discovery a twist turns in our tale. A slight deviation from our ghost stories of late, but a good deal of fun!
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www...2020-11-2021 minWiddershins Stories19. Bloody Chambers - Tales by Grimm and PoeA special pre-Halloween episode and two-parter!
This week we are focused on some classic grim and gruesome tales from literature and fairytale. Our first story is “Fitcher’s Bird” by The Brothers Grimm. A sorcerer disguises himself as a beggar to bring unsuspecting beautiful young women to his sumptuous home. They are able to live there with all their wants provided for, as long as they do not go into the one forbidden chamber opened by a small key which they are given with an egg for safekeeping. As the first sister falls prey to curiosity and drops her egg reveal...2020-10-2333 minWiddershins Stories18. The Ebony Frame by Edith Nesbit“The Ebony Frame” by Edith Nesbit is a delicious ghost story with whispers of witchcraft and consorting with the devil. When our narrator inherits a comfortable fortune from his aunt, he discovers in the attic an old set of portraits that fit an ebony from which captivates his attention. Entranced by the gaze of the woman in the frame, it soon is all he thinks. When pleading for her to come out of the frame one day, he has a thrilling encounter which leaves him changed forever.
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For more information on A...2020-10-0930 minWiddershins Stories17. The Death Of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce“The Death of Halpin Frayser” by Ambrose Bierce is a gothic ghost story set in a disjointed narrative following the ordeals and life of one Halpin Frayser. At the ripe age of 32, we enter the story with Halpin Frayser dead. Over the course of the narrative, we begin to unravel his life and what led to his untimely demise with a brief drift into a dream or perhaps the afterlife. Scenes and sounds of unearthly horrors beg the question of what precisely happened to our man Halpin Frayser?
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For more info...2020-09-1842 minWiddershins Stories16. Moments Of Madness - Tales by Harvey and IrvingIn this episode we bring you two short stories of macabre horror and madness. In our first tale, “August Heat” by W.F. Harvey, we find an artist in a fit of creative inspiration drawing a man he has never seen before but feels compelled to keep the illustration by him while he wanders in a daze through the oppressive August heat. Stumbling into the yard of a marble worker, he is shocked to find the man he drew finishing a tombstone with his name on it. Both men fumble through an awkward evening together as the heat draws them clos...2020-08-2733 minWiddershins Stories15. The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson“The Body Snatcher” by Robert Louis Stevenson is a tale based in history. Inspired by the murders of Burke and Hare in 19th century Scotland, this tale tells us of those lowly beings: the body snatchers. We begin with old friends round a fire in a pub when one finds himself face to face with an old colleague. Through deduction and prodding, we learn of their relationship. While in school together learning of the anatomist’s work, they maintained the stock of materials: corpses for dissection. As they begin to deduce where the freshest of their stock is coming from, they s...2020-08-2053 minWiddershins Stories14. The Premature Burial by Edgar Allan PoeA classic from Edgar Allan Poe and a fear we all know, this week we bring you “The Premature Burial.” Our author begins with a recollection of the fear and terror that deep down strikes us all: the fear of being buried alive. He recounts many instances historically of such cases and how the subjects were found trying to escape, or alas, found in death’s grip too late. We then hear the chilling recollection of our author reliving his own moments in the grave for a much feared almost untimely fate.
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www.widder...2020-08-1342 minWiddershins Stories13. The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth GaskellWritten as a recollection from age to youth, Elizabeth Gaskell’s “The Old Nurse’s Story” is a chilling tale of a child growing up in her care. Upon the death of the parent’s they go to the next of familial line: a manor house with cold and regal relations with covered up family history. As mysterious music is played more and more as the seasons turn to winter, our nurse learns of a great family secret that nobody wishes to talk about until the day young Rosamond is lured out into the snow almost to her death.
To learn more...2020-08-0657 minWiddershins Stories12. Transformation by Mary Wollstonecraft ShelleyWe pay homage to the mother of Gothics this week with “Transformation” by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Although her masterpiece is clearly Frankenstein, “Transformation” offers us something of that tale as we follow our narrator trying to reclaim his place in society. Squandering his wealth and inheritance, he is ultimately banished and while witnessing a horrible shipwreck he finds himself face to face with a creature, some monster who offers him a way out of his current predicament. Is this a deal with the devil or a guardian angel? We see both faces as the deal is broken and our narrator must com...2020-07-3050 minWiddershins Stories11. The Ash-tree by M.R. JamesIn this episode continue in the realm of the Gothics, although now we follow down the path of the ghost story. “The Ash-tree” by M.R. James is a curious tale beginning with witch trials and ending in perhaps their unintended consequence. A woman is accused of witchcraft, of going to an ash tree and clipping the branches, and is condemned by a first hand account from the owner of the estate. At her hanging, she utters an ominous phrase and soon after the owner is found dead in his room by some vile arts.
Two generations later, in the same...2020-07-2336 minWiddershins Stories10. The White People by Arthur MachenIn this episode we have another Gothic for you-this time a classic tale of Gothic horror: “The White People” by Arthur Machen. A tale that begins with a discussion on the nature of good and evil with a curious recluse and an excited listener. We then delve into the found story of a young girl who since she was young, has been told stories and increasingly indoctrinated into occult mysteries by her old nurse.
As she questions what is real and what is imaginary, she tells us some of the tales and we have three stories within our story within a st...2020-07-161h 41Widdershins Stories9. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins GilmanWe are delving back into the gothic this week with “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. A feminist classic with a delicious and dark twist-join us for the story told by our narrator writing in her journals when not on bedrest or tended by her physician husband or his doting sister. What could be amiss with our ailing narrator? As the summer goes on and she vacations in an old mansion, she cannot help but notice something behind the awful yellow wallpaper in their bedroom. As her nervous disorder seems to worsen from a prescribed lack of activity, she begi...2020-07-0947 minWiddershins Stories8. The Unlikely Art of Self Defense : Two Folk & FairytalesIn this episode we have a special selection of two tales! To begin: “The Bremen Town Musicians” by the Brothers Grimm gives us a story of four animals who manage to escape their dismal demises as their masters no longer have a use for them by deciding to take to the streets and head over to Bremen to become town musicians. They are stopped on their journey by the temptation of a warm place to sleep and are able to scare off a band of robbers with their melodious gifts.
Our second story is Japanese folk tale, “The Boy Who Drew C...2020-07-0220 minWiddershins Stories7. East Of The Sun and West of the MoonEpisode 7 : East of the Sun and West of the Moon
In this episode we read “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen. A tale of a beautiful young maiden who is promised to a great white bear only to be tricked by her mother into revealing his true nature before the curse has the chance to be fulfilled. A familiar story of trials and tribulations follow before our lovers have a chance to be together again. This version is from The Blue Fairy Book as selected by Andrew Lang.
To learn more about Widde...2020-06-2526 minWiddershins StoriesBonus Episode: The Sea-Maiden - Behind the StoryEpisode 6b: The Sea-Maiden - Behind the Story
In episode 6 we read “The Sea-Maiden” by Joseph Jacobs. For this week’s Behind the Story we delve into the nature of storytelling, how the familiarity of stories sets the landscape for adventure, and the way that takes can mimic each other across cultures and countries.
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For more information on Joe, please visit:
www.joesabourin.com2020-06-1918 minWiddershins Stories6. The Sea-Maiden by Joseph JacobsAnd we’re back! In this episode we read “The Sea-Maiden” by Joseph Jacob’s from Celtic Fairy Tales (1892). A fun story combining many of the twists and turns familiar to us already and to many fairy tales across Europe. A fisherman’s son turned sheep herd takes on giants, a hag, and seeks the hand of the king’s daughter while escaping a fate prescribed unto him by a foolish promise from his father.
And come back for a bonus episode as we discuss the art of storytelling and the familiarity of fairy tales.
To learn more about Widdershins, please visit...2020-06-1822 minWiddershins Stories5. The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor ColeridgeIn this episode we read “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A classic tale on the high seas of a hasty decision gone awry. Join us for the tale of besting curses, dispensing wisdom to strangers, and some terrors of the sea.
Content Warning: Death on the high seas described in poetic form.
This version is from Houghton Mifflin Co’s collection also featuring Thomas Campbell from 1895. No discussion episode this week, as we both feel this poem has been talked through pretty well.You can head to our website for a "Behind the Episode" post. We'll...2020-05-2831 minWiddershins StoriesBonus Episode: The Goblin Market - Behind The StoryIn episode 4 we read “The Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti. For this week’s Behind the Story we delve into the performance of poetry, how cadence and musicality lend themselves to each other, and intention versus interpretation. This is a particularly interesting case given the stark contrast of our author versus some of the themes and descriptions in her poem.
And if you stick around long enough, you may even hear a Rush reference. Classic prog rock fans, this one’s for you.
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www.oldg...2020-05-2216 minWiddershins Stories4. The Goblin Market by Christina RossettiIn this episode we read “The Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti. A tale of the dangers of forbidden fruit and what you may give up for the sake of the lush and deceitfully delightful.
No content warning for this week, except perhaps to beware strange goblin men and the fruit they peddle. Just in case.
Join us for a bonus where we will break down the tale, dabble a little in the dangers of temptations, and chat about cadence and musicality of poetry.
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www...2020-05-2122 minWiddershins StoriesBonus Episode: Ligeia - Behind the StoryLigeia-Behind the Story
In Episode 3, we read Ligeia by Edgar Allan Poe. In this episode join us for a discussion of the characters, pacing of the tale, and some metanarrative. We look at some of the themes as they twist from character to character, the challenges of an unreliable narrator, and a few tropes of Gothic romance.
And we ponder the question you’ve all been asking: Is this all Poe’s hot take on transcendentalism? Tune in to find out.
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...2020-05-1524 minWiddershins Stories3. Ligeia by Edgar Allan PoeIn this episode we read “Ligeia” by Edgar Allan Poe: a tale of the befuddling strange beauty of a lost love and the opium-induced dreamscapes of a haunted man. In order words: Edgar Allan Poe.
**Content Warning**
Please note that the story in this episode has major themes of death, dying, and drug use.
Enjoyed the tale but missing the banter? Fear not! We will begin periodically releasing bonus episodes to go along with the tales. Come back for this week’s bonus episode as we discuss the making of the episode, soundscapes of dread, and Poe’s commentary on ideals o...2020-05-1449 minWiddershins Stories2. Fearnot by The Brothers GrimmIn this episode we read “The Tale of a Youth Who Set Out to Learn What Fear Was” by The Brothers Grimm-or as we shall affectionately refer to it: Fearnot. This version is from The Blue Fairy Book as selected by Andrew Lang.
**Content Warning**
As with all Grimm tales, this does not shirk from the dark side. There is cruelty towards animals and casual murder throughout the story. Consider yourself forewarned.
And surprise: now with commentary! Joe and Ashley speak on the Grimm story formula, subversion of expectation, the process of composing these episodes, and a small dalliance with Tom...2020-05-0741 minWiddershins Stories1. The Juniper Tree by The Brothers GrimmIn this inaugural episode of Widdershins, please enjoy “The Juniper Tree” by The Brothers Grimm as read by candlelight on a chilly moonless evening. This version is from The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm, Selected by Lore Segal and Maurice Sendak, Translated by Lore Segal with four tales translated by Randall Jarrell.
**Content Warning**
As with all Grimm tales, this does not shirk from the dark side. There is violence towards children, murder, death, and the questionable contents of a cannibalistic stew. Consider yourself forewarned.
To learn more about Widdershins, please visit:
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For more information on A...2020-04-2319 min