STARS: 5/5
It begins with stories. Age-old tales of knights, gods, villains and heroes. These stories once molded society and were foundational in navigating the world. Creator Jason Weiser was both fascinated and enchanted by these stories, and after cultivating a passion for reading and writing through his degree in English literature, he developed the Myths and Legends podcast.
Myths and Legends is a weekly podcast that visits the original stories behind some of the most well-known literary and historical figures such as Hercules, King Arthur and Robin Hood in a lighter, more interesting way than your ninth-grade history class. It accurately retells classic tales, and highlights the dark truth of fairytales and other lore.
Weiser personally chooses his stories each week, and ensures the Western-world’s history and stories don’t over shadow those from around the world by intentionally included myths and legends from Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Depending on the story, Myths and Legends will use one episode to tell it, or it could span over a few weeks. The podcast length ranges from 15 minutes to an hour long. Weiser rounds out each podcast with a “mythological creature of the week,” which varies from friendly, to mischievous to malevolent.
One of its most recent episodes “Trolls-Breakups,” which aired Aug. 29, illustrates a growth from their debut in April 2015. Beginning with “Knights of the Round Table: Yvainglory,” the podcast was essentially an up-to-date retelling with small commentary throughout. However, “Trolls-Breakups” sets a light-hearted, semi-comedic tone that keeps the listener more engaged with a pattern of speech that has grown to flow more conversationally. While this week’s episode is somewhat gory, Weiser has executed the content in such a way the listener feels like the narrator is a friend.
Myths and Legends doesn’t shy away from dark, unpleasant details in humanity’s history such as incest, murder and torture. This podcast gives its listeners honest societal context while examining the differences and shocking similarities humanity still faces today. Regardless of content, each episode is enjoyable and listeners can truly get lost in the story.
Editor and producer Carissa Weiser is fascinated by the stories’ relevance in the world today, as “more than just entertainment.” When listening to “Myths and Legends” you are, for a moment, transported to another world, void of stress and abundant in adventure. “The list goes on and on from around the globe, and what began as a hobby has evolved into something more beautiful and positive than we ever imagined,” Weiser said.
Myths and Legends has indeed become bigger than a simple hobby. This is not a podcast exclusive to English majors and history buffs, but a high-anticipated weekly getaway from the rat-race of life. If you’re looking for adventure, romance, a little gore and a lot of fun, tune into next week’s episode for your chance.
