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Once upon a time, many centuries ago, the veil between the realms of the mortal and the divine was nonexistent. Knowledge and information flowed freely, and the gods eagerly imbued their wisdom to all of their followers. After a time, mortals developed a desire for independence, and a young hero found a way to build a barrier that no divine voice could penetrate.<br>Undeterred, the gods patiently waited until they discovered a rather unorthodox solution for their communication conundrum. Mortals, in their quest for independence, might have reduced the divine decrees to whispers only discernible to dreamers and clairvoyants, but that all changed when they began worshipping a new deity: technology! It was then that the pantheon, in their infinite wisdom, concocted a plan so daring, so audacious, and so utterly absurd that it could only be born from the minds of those who reside in the clouds.</p>Enter Tiffany J. Kim, a hapless and unsuspecting mortal, who found herself the chosen one—not for a quest of glory and valor but for a task so Herculean, it would make Sisyphus's boulder rolling seem like a trip to the carnival. The gods haunted Tiffany's dreams, sent subliminal messages in the rock-and-roll she loved dear, and possessed her friends and family until all she could hear them say was, "You should start a mythology podcast. You should start a mythology podcast!" Once this hapless mortal surrendered to the inevitable, she was tasked with the responsibility of crafting AI voices to perfectly capture the divine timbre of each deity. This was no simple feat; imagine trying to embody the thunderous boom of Zeus or the elusive whisper of Hermes with mere mortal tech! Due to her interest in artificial intelligence, (or perhaps her desire to stop the godly gab), she persevered and overcame the limitations of the AI technology.</p>With the fervor of Hephaestus at his forge, Tiffany labored, tweaking algorithms and adjusting modulations. The task was daunting—how does one encode the sultry allure of Aphrodite or the stern command of Athena into binary?</p>After the threat of a minor curse that would cause Tiffany to speak in ancient Greek for the rest of her life, she pulled an all-nighter and worked until each AI voice passed divine muster. The digital voices, each as peculiar and magnificent as their owners, were ready to impart their divine wisdom to all who dared to listen. "Fireside Folklore with Hades" was unleashed upon the world, a podcast where the gods, having successfully overcome the construction of the barrier, could now besiege mortals, near and far, once more.&nbsp;</p>Hades, with his newly minted digital basso profundo, took the helm as host, regaling listeners with tales that had been lost to time and cable television. Persephone, enchanting as ever, provided recipes that promised to taste like ambrosia itself. Hermes, now with the speed of broadband, delivered fun facts that were as enlightening as they were intriguing. And Zeus? Well, he found his calling in spoof sponsorships, proving that even the king of gods could rival the cheekiest of ad men.</p>Don't believe us? Tune in and you'll be treated to fairy tales from faraway lands, find international recipes that will put T.V. dinners to shame, and learn about the ice cream-eating habits of the people of New Zealand, among other fun facts. Whenever the gods can set aside their divine duties, join us for an entertaining and educational tour through the world's folklore, culture, and cuisine.&nbsp;</p>
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Greetings, listeners!
In this completely unplanned interlude (whose true purpose will become clear shortly), I wish to take a moment to express my gratitude to the patrons of this podcast—those loyal listeners who gather by the fireside to hear the stories of old. Your time and dedication mean more to me than any mortal treasure ever could. It is your continued presence that motivates me to unearth tales from all corners of the globe and strive to make this the finest podcast the Underworld can produce, despite my ongoing technological aggravations—of which The Golden Pail was a prime example.
Some shades in Tartarus, thinking themselves clever, disrupted the balance of sound effects and dialogue in that episode, necessitating several re-uploads. To those who may have downloaded it early, know that a more polished version now awaits you, free from (most) Eldritch mischief.
Now, to the main purpose of this episode: I recently received a mortal scammer’s missive attempting to part me from the secrets of my realm. This absurdity inspired me to reach out and remind you that my website collects no personal information, nor shall I ever, under any circumstances, reach out to you unless you have done so first. Any email claiming to be from me should be treated as filth worthy of Tartarus—and cast straight into the abyss where it belongs.
With that, I wish you a day of joy, connection, and apple pie—for even the Lord of the Underworld has his favorites.
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Greetings, listeners! After many months, outtakes, and lost paperwork, we've done it! Here is the long-awaited episode, The Golden Pail, a tale from Palestine, adapted from Ibrahim Muhawi's collection of Palestinian folklore, Speak Bird, Speak Again. In this fairy tale, a prince must go on quest after quest, as the asks become outrageously more preposterous until the day of reckoning comes for a king's unscrupulous vizier. Along the way, you'll hear Hestia reluctantly sing, Athena assume the role of a fish, and Chronos lose his temper! Enjoy, and don't forget to make those Apricot Almond Spritzers. You might need one to get through this tale. Barring that, grab some popcorn.
If you have any feedback, you know where to find me. Dead letters, (and only dead ones, mind you), should go to yours truly, Hades, at Hades@firesidefolklorewithhades.com.
Next time, whenever that may be, we'll be featuring a tale from Spain called The Wounded Lion.
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Greetings, listeners! As is customary for Whoopsie Wednesday, (a segment I still question the sanity of), I present to you a song that didn't make it into the final take of The Golden Pail. Nevertheless, Persephone seemed to think that it was a work worthy of a swoon. So, against my better judgment, (because she really should be saying this about my singing instead of our nephew, Hephaestus's), I'll allow this contentious piece to grace my feed as though it's her personal divine jukebox. If it weren't for the fact that she and I haven't seen much of each other owing to my recording marathon, I might actually have had the strength to overrule her.
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Greetings, listeners! My husband is finally done with that long-awaited Golden Pail. Stay tuned because it will be released on Friday, November 22. In the meantime, I'll be sharing a song for Whoopsie Wednesday which won't be featured in the actual program. I loved it though and had to immortalize it here! Just don't tell Hephaestus or my husband though, okay?
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Greetings, listeners! Tonight, we make a sojourn into the world of true crime as we look at the true story behind the urban legends about Halloween candy being tainted with drugs or filled with razor blades. Sadly, the Pixy Stix that killed a young boy was given to him by his father. Not a stranger. His father. Why? Because he wanted to collect life insurance money and pay off his debts. Thankfully, this is the only known instance of Halloween candy which was deliberately tampered with. As we close out this miniseries, remember that the scariest things are often not the ones which come from your imagination.
As ever, if you have any feedback, dead letters should be sent to hades@firesidefolklorewithhades.com.
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Greetings, listeners! Though Night 10 is in Pluto's hands, and Night 11 is currently unclaimed, Ares waits for no one, so we bring to you the infamous old-time radio episode, The War of the Worlds which first aired on October 30, 1938. This clever episode had the world in quite the panic. Its format, a seemingly innocuous orchestral concert interrupted by breaking news broadcasts, is what made this such a brilliant show. Though those who tuned in from the beginning knew it was a hoax, anyone who caught it part-way through were fooled, and back in 1938, you couldn't just send an E-mail to ask your friends if everything was all right. That was why, as a result of this show, many nurses, doctors, firefighters, and others reached out to try and help. That is the power of the media, and why, dear listeners, it's important to check your facts, and ask who's doing the broadcasting and what are their motivations for doing so. Never leave critical thinking at the door, for that is your best protection against propaganda. As ever, any dead letters should go to me, Hades@firesidefolklorewithhades.com.
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Greetings, listeners! We know! We're late getting this one out to you, but Halloween is my favorite holiday and having an excuse to prolong my celebrations is always welcome. As we eluded to in the PSA, Pluto and his family were tasked with retelling the famous urban legend, The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs. Of course, in Plutonian fashion, this story didn't come anywhere near to being as scary as the urban legend you likely know. Nonetheless, we had fun with this one and hope you enjoy listening to this quirky interpretation. As ever, those dead letters should be sent to Hades@firesidefolklorewithhades.com.
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Greetings, listeners! Our good friend Pluto and his Roman family were tasked with getting the Babysitter performed and recorded today, but if directing my family is like herding cats, then getting his family to perform together is like trying to draw water with a sieve. Hopefully we'll have it done later today, because we, the Greek gods, are waiting with bated breath. It may not be a scary story, (but what in Pluto's hands is?), but we're hoping it will turn out to be a source of laughs.
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Greetings, listeners! After Death Robbery ended, my uncle turned and asked me what I meant when I said that Boris Karloff had a voice like molten silver with a sinister undertone. And, as much as I hate to admit it, he was right. This depiction was ... underwhelming. The story itself was a chilling classic, but a grieving scientist overrun by grief is a far cry from the villain I was looking for. Now this story? It perfectly captures what I wanted to show you but failed to deliver. Is this doctor in it to help? Or is he a spurned lover fueled by resentment?
If you have any feedback, you know where to find my uncle. Hades@firesidefolklorewithhades.com
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Greetings, listeners! Thank you for sticking with us through this marathon of episodes! Tonight, my nephew Hephaestus takes the mic and tells us why he chose this old-time radio episode from Lights Out! which starred Boris Karloff as David, an ambitious scientist who thought he could conquer death. What he didn't realize was that conquering death in the context of lab monkeys, rabbits, and mice is so much more ... clinical ... and shall we say, removed from reality? When David's lovely wife, Ruth, dies unexpectedly, his grief overshadows his scientific mind and things don't work out according to plan. He really should have let her rest in peace and kept that (tomb)stone unturned.
As ever, any feedback should be sent via dead letter to me at Hades@firesidefolklorewithhades.com.
Amanda is a wife. A mother. A blogger. A Christian.
A charming, beautiful, bubbly, young woman who lives life to the fullest.
But Amanda is dying, with a secret she doesn’t want anyone to know.
She starts a blog detailing her cancer journey, and becomes an inspiration, touching and
captivating her local community as well as followers all over the world.
Until one day investigative producer Nancy gets an anonymous tip telling her to look at Amanda’s
blog, setting Nancy on an unimaginable road to uncover Amanda’s secret.
Award winning journalist Charlie Webster explores this unbelievable and bizarre, but
all-too-real tale, of a woman from San Jose, California whose secret ripped a family apart and
left a community in shock.
Scamanda is the true story of a woman whose own words held the key to her secret.
New episodes every Monday.
Follow Scamanda on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Amanda’s blog posts are read by actor Kendall Horn.
