Hans Christian Andersen is often considered the father of the modern fairy tale, but his life was not the quiet existence depicted in his photos. His personal life is fairly bizarre, and he is sometimes compared to his own outcast fairy tale figures.
Oct 31
SYMHC Classics: Helen Duncan
This 2022 episode covers Helen Duncan, sometimes described inaccurately as Scotland’s last witch, or the last person imprisoned for witchcraft in Britain, or the last person to be tried under the UK’s 1735 Witchcraft Act.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
38m 43s
Aug 2025
416: Hans Christian Andersen: Humbugs
🪲They're not so different🪲One is the king of the world, and the other is a beetle. One wants to fight God, the other wants to wear golden horse shoes. When it comes to being completely arrogant and insufferable, though, they have more in common than you might think. It's two fa ... Show More
38m 52s
Jun 2018
111-Thumbelina: Sweet Summer Child
Thumbelina's life is already difficult. She lives in early modern Denmark and is no bigger than her mom's thumb. Oh, and also, everyone wants to marry her. And by everyone, I mean everyone. Frog moms want her to marry their sons and, somehow, the story gets stranger from there. I ... Show More
37m 49s
Nov 2019
163-Hansel and Gretel: Crumble
There's a surprising amount to the story of Hansel and Gretel. There's your average fairy tale weirdness, like load-bearing cake and aquatic duck Uber, but there's an unexpected humanity in the story that I think is overlooked. I hope you like it. The creature is punyaiama, from ... Show More
34m 54s