Games From Folktales

A little poem to continue Hallowe’en Week, from Madison Cawein. This recording was released in the public domain through Librivox. The moonbeams on the hollies glow Pale where she left me; and the snow Lies bleak in moonshine on the graves, Ribbed with each gust that shakes and waves Ancestral cedars by her tomb…. She…

A further seasonal poem, read into the public domain by mathemagic through Librivox. Carrying bouquet, and handkerchief, and gloves,Proud of her height as when she lived, she movesWith all the careless and high-stepping grace,And the extravagant courtesan’s thin face. Was slimmer waist e’er in a ball-room wooed?Her floating robe, in royal amplitude,Falls in deep folds…

This was produced for a Hallowe’en Week post-a-day, but when that crossed over with the Magonomia Bestiary Kickstarter, I moved it to September. In the episode I mention “older episodes” based on a book called “Haunted Homes”. Those haven’t been released yet: they are pencilled in for September 22, September 29, and October 13. I…

A little Halloween poem, read by Dale Grothmann. It lies beneath a sunless sky,Deep in the entrails of a bog;Gnarled willows hide it, lifting highTheir tortured arms; and never frog,Nor newt, nor toad, nor dragonflyDare come within its deadly fog.For evil spirits there are boundWithin its slime: an impious runeThey chant, nor is there other…

A note: Halloween Week comes early this year. I’d prepped a little episode for each day, and then noticed it overlapped with the Magonomia Bestiary Kickstarter. For that Kickstarter, which is month long, I’d prepared eight episodes. Adding another week of dailies was just too much, so I’ve moved all of it up into this…

A short poem for our monster of the month. Thanks to Thomas Peter for the reading. *** O brothers mine, take care! Take care!The great white witch rides out to-night.Trust not your prowess nor your strength,Your only safety lies in flight;For in her glance there is a snare,And in her smile there is a blight.…

I have Covid so I’m doing this one quite rapidly. By the time you hear it hopefully I’ll have been well for a month. This follows on from the episode two weeks ago where I talked about “Weird Crimes” a series of articles by Seabury Quinn for Weird Tales magazine. He claimed these stories to…

This week we return to the autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini. Cellini has been, as far as the castellan knows, released from prison. People have conspired so that he remains in the dungeons and they have decided to poison him. Prepare to get some information about diamonds, the poison of princes. In the real world, of…