Folklore on the Rocks

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Show Notes for Episode 4 - South African Folk Tales Oct 16, 2018

Show notes

This week we narrated and discussed folktales from South Africa! Like last time, we read tales directly from one book. This one was "South-African Folk-Tales", which is by James A. Honey and was published in 1910. The book is freely available on Project Gutenburg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38339/38339-h/38339-h.htm

We read 3 stories from this book; "Crocodile's Treason", "The Monkey's Fiddle" and "The Story of a Dam". Here are some illustrations and stuff:

"Crocodile's Treason"

Found here: http://mpalalive.org/field_guide/nile_crocodile

"The Monkey's Fiddle"

Found here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15170/15170-h/15170-h.htm#fiddle

"The Story of a Dam"

Found here: http://www.animalplanet.com/wild-animals/jackal/

The knobkirrie mentioned in the story is essentially a large stick with a knob on the end. It's used as a weapon in times of conflict and as a walking stick in times of peace. Here's a pic:

Found here: https://www.africancraftsmarket.com/products/zulu-shields/african-zulu-knob-kerrie.html

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Keywords: podcast, podcast, podcasting, folklore, cryptid, cryptids, creature, creatures, monster, monsters, cocktail, cocktails, whiskey, booze, alcohol, drink, education, learning, scary, spooky, creepy, funny, comedy, streaming, audio, listen, lore, legends, mythology, culture, worldwide, world, interesting, informative

Episode 4 - South African Folk Tales Oct 14, 2018

Show notes

This week we narrated and discussed three South African folk tales from the 1910 book "South-African Folk-Tales" by James A. Honey. The tales were: "Crocodile's Treason", "The Monkey's Fiddle" and "The Story of a Dam". The book is available on Project Gutenburg. See our website for links and some illustrations!

Website: www.folkloreontherocks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folkloreontherocks/ or @folkloreontherocks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks/ or @FolkloreontheRocks Twitter: https://twitter.com/FolkloreRocks or @FolkloreRocks Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks Keywords: podcast, podcast, podcasting, folklore, cryptid, cryptids, creature, creatures, monster, monsters, cocktail, cocktails, whiskey, booze, alcohol, drink, education, learning, scary, spooky, creepy, funny, comedy, streaming, audio, listen, lore, legends, mythology, culture, worldwide, world, interesting, informative

Show Notes for Episode 3 - The Grootslang Oct 07, 2018

Show notes

This week we discussed the Grootslang (or Grote Slang, Dutch / Afrikaans for "Big Snake"), a very large, possibly chimeric cryptid from South Africa. Here are the show notes, with links, pictures, etc.

Art found at: https://sporkart.tumblr.com/post/165307231230/grootslang-great-snake-a-south-african

(Some of the) Links/Books used for Grootslang research: https://africaroadtravel.com/2015/02/23/grootslang-van-richtersveld/ http://www.richtersveld.net/index.php/site/article_detail/mysterious_home_of_the_big_snake/ http://new-cryptozoology.wikia.com/wiki/Grootslang https://alienexpanse.com/index.php?threads/grootslang-legendary-monster.798/ https://www.cnn.com/2014/12/19/africa/gallery/monsters-of-africa/index.html http://monstersvault.com/vaults/grootslang-south-africa/ Eberhart, George M. Mysterious Creatures: a Guide to Cryptozoology. ABC-CLIO, 2002, pp. 217-218. Rose, Carol. Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: an Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth. W.W, Norton, 2001, p. 156. Stuff on the "Wondergat": Coordinates: 28°25'12.2"S 16°53'14.5"E Some screenshots from Google Earth: From what we can see, there's a plaque outside of the "Wonder Cave". Pic can be found at: http://trip-suggest.com/south-africa/northern-cape/zwartwater/ This picture and some additional ones can be found at https://tracks4africa.co.za/listings/item/w126826/cornellskop-wondergat/, and you can also google "south africa wondergat richtersveld" There is a 2 part YouTube video of an expedition exploring the cave/cave system. The first video is mostly setup and the second video they actually get to sinkhole and descend, so you can at least see what it looks like. There's a ledge a bit down, and then the hole angles down further into the massive cave system that eventually leads to the ocean. Pt. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFDjAippjvQ Pt. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo_W2gdBTQ4 Here are the excerpts we read in the episode, and links to where we found the books online: "Where Men Still Dream" by Lawrence G. Green (journalist), 1945 https://archive.org/stream/WhereMenStillDream/Where%20Men%20Still%20Dream_djvu.txt, search for "bottomless" "There is a legend that the "Wonder Hole" or "Bottomless Pit" is the source of the diamonds. You need a Hottentot guide to reach this mysterious hole in the ground in a far corner of the little-known Richtersveld; and natives are reluctant to guide expeditions to the spot. They believe the deep, black cavern is the home of the "Grootslang," the Great Snake of the Orange River. The cavern, they say, is connected with the sea forty miles away. If you lean over the edge of the pit and listen carefully, there comes at intervals a deep boom like surf on a distant shore. I know one tough prospector who took a winch and cable to the spot and explored a little of the "Wonder Hole". He is, I believe, the only man to attempt this feat. It was dark and extremely hot when his feet touched a ledge far down. The ragged circle of daylight seemed small. Bats flew in his face, and he dropped his electric torch. Before they hauled him to the surface he observed tunnels leading out of the shaft. There was a smell of sulphur in the air. He never descended again. The "Great Snake" of the Orange River is something more than a legend. Cornell described it in his books. Scores of other men living near the river have sent letters to the newspapers declaring they had seen the monster. Native stories that the snake has enormous diamonds in the eye-sockets, and that a strange and evil influence is felt by all who behold it, may be politely dismissed. White eyewitnesses state that the snake is forty feet long, leaving a track on the muddy river banks about three feet wide. This spoor was followed by one party of prospectors for many miles before it disappeared into the river. The truth probably is that exceptionally large pythons have been seen in the river from time to time, and their sizes exaggerated. Pythons up to twenty-five feet in length have been shot; their powers of swallowing a buck whole are well known. But in the native mind there remains only one Great Snake, greatly feared." "The Glamour of Prospecting: Wanderings of a South African Prospector in search of copper, gold, emeralds, and diamonds" by Lt. Fred C. Cornell, 1920 https://archive.org/stream/glamourprospect00corngoog#page/n186/mode/2up/search/slang (search for "slang"; there are several mentions of the grootslang in the book) "It was dark when we floundered out of it, and we steered straight for a wide thicket of willows, made a big fire, and were only too glad to turn in. It seemed an excellent camp, with wood, water, and shelter from the cold wind, but it was plain that the "boys" were uneasy, and they crouched close to our fire instead of building one apart as they usually did. After some food Ezaak suggested that we might perhaps trek on a little farther, and this, coming after a most arduous day, was decidedly strange. We asked him why, and after beating around the bush for a bit he told me that in the middle of the river, and exactly opposite where we were camped, was a big rock in which the huge snake (the "Groot Slang", in which every Richtersfeldt Hottentot firmly believes) had his home, and that it was not safe for us or for our horses. We had long heard of this snake; many reputable Hottentots and a few white men claim to have seen it, many more have seen its huge spoor in the sand or mud - a foot and a half wide. It is believed to take cattle from the banks, and the natives fear it mightily. There are no crocodiles in the Orange, and besides, there are never any traces of feet with the spoor, but it is a remarkable fact that the Hottentot name for this huge python - or whatever it may be - is "Ki-man" which is very like the Eastern name for an alligator. Anyhow, we were far too tired to care for snakes, and of course stayed where we were, the only thing to annoy us being the huge long-legged tarantulas that kept running with incredible swiftness into the fire, where they sizzled, squirmed, and smelt unpleasantly. In the morning we found that the river here was a long, wide, still, and apparently very deep stretch of water, and that a big rock rose from the centre, as the guides had said. It appeared to be of granite, and was riven in half by a big cleft. The steep mud banks of the river should have shown a trace of anything coming up from the water, but we found no spoor. So we made up some dynamite cartridges with fuse and detonator, and flung them out as far as we could, and stood by with the "arsenal" handy in case the "Groot Slang" was at home and objected. The dynamite made a big upheaval, but no snake materialised; only a few small springers and barbel flapped round in the muddy water. Then I saw something moving in the crack in the rock, and let drive with my rifle. I was in a hurry, and I heard my bullet hit the landscape somewhere in German territory; but Ransson had seen that movement too, and was emptying his magazine into the crack without undue loss of time. When we'd finished a very flustered and indignant old wild-duck squatted out of that crack and went away unhurt and quacking most derisively. No luck again with our "big game" shooting." We won't include a picture of the Cape Cobra that was mentioned just in case anyone's afraid of snakes, but here are a few links if you'd like to learn more about this exceptionally venomous reptile: https://www.sanbi.org/animal-of-the-week/cape-cobra/ https://cobras.org/cape-cobra/ https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com/snake/cape-cobra/ Book mentioned in this episode - "The man-eaters of Tsavo and other East African adventures" by John Henry Patterson. Link to full book here: https://tinyurl.com/y8ws32pp If you have any personal stories about creatures, monsters, or cryptids (even if you don't know what it was), please email us at stories@folkloreontherocks.com so we can eventually do a listener episode! Visit us at folkloreontherocks.com for more in depth notes, links, and pictures. Once we hit 100 iTunes reviews, we'll release a bonus episode with a listener selected creature! Please rate and review us when you have a moment, as it will help us immensely! Website: www.folkloreontherocks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folkloreontherocks/ or @folkloreontherocks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks/ or @FolkloreontheRocks Twitter: https://twitter.com/FolkloreRocks or @FolkloreRocks Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks

Episode 3 - The Grootslang Oct 07, 2018

Show notes

This week we go spelunking (figuratively, obvs) into the "Wondergat" or "Wonder Cave" that is home to the South African Cryptid, the Grootslang. Some sources say The Grootslang (or Grote Slang, Dutch / Afrikaans for "Big Snake") is a GIANT cobra (40 feet / 12 meters long), and some differ and say it has the head of an elephant and the body of a snake. Either way, it lives in the Richtersveld in South Africa and hoards gems (especially diamonds). We talk about the characteristics of the Grootslang, how it may have come to be (Dutch settlers or the indigenous Nama people, or a mishmash of both?), when the hell battery powered flashlights came about, why the Grootslang covets gems, and most importantly, what alignment it (and we are). We read a couple of excerpts from 'first-hand' accounts in the early-mid 1900s, and stress the importance of NOT BUYING blood diamonds, and don't recommend traveling with dynamite. If you have any personal stories about creatures, monsters, or cryptids (even if you don't know what it was), please email us at stories@folkloreontherocks.com so we can eventually do a listener episode! Visit us at folkloreontherocks.com for more in depth notes, links, and pictures. Once we hit 100 iTunes reviews, we'll release a bonus episode with a listener selected creature! Please rate and review us when you have a moment, as it will help us immensely! Website: www.folkloreontherocks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folkloreontherocks/ or @folkloreontherocks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks/ or @FolkloreontheRocks Twitter: https://twitter.com/FolkloreRocks or @FolkloreRocks Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks Keywords: podcast, podcast, podcasting, folklore, cryptid, cryptids, creature, creatures, monster, monsters, cocktail, cocktails, whiskey, booze, alcohol, drink, education, learning, scary, spooky, creepy, funny, comedy, streaming, audio, listen, lore, legends, mythology, culture, worldwide, world, interesting, informative

Show Notes for Episode 2 - Japanese Folk Tales Sep 29, 2018

Show notes

This week we narrated and discussed folktales from Japan! We don't have much as far as sources go, as we read directly from the book "Japanese Fairy Tales" (also known as "The Japanese Fairy Book"), which was compiled by Yei Theodora Ozaki and published in 1908 (or 1903 for the Google books version). The book is freely available on Project Gutenburg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4018/4018-h/4018-h.htm We read 2 stories from this book, "The Farmer and the Badger", and "The Story of the Man Who Did Not Wish to Die" Here are some of the beautiful illustrations from the book (they'll make more sense if you've listened to the episode). I found these here: "The Farmer and the Badger" "The Story of the Man Who Did Not Wish to Die" If you have any personal stories about creatures, monsters, or cryptids (even if you don't know what it was), please email us at stories@folkloreontherocks.com so we can eventually do a listener episode! Visit us at folkloreontherocks.com for more in depth notes, links, and pictures. Once we hit 100 iTunes reviews, we'll release a bonus episode with a listener selected creature! Please rate and review us when you have a moment, as it will help us immensely! Website: www.folkloreontherocks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folkloreontherocks/ or @folkloreontherocks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks/ or @FolkloreontheRocks Twitter: https://twitter.com/FolkloreRocks or @FolkloreRocks Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks Keywords: podcast, podcast, podcasting, folklore, cryptid, cryptids, creature, creatures, monster, monsters, cocktail, cocktails, whiskey, booze, alcohol, drink, education, learning, scary, spooky, creepy, funny, comedy, streaming, audio, listen, lore, legends, mythology, culture, worldwide, world, interesting, informative

Episode 2 - Japanese Folk Tales Sep 29, 2018

Show notes

This week we narrated and discussed two Japanese folktales from the book "Japanese Fairy Tales" which was compiled by Yei Theodora Ozaki. The tales were: "The Farmer and the Badger" and "The Story of the Man Who Did Not Wish to Die". The book is available on Project Gutenburg. See our website for links and some illustrations from the book!

Show Notes for Episode 1 - The Jorogumo Sep 29, 2018

Show notes

This week we discussed the Jorōgumo (絡新婦, aka the 'whore spider' or 'entangling bride'), Japan's shapeshifting spider-woman Yōkai. Here are the show notes, with links, pictures, etc. Attribution: Matthew Meyer @ http://yokai.com/jorougumo/ Yōkai (妖怪) is the blanket term for a variety of supernatural creatures, monsters, and phenomena. Here are the sites and the book Lindsay used to find more about the Yokai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yōkai https://morikami.org/yokai-obake-yurei/ http://yokai.com/about/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obake Foster, Michael Dylan. The Book Of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures Of Japanese Folklore. 1st ed., University Of California Press, 2015. The sites and books used to research the Jorōgumo: http://yokai.com/jorougumo/ http://yokai.wikia.com/wiki/Jor%C5%8Dgumo http://asianethnology.org/downloads/ae/pdf/AE%20Reider.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jor%C5%8Dgumo https://www.japanpowered.com/folklore-and-urban-legends/jorogumo-the-whore-spider http://globalurbanlegends.blogspot.com/2017/08/jorogumo.html https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Jorogumo.html (archived wikipedia) http://alphabeastiary.blogspot.com/2011/03/j-jorogumo.html http://they-hide-in-the-dark.tumblr.com/post/81905657178/jor%C5%8Dgumo-a-creature-from-japanese-mythology-a Reider, Noriko T. Seven Demon Stories From Medieval Japan. 1st ed., Utah State University Press, 2016, p. 61. Mayer, Fanny Hagin. Ancient Tales In Modern Japan: An Anthology Of Japanese Folktales. Indiana University Press, 1989, p. 175. We discussed a super cool location in Kyoto, Japan called Yōkai Street (一条妖怪ストリート). Here are the coordinates, some articles about it, and a screenshot from Google Earth: Coordinates: 35°01'34.2"N 135°44'05.5"E http://kyoto-taisyogun.com/en/ (official website) https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/yokai-street (great pictures) https://travel.gaijinpot.com/yokai-monster-street/ http://jpninfo.com/39840 We also talked about the actual arachnid inspiration for the Jorōgumo, the Jorō Spider (latin name Nephila Clavata, katakana ジョロウグモ). Here are some amazing sites that talk a lot more about this gorgeous spider. We won't post any photos just in case any listeners are arachnaphobes, but definitely click one of these articles to see more photos! We highly recommend the Nat Geo one that we talked about in the episode. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150319-joro-spiders-animals-science-invasive-species-asia-nation/ https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/68379-Nephila-clavata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephila_clavata https://bugguide.net/node/view/1046312 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4327315/ https://thenatureniche.com/2014/02/05/joro-spider/ https://owlcation.com/stem/Facts-about-Banana-Spiders-Golden-Orb-Spiders http://wolfspider.org/banana-spiders/ There's a monument at a location one of the Jorōgumo tales stems from (Kashikobuchi 賢淵). Lindsay found what she *thinks* is the location. Here are the coordinates, the sites she used to find it, and a couple of pictures from one of those sites, along with a Google Earth screenshot.

https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/stock19631966/31557628.html (pictures) http://ekitabi.jrnets.co.jp/e07/spot/17326.html (map)

Coordinates: 38°16'16.0"N 140°50'18.6"E

The Jorōgumo (or a version of her) can be found in a lot of popular culture, whether it be TV shows, movies, video games, books, or tabletop games. Some notable ones include Escape the Night, Hellboy: Sword of Storms, Grimm, Rosario + Vampire, Nioh, Ōkami, The Evil Within, Dark Souls, Diablo 3, The Spider by Hanss Heinz Ewers, Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews, Tattoo by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, xxxHolic, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pathfinder (3rd Bestiary). And finally, we discussed a bit about women and courtesans in Edo period Japan. Here are the links used to research those topics: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-tragic-life-of-the-courtesan-in-japans-floating-world/ http://wonderfulrife.blogspot.com/2016/02/ukiyo-edo-era-world-of-prostitution.html https://www.toki.tokyo/blogt/2016/8/2/the-history-of-geisha-in-japanese-culture https://lifeofwomenjapan.weebly.com/edo-period.html https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/gender-expectations-of-edo-period-japan http://blogs.yis.ac.jp/15chungm/2013/04/18/how-the-status-and-rights-of-women-were-limited-in-edo-society/ http://www2.gol.com/users/friedman/writings/p1.html

If you have any personal stories about creatures, monsters, or cryptids (even if you don't know what it was), please email us at stories@folkloreontherocks.com so we can eventually do a listener episode! Visit us at folkloreontherocks.com for more in depth notes, links, and pictures. Once we hit 100 iTunes reviews, we'll release a bonus episode with a listener selected creature! Please rate and review us when you have a moment, as it will help us immensely! Website: www.folkloreontherocks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folkloreontherocks/ or @folkloreontherocks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks/ or @FolkloreontheRocks Twitter: https://twitter.com/FolkloreRocks or @FolkloreRocks Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks

Episode 1 - The Jorogumo Sep 29, 2018

Show notes

In our very first episode(!), we talk about the Jorōgumo (絡新婦, aka the 'whore spider' or 'entangling bride'), Japan's shapeshifting spider-woman Yōkai (妖怪). Yōkai is a blanket term for a variety of supernatural creatures, monsters, and phenomena. Along with our Jorōgumo breakdown and surrounding folklore / tales, We discuss a super cool location in Kyoto, Japan called Yōkai Street (一条妖怪ストリート); the actual arachnid inspiration for the Jorōgumo, the Jorō Spider (ジョロウグモ); a bit about women and courtesans in Edo period Japan; and some of the many places spider-women have appeared in popular culture. If you have any personal stories about creatures, monsters, or cryptids (even if you don't know what it was), please email us at stories@folkloreontherocks.com so we can eventually do a listener episode! Visit us at folkloreontherocks.com for more in depth notes, links, and pictures. Once we hit 100 iTunes reviews, we'll release a bonus episode with a listener selected creature! Please rate and review us when you have a moment, as it will help us immensely! Website: www.folkloreontherocks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folkloreontherocks/ or @folkloreontherocks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks/ or @FolkloreontheRocks Twitter: https://twitter.com/FolkloreRocks or @FolkloreRocks Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FolkloreOnTheRocks Keywords: podcast, podcast, podcasting, folklore, cryptid, cryptids, creature, creatures, monster, monsters, cocktail, cocktails, whiskey, booze, alcohol, drink, education, learning, scary, spooky, creepy, funny, comedy, streaming, audio, listen, lore, legends, mythology, culture, worldwide, world, interesting, informative

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