The Great Tales

Latest Episodes:

Legends from the Amber Sea May 16, 2025

Show notes

The podcast heads to Fr. Andrew's ancestral Baltic homeland of Lithuania, where we will explore three tales: The Tale of Sovijus, The Iron Wolf, and The Swan Queen.

The Mossy Face of Christ - with Dr. Martin Shaw May 02, 2025

Show notes

We’re joined by mythologist, storyteller, and seanchaí Dr. Martin Shaw. With him, we explore traditional storytelling, hear timeless tales, and search for the “mossy face of Christ” hidden in the wild edges of myth and memory.

Don't Look Back Apr 11, 2025

Show notes

The Great Tales hosts prepare for the Church’s harrowing of Hades by examining another famous descensus ad infernos, the story of Orpheus and the underworld. They’ll also briefly talk about how the Church Fathers refer to him as the “first theologian” of the Greeks.

Kebra Negast: The Glory of Kings (Part 2) Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

Richard and Fr. Andrew continue their discussion of he Kebra Negast, which tells the story of how the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Ethiopia and hidden there, waiting for the revelation of the Incarnation.

Kebra Negast: The Glory of Kings (Part 1) Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

The Kebra Negast is set within the frame narrative about the debate of the true glory of kings held at the First Council of Nicaea, it tells the story of how the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Ethiopia and hidden there, waiting for the revelation of the Incarnation.

The Epic of Keret - with Fr. Stephen De Young Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

King Keret, son of the great god El, has been widowed and lost all his children, and he fears the extinction of his house. Fr. Stephen De Young joins the podcast to discuss this ancient Ugaritic epic, lost in the Syrian desert for over 3,000 years.

Beowulf: An Enochic Apocalypse Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

The great Old English poem ‘Beowulf’ is one of the most intriguing and gripping stories from the early English Christian world. What few people know, however, is that this story about giants has roots in a much older apocalyptic tale – the Book of Enoch.

The Quest is Achieved (Grail Part 2) Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

The Great Tales continues the discussion of the Holy Grail in the story of Perceval. What does it actually mean to achieve the quest of the Holy Grail? And who may achieve it?

Who Serves the Grail? (Grail Part 1) Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

Arthur, King of the Britons, is the matter of the greatest of all Christian legends in the English language, and at the height of those legends is the Holy Grail. What exactly is this holy object? Did it ever come to England? And what does it mean to the Arthur legendarium?

The Wondrous Queen and the Chestnut Roan - with Dcn. Nicholas Kotar Jan 11, 2025

Show notes

Fantasy novelist and Russian language translator Dcn. Nicholas Kotar introduces two Russian fairy tales: “Marya Morevna, the Wondrous Queen” and “The Chestnut Roan.”

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