A humorous but very gory Scottish myth about a giant called Thrim and how through unforeseen circumstances, the midges- small biting flies- came to existence.

Story Prescription: A story about how people react in the face of adversity; a story of meeting your oppressor; a story of unexpected consequences from our actions; and of course a bit of humour about those vicious insects of the Scottish Highlands.

Story Caution: There is a lot of violence in this tale, so if you are of a sensitive temperament, please listen as you choose. Recommended age 10+

My guest today is Daniel Allison, a Scottish oral storyteller, USA Today best selling author and host of the House of Legends podcast, who has focused on making Celtic mythology accessible and alive for modern audiences.

In this podcast we talk about being a storyteller; Celtic mythology; Muay Thai and its parallels to the Fianna - Ireland's legendary band of warriors, balanced masculinity, the strong female figures of Celtic mythology and more.

Daniel shares the story of the Auld Cruivie, also known as Jack and the Dancing Trees. It is a Scottish tale about Jack who works for a greedy laird. One Midsummer's Night, the ancient trees of the forest pull their roots from the soil to dance by the river.

Story Prescription: an animistic story about the magic nature, against greed, and about the beauty of the landscape.

You can find more about Daniel on his website: https://www.houseoflegends.me/ You can follow his writing on Substack: https://danielhouseoflegends.substack.com/about You can follow him on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielallisonauthor/ _ To support my work financially you can 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off or regular way of supporting me if you enjoy listening.

Story Prescription: Story medicine for stories themselves.

A story from Korea, about a greedy boy who demands stories from everyone he meets, stuffing them into a “story bag” and never sharing them. But the stories plan revenge!

Today is when my book Bulgarian Folk Tales is born into the world! Illustrated by the incredible Rima Staines. You can order your copy here: If you are in Bulgaria, then you can find them here.

If you wish to join me for the book launch, on the 4th or 7th June, you can find the details at: https://www.nanatomova.com/events

To support this podcast, you can '⁠⁠buy me a coffee'. ⁠⁠You can also tell your friends, which is free but means a lot. If you enjoy this podcast, please leave me a 5* review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Music: Thank you to ⁠⁠In Feathers ⁠⁠for the beautiful music.

Story Sources: The Story-Bag: A Collection of Korean Folk Tales, 1957. So-un, Kim. Translated by Setsu Higashi; https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/story-bag