Dissecting Dragons

Welcome to another 'fairytales in focus' episode. This week the dragons are tackling one of the most gruesome popular folk stories. The story of well known wife murderer 'Bluebeard' has inspired a lot of Gothic and horror fiction, but its own origins - while comparatively recent - are somewhat unusual. In addition, while it's often slammed for being a truly sexist story, digging into the folklore suggests that its 'moral' was probably lost in translation. Jules and Madeleine track the story's grisly journey through history and folk tradition in this episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic