Quick disclaimer, there's a discussion of suicide on today's podcast. Please see the post on

Mythpodcast.com for more info. This week, on Myths and Legends, we tell the legendary story

of Cambrinus, the king of beer, and how, if at first you don't succeed, give up and keep giving

up until you meet a sinister stranger in the woods who gives you alcohol.

The creature this time is a cute little kitty who will absolutely devastate your entire business and life.

This is Myths and Legends, episode 405, Ailed to the King.

This is a podcast where we tell stories from mythology and folklore.

Some are incredibly popular tales you might think you know, but with surprising origins.

Others are stories that might be new to you, but are definitely worth a listen.

Today, we're telling the story of Cambrianus, the king of beer.

Combrinus is something of a patron saint of beer, without the canonization or the saint part.

It's actually kind of the opposite, but we'll get to that.

Cambrinus was a jovial bearded man who loved dancing with a mug in his hand.

He's representative of the fun, social, celebratory aspects of beer drinking. Apparently,

his image graces bars and breweries, and there are statues of him all over the world.

Today's story comes from a 19th century telling of a legend by Charles Doolan.

Kind of set in Flanders, a region in the north of modern-day Belgium,

the story is pretty vague on details, and because borders of various kingdoms and regions were a lot more fluid in the

Middle Ages, and the country of Belgium didn't exist until the 1830s, it also appears to be

set in both France and the Netherlands at times. But the King of Beers wasn't born a king,

or to a king. In fact, he was just like you or me. If you or me were born in the medieval Flemish countryside

and desperately wanted to be glassblowers.

...