Jason Weiser

This week on Myths and Legends, it's the story of Vitasco the Victorious, and you'll learn how to turn your child into a superhero.

Turns out you have to get started very early, and you might have already disqualified them.

Sorry, but if you manage to, I hope you enjoy your free, formerly dragon-infested castle.

The creature this time is an ape man, who may or may not have inspired a Soviet mad scientist.

This is Myths and Legends, episode 437, House of the Dragon.

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

Today's story comes to us from the cultures of the Slovak and Czech peoples.

The area that makes up the modern-day Czech Republic and Slovakia was, at the time this story was put down to paper, part of Austria-Hungary, an empire famous for sparking World War I and then also not existing after it.

After World War I, the country of Czechoslovakia was created, and then fell under Soviet control after World War II.

After that empire fell, Czechoslovakia re-emerged, and after the Velvet Divorce, a bloodless dissolution, we have the modern-day nations of Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

That's a lot, and while I might be interested in the nuances of Slovak and Czech culture, the 1910s translation...

is not.

It's possible that there could be some elements from either culture or both, but the American writer just calls everything Czech.

Anyway, we'll jump in with Vytautas, the hero of today's story, and his very reasonable request.

"'Hey, Mom,' Vitasco the Victorious said after dinner.

"'Yes, dear,' the mother said, buttoning up her shirt.

"'All right, here goes.

I think it's time for me to stop breastfeeding,' Vitasco said.

"'What was he saying?