Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

Have you ever heard a rooster crowing in the new day and wondered why they did that? Would it surprise you to learn that there’s a bunch of myths explaining why? From China to Ancient Greece and Portugal, legendary roosters and chickens have captured the imagination of storytellers!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of animal death, animal fighting, colonization, bodily functions, ge...

You might not think about love, sex, and gender when you think about the Middle Ages, but you might be surprised! We are joined by the co-curators of the Spectrum of Desire exhibition at The Met Cloisters to talk about topics like queering the past, gender identity, and what art can tell us about those things during the Medieval period. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sex,...

The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that Spirits Podcast has to of course do a Lady of the Lake episode as part of our Arthurian series!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of war, violence, drowning, religious persecution, death, blood, murder, violence against women, and ...

We are joined by podcaster extraordinaire, Eteng Ettah, as we dive into urban legends submitted by you, our Conspiriters! From after-school haunted shenanigans, to a make-up stealing ghost (Sephora is EXPENSIVE), this episode has a little bit of something for everyone. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, elder abuse and manipulation, hanging, suicide, family death, weig...

Years ago, we had a cursed episode all about horses. Now, to celebrate our 10 year anniversary AND The Year of the Horse, we visit some new horses (and murder horses) from folklore and mythology around the world. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of murder, gore, drowning, sexual assault, animal death, abduction, violence against women, gun violence, and sex.  

Hou...

Happy 10 Year Anniversary from your friends at Spirits! To celebrate, we’re revisiting the subject of our first ever episode: Persephone and Hades. We look at the story through a decade of new experiences, life changes, and so much more. Thanks for joining us. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of racism, death, animal death, blood, pedophilia, abduction, sexual assault, misogyn...

A new year, a NEW MYTHOLOGY SERIES. Welcome to our Arthurian Legend series. We’re starting with its namesake: King Arthur - the man, the myth (???), the legend. We talk about historical origins, Rome demanding “money please!!!”, and the surprising retrieval of the sword in the stone!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sexual assault, infidelity, warfare, misogyny, and death. 

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It’s a new year and a CHONKY urban legends episode is waiting for you. Featuring a long-time bathroom haunting, the cosplay to spouse pipeline, and how sometimes retail jobs are scarier than the monster under the bed! 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of child endangerment, abusive relationships, kidnapping, and illness.  

Housekeeping

- Books: Check out our previou...

If you’ve ever wondered how myths were made, especially during the Medieval period, we’ve got you covered! We’re joined by Professor Matthew Gabriele, host of American Medieval, to talk about Medieval mythmaking, Castlecore vs Crusadecore, and Romantasy as a way of reflecting on the Medieval period! 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of fascism, white supremacy, islamaphobia, mi...

We’re starting off the new year with more CULTS. We dig into some local history to talk about Frank Sandford and The Holy Ghost and Us Society - a story of religious fanaticism, lawsuits, and a shocking amount of drama surrounding boats. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of child abuse, child death, illness, racism, death, mental illness, antisemitism, ableism, drowning, starva...

It’s the end of the year, so let’s make some resolutions - to turn the world upside down! So we’re taking inspiration from the Medieval festival known as the Feast of Fools. We talk about its origins, how it was celebrated, and why we should absolutely bring it back. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of enslavement, sexuality, queerphobia, religious persecution, and racism.

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We should be telling more ghost stories in the winter time. That’s why we’re coming to you with a whole new urban legends episode, featuring mischievous ghost children, haunted dorms with a mysterious pull, and a grandpa ghost that has GOT to stop acting so creepy!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of implied abusive relationships, hallucinations/unreality, child death, family member...

Appalachia is a hotbed of spooky things - ghost stories, UFO sightings, well known cryptids. But what is it about this region that makes it so mysterious? We’re joined by Chuck Corra of the Appodlachia podcast to discuss what it is that makes us so fascinated with Appalachia!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of slavery, indentured servitude, gun violence, death, racism, homophobia, ...

Ah, Christmastime - presents, feasting, and… little goblins?! We explore this Greek folktale of the Kallikantzaroi, mischievous goblins that come to earth during the 12 Days of Christmas to cause shenanigans. Could your holidays be a little more naughty? We think they could! 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sexual content, genitalia, religious persecution, urination, violen...

Do you feel the cold weather nipping at your nose? What’s up with that? Is it Jack Frost, like a lot of the stories and songs say? Or is it another embodiment of winter, like Frau Hole, Boreas, or Morozko? You’ll have to bundle up in your coziest blanket and listen to this episode to find out!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, car accidents, war, child endangerment, child d...

There’s something about hearing a ghost story told aloud that makes it 1000x scarier! That’s why this episode definitely has us scared! From haunted schools to haunted bedrooms (both in the past and the present!), we’re glad none of our listeners got GOT by ghosts!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of fire, death, child death, hospitalization, illness, sexual content, insects, and ca...

Sometimes the most ‘mundane’ horror is the scariest, as we learn from author Grace Daly. She joins us to talk about the intersection of medical horror, comedy, and Irish folklore, as well as provides some great context for the Midwestern desire to be a part of Team Ignorant! 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of ableism, death, disability, medical discrimination, gore, dismember...

Where did the Dark Academia aesthetic come from with it’s Gothic architecture and dark libraries? What if we told you there is a school, straight from Transylvanian folklore, that might have spawned the whole idea? And that Dracula himself went there??

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of child endangerment, and imperialism. 

Housekeeping

- Books: Check out our previous book r...

Do you see that floating light just off in the distance in the dark woods? It has many names - the jack-o-lantern, the Min Min lights, the Naga Fireballs, but it’s perhaps best known as the will-o-the-wisp: a mysterious, sometimes malevolent, sometimes benevolent spirit that can be found around the world!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, drowning, child death, animal death...