Lexicons Unbound: Where Folklore Meets Your Algorithm
From medieval monsters to modern memes, Lexicons Unbound traces the folklore in your feed. Hosted by two narrative explorers with a day job in education, we explore how legends shape our lives—online and off. With a blend of research, curiosity, and a bit of irreverence, each episode dives into tales that haunt, humor, or hold a mirror to who we are. Pull up a chair and press play.
Episodes
In Faith, Folklore, and the Lessons They Left Us, Melanie reflects on the legacy of women healers often labeled “Granny Witches,” weaving personal memories of her grandmother with the broader folklore of women’s faith, care, and community wisdom. This conversation explores how practicality and learned expertise shaped their work—long before modern healthcare systems recognized such knowledge. Together, Melanie and Molly consider ho...
This October, Lexicons Unbound steps into the world of witches—not as broomstick caricatures, but as figures of power, resistance, and folklore. From Ozark “granny witches” to pop culture icons like Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ Eglantine Price and Bewitched’s Samantha, Melanie and Molly trace how the word witch has shifted from fear and persecution to reclamation and empowerment.
Blending personal stories, folklore, women’s history, an...
Folklore, Fear, and the Viral “Man vs. Bear” Debate
What do fairy tales, survival instincts, and a viral social media debate have in common? In this episode of Lexicons Unbound, we unpack the question that took over timelines: Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear?
We explore the bear as a powerful symbol in folklore—protector, predator, and primal force—and examine how it connects to modern conversations about...
This short intro episode is your invitation into our world—a podcast where folklore meets your algorithm.
We’re Melanie (writer, performer, and digital folklore translator) and Molly (researcher and professor specializing in storytelling and culture), two educators and lifelong story nerds who can’t stop asking:
What old patterns hide in the stories we tell today?
Why do viral memes feel like modern myths?
And how is folklore ...
What do TikTok hauntings, monster memes, and bedtime stories have in common? They’re all part of the folklore that lives in our feeds. This is just the beginning—subscribe now and join us for stories that surprise, unsettle, and connect us.
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