Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

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...

Since it’s the week of Halloween, we’re breaking out a DOUBLE FEATURE URBAN LEGENDS EPISODE. There’s hauntings. There’s watery footprints. There’s a mysterious pit. Plus, it ends up being a haunted smells-centered episode, much to Amanda’s delight/fear. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, racism, drowning, abusive relationships, insects, child endangerment/death, murder...

We welcome back past and future guest Lauren Shippen to talk about her newest shows, her childhood experiences being haunted, and how both real and fictional demons have shaped her work. Then, Lauren turns the tables on US for a conversation about creativity, the supernatural, and finding hope in a creative world. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, murder, homophobia, ...

You know the story: A couple at makeout point hears some strange noises, drives home, discovers a bloody hook on their car door. But where did this story come from? And why do we keep telling it? This episode, we even dredge into true crime territory to reveal some of the potential origins of this infamous urban legend. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, gore, sexual c...

Hot girl summer is over, it’s girl with the green ribbon autumn. If you were scarred by this story when you were a kid, you’re going to love this episode where we dig into the history of beheadings, hangings, and Washington Irving’s kink, which led to a tale that we have told over and over again. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, illness, execution, beheading, hanging...

We’re starting off spooky season strong with an urban legends episode and a fantastic guest! Julia goes down the rabbit hole of geocaching. Amanda’s urban legend is people who want to kiss at parties. Mayanna has no theories, only questions.

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, drowning, sexual content, kidnapping, murder, pregnancy, gun violence, child death, bodily functions...

Isabel Cañas is BACK and here to talk about her new book, The Possession of Alba Díaz. Join us as we talk about the intersection of demonic possession and bodily autonomy, writing capital-R Romance novels, and how Isabel used her historian background to create an immersive Gothic novel. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, possession, racism, mental illness, poisoning, c...

We told you the stories of Merlin but where did he come from anyway? From Myrddin, to Lailoken, to the warrior poet Ambrosius Aurelianus, we discuss all of the different versions of Merlin before he was Merlin! And as a bonus, we chat about WHO Merlin was after his origins!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, warfare, mental illness, religious persecution, impalement, drownin...

What does the film industry, Louisa May Alcott, and King Tut have in common? Mummy’s curses! We dig into the history of the Curse of the Pharaohs, how they are viewed in the west, and how Tutmania changed Egyptology and the world. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, illness, racism, desecration of bodies, slavery, forced labor, grave-robbing, sexual assault, and animal ...

Julia’s out on vacation, but to get you prepped for spooky season, please enjoy these ghost stories from all across NYC from our friends over at The Bowery Boys! Fun fact! Every single one of these ghost stories was sourced from actual newspaper and magazine reporting from their respective eras! 

Housekeeping

- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books

- C...

Is a year of random ghostly screaming too much? We think it is! We also discuss trying to revisit the fae portals of our youth, owl mother-in-laws, and the bartender’s mouthwash. 

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, home invasion, police activity, child endangerment, cancer, medical procedures, and carbon monoxide leaks. 

Housekeeping

- Books: Check out our previo...

Sometimes we have a guest who just does not want to be scared! That’s why we’re breaking out some incredible yet wholesome hometown urban legends to share with friend of the pod, Ronald Young Jr. Featuring kindergarten paleontologists, bottomless lakes of fire, and how to make pirates even scarier!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of animal death, war, and teeth. 

Guest

Ronal...

You’ve heard his name before: Merlin. Not the first wizard, but the most important wizard! We’re taking a crack at Arthurian legend, digging into how the prototypical wizard shaped the stories, including his demonic birth, his terrible romances, and his role as Arthur’s Wizard Daddy.

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of colonialism, warfare, child endangerment/sacrifice, bestiality, ...

House spirits have been living in our heads (and our hearths) rent free lately! From Central America to Korea and across Europe, spirits like domovoi, brownies, duende, and more have been playing a role in home folklore. So pull up a chair by the hearth and we’ll tell you their tales!

Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of animal death, blood, strangulation, transphobia, colonization, ...