Urban Legends
Luke Mordue examines the historical impact of the stories that haunt our society, tales that have gripped towns and cities worldwide for centuries as actual events - Urban Legends. First, hear the tales retold as short stories before delving into the history of the legend, dissecting its cultural significance, factuality, and origins. Released Fortnightly.
Episodes
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
In this chapter, we examine the legend of ‘Corpse Lights’; mysterious glowing lights said to appear over graveyards, marshes, battlefields, and lonely roads, often believed to be omens of death, wandering spirits, or the souls of the dead.
Join us as we trace where t...
In the wooded outskirts of Maryland, beneath an old railway bridge in Prince George’s County, locals have long warned of a figure that should not exist.
In this chapter, we examine the urban legend of the ‘Goatman’, a creature said to haunt Lovers’ Lane bridges and rural roads, swinging an axe at those who dare to enter its territory.
Join us as we explore where the Goatman stories began and just how they spread through modern folkl...
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
Long before it became a modern campfire story, the 'Pukwudgie' was described in the oral traditions of Algonquian-speaking peoples across the Northeast, a small figure of folklore.
Join us as we delve into the history of these strange creatures, just what they a...
In this chapter, we examine one of America’s most famous vampire cases, the story of 'Mercy Brown'.
During the tuberculosis spread of the 19th century, grief, fear, and limited medical understanding gave rise to the belief that the dead could feed on the living. Join me as we explore the real history behind this legend, how the press helped shape Mercy’s story, and why this case blurs the lines of folklore and medicine.
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
In this chapter, we investigate the urban legend of the 'Platte River Death Ship'. On foggy days along the Platte, it is said that a frost-covered phantom sailing ship is known to appear, its crew gathered around a body that’s revealed to be someone the wi...
This week’s chapter steps away from the archive and into the inbox as creator Luke Mordue answers the listener questions over the years. If you have any questions you want answer, you can drop us a text, an e-mail, or DM on our social media accounts for a future edition.
Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)
- If you have more information or a correction on something mentio...
In this chapter, we delves deep into the urban legend of the 'Jersey Devil'. From its roots in the Pine Barrens and the Leeds family story into the 1909 wave of sightings, when strange tracks, alleged attacks, and public fear spread across South Jersey and beyond.
Join us as we examine what was actually reported, how the story travelled, and what the panic reveals about rumour, media, and the human need to give a name and...
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
Three separate stories, one title, but is there any truth?
In this chapter, we examine the 'Dog Boy' of Arkansas – tracing the documented history of Gerald Bettis, reports of abuse and cruelty inside the family home, and how that address later became a stop on g...
In this chapter, we trace the evolution of the haunting ‘Humans can lick too’ Urban Legend. From early cautionary tales about young women alone at night through to its modern form shaped by fears of home invasion, serial killers, and the thin line between security and vulnerability in our own homes.
We examine how this legend blurs folklore and reality, how it has absorbed real crimes and media scares, it's surprisingly long hi...
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
In this chapter, we trace the story of the so called 'Frozen Hill People' from 19th century Vermont newspaper accounts and family scrapbooks to modern retellings in magazines, folklore collections, and online media, asking where it sits between rural desperatio...
Some stories are kept secret for a reason, and among the Diné, the figures outsiders call 'skinwalkers' is one of them.
In this chapter, we examine how this subject sits within Diné teachings about witchcraft rather than monsters, why many details are not shared publicly, and how 19th-century accusations, modern reporting, and internet mythmaking reshaped the idea for the rest of the world.
We separate c...
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
The 'Dead Children’s Playground' urban legend is most often linked to the small play area beside Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Alabama. A place where grief and suggestion overlap. Visitors report swings moving on their own, childlike voices emitting from t...
Each Halloween, stories circulate of decorations that look disturbingly real, until someone realises theres a very good reason for that.
The 'Halloween Hanging' story is often dismissed as an Urban Legend as scattered reports over the years have blurred fiction and fact, leaving many to wonder how much truth hides behind the tale. Join us as we discuss the origins of this eerie story, and how very real incidents may have s...
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
Long before online conspiracies took hold, one of the most famous legends in music history began to circulate claiming that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 and had since been secretly replaced by a double.
Known as the 'Paul is Dead' urban legend, it transformed...
In this chapter, we explore a story that’s grown far beyond its origins, from a simple Raggedy Ann doll to a symbol of modern horror.
The legend of 'Annabelle'.
Join me as we trace her history alongside Ed and Lorraine Warren, the couple who shaped her fame and controversy. We’ll examine the psychology that makes dolls so unsettling, uncover the real events behind the story, and look at how belief, media, and myth turned a...
**Trigger Warning: This chapter involves harm to children.**
In this chapter, let's delve into the urban legends that brought forward what is now known as 'The Satanic Panic‘, from the first sensational cases and flawed investigations to the media frenzy and courtrooms that followed. We’ll look at how fear, politics, and culture combined to create a moral wildfire, one that still echoes in today’s conspiracy movements.
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
For decades, stories of an unknown figure staring through bedroom windows have circulated in whispered warnings and late-night news reports, but is there any truth to it?
In this chapter, we explore the origins of the 'Killer in the Window' Urban Legen...
From ancient carvings and medieval manuscripts to shipwreck songs and seaside myths, 'Mermaids' have haunted human imagination for centuries.
Over the years, they have been a symbol of beauty, danger, sin, and even salvation. But where did these beings come from, and why have they endured in so many cultures across the world?
Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)
- If yo...
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
In the late hours of the night, a bus winds its way through the quiet streets of Beijing - a vehicle that has given rise to one of China’s most haunting modern legends. Known as the tale of the 'Midnight Bus', it tells of unsuspecting passengers, strange late-n...
To listen to the full chapter and the rest of our Modern Myths, join us on Patreon for just £3.00 a month by visiting https://patreon.com/urbanlegends
______________
In the crowded streets and buzzing venues of modern life, a rumour began to spread of strangers attacking at random with needles, leaving their victims with more than just fear and discomfort. Known as 'Pin Prick Attacks', this urban legend has gripped communit...
Popular Podcasts
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Questlove Show builds on the award-winning Questlove Supreme podcast, bringing listeners into intimate, one-on-one conversations with peers, influences, and friends. Hosted by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, each episode uncovers the unexpected — from morning rituals and hidden talents to the art and experiences that shaped a guest’s journey. Sometimes playful, sometimes profound, always curious, QLS offers rare insight into leaders in music, film, television, comedy, literature, mental health, and beyond. It’s a fresh, unpredictable spin from a trusted source — a place where randomness is encouraged, tangents are welcomed, and conversations are anything but ordinary.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Dan Bongino Show delivers no-nonsense analysis of the day’s most important political and cultural stories. Hosted by the former Deputy Director of the FBI, former Secret Service agent, NYPD officer, and bestselling author Dan Bongino, the show cuts through media spin with facts, accountability, and unapologetic conviction. Whether it’s exposing government overreach, defending constitutional freedoms, or connecting the dots the mainstream media ignores, The Dan Bongino Show provides in-depth analysis of the issues shaping America today. Each episode features sharp commentary, deep dives into breaking news, and behind-the-scenes insight you won’t hear anywhere else. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dan-bongino-show/id965293227?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sftHO603JaFqpuQBEZReL?si=PBlx46DyS5KxCuCXMOrQvw Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/bongino?e9s=src_v1_sa%2Csrc_v4_sa_o