Lore
Episodes
Episode 105: Layers
07 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We love to simplify things. Easy is better than complex, after all, and simple things are easy to understand. Sadly, though, the people around us are ...
Episode 104: Anchored
21 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The ocean is very good at taking things from us, but we are equally skilled at not forgetting. Still, no matter how many stories we tell about lost sh...
Episode 103: Disappointment
10 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Humanity is fueled by hope. We hope for improvement, and dream of a day when things get better than they are right now. And for a very long time, ther...
Episode 102: Devil in the Details
26 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us live incredibly busy lives, and because of all that distraction, we tend to miss the little things. Whether it's a forgotten birthday, or t...
Episode 101: Worn Away
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Like a well-loved pair of shoes, or those jeans you bought in college and never gave up on, some things become worn out over time. But when that thing...
Episode 100: Home Sweet Home
29 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Every movement has a seed, that spark that sets the fire ablaze. But this spark is more than just a murder mystery, or a treasure hunt, or even a haun...
Episode 99: Out For Blood
22 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Each of us holds inside ourselves a precious cargo. It is the key to life, and a worthy sacrifice when important things are on the line. And yet it al...
Episode 98: Never Alone
15 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When tragedy strikes and poor choices haunt us, sometimes the only thing we can do is move on and build on the ashes of the past. But there are places...
Episode 97: Misplaced
08 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For thousands of years, humans have built rules and procedures for handling the various curveballs that life throws our way—and we place a lot of tr...
Episode 96: The Long Good-Bye
01 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Life is full of challenges. From learning new skills to climbing the social ladder, most people struggle with the hurdles we're forced to overcome. Bu...
Episode 95: Out of Sight
17 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Few things disappoint us more than when our expectations aren't met. We expect to be loved, or to be rewarded for our hard work. And above all, we exp...
Episode 94: Hard Rain
03 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our understanding of the natural world is incredibly advanced compared to our ancestors from a few centuries ago. We have established rules and order ...
Episode 93: A Place to Lay Your Head
20 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Humans are hard-wired for trust. It's the secret ingredient that helps us form communities, build relationships, and grow as people. But while that tr...
Episode 92: Stronger
06 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There is a lot in life that we can control, but no system is perfect. Every now and then, circumstances pull the rug out from underneath us and leave ...
Episode 91: Beneath the Surface
23 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Islands have served a variety of functions for people over the years. They can be a place of safety and privacy, or of simplicity and escape. But isla...
Episode 90: Mind the Gap
09 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We tend think of rivers and lakes as tame. They are the safe and friendly counterpart to the deep and treacherous waters of the ocean. Freshwater rive...
Episode 89: Fanning the Flames
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Some cities experience a single tragedy and then live with that pain and loss for generations. They are built on a dark foundation, and everything new...
Episode 88: Crossing the Line
11 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have always sought companionship. From the communities we live in, to the pets we welcome into our homes, our need for companions is as old as ...
Episode 87: Road Trip
28 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Every now and then a story comes along that is so powerful and compelling that it creates a new branch on the tree of folklore. Yes, it has deeper roo...
Episode 86: Under Siege
14 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our bodies are a fortress, and every day, they suffer through attacks from the outside. Over the centuries, we're become very good at protecting ourse...
Episode 85: Creature of Habit
30 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our home is supposed to be a safe space where we are free to relax and enjoy life. History, though, contains stories that break that mould. Places whe...
Episode 84: A Family Affair
16 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nothing is more magical than when a family works together. But when their talents seem to defy all logic and reason, it might not be a bad idea to dig...
Episode 83: Carried Away
02 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have always been more than a little bit superstitious, and one of the oldest and most universal of those beliefs is the curse. The story of how...
Episode 82: Forgotten
19 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
People are really good at moving on. We rush from fad to fad at an alarming speed, and it's difficult to predict where our interests will land next. I...
Episode 81: On the Edge
05 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Humanity seems to always be at risk of suffering through another major outbreak. History is full with dark moments of biological chaos, and despite co...
Episode 80: Dark Imports
19 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The places we inhabit slowly become like us, reflecting our brightest ambitions and darkest secrets. Countless cities harbor the shadows of a violent ...
Episode 79: Locked Away
05 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our lives have a way of becoming magnets that attract pain and suffering. Some of us go through more than others, but in the end, we're all running fr...
Episode 78: Exposure
22 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a very technological world today, with constant updates and improvements over last year's model, and while many of the advancements are ama...
Episode 77: Withering Heights
08 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Waves of illness crash against the shores of humanity. They always have, and they probably always will. But we weather the storm through advancements ...
Episode 76: Talk Show
22 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Life is a lot like a big budget movie. We click play, and then let the action wash over us. There are highs and lows, laughter and tears, and then it'...
Episode 75: Black and Wild
11 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The pages of our greatest literature are full of tales of powerful wizards. People gifted with abilities that stand head and shoulder above their peer...
Episode 74: All Fall Down
27 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The sky is a source of life for everything on this planet. Rain to quench our thirst and sunlight for our food. We don't look up too often these days,...
Episode 73: A Sweet Embrace
13 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When our health is failing and our lives are at risk, trust is essential. The people who care for us often find themselves in a position of power, wit...
Episode 72: A Grave Mistake
30 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have a seemingly never-ending list of fears. The dark of night, small spaces, open water…there doesn't seem to be an area of life that doesn'...
Trick or Treat 2017 - Set 2
23 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this second Lore Trick or Treat 2017 set of stories, we explore the power of folklore and fate. A Head of Steam takes us on an eerie trip through t...
Episode 71: Silver Lining
16 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We've conquered much of our world, but even with all of our great cities and urban sprawl, there are still shadows on the edge. And it's in the shadow...
Trick or Treat 2017 - Set 1
09 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The first Trick or Treat Halloween special of 2017 features two tales. The first, A Bridge Too Far, walks us through a winter train ride that went hor...
Episode 70: Familiar
02 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There's a fine line between rationality and madness, but it's not as easy to avoid as you might think. Throughout history, our world has played host t...
Episode 69: Wide Open
18 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The sky is full of mystery. It's big, expansive, and—despite a century of powered human flight—outside our realm of control. Which is why, for cen...
Episode 68: The Tainted Well
04 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The older the country, the deeper the roots of its folklore have grown—roots that are fed by darkness, fear, and pain. And few countries hold such a...
Episode 67: The Red Coats
21 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are some locations that seem to draw humans closer. Places that are away from the bustle of everyday life, that almost seem part of our soul. We...
Episode 66: Where There's Smoke
07 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Fire is a dangerous tool. Used properly, it can transform a society, but if it isn't respected, it can burn that society to the ground. Which is why w...
Episode 65: Doing Tricks
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are very few bits of folklore that haven't spread around the globe over the past few centuries. Yet every now and then, something fresh and dist...
Episode 64: Behind Closed Doors
10 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The bigger the city, the easier it is to miss the little details. Stories of loss, tragedy, and horrifying events have a way of vanishing beneath the ...
Episode 63: Homecoming
26 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Folklore and popular culture are filled with a type of event that seems both unusual and logical: time and time again, criminals return to the source....
Episode 62: Desperate Measures
12 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Folklore and medicine often go hand in hand. In fact, for a long time they were the very same thing. But folklore has a way of leading people to tragi...
Episode 61: Labor Pains
29 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You can tell a lot about a culture by the things it creates. Tools, exploration, weapons; all of it speaks to the priorities and character of that soc...
Episode 60: If Walls Could Talk
15 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have an innate desire to fix what's broken, and that's a good thing. We're not the best at it, though, and we often fail—sometimes horribly. ...
Episode 59: A Deep Fear
01 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
H.P. Lovecraft said it best: "…the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown". And no other place in the world is as unknown to us as...
Episode 58: The Devil's Beat
17 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Human culture has a different expression no matter where you go. Despite that variety, though, we do share one common thread: music. And while it has ...
Episode 57: Quarantine
03 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly four centuries ago, a wave of sickness spread through a community in the French countryside. It wasn't a traditional disease they were fighting...
Episode 56: Going Viral
20 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Fear has a way of spreading. It's contagious, moving from person to person. Given enough time, fear can consume an entire community. Sometimes, though...
Episode 55: A Way Inside
06 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Folklore is more than just a collection of stories; it's the soul of a culture or location. Without them, our world has less texture and beauty. And l...
Episode 54: Teacher's Pet
20 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The more crowded our world becomes, the more frequently we are confronted with our commonality. Our interests, our passions…even our appearance. But...
Episode 53: Trees and Shadows
06 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Our connection to animals is ancient, intimate, and complex. Humans have worshiped them, sacrificed them, lived with them, and been buried with them. ...
Episode 52: Negative Consequences
23 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
History is full of criminals. They come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Some are cheerful, some are dark. Some, however, steal more than money or p...
Episode 51: Within the Walls
09 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We crave safety. We build rules and systems and even physical barriers in order to create a sense of security. But darkness has a way of creeping in, ...
Episode 50: Mary, Mary
23 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Spiritualist movement placed a large focus on reaching beyond the veil, which made us the outsiders pressing into a foreign realm. In the late 180...
Episode 49: Seeing Double
12 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's often said that our real identity is the person we are in private, away from the public eye. Over two centuries ago, however, one person gave lif...
Episode 48: Downriver
28 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Tragedy is never something we plan for. It sneaks up on us like a bandit in the night, and takes away our sense of security and purpose. But throughou...
Episode 47: Missing the Point
14 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Our world is full of mysterious sightings, but most of them can be explained away with cold logic and common sense. When multiple reports flood in, th...
Episode 46: Dark Conclusions
31 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For almost as long as there have been stories of supernatural beings, there have been tales of those who hunt them. From ancient traditions to Hollywo...
Trick or Treat 2016: Set 2
24 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A Halloween treat to add a bit of dark history to your week. Each Lore "Trick or Treat 2016" episode is a collection of two of my favorite "shorts" in...
Episode 45: First Impressions
17 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We say it all the time. It's a phrase we hang our hopes on. It represents our wants and desires. But "a dream come true" has an older, darker side as ...
Trick or Treat 2016: Set 1
10 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A Halloween treat to add a bit of spook to your week. Each Lore "Trick or Treat 2016" episode is a collection of two of my favorite "shorts" in one pl...
Episode 44: From Within
03 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Civilization was transformed the moment we discovered it. We've built it into our religions and use it to advance our technology. Whether we take it f...
Episode 43: Supply and Demand
19 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout history, certain individuals have managed to rise to the challenge in the face of difficulty. But in 1827, that attitude was taken to a new...
Episode 42: In the Bag
05 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Most of our fears can be blamed on a deeper, more instinctive anxiety: we hate losing control. And no place on earth represents that sensation more vi...
Episode 41: Hole in the Wall
22 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We've been taught since childhood to be honest, because our actions have consequences and our words can hurt people. But the events that took place in...
Episode 40: Everything Floats
08 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The older the city, the more stories there seem to be. Some places are home to tragedy, while others have played host to disaster or war. Few cities h...
Episode 39: Take the Stand
25 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For as long as humans have lived together in community, there has been the need for crimes and disputes to be settled by some form of court. Many of t...
Episode 38: The Mountain
11 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have always wandered off into unexplored territory. It's a key part of our identity to leave safety behind in pursuit of adventure. Those journ...
Episode 37: Passing Notes
27 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For as crowded as this world has become, most people feel isolated and alone. Perhaps that's why so many of us believe that there's another world, jus...
Episode 36: When the Bow Breaks
13 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The cities and buildings where tragedy has concentrated over the years always seem to hold stories. Stories of loss, of pain, and of things that refus...
Episode 35: The King
30 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Popular culture is obsessed with the idea of a lost humanity. Countless films, novels, and television shows all ask the same question: what would happ...
Episode 34: All the Lovely Ladies
16 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Folklore has often developed as a response to real-world events, but the opposite has also been true. History has, upon occasion, unintentionally conf...
Episode 33: A Dead End
02 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Folklore can change and evolve over time. But when we uncover the roots of these stories, we often find that the real events at their core are the dar...
Episode 32: Tampered
18 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe it's human pride, or maybe it's a tendency toward superstition, but humans are very good at making excuses. When things don't go our way or when...
Episode 31: Lost and Found
04 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We spend every waking moment surrounded by people. People who talk to us, who interact with us, and who are very much alive an breathing. Which is why...
Episode 30: Deep and Twisted Roots
21 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When two boys discovered a macabre surprise while playing in a Connecticut gravel pit, they uncovered more than a piece of the past. Their discovery e...
Episode 29: The Big Chill
07 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to the writings of Stephen King, the state of Maine has become known as a place of fictional horror and tragedy. But it's at the real-life inte...
Episode 28: Making a Mark
22 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Stories leave a mark on us. They can act like scars or decoration, always there, always reminding us of things that happened. But in some cases, those...
Episode 27: On the Farm
08 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Safety is a basic human need, and we build a lot of our life around achieving it. This is nothing new, really; humans have always sought safety in a d...
Episode 26: Brought Back
25 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have been obsessed with escaping the grasp of death for thousands of years. It's impossible, of course, but we dream of it nonetheless. Which m...
Episode 25: The Cave
11 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Over the centuries, all sorts of methods have been used to govern people. And while some have been just and humane — such as most modern legal syste...
Episode 24: A Stranger Among Us
28 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Many family traditions and treasured folktales involve strangers who visit us. What would Christmas be without Santa, after all. But strangers in gene...
Episode 23: Rope and Railing
14 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
There are places in the world that we rarely see. Our busy lives never take us there, and as a result, they don't come to mind when we think of chilli...
Episode 22: Over the Top
30 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
History is full of examples of moments in time when hysteria and fear ruled common sense. While some of these examples were valid reasons to panic and...
Episode 21: Adrift
16 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Since the dawn of time, humans have pushed themselves to explore. When that adventure took to the seas, however, it was an invitation for tragedy. The...
Episode 20: Homestead
02 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Home is where the heart is. It's where we build our lives and celebrate the things we love. But it can also be the center of tragedy and darkness. On ...
Episode 19: Bite Marks
26 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Seeing isn't always a prerequisite for belief. In fact, oftentimes the things we believe in the most strongly are invisible to our naked eyes. But whe...
Episode 18: Hunger Pains
19 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
For as advanced and civilized as we are, humans are still led by very basic desires. We are drive by a need for safety and shelter. We long for a comm...
Episode 17: Broken Fingernails
12 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We leave our loved ones there after they've passed. We treat the space with reverence and solemn deference. Cemeteries are meant to be a final resting...
Episode 16: Covered Mirrors
04 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
At the heart of every horror film is an iconic weapon. Often times they are nondescript and ordinary, but in the hands of a killer they become somethi...
Episode 15: Unboxed
20 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
People can be a bit possessive. We love our things, and we cling tightly to them. But what happens when the things we own refuse to let go of us? ——...
Episode 14: The Others
06 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We don't like to be alone. We hate it. So we tell stories about others, the things at the edges of society. Things we're not sure about. But what if t...
Episode 13: Off the Path
24 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Life is a careful journey down a pathway that we've set our hearts on. But every now and then we get pulled off the trail. Sometimes that's a good thi...
Episode 12: Half-Hanged
07 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
History is full of people who took things too far. Humans are gifted at turning on one another, a skill we've honed over the millennia. But when a sma...
Episode 11: Black Stockings
25 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have a history of making up stories to explain the unexplainable. Sometimes we use those stories to teach our children a moral lesson, or enter...
Episode 10: Steam & Gas
12 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The well-worn carpets and imperfect walls of an old hotel can often make guests feel as if they are staying in a little slice of the past. In one gran...