Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore
Episodes
Rome's April Festivals
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re getting into Rome’s festivals, and April is FULL of them! We’re celebrating the harvest, we’re celebrating sex, we’re celebrating wine...
Guinevere
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We love mess, and Queen Guinevere of Arthurian legend? There’s a lot of mess there! There’s scandal, there’s infidelity, AND AN EVIL TWIN!! We d...
FEED DROP: Historical Homos - A Queer History of Witchcraft
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Check out this episode from our friends at Historical Homos all about the Queer History of Witchcraft! In this episode, they ask and answer questions ...
Calling Back to Crince | Your Urban Legends 118
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The world is READY for this Urban Legends episode, featuring ghostly white pants on a muddy hike, creepy child phrasing, and of course, a call back to...
Legendary Chickens
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ex...
Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages w/ Melanie Holcomb & Nancy Thebaut
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Lady of the Lake
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Ghost-Related Refunds at Sephora? | Your Urban Legends 117 w/ Eteng Ettah
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined by podcaster extraordinaire, Eteng Ettah, as we dive into urban legends submitted by you, our Conspiriters! From after-school haunted sh...
Cursed Horses and The Year of the Horse
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 (an...
Persephone & Hades Revisited
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Happy 10 Year Anniversary from your friends at Spirits! To celebrate, we’re revisiting the subject of our first ever episode: Persephone and Hades. ...
King Arthur: Origins
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 (???),...
Whispered “hey” on the Toilet | Your Urban Legends 116
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Medieval Mythmaking w/ Professor Matthew Gabriele
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Gab...
The Holy Ghost and Us Society
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
Feast of Fools
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Ghost Child’s Screen Time | Your Urban Legends 115
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 misch...
Appalachian Folklore w/ Chuck Corra
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 mysteri...
The Kallikantzaros
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ah, Christmastime - presents, feasting, and… little goblins?! We explore this Greek folktale of the Kallikantzaroi, mischievous goblins that come to...
Jack Frost & Winter Spirits
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Say Hi to Uncle Rob (Ghost) | Your Urban Legends 114
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 haunt...
Irish Horror & Disability w/ Grace Daly
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ho...
Dark Academia & The Scholomance
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 fr...
Will-o'-the-Wisp
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Fireba...
Spirits Presents... Conversations with Ghosts
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we’re giving the feed over to a podcast we think you’ll really love - Conversations with Ghosts. It’s the newest audio drama fr...
Halloween Double Feature | Your Urban Legends 113
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since it’s the week of Halloween, we’re breaking out a DOUBLE FEATURE URBAN LEGENDS EPISODE. There’s hauntings. There’s watery footprints. The...
Demonology & Creativity w/ Lauren Shippen
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 fi...
The Hook
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 st...
The Girl with the Green Ribbon
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Werewolves Love Airports | Your Urban Legends 112 w/ Mayanna Berrin
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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’...
Demonic Possession w/ Isabel Cañas
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 possessi...
Merlin 2: Origins
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Curse of the Pharaohs
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, h...
Feed Drop: The Bowery Boys - Ghost Stories of the Five Boroughs
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Can’t Get Emails in the Fae Realm | Your Urban Legends 111
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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, an...
Wholesome Urban Legends w/ Ronald Young Jr.
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Merlin
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
House Spirits
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
A Prophetic Middle School Crush | Your Urban Legends 110
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you been dreaming about a new urban legend episode? Maybe your dreams are a little bit prophetic! We dig into some sweet and also terrifying prop...
Queering the Tarot w/ Charlie Claire Burgess
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shuffle through your Tarot deck as we’re joined by author and artist Charlie Claire Burgess who talks about their work around tarot and the intersec...
The Flatwoods Monster
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve talked about so many American cryptids on the show, but have you heard about the Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia? Settle around the camp fi...
Three Wise Monkeys
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. You might have heard this phrase before (or at least seen the cute little monkey emojis on your phone), but ...
What are the MOUTH PROPORTIONS?! | Your Urban Legends 109
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some kids are gay. Some kids are obsessed with death. Some kids are gay AND obsessed with death. And we love that for them! Also featuring astral proj...
Queer and Trans Witchcraft w/ Brooke Palmieri
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined this week by author and artist, Brooke Palmieri, to discuss his new book - Bargain Witch: Essays of Self-Initiation. We chat about hold...
Bloody Mary
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bloody Mary: A sleepover myth? Or something much deeper? We discuss the mirror rituals of the past, the women who might have inspired the myth, and ho...
Bees
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s been a lot of buzz around bees, especially in folklore and mythology! From Ancient Egypt and Greece to Hinduism and Celtic folklore, the rel...
Everyone Assumes the Worst of Devin the Ghost | Your Urban Legends 108
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We dive into three generations of hauntings, from blackbird death omens, the worst Ouija board experience we’ve ever encountered, and a haunted cabi...
The Mythos of Technology and Capitalism w/ Jathan Sadowski
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Technology and capitalism? In your mythology podcast? It’s more likely than you’d think! We’re joined by Jathan Sadowski, professor and podcaste...
Gnomes 2: The Nisse
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Julia really wanted to title this episode 2 Gnomes 2 Furious, but SEO! We dig into the Scandinavian Nisse and Tomte, the socialist leanings of these h...
Gnomes
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Those little red-hatted fellas that hang out in your garden? There’s enough for a whole Spirits episode on that? The answer might surprise you as we...
The Birthplace of Dark Academia | Your Urban Legends 107
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve got a variety of haunted places this month for you - a haunted house (classic), a haunted college (love it), a haunted adult store (?????). Al...
Urban Legends of NYC w/ Greg Young of The Bowery Boys
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NYC has a long history, filled with (unsurprisingly) MANY ghosts. So we called in an expert to tell us about them: Greg from The Bowery Boys discusses...
Gardening Superstitions
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Spring has sprung, and you’re probably wondering: What should I be planting? How do I make sure my garden is a success? Well, we’ve got all the ga...
Riddling Spirits
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Riddles have captivated fiction and mythology alike for thousands of years! From sphinxes and gods to kings and princesses, we’ve been posing riddle...
Oops! All Haunted Schools! | Your Urban Legends 106
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ooops! That’s a lot of haunted schools! Haunted school trips, haunted school theatres, haunted turrets that no child should be crawling up into! Be ...
Feed Drop: Queens Podcast - Amina of Zaria
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we give you an episode from our friends at Queens Podcast about the life of Amina of Zaria, a legendary figure in African history. Enjoy th...
Women of a Certain Age w/ Deanna Raybourn
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Women of a certain age can do anything - whether it’s being assassins, spinning the threads of fate, or doing witchy things in the woods! From the F...
Once Upon A Time…
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every story has to start somewhere. Whether it’s with “once upon a time” or “when tigers used to smoke tobacco”, storytellers have been sett...
Gods of the Nile | Denial Isn’t Just a River
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve reached the end of the river. What an amazing journey. We discuss our final 3 gods of the Nile River: Khnum, Hapy, and Sobek. Fish? They’re ...
It’s Giving Hat Man | Your Urban Legends 105
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if you got to dream of an urban legends episode that never actually existed? Well, it happened! Also featuring several food superstition follow-u...
The Char Man of Ojai w/ Jess from WTF Is That Podcast
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the very real fear of wildfires meet folklore and urban legends? You get something like The Char Man of Ojai. We’re joined by Jess...
Anubis | Denial Isn’t Just a River
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Perky little ears and a terrifying visage, we’re talking this week about the god of mummification, Anubis! Featuring a zoology corner where we lea...
Valentine's Day
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Valentine’s Day has changed over the past millennia or so. From a martyred saint, to a feast day, to courtly love and gifting roses and chocolates, ...
Ghost Fingers Are the Worst! | Your Urban Legends 104
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s confirmed: You can use Spirits as a tool for surviving in the wilderness. Also featuring another appearance of the Hat Man, cryptids from the O...
See us LIVE in Portland and NYC!
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us in Portland on March 23 for a double-header live show! Get your tickets now at spiritspodcast.com/live And if you live in or around NY...
You Just Lost the Game | Spirits x American Hysteria
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sorry to tell you, but you just lost The Game. In our first ever crossover episode with American Hysteria, we do a deep dive into the mind game with o...
The Beast of Gévaudan w/ Gigi Griffis
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Animal attacks on the French peasantry, a mysterious beast, and a years long hunt. We’re joined by author Gigi Griffis as we discuss The Beast of Gé...
Food Superstitions
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever spilled some salt and tossed it over your shoulder? Broken a wishbone with friends and family? Have you ever wondered WHY we blow out ca...
Fight Off Ghosts, Stay Hydrated! | Your Urban Legends 103
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We can’t buy a minor league baseball team, but we could rebrand one into something spooky with your help! Also featuring your stories of recurring c...
Bastet | Denial Isn't Just a River
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re starting the new year off right: With a goddess who is leading with both her cat face and her titties - Bastet! That’s how we all should ent...
Hot Frosty | Myth Movie Night
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We return with Myth Movie Night to explore a wild, very silly Netflix Christmas movie: Hot Frosty. We discuss dick scarf physics, bad business practic...
Mari Lwyd
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
‘Tis the season for celebration, gathering, and of course, parading horse-skulled figures from door to door. We dig into the tradition of wassailing...
Ghost Cat Distribution System | Your Urban Legends 102
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes you move into a new place and there’s a cat waiting for you. Sometimes that cat is a ghost. Who are you to question why that is? We’re a...
Sekhmet | Denial Isn't Just a River
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hair? Perfect. Bloodlust? Raging. Titty? Adorned. You know what that means: it’s time to dive deep into the story of everyone’s favorite lioness!&...
Plant Folklore w/ Dr. Vikram Baliga, The Plant Professor
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trees of life, magical trees, immortal trees! We’re joined by horticulture expert and podcast extraordinaire, Dr. Vikram Baliga, as he walks us thro...
I’m Looking For an Apparition | Your Urban Legends 101
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I’m looking for an apparition. 5’5”. Brown hair. Spooky vibes. Also, a visit from Ma Winchester AND Mother Goose? We are blessed AND scared, the...
Idle Hour and the Royal Fraternity of Master Metaphysicians
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since it’s nearing Thanksgiving, Julia presents a hyper local cult that’s been fascinating her - The Royal Fraternity of Master Metaphysicians and...
We’re Not Going Anywhere
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mythology and folklore aren’t just history. They’re essential roadmaps to what’s next. Free Multitude Discord: https://discord.gg/RMuR...
Hathor | Denial Isn't Just a River
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This goddess is giving mother. Literally. This many-named deity, Hathor, is the goddess of love, sex, makeup, and even hangovers. You can see why we’...
Out Clubbing During a Haunting | Your Urban Legends 100!!!
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
100 spooky urban legends episodes. Who would have thought? We celebrate that number with the coolest cryptid mom ever, the worst building material eve...
SECRET FUNERAL HEIST | Your Urban Legends 99
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re not thinking about the best ways to creep people out with your final wishes after you die, you’re not optimizing. An urban legends episo...
Short & Spooky! | Your Urban Legends 98
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Something a story is short, sweet, and more importantly, spooky! So we’ve got a variety of those quicker stories this episode - from graves, to elem...
The Most Metal Girl Guide Trip | Your Urban Legends 97
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We let Girl Guides get up to the wildest stuff. From age-inappropriate field trips, handsy ghosts, and the return of the Half-Perched House, this epis...
Nephthys & Seshat | Denial Isn't Just a River
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve got a goddess double header! We dive into two underappreciated goddesses, who really are way cooler than you were led to believe in your eleme...
El Silbón
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you hear whistling on the plains at night, it might be too late for you. Because you’ve probably run into El Silbón, the South American boogeyma...
A Haunted Gin & Tonic | Your Urban Legends 96
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a very grandparent-focused episode. Grandparents haunting churches, haunting plants, all different hauntings. PLUS a ghost child named…. Sem...
Horus | Denial Isn't Just a River
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been circling around Horus like a HAWK during this series, but now it’s finally time to dive right into it. We talk about the origins of thi...
American Hysteria w/ Chelsey Weber-Smith
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are digging into urban legends near and far with our guest, Chelsey Weber-Smith of American Hysteria. We chat about the cross section of poetry and...
Satyrs & Fauns
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Keeping with our nature spirits trend, we’re talking about the horny (in more ways than one) Greek nature spirits: satyrs, and their Roman counterpa...
Just Another Blood Curse | Your Urban Legends 95
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes you record an episode from the middle of the woods in rural Canada, so you have to really up the ante. We taunt a malicious spirit, start a ...
Set | Denial Isn't Just a River
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every story needs a villain, and Egyptian mythology has Set. But is he really just a villain? We explore his multifaceted domains, his motivations, an...
The Oneida Community
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
400 episodes. Wow. We decided for this one to talk about something that has captured our interests since before Spirits was even the thing - the Oneid...
Oceanids, Nereids, & Naiads
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Oceanids, Nereids, and Naiads, oh my! We’re back to talking about nymphs, but this time it’s all about water nymphs - rivers, the sea, the springs...
The Following Spirit | Your Urban Legends 94
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do not adjust your podcast players. If this is all sounding familiar to you, it might be an echo of the future.Content Warning: This episode contains ...
Zombies and Shakespeare w/ Melody Bates
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Was Shakespeare writing about zombies? What if Romeo & Juliet were transformed at the end of the play rather than just dying? We’re joined by pl...
Dryads
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s summer and we’re vibing with nature, which means we’re talking about the tree spirits of Greek mythology: Dryads! Also if you’ve ever wan...
Isis | Denial Isn't Just a River
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re talking this week about Isis, the Egyptian Head Queen in Charge! She’s out there doing magic, bringing people back from the dead, controllin...
The Shuddering of Creekside Mushrooms, Revisited | Your Urban Legends 93
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After a month of mushroom folklore, horror, and general gushing, we are revisiting with fresh eyes the scariest story we’ve ever told on the podcast...
The World of Mushrooms
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Julia loves mushrooms. That’s why we are doing a whole month of mushroom episodes, but she just wanted to share her favorite facts from the world of...
Mushrooms and Modern Horror w/ Jenna Stoeber
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mushrooms and horror go together like peanut butter and jelly, and we’ve brought on our local horror expert, Jenna Stoeber to talk us through the hi...
Mushrooms and Mythology
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Surprise! We’re spending an entire month talking about mushrooms in mythology, horror and beyond! We start with a roundup of our favorite mushroom t...