Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

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...

A Ghost’s Costume Change | Your Urban Legends 92

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We scared each other quite a bit with this one. A ghost that says its name like a Pokemon, a very fitness-focused ghost, and the worst bug story we’...

Osiris | Denial Isn't Just a River

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

More mummies, more problems - or in this case, we’re talking about the FIRST mummy and god of the afterlife: Osiris! Content Warning: This epis...

Making Queer Fairy Tales w/ Melanie Gillman

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by cartoonist and author of Other Ever Afters, Mel Gillman to chat about growing as an artist, how allegories of fairy tales grow over ...

The Muses

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We hope you’re feeling as divinely inspired as we are in this episode about the Muses! We dive into their origins, their idiosyncrasies, and the rol...

Unknowable, Eldritch Pronouns | Your Urban Legends 91 w/ Mischa Stanton

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by editor extraordinaire and podcast pro, Mischa Stanton. And we brought a bunch of stories that are Mischa-coded: LARPing, summer camp...

Thoth | Denial Isn't Just a River

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get your notepad ready to take notes, because we’re talking about the god Thoth! There’s games of chance, justice, cliffhangers, and so much more!...

Queer Monsters w/ Sacha Coward

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hey Time Travelers, we’re diving back in time with the help of author Sacha Coward to talk about the intertwined history of queerness, monsters, and...

Haunted Theatres

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re back from our tour, and even though none of the theatres we visited were haunted, we decided to do a dive into the most haunted theatres aroun...

Wholesome Urban Legends | Your Urban Legends 90

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The antidote we all need to April Fool’s Day is here: a roundup of wholesome stories from your lives about the ways you and your parents make your d...

Ma’at | Denial Isn't Just a River

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s play a game of Never Have I Ever with the gods. We’re talking about Ma’at, the balance of the universe, and how we all play a role in upho...

Abandoned Places w/ Blake Pfeil

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever been haunted by an abandoned place? We are joined by multidisciplinary artist Blake Pfeil to talk about his experiences exploring abando...

Join the Rolling Bones Tour from ANYWHERE with VODs!

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You asked from around the globe, so we answered: we will have AUDIO + VIDEO RECORDINGS for every stop on the Rolling Bones tour!!!    Buy a ticke...

7 Minutes in Heaven with a Ghost | Your Urban Legends 89

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The family that listens to Spirits together, stays together. Or that’s what we’re guessing after this follow up email we got! Also, are you up to ...

Tickets are Going Fast for the Rolling Bones Tour!

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get your tickets NOW at https://spiritspodcast.com/live !!    Don’t miss out: come see Spirits and Join the Party LIVE in Seattle, Minneap...

Nightmare Creatures

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever woken up from a nightmare and wondered: What’s that all about? You’re not alone! We dive in deep to the various monsters and spirits...

The Thriae, Taiwo, and Rosie the Riveter | Advice from Folklore w/ Dr. Moiya McTier

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The gods (and astrophysicist-folklorist Dr. McTier) are back to channel divine inspiration for YOUR questions. We cover it all, from jobs to housekeep...

Polly Baker w/ Fayge Horesh

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re a mythology podcast, so why are we talking to historian Fayge Horesh about a historical figure? Well, first off she’s not real. But secondly...

Ra | Denial Isn't Just a River

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to our Ancient Egyptian series, where we’re starting our deity focused episodes with Ra - the sun, the creator, the god king himself. W...

Ghosts? Or Quiet Quitting? | Your Urban Legends 88

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Haunted architecture, haunted museums, haunted bosses? Man, everything’s haunted nowadays. Guess it’s time to quit your job, listen to this new ep...

The Chinese Zodiac

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Chinese New Year is nearly upon us, and it’s the Year of the Dragon! But where do the animals of the zodiac come from? And are there legends sur...

We’re Going on Tour!!

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Spirits is coming to 7 cities in the U.S. this March with the Rolling Bones Tour! Your two favorite podcasts, Spirits and Join the Party, will...

Unicorns

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What do Victorians, kids of the 90s, and Renaissance Christians have in common? They were all SUPER into unicorns. We talk about unicorn stories from ...

A Charcuterie Board for Santa | Your Urban Legends 87

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Haunted houses are cool, but when your family all AGREES that your house is haunted? We love to see it. Follow ups, wholesome hauntings, and haunted r...

Egyptian Mythology 101 | Denial Isn't Just a River

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 2024. We’re digging into Ancient Egyptian mythology, FINALLY! But before we really get into it, Julia’s laying out a 101 class to get us al...

Greek Word Origins

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We get a lot of interesting words from Greek mythology - some more surprising than others. But what if we made up some words of our own, inspired by G...

Ghosts Hate Dubstep | Your Urban Legends 86 w/ The Reading Party Podcast

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From haunted doors to haunted castles, this urban legends episode is sure to have SOMETHING that would scare a child version of yourself (or an adult ...

Hanukkah & Round and Round w/ Eric Silver

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A time loop Hallmark Hanukkah movie? Do we really need to say more? We do, we say more for like an hour, joined by senior Jewish correspondent Eric Si...

Exorcism

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since 1973’s The Exorcist, demonic possession and exorcism have dominated horror pop culture. But what are the origins of exorcism within the Cathol...

Rainbows

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Forget everything you think you know about rainbows! (Unless you’re a meteorologist or something) Amanda channels her inner oracle as we discuss rai...

Julia's Haunted Painting | Your Urban Legends 85 w/ Jeffrey Cranor

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you buy a haunted painting and have to tell your friends. And sometimes you have to tell your guest a bunch of haunted theatre stories once ...

Ravens

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a midnight dreary, we recorded an episode about ravens! There’s so many stories featuring ravens from across the world, from the raven’s...

The Boogeyman

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s monsters that our parents warned us about, mostly because if they just told us to do something, we wouldn’t listen: Boogeymen! We go throu...

Astrology and Shakespeare w/ Kelly Downes

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that Shakespeare was really into astrology? We sure didn’t, which is why we’re joined by Kelly Downes, who gives us a great discussio...

Black Cats

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

October might be newly over, but we’re keeping the spooky vibes going by talking about black cats! We talk about cat worship, how cats went from luc...

We Demand Answers | Your Urban Legends 84

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween is just around the corner, so naturally it’s time to hear some urban legends! We demand more answers, we respect the survival instincts of...

Homer & The Iliad w/ Lexie Henning

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Traveling bards, days of performances, and a 10 year war - we’re talking about Homer and The Iliad with scholar and podcaster, Lexie Henning! C...

Hamlet

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alas, poor Hamlet! We haven’t talked about him yet, Horatio. We’re getting close to wrapping up our Supernatural Shakespeare series, but of course...

Board Games with Ghosts | Your Urban Legends 83

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a lot of haunted houses in this one, so it’s perfect to start October off! Board games with ghosts, the most haunted episode of Gordon Ram...

Mexican Vampires w/ Isabel Cañas

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Isabel Cañas is back to talk about her newest book, Vampires of El Norte! We chat about Mexican vampires and boogeymen, historical romance, an...

Macbeth

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Macbeth is chock full of superstitions, prophecies, witches, and omens. So what better play to talk about for our Supernatural Shakespeare episodes? W...

Most Haunted House Competition | Your Urban Legends 82

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve got goosebumps, which is the perfect way to start off the spooky season! We’ve got haunted libraries, a really scary visitor to a house, and...

Indigenous Horror w/ Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by the editors of Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst. They talk about fi...

Ragnarok | It's Norse, Of Course

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the end - or is it the beginning? - of It’s Norse, Of Course. We break down the events of Ragnarok, the fall of the realms, rivers of drool,...

The Tempest

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Music, storms, marriages and murders. Also… Shrek? We’re talking about the magic of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. We talk about the gender feelings...

Clawfoot Tub Full of Pasta | Your Urban Legends 81 w/ Brandon Grugle

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve dragged our good friend Brandon Grugle onto the show, to talk to him about his love of the supernatural, creepy long shadow fingers, “pleasu...

Nazi Zombies w/ Dr. Claire E. Aubin

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re joined by historian Dr. Claire E. Aubin to talk about Nazism, monsters, and the combination of the two. We also discuss researching ...

Norse Creatures, Monsters, and More! | It's Norse, Of Course

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve talked about the gods, but what about the rest of the figures from Norse mythology? We’re talking frost giants, giant wolves, world serpents...

Monsters that Sell You Stuff Bracket w/ Eric Silver

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re constantly being sold stuff, but what if we got sold more things by more monsters? We’re putting our favorite monster-branded commercials he...

Crocs on Rocks | Your Hometown Urban Legends 80 w/ Niki Grayson

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Crocs on rocks! We’re joined by Niki Grayson to explore your urban legends: a shapeshifting, Crocs loving tanuki, and the fae teaching a baby Calcul...

Crowned and Fairy Tale Retellings w/ Regis and Kahran Bethencourt

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined this week by photographers and creatives, Regis and Kahran Bethencourt, to chat about Western fairy tale retellings, African folklore, ...

The Other Gods of Norse Mythology | It's Norse, Of Course

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s so many gods and goddesses in Norse mythology! But sadly not a lot of surviving stories about them. So we did a quick roundup to tell you ab...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From Greek mythology to fairy lore, Shakespeare has always loved the magical and supernatural in his plays. With A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we chat ...

Jewish Lesbian Vampires w/ Samara Breger

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by author Samara Breger, to talk about vampires: queer vampires, Jewish vampires, and reclaiming The Vampire.Content Warning: This epis...

Guess How Many Sides a Triangle Has! | Your Urban Legends 79

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kids love triangles. Even though they’re very haunted. We tell camp stories featuring night sweeping, our desire to visit the school’s boiler room...

True Names

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What’s in a name? Well, it turns out, a whole lot! We dive into the religious and folkloric origins of the True Name, the fantasy works it inspired,...

Freya | It's Norse, Of Course

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for Freya, a goddess that contains multitudes. We discuss why amber is the coolest material for jewelry, Freya’s BATTLE SWINE, and the b...

The Fairy Tale Tower

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the deal with all these towers? We’re deep diving into the origins of the fairy tale tower, the historical reasons why they were keeping pe...

Science is Haunted | Your Urban Legends 78 w/ Janet Varney

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We hear about Amanda’s bathroom ghost, how all science laboratories are haunted, and cars are just horses and that’s why it works better for some ...

The Return of Bird Husband

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re feeling nostalgic, so we’re bringing back an old favorite: THE BIRD HUSBAND. We explore the trope, its origins, and various types of birds w...

Conspiracy, Ghost Hunting, and Graverobbing w/ Colin Dickey

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us as we talk with writer and academic, Colin Dickey, and discuss hot takes of ghost hunting shows as reality TV, the banality of evil, and how h...

Loki | It's Norse, Of Course

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We couldn’t do It’s Norse, Of Course without talking about our favorite trickster, Loki. We chat about his origins, the shenanigans he gets himsel...

Rumpelstiltskin

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, it’s Rumpelstiltskin. Amanda reflects on pre-industrial revolution girl bossing, Julia starts singing her social security number into the...

Totally Normal Stairs, Don’t Worry About It | Your Urban Legends 77

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Julia reminds you to warn your partners about your childhood hauntings, Amanda discovers something creepier than smells, and Eric makes it harder for ...

The Bacchae

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re back on our theatre grind, this time with a play about debauchery, tragedy, and our boy Dionysus: The Bacchae! It’s a play about plays! What...

Frigga | It's Norse, Of Course

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

She’s the Queen of the Asgard, highest ranking goddess of the Aesir, and overall badass lady, it’s Frigga! Learn about her squad of goddesses, her...

Add Your Name to Join the Club! | Your Urban Legends 76

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listen, kids love to join clubs. Even if it means potentially selling their souls to the ghosts haunting their homes. Also an abandoned gym, a mean gh...

Hallmark Movie Golems w/ Eric Silver

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So Hallmark made a Golem RomCom: Made for Each Other. But is it actually a golem?? We brought back golem correspondent, Eric Silver, to remind us what...

Dr. Faustus

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Buckle up, theater kids, we made a deal with the devil to cover the incredible store of Dr. Faustus. Faustus loves a monologue, Mephistopheles is a be...

Baldur | It's Norse, Of Course

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re back with It’s Norse, Of Course! We’re telling the story of Baldur, who is really defined by, of all things, how he died. Hear the story. ...

Only Sexy Hotels Have Ghosts | Your Urban Legends 75 w/ Mischa Stanton

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by audio sorcerer, Mischa Stanton, who swears they are not that spooky. Amanda tells us you’re not getting a horse in a basement, we ...

Clytemnestra w/ Helena Greer

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by author Helene Greer, who is here to tell us about Clytemnestra, or as she puts it, “The Murder Queen of All of Our Dreams”. We a...

The Oedipus Plays

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We know the “Oedipal complex,” but how well do we actually know the Oedipal Plays? This set of three plays is a real Star Wars situation, with pre...

Alosa, Psyche, and Yue Lao | Advice from Folklore w/ Dr. Moiya McTier

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. McTier is back, and we’re once again channeling the gods. We are learning how to fail safely, talk about stealing plants from your hometown, and...

Odin | It's Norse, Of Course

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re kicking off It’s Norse of Course with a look at the All-Father himself. Come for the history of Norse mythology’s father figure, and stay ...

Legendary Popes w/ Daniel Lavery

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From a Jewish Pope to a woman Pope, we are hearing all about the legendary popes from author Daniel Lavery. We talk about “The Rule of Harlots”, D...

Dinosaurs are Ghost Birds | Your Urban Legends 74 w/ Corinne Caputo

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know, a ghost bird? Just a dinosaur. We’re joined by writer and comedian Corinne Caputo to explore your creepiest stories, get her opinion o...

Pinocchio

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Throw out everything you know about Pinocchio. The story of this little puppet boy is wilder than you could possibly imagine. From the wild amount of ...

The Evil Eye

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve probably heard about the evil eye; there are so many traditions on what it does and how to protect yourself from it! We dive into evil eye tr...

Bringing Real Linda Energy | Your Urban Legends 73

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Orangey Guy is back, aren’t you excited?? Plus we discuss the best ways to give back to a haunted historic site, secrets revealed at funerals, a...

The Wild Hunt

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As midwinter fast approaches, we explore The Wild Hunt; the spectral parade of spirits and souls that hunt across the European skies. We discover the ...

The History of Alchemy w/ Sara Norja

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What you know about alchemy might only be a scratch on the surface. Metal to gold? It’s so much more than that! We’re joined by Sara Norja, who is...

Poltergeist | Myth Movie Night

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Con artists and harmful horror tropes and production scandals, oh my! We’re talking about the Spielberg classic, Poltergeist, the origins of these s...

Cheetos as a Supernatural Explanation | Your Urban Legends 72

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What was that noise? Just the pipes, right? WRONG! We talk about cleaning up paranormal messes, clearing up a haunting by flushing a toilet, and of co...

The Tooth Fairy

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You checked under your pillow, and what’s that? A new Spirits episode? And it’s all about the Tooth Fairy?! We dig into the origins of this tradit...

The Monkey King and Boy Giant w/ Van Hoang

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by author Van Hoang, who teaches us the story of the Monkey King, how Journey to the West MIGHT have been a romance novel, and how goin...

Best Horror Movie Villain

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween might be over but we’re STILL thinking about our favorite horror movies and the best villains from those movies. Join Julia and Eric as th...

Logical Answers | Your Urban Legends 71

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s what you’ve been waiting for. We’re finally going to solve ghosts. Answers like coffee ghosts, teenage shenanigans, and devious child lies....