Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore
Episodes
Scooby-Doo! and the Loch Ness Monster | Myth Movie Night
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who would have guessed that Scooby Doo would have us go deeper than Loch Ness itself? Was the Loch Ness Monster just a marketing scheme? And what, exa...
The Backwoods Cabin Door Turner | Your Urban Legends 38
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is your house really energy efficient, or do you have ghosts? What genre do singing sands rock out to? Has this whole podcast been a conspiracy to get...
Sailor Superstitions
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Avast! What’s that on the horizon? Unlucky bananas, gold hoop earrings, and sons of guns; it must be sailor superstitions! Trim the sails and come o...
Norse Cosmology w/ Moiya McTier
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Science and folklore make a wonderful shot and chaser for our guest, Moiya McTier, who is here to regale us with facts about space as she maps the lan...
The Invisible Man | Myth Movie Night
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Invisible Man has been scaring us since 1897, but invisibility has been used for nefarious purposes in myths and legends since way before that. Ou...
TikTok Ghost! | Your Urban Legends 37
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re raising some important questions because of your urban legends: Do you have a cursed bloodline? What kind of TikToks are ghosts into? Why is F...
The Ghostbusters Case
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What if your house was legally haunted? The Ackleys of Nyack, New York had to deal with just that. We look into the legal precedent of paranormal acti...
Hawaiian Night Marchers w/ Kamuela Kaneshiro
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined by Kamuela Kaneshiro of the Legends from the Pacific podcast, who gives us the lowdown on some of his favorite spiritual and paranormal ...
Friday the 13th | Myth Movie Night
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t have sex, camp counselors. Because Jason can sniff out horniness like a bloodhound. We discuss the history of the unlucky Friday the 13th, Jas...
The Taste of Ghosts | Your Urban Legends 36
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever thought about what a ghost tastes like? We sure have now! We rank the five senses of hauntings, bemoan a secret bathroom, and yell about...
Mythological Dogs (Boston Museum of Science Virtual Live Show)
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who’s a good boy?! Apparently, there’s a lot of good pups across the world and throughout history. Julia takes Amanda and Eric on a tour of the be...
Disability in Fairytales w/ Amanda LeDuc
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by the ever insightful Amanda LeDuc this episode to talk about the portrayal of disability in fairytales. Join us as we look at stories...
The Shape of Water | Myth Movie Night
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You probably know that Guillermo del Toro was inspired by The Creature from the Black Lagoon, but do you know what inspired that? We’re here to disc...
It’s Ouija Time! | Your Urban Legends 35
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Urban Legends time! We share your family ghost stories, visit a very beautiful/creepy mannequin in Mexico, and learn the reason why The Devil r...
Fact or Fiction II w/ Eric Silver
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re looking for redemption as we play, once again, FACT OR FICTION with Chuck Games aka Eric Silver. Have Amanda and Julia learned anything from d...
Mythology of Brewing w/ Katrina Pfeiffer
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we take advantage of the beers in our fridge and the booze on our shelves. Thanks to future brewmaster Katrina Pfieffer, we got to learn not...
Godzilla & Kaiju | Myth Movie Night
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Godzilla and Kaiju movies are inextricably linked to a lot of difficult topics, but we have cocktails in hand and we feel ready to talk about them...
No Switch, Just Urban Legends | Your Urban Legends 34
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Time to put down the Switch, stop playing Animal Crossing, and listen to some urban legends. We’ve got squatters rights for ghosts, toddlers toddlin...
Creepy or Cool? - Bigger in Texas (Live from Austin, TX)
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s another game of Creepy or Cool? And because we played in Texas, our two teams have to determine whether a series of GIANTS are either big ol’...
Supernatural w/ Meghan Fitzmartin
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Supernatural is one of the longest running Monster of the Week shows on TV, and with that much content, we need an expert. Thankfully, Supernatural’...
Jason and the Argonauts | Myth Movie Night
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re suggesting a new title for Jason and the Argonauts—really, it should be Medea and the Himbos. This week’s movie is the 1963 edition of Jas...
Ghost Kid Adoption | Your Urban Legends 33
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re asking a lot of questions during this Urban Legends episode. Would you adopt a ghost kid? Which is scarier, corporeal or incorporeal? And can ...
Gargoyles
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, we talk about mythology all the time, but what if we talked about mythology AND architecture AND science? So we’re diving deep on gargoyles to...
Mulan w/ Jeannette Ng
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re joined by Jeannette Ng, who is kind enough to walk us through the multitude of Mulan stories that span centuries. We discuss cross-d...
Mermaids, Media and ‘Splash’ | Myth Movie Night
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We all need a little bit of escapism in times like this, so we’re taking a voyage under the seas to examine the Tom Hanks movie Splash, and how we s...
Unliving Document | Your Urban Legends 32
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back, we’ve got cider, and we’re telling your creepiest and coolest stories. Featuring stories about why you don’t talk trash about witc...
Purim w/ Eliana Morris
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for Purim we’re joined by Eliana Morris, who gives us a primer on the holiday’s story, feminist themes, and celebratory traditions. A...
Coolest Cryptid (Live from Los Angeles, CA)
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Julia has come up with the most scientific way of calculating who the coolest cryptid is: a tournament style bracket! While she brings the challengers...
Grimms’ Fairy Tales and ‘Gretel & Hansel’ | Myth Movie Night
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You would think that the horror movie version of a Grimm Fairy Tale would be the scariest version, but you would be wrong. We examine the original sto...
Boy Toy is the WRONG Phrase | Your Urban Legends 31
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
30 is the sexy one, 31 is the light hearted one. That’s what everyone says, right? Also featuring recalibrating your creepy-meter, just some casual ...
Mothman
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we take a dip in to the beautiful broth that is Mothman (we’ll explain what that means, we promise). From the first reported sightings, t...
Brigid, Imbolg & Irish Cosmology w/ Sharon Paice MacLeod
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined this week by Celticist, teacher, and musician Sharon Paice MacLeod who provides a beautiful, nuanced primer for Irish Cosmology. We dis...
Vampires & ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ | Myth Movie Night
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since we’ve watched Amanda’s favorite vampire movie, it seemed like a good time to submerge ourselves in all things vampire. We touch on the vast ...
Who’s the Best Harry Potter Trio Member? (Head Heart Gut Preview)
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to all of the episodes of Head Heart Gut only on the MultiCrew! Join the Internet’s coolest club at multicrew.club.See Privacy Policy at http...
SEXY (and Spooky) | Your Urban Legends 30
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
First it’s spooky. Then it’s sexy. That’s right, it’s our THIRTIETH Your Urban Legends special! Hear all about menacing cows, ghost crushes, a...
Mythology of Pokémon Sword & Shield
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The internet’s newest favorite Pokémon game has real-life mythological origins, from its towns and cities to the wild new Pokémon making their deb...
Monster of the Week w/ Emily VanDerWerff
01 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vampires, werewolves, and aliens, oh my! We’re joined this week by the incomparable Emily VanDerWerff to talk about her book, the Monster of the Wee...
Spirit of Christmas | Myth Movie Night
25 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Did we use a cheesy Christmas movie as an excuse to talk about ghost stories and haunted houses during Christmas time? We sure did. Amanda and Julia b...
The Bathroom is a Ghost | Your Urban Legends 29
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Does your college campus scare you? After these urban legends, it just might. From a scene straight out of Poltergeist (1982) to a university with SEV...
Trick or Treat? (Live from WBUR CitySpace)
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After years of doing Spirits, Julia is once again putting Amanda to the test to see what she’s learned. This time, Amanda must decide whether a myth...
Ask Baba Yaga w/ Taisia Kitaiskaia
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wanted to ask your local forest witch a question? Enter “Ask Baba Yaga” and Taisia Kitaiskaia. We talk with the wonderful author abo...
Song of the Sea | Myth Movie Night
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re revamping our Myth Movie Nights by revisiting a Spirits favorite - selkies! We’re doing a deep dive (get it?) into the Celtic stories of ‘...
Stay Ignorant! | Your Urban Legends 28
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode became a debate over an important topic: do you ignore the ghosts or confront them? In this accidental case study we discuss the problem ...
Jacheongbi
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This story seems like we lifted it straight out of a fanfiction or a long-running anime, but the story of Jacheongbi is so incredible, it had to be re...
Multimedia Mythmaking w/ Carmen Maria Machado
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by author and fabulist (our new favorite word) Carmen Maria Machado as we delve into the stories and urban legends that inspire her, ho...
Creepy or Cool? (Live from the Bell House)
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Live from the Bell House, Julia is putting on her game show crop top and hosting CREEPY OR COOL - a game where you guess if a creature is, well… cre...
Hocus Pocus | Myth Movie Night
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For Julia, nothing says Halloween quite like Hocus Pocus. For Amanda... she’s never seen it. Shocker. We dive into the Salem-inspired Disney Hallowe...
VERY SPOOKY HOMETOWNS | Your Urban Legends 27
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We ask important questions with these hometowns. Are all ghosts just pranksters? How much spooky stuff has to happen to create A FAMILY LORE? Rediscov...
Haunted Dolls
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Break out your ghost detectors and specter-o-meters. Because we’re talking about HAUNTED DOLLS this week! Julia breaks down the historical links to ...
Making Magic in Fiction w/ Garth Nix
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda’s childhood dreams come true as we’re joined by award-winning author Garth Nix. We learn how Nix creates magical worlds, hear his top tips ...
Scooby Doo on Zombie Island w/ Eric Silver | Myth Movie Night
25 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A review of Scooby Doo on Zombie Island was too wild to do on our own - that’s why we invited Eric Silver along on this wild tale of a talking dog, ...
Cat Werewolves? Wolf-Cats? WERECATS! | Your Urban Legends 26
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We run the gambit of hauntings this episode - haunted pennies, haunted frat houses, haunted bathrooms, and far too many haunted AirBnBs for us to stay...
Thor - Marvel vs. Myth
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You might know Thor from mythology, Marvel movies, and comic books. But do you know how these various versions compare? This week, Julia walks us thro...
Gods & Goddesses of Agriculture w/ Hallie Casey and Catherine Arjet
04 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The only thing we love more than a farmers market is, you know, the whole human project of agriculture. Hallie Casey and Catherine Arjet from One to G...
Princess Mononoke | Myth Movie Night
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into this Myth Movie Night. Amanda and Julia watch Princess Mononoke for the first time, cry a ...
The Unquiet Dead
21 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discuss The Unquiet Dead - Slavic spirits who cannot rest peacefully in death. Amanda proposes spring is the most haunted season. Julia ...
Lost My Friend in a Ball Pit | Your Urban Legends 25
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is chock full of summer camp ghosts, haunted schools, and too many cemeteries. Eric makes too many ranch dressing related jokes. Julia be...
Bread & Family w/ Julia Turshen
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re joined by author, podcaster, and cook, Julia Turshen, who tells us about the familial folklore of her family’s history with bakin...
The Mummy | Myth Movie Night
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re breaking into some 90’s CGI and inaccurate Egyptian mythology with this week’s Myth Movie Night - The Mummy! We stan Brendan Frasier, gush...
Capstone in Exorcism | Your Urban Legends 24
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Your stories are full of lessons, this episode. Including the milestone of giving spooky prophecies, a queer dream icon, that Capstone class you take ...
Fearsome Critters
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Oral tradition got a little bit more ridiculous with the introduction of Fearsome Critters in Americana folklore. As we dive in, Amanda comes up with ...
Thames River w/ Caroline Crampton
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Caroline Crampton has spent more than six years thinking about the Thames River. We’re so excited she joined us to talk about the river’s history ...
Krampus | Myth Movie Night
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, we’ve covered Krampus before, but we wanted to see him in ACTION with the 2015 film Krampus. A family finds out the dark true meaning of Chris...
Bootylicious Curves, BAM, That Mountain's a Lady | Your Urban Legends 23
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We got our pre-live show jitters out of the way by scaring each other with your urban legends! Featuring a WILD trip to a mountain in the Philippines,...
Dragons
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Listen, we know you ALL probably have opinions on Game of Thrones but let’s focus on the important part: DRAGONS! We discuss the differences between...
The Death of Heroes w/ Christopher Dole
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Every Hero’s Journey has to come to an end eventually. We invited Christopher Dole to tell us five tales of heroes who lived their best lives and ho...
Harry and the Hendersons | Myth Movie Night
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Harry and the Hendersons, OR A Man Comes to Terms with His Toxic Masculinity by Adding a Cryptid to His Family, OR What If We Were the Monsters All Al...
We Survived Spaghetti Warehouse | Your Urban Legends 22
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve come across these field recordings from the Spaghetti Warehouse, it means that we didn’t make it. Or we did, and had some fun. But befor...
Yokai & Pokémon
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready for us to ruin your childhoods as we break down some of the creepy origins of your favorite pocket monsters. We talk Pokémon team naming co...
Cannibalism & True Crime w/ Chelsea G. Summers
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined this week by author Chelsea G. Summers to talk about the different forms of cannibalism throughout history, as well as patriarchy, miso...
An American Werewolf in London | Myth Movie Night
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s another Myth Movie Night. Grab your moonshine, break out the passport, and start up your VHS player. We’re visiting London in the classic 80s...
You Heard This Episode in a Dream | Your Urban Legends 21
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If this episode seems familiar, it’s because you’ve heard it in a dream before (or you’re a precog. It’s gotta be one of those). So you’ll p...
Passover w/ Eric Silver
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This Passover, Eric Silver joins us to tell the story of the Jewish holiday and leads us through the Seder with all its mandatory cups of wine. He exp...
Isis
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re not letting society dictate to us what it means to be a woman - we’re taking a leaf out of Isis’s book. We explore all of the aspects of t...
The Undertaker
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Wrestlemania is this SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY, and Editor Eric has been dying to talk about the mythos of his favorite wrestler of all time, The Undertake...
Certified Devil Survivor | Your Urban Legends 20
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is full of scary stories and too many children having to camp. You have been warned. We also learn about the importance of doing your res...
Hercules | Myth Movie Night
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
And now for something a little different: we revisit Disney’s classic 1997 film Hercules! Unlike when we were 5, we now have plenty of booze in hand...
Names w/ Gretchen McCulloch
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re getting meta in this episode featuring Internet Linguist Gretchen McCulloch. Learn why names are important not only in mythology and folklore,...
Lake Monsters
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all heard of the Loch Ness Monster, but what about all of the other lake-dwelling creatures? We do a deep dive (Get it? Because lake monsters?...
LIVE from ListenUp Festival 2019 | Your Urban Legends 19
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is coming at you straight from our live show at the Listen Up Festival in Portland, OR. We shared some of our favorite listener-submitted...
The Epic of Gilgamesh (Part 2)
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back this week to finish out the story of Gilgamesh! We discuss grief and then journey with Gilgamesh to the land of the dead, which features ...
La Llorona w/ Elena Fernández-Collins
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The story of La Llorona is so much more than that trailer you keep seeing with Linda Cardellini. We invited podcast critic Elena Fernández-Collins to...
The Epic of Gilgamesh (Part 1)
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you haven’t heard of or read the Epic of Gilgamesh, it has EVERYTHING. Kings, gods, epic monster battle, prophetic dreams, and more. But it also ...
Bee Movie, Spirits Edition | Your Urban Legends 18
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of hauntings in this episode. So many. Haunted castles, haunted mirrors, haunted… punch bowls? Also featuring a hot air balloon accident, an in...
Brazilian Creatures
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re rounding up some of the most interesting Brazilian mythological creatures. From chaotic good tricksters, to snakes that just want to be left a...
Mythological Cross-Dressing w/ Andrea Lam
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our good friend Andrea is BACK, this time to lead us through a history of cross-dressing in mythology and folklore. We tackle stories from ancient Gre...
The Benandanti
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Julia decided to give us all a history lesson. We’re talking about The Benandanti - a group of witches from Northern Italy. We’ve got f...
Brad Pitt’s Body, Falcon’s Mind | Your Urban Legends 17
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Disclosure: We might have been creepy kids as children. We wanted to let you know because it’s the creepy cool LAW. We also learn not to trust your ...
Winter Solstice
26 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We’re all out enjoying the holidays, but we also wanted to celebrate with you! So we did a quick round up this week about a bunch of different ways ...
Anansi
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How would you like to hear a story about... all of the stories? It’s time to learn about Anansi, the trickster figure of Western Africa and the Afri...
The Price of Free Froyo | Your Urban Legends 16
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What would you put up with for free frozen yogurt or a great apartment? If the answer is “ghosts”, we’ve got the episode for you! It’s another...
Rangda
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We take you to Bali to talk about the widow witch, the demon queen, Rangda! We discuss her different forms, the story of how she came to be, and some ...
Living Witchcraft w/ Lisette Alvarez
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve got our good friend Lisette on to talk about what the living tradition of witchcraft means to them! Bonus points as we talk about how witchcra...
Ganesha
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
After 100 episodes of Spirits, we wanted to welcome in a new age. And what better way than with the Hindu god of beginnings, Ganesha! We dive into the...
Schools are Spooky | Your Urban Legends 15
07 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s roundup, we chat about several haunted schools and camps, have some grandma stories creep out and inspire us, and hear Eric’s first ha...
Día de los Muertos w/ Trina Espinoza
31 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Today may be Halloween, but it’s also another special day - the first day of Día de los Muertos! We’re joined by special guest, Trina Espinoza, w...
The Fae
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve done it. 100 episodes. And to celebrate, we are tackling our most requested topic: The Fae! We touch on several different fae stories from acr...
The History of Horror Films
17 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What are you most afraid of? Chances are there’s a horror movie about it! That’s why we’re diving headlong into the history of horror films, fro...
Restaurant Ghost Wars | Your Urban Legends 14
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We asked for restaurant hauntings and y’all DELIVERED! Featuring haunted Italian restaurants with paintings that need to be burned ASAP, UK pubs wit...
Clowns
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Halloween is a time to face your fears. And Julia is making Amanda come along with her as she faces one of her biggest fears: clowns. Learn why we’r...