Episode Details

Welcome to Episode 262: Pregnancy Folklore & Superstitions Around The World! Across history, pregnancy was treated less like a medical condition and more like a supernatural vulnerability. The old beliefs of Appalachia insist that laboring women shouldn’t look outside at night, seek their reflection in a mirror, speak certain names, or even leave clothes hanging outside… because “things” could follow them home after birth. In parts of Eastern Europe, women were considered spiritually “open” after birth. Demons or witches could enter newly opened bodies. Iron and scissors were placed under beds for protection from the evil eye. Jewish postpartum beliefs included hanging amulets near laboring mothers to ward off Lilith from entering through windows at night to steal infants from mothers. Across Scandinavian and Celtic folklore, changelings were of major concern. The fae could steal newborns and replace them with sickly copies.  Across the globe, pregnant women were thought to exist in a dangerous liminal state between worlds. Some cultures treated birth as a demonic vulnerability. Others treated it as a profound spiritual power. A woman in labor was believed to stand between worlds. Join us this week as Nat & Aly sample haunted pregnancy rituals and beliefs from around the world!

TIME STAMPS

00:00:00 HOOK & INTRO

00:14:08 STORY BEGINS

00:18:41 FIRSTLEAF AD

00:20:35  MIRRORS OPEN PORTALS

00:29:00 BLISSY AD

00:31:00 PREGNANCY BODY HORROR

00:36:18 GOODR AD

00:37:51 UBUME & JAPANESE PREGNANCY RITUALS

00:58:11 TRADITIONAL NAVAJO BELIEFS

01:00:17 CHINESE GHOST MONTH

01:06:00 ICELANDIC ELVES

01:11:00 TOGOLESE PREGNANCY BELIEFS 

01:22:10 INUIT TRADITIONS

01:24:28 POSTPARTUM CONFINEMENT

01:38:20 CLOSING THOUGHTS

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