Podcast Episodes

The Frankenstein Method

Episode 52

The method Frankenstein employed to create life is left mostly a mystery in Mary Shelley’s 1818 book. How then did the notion of stolen body parts st…

5 years, 6 months ago

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Bottled Spirits: Imps, Devils, Ghosts

Episode 51

Western tales of bottled spirits, imps, devils, and even ghosts are largely borrowed from the Islamic and Jewish legends of jinn captured by King Sol…

5 years, 7 months ago

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The Jinn

Episode 50

They Arabic mythology of the jinn is, not surprisingly, quite different than what you might glean from Western pop culture. Films such as 1940’s The …

5 years, 7 months ago

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Toad Magic

Episode 49

Toads have long been associated with magic, as witches’ familiars and as a source both of poison as folk healing.

We begin with a poison allegedly br…

5 years, 8 months ago

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Slavic Mermaids: Water Ghosts and Goblins

Episode 48

Quite distinct from their Western equivalent, Slavic mermaids might better be described as water ghosts, as they are almost always the spirits of dep…

5 years, 9 months ago

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Holy Puppets, Medieval Robots, and More

Episode 47

This episode looks at puppets given life through magical or mechanical means, holy puppets of the Catholic Church, medieval robots, an early automata…

5 years, 10 months ago

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A Journal of the Plague Year

Episode 46

The Great Plague of London of 1665 to 1666 is vividly portrayed in Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year, which we’ll be examining closely in t…

5 years, 10 months ago

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The Plague Doctor Unmasked

Episode 45

The figure of the masked plague doctor is an object of intense fascination but also the subject of much misinformation. This episode sorts things out…

5 years, 11 months ago

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Banshees

Episode 44

Banshees are spirits of Irish folklore, who warn of impending deaths.  Originally considered fairies, their Irish name, bean sídhe, means “woman of t…

5 years, 11 months ago

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Dead Teeth: Fairies, Rats, and Worms

Season 1 Episode 43

Explore the folklore of the Tooth Fairy and teeth, particularly dead teeth — those lost by children or adults, and those removed from skulls.

We open…

6 years ago

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