Podcast Episodes

Urban Legend

Episode 146

A 1968 Halloween “Spook Show” in the Midwest left an unsettling heritage of urban legends possibly rooted in even more unsettling facts.  What little…

6 months, 1 week ago

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Pumpkins, Turnips, and Spooklights

Episode 145

The Halloween Jack-o’-lantern, made from pumpkins in the US and originally turnips in the UK, began its existence as a wisp of glowing marsh gas or “…

6 months, 3 weeks ago

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St. George, the Dragon, and More

Episode 144

There’s so much more to the figure of St. George than his battle with a dragon. Legends also tell of his grisly martyrdom, capture of a demon, and po…

7 months, 4 weeks ago

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International Folk-Horror Roundup

As a summer replacement for our regular episode: a round-up of non-English-language Folk-Horror films (here as audio but also available as video)

The…

8 months, 3 weeks ago

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The Fates

Episode 142

The Fates of Classical Antiquity not only survived in the form of related fairy-tale figures but also as the object of superstitions and rituals asso…

9 months, 2 weeks ago

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Rolling Hells and Land-Ships

Episode 141

During the 15th-century, citizens of Nuremberg, Germany, experienced spectacular Carnival parades highlighted by the appearance of floats known as “h…

11 months ago

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Happy May Day!

Your favorite podcast is now seven years old!  As a birthday gift to our listeners, we decided to try a super short, experimental video podcast. For …

11 months, 3 weeks ago

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The Unknown Carnival

Episode 140

Mr. Ridenour introduces his new book “A Season of Madness: Fools, Monsters, and Marvels of the Old-World Carnival,” explaining how the project grew o…

1 year ago

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The Sin-Eater

Episode 139

The Sin-Eater was a figure associated with funerals of the 17th – 19th century, mostly in Wales, and the English counties along the Welsh border. Acc…

1 year, 1 month ago

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Mélusine, the Serpent Fairy

Episode 138

Mélusine is a female fairy of medieval legend. who suffers under a curse transforming her once weekly into a monstrous form. In various tales she bec…

1 year, 2 months ago

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