Podcast episodes on mythology, folklore, and urban legends, discussed by two tipsy history nerds. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy re-tellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every two weeks, on Spirits.
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Transcripts are available for every episode. Just click the episode title to read the transcript!
Not sure where to start? You don’t need to listen in order! Click a tag that interests you or search our archive below.
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’re afraid of clowns, who started the “killer clown” trope, and where the killer clown sighting phenomenon comes from.
Read MoreSometimes, you just want to sit down and have your friends tell you scary stories. Luckily, we have Paul Bae of The Big Loop and The Black Tapes to tell us some of his best stories. Featuring Mr. Bae’s “Hour of Horror”, a haunted Toys R Us, and many stories that remind us why we will never go into the woods on our own again.
Read MoreMarriage is a hot topic in Julia’s life, which is why we’re talking about Izanami & Izanagi - a marriage that helped create the world, introduced death into it, and definitely isn’t one to emulate. Including the happy-ish tale of Ebisu, Trinitite, and Amanda’s tea recommendation.
Read MoreLet’s get right to it: This episode has EVERYTHING. Eric attempts to do an old timey voice. Julia freaks out over a Blair Witch style game. Amanda denies playing Pokemon in movie theatres. All in all, we deliver some of the most buckwild stories to date, including the Bunny Man Bridge, mistakes in masonry, and better ways to cure your ghost coyote infected loved ones.
Read MoreWe’ve looked into the future and we’ve seen… a roundup episode! Julia leads Amanda through the foggy future with some of her favorite divinatory practices. Also featuring rock kids, on-the-spot D&D character creation, our Pro-Onion Podcast, gelato-filled veins, and letting the universe surprise you.
Read MoreWe are joined this week by David Rheinstrom, who helps us parse through the history of fakelore in the USA! How do we feel about Paul Bunyan being invented to sell lumber? Does it make him any more or less a part of American folklore? Also featuring amazing accents, Olsen Twin movies, and just wayyyy too many puns!
This week, we take a trip back to the Pacific to tell the story of Madame Pele, the Earth-Eating Woman, and Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. We chat about mythology as history, the cutest names in mythology, the history of hula hoops, and how you can find some hair of the goddess whenever a volcano erupts.
Read MoreNot only do we have listener stories, we have the tale of Tim the Yowie Man! This episode features big cat stories, Mirror Boys, and elementary school blood magic. Then we switch to an interview with Tim, chatting about how he became a cryptonaturalist, his first encounter with the Yowie, and his love for finding mystery in the world.
Read MoreHurrian, Hittites, and Anatolia, oh my! We look at the story of the goddess, Šauška, who spread her influence throughout the world. We also talk about veggie divination, World War II espionage, our favorite drunk snacks (and how they’re not frogs), and what impression we’ll leave behind in the world once we’re gone.
Read MoreIt’s Shark Week, but we’re not here for shots of Great Whites (mostly because we’re an audio medium). We’re joined by Melissa Marquez, who specializes in the intersection of shark folklore and conservation. We chat about making scientific education accessible, human infested beaches, and what a shark-filled Big Brother house would look like!
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