Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore

There’s a lot of haunted houses in this one, so it’s perfect to start October off! Board games with ghosts, the most haunted episode of Gordon Ramsey’s TV show, and a McDonald’s Play Place that is not what it seems! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, violence, assault, break-ins, famine, mental illness, and child death.  Housekeeping - Recommendat...

Author Isabel Cañas is back to talk about her newest book, Vampires of El Norte! We chat about Mexican vampires and boogeymen, historical romance, and drawing inspiration from her family’s history. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of illness, death, forced marriage, religious persecution, colonialism, and pregnancy.  Guest Isabel Cañas is a Mexican-Americ...

Macbeth is chock full of superstitions, prophecies, witches, and omens. So what better play to talk about for our Supernatural Shakespeare episodes? We talk about our own experiences backstage, the origin of the Weird Sisters, and so much more! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, blood, murder, child death, suicide, incest, death during birth, battles,...

We’ve got goosebumps, which is the perfect way to start off the spooky season! We’ve got haunted libraries, a really scary visitor to a house, and a competition for whose house is most haunted. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of home invasion, demonic possession, death, explosions, illness, and murder.   Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Ama...

We’re joined by the editors of Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst. They talk about finding community online, what makes Native stories post-apocalyptic, and the expectation of writing horror. You can pre-order Never Whistle at Night now! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of possession, colonialism,...

This is the end - or is it the beginning? - of It’s Norse, Of Course. We break down the events of Ragnarok, the fall of the realms, rivers of drool, and the worst nap ever! It’s a cycle, gang! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of violence, animal attacks, death, and apocalypse.  Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Julia recommends audiobooks from you...

Music, storms, marriages and murders. Also… Shrek? We’re talking about the magic of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. We talk about the gender feelings we have about Ariel, the cinnamon roll of Miranda, and letting Caliban say the f-word. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of murder, violence, enslavement, and power imbalance.  Housekeeping - Recommendation: This...

We’ve dragged our good friend Brandon Grugle onto the show, to talk to him about his love of the supernatural, creepy long shadow fingers, “pleasure caves”, and a clawfoot tub FULL of pasta! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of racism, death, suicide, ableism, murder, gun violence, domestic violence, and home invasion. Guest Brandon Grugle is the Head of Produc...

This week we’re joined by historian Dr. Claire E. Aubin to talk about Nazism, monsters, and the combination of the two. We also discuss researching heavy topics, creating a supportive community, and Sharkenstein. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of the Holocaust, antisemitism, racism, violence, murder, dehumanization, child death, and genocide.   &nb...

We’ve talked about the gods, but what about the rest of the figures from Norse mythology? We’re talking frost giants, giant wolves, world serpents, and so much more.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of violence, death, animal attacks, beauty standards, warfare, animal death, torture, and natural disasters.  Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week,...

We’re constantly being sold stuff, but what if we got sold more things by more monsters? We’re putting our favorite monster-branded commercials head to head to decide which monstrous mascot is best!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sex, violence, animal attacks, homophobia, and transphobia.    Guest Eric Silver is the Head of Creative at Mul...

Crocs on rocks! We’re joined by Niki Grayson to explore your urban legends: a shapeshifting, Crocs loving tanuki, and the fae teaching a baby Calculus. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of animal death, murder, mental illness, animal injury, nudity, death, child death, and car accidents.    Guest Niki Grayson is a brand manager, community builder, and...

We’re joined this week by photographers and creatives, Regis and Kahran Bethencourt, to chat about Western fairy tale retellings, African folklore, and creating fairy tales for a new generation of kids!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of racism, beauty standards, misogyny, arranged marriage, death, and domestic violence.    Guests Regis and Ka...

There’s so many gods and goddesses in Norse mythology! But sadly not a lot of surviving stories about them. So we did a quick roundup to tell you about some of our favorite stories of the lesser known Vanir and Aesir!  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of war, violence, death, animal attacks, dismemberment, bugs, birth and labor, genitals,    Hou...

From Greek mythology to fairy lore, Shakespeare has always loved the magical and supernatural in his plays. With A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we chat about hot messengers, earnest amateur actors, and the parallels between rulers and fairy kings. Also, why doesn’t everyone just kiss a little? Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of genitals, death, execution, racism,...

We’re joined by author Samara Breger, to talk about vampires: queer vampires, Jewish vampires, and reclaiming The Vampire. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of antisemitism, The Holocaust, eugenics, blood, homophobia/lesbophobia, misogyny, stalking, predatory relationships, animal death, sex, and death.    Guest Samara Breger writes books about women...

Kids love triangles. Even though they’re very haunted. We tell camp stories featuring night sweeping, our desire to visit the school’s boiler room, and the RETURN OF THE DEMON PLUSH. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of fire, genitals, death, natural disasters, insects, child endangerment, child death, and blood.    Housekeeping - Recommendation: This...

What’s in a name? Well, it turns out, a whole lot! We dive into the religious and folkloric origins of the True Name, the fantasy works it inspired, and how names are just as powerful now as they were in the dawn of humanity. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, animal attacks, racism, slavery, and religious persecution. Housekeeping - Links: Read more a...

It’s time for Freya, a goddess that contains multitudes. We discuss why amber is the coolest material for jewelry, Freya’s BATTLE SWINE, and the best drink ever: The Beer of Memory.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sex, violence, war, death, transphobia, toxic masculinity, slut shaming, and bestiality.     Housekeeping - Recommendation:...

What’s the deal with all these towers? We’re deep diving into the origins of the fairy tale tower, the historical reasons why they were keeping people in towers anyway, and laying out all the romance novel tropes beat by beat. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of arophobia/aphobia, animal death, injury, imprisonment, abusive relationships, death, sex, suicidal...

We hear about Amanda’s bathroom ghost, how all science laboratories are haunted, and cars are just horses and that’s why it works better for some people compared to others.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of heart attacks, death, implied child death, clowns, body horror, and child endangerment.  Guest Janet Varney is an Emmy-Nominated actor, comedi...

We’re feeling nostalgic, so we’re bringing back an old favorite: THE BIRD HUSBAND. We explore the trope, its origins, and various types of birds who wind up as various types of husbands. As we discover, it’s hard to be a bird.  Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, animal death, animal injury, abusive relationships, imprisonment, forced marriage, sex...

Join us as we talk with writer and academic, Colin Dickey, and discuss hot takes of ghost hunting shows as reality TV, the banality of evil, and how haunted architecture reflects what society is most afraid of. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, the Satanic Panic, ableism, gun violence, toxic masculinity, murder, Flat Earth and conspiracy theories, ant...

We couldn’t do It’s Norse, Of Course without talking about our favorite trickster, Loki. We chat about his origins, the shenanigans he gets himself into, and why everyone is mad at him basically all the time! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sexual situations, misogyny, pregnancy, abduction, death, genitalia, crude humor, toxic masculinity, slavery, and vio...

This week, it’s Rumpelstiltskin. Amanda reflects on pre-industrial revolution girl bossing, Julia starts singing her social security number into the breeze, and how parent’s need to learn better lies to brag about their children. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, forced marriage, threat of violence, revolution, anti-semitism, kidnapping, body horror,...