Spoop Hour

Bork bork bork! This week, we sniff out myths and folklore surrounding DOGS. From corgis and their relationship to fairies to various Japanese dog spirits to Celtic hounds to ghost dogs, no bones about it - dogs are heckin' mythical. Plus a slight detour into birds that make weird noises (looking at you, lyrebird!) and things we call our cats.   -- WE HAVE A PATREON. Check it out here: https://www...

It's part 2 of our unsolved mysteries series! This week, be afraid of the attic with the Hinterkaifeck murders, watch out for mysteriously appearing pickle jars and tubs of Vaseline, and ponder the secrets of the Toynbee tiles. Plus a listener story involving a hero dog...it's a can't miss mysterious time!

We're tackling UNSOLVED MYSTERIES that we love to ponder over this week! (Not the show, but the concept.) Warm up with Sasha's tale of two escape rooms and a discussion of THE SNACKET which has once again returned to ruin our lives. Then Courtney dives deep to answer the question Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? (Spoilers: It was spies. Or maybe witches. Or maybe other spies. OR OTHER SPIES.) And Sa...

Leap into the 29 days of February with our latest episode on Leap Year! Learn the science behind why we get an extra day every four years, then delve into the superstitions and numerology surrounding this mystical 366th day: from allowing women to propose marriage to ne'er a good sheep year to the impact of Leap Year on romance, you'll get all the info you need to impress your friends this Saturda...

We're getting saucy this week to prepare for Valentine's day with a discussion of the sexier side of the paranormal! First we rate the hotness of historical figures who are probable ghosts, then we hang with two very sexy ghosts: Marilyn Monroe and Rudolph Valentino. Finally, we dive into some folkloric aphrodisiacs and the sexiest crystals you could ever dream of. (PLEASE NOTE: This is a bit raci...

Happy (belated) Lunar New Year! Celebrate by taking a look at some of the spoop behind Chinese and Okinawan Lunar New Year tradition, like the demons who are defeated by fireworks, good luck foods to eat, and ways to usher in prosperity. Then meet Bai Ze, the monster version of wikipedia, and some of the 11,520 mythological beasts Bai Ze warned us about. -- Make a donation to a charity supporting...

This week we welcome back special ghost Maxwell from Relic to discuss spooky, cursed, and haunted treasurers! Get the skinny on Father Crespi's vanishing Babylonian (???) treasure trove, Folly Island's curses on curses on curses and one pirate ghost that impact pirate booty, and King Atahualpa's lost gold that curses everyone who tries to find it...and Maxwell, who tries to talk about it until he...

When we think of ghosts in the modern era, we often think of them in Victorian garb and spinning spooky stories from the 1800s...but why? Find out (ish) this week on Spoop Hour when we delve into the Victorian ghost story, including why they became so popular & why they might persist. Also answer the question: What has vampires, King Arthur, the Victorian era, and Tesla? (Spoiler alert: our new fa...

POISON. From Shakespearean times to modern political subterfuge, poison is a staple of weird and spooky murders. Hear about Hercules's poison robe, Hamlet's poisoning uncle, and the urban legends surrounding poison Halloween candy. Then hear a bananas story out of Japan about the Mystery Man with 21 Faces and his poison candy extortion plot.

Grab your xoloitzcuintli, it's time for a journey through the world of Aztec gods, myths, and legends! Hear about where the Aztecs believed humanity started, where they think it goes in the afterlife (spoiler alert: for the most part it's nothing good), and get a primer of some of the gods that impacted their daily life. Then learn about the whys behind ritual human sacrifice before closing it out...

Happy New Year! We've got all the spoopy things to help you get ready for the new month/year/decade. Meet Frozen Charlotte, the Victorian dolls with an upsetting backstory, full moons that can predict the year to come, and scarecrows to be burned in effigy. Get one off creepy stories about upsetting incidents on New Year's Eve (like ghostly old women and intrusive texts) and then close it out with...

It's the third annual holiday spoopstravaganza! Kick things off with the game Ghosts of Spoop Hour Past and test your knowledge of previously covered Christmas monsters. Then hear about some new winter friends, like Greece's Christmas goblins the kallikantzaroi, Japan's ningen and yuki onna, and Scandinavia's nisse/tomte/tontu. Happy holidays!   WE HAVE A PATREON. Check it out here: https://www.pa...

With the arrival of colder weather comes fresh fears of the YETI, that elusive hominid/Abominable Snowman who mostly hangs out and only occasionally kidnaps people. Uncover firsthand accounts of yeti encounters, including Eric Shipton's iconic footprint photo, a nuclear family yeti kidnapping, and one man's 60 year journey to find the yeti. Then learn about the yeti race that ran concurrent to the...

In an astonishing display of mathematic prowess, we are talking NUMEROLOGY this week! Get the basics on this pseudo-science that grounds every event and personality trait in a number, then take a deep dive into what our numbers say about us. Also don't miss our spoiler free thoughts on Knives Out (spoilers: we loved it), a listener story about a possible cult site, and a weird man who sits in a tr...

It's American Thanksgiving week, so come get an overview of some spooky traditions and lore surrounding food like cranberries and cakes! Also get tips for how to reconcile Thanksgiving's terrible history with the general concept of being grateful for family and friends...then close it out with some truly terrible Thanksgiving horror stories, including a ghost screaming at a train, turkeys left on...

Hold on tight for a speedy introduction to Wicca! Test your knowledge of animal companions with the game Sounds Familiar then take a look at the history of Wicca and common misconceptions of Wiccans. And don't miss a Snacket update, a listener story about a spooky lighthouse, and more!

What's that light off in the distance? Why, it's a spooky lighthouse, the subject of this week's episode! Hear the horrifying corpse misadventure of the Smalls Lighthouse Incident that inspired multiple films, including 2019's The Lighthouse. Then meet the ghosts of the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse in Florida and the Big Bay Point Light in Michigan. With pirates, sexy Scottish ghosts, and Willem Da...

WE HIT 100 FULL SIZED PODCAST EPISODES 🎉 To celebrate, we checked out the World Oddities Expo and stayed in the infamous Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. Hear about our holiday shopping/treating ourselves haul (from cute badges to jackalopes to getting to hold the tiniest pup) before we recap our ghostly encounter in the hotel room with Mister E, possibly murdered and run out of busin...

Happy (almost) Halloween! We talk the appeal of ghost stories with help from the AV Club, wax poetic about the subreddit ghoststories, and the persistence of creepypasta. Then we swap some stories about Alcatraz, the Tailypo in West Virginia, and romantic mishaps with a suddenly shy ghost called Karen.   WE HAVE A PATREON. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/SpoopHour And find us on social...

Happy belated Canadian Thanksgiving! We're celebrating our neighbors up north with an episode on Canadian spoop. With tales of Shaq-sized beavers, poltergeists who throw bullets, hags who cause sleep paralysis, and a cookie with a sordid past, you'll want to grab some maple cookies and settle in for a great time.   WE HAVE A PATREON. Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/SpoopHour And find us...

Courtney is back from New Orleans! Hear all about the ghosts and spooky history of the Big Easy from the above ground burial traditions to streets owned by boss ladies who don't take kindly to fathers-in-law attempting their murder. Meet a handsy ghost via dowsing rod, learn some of the horrors perpetrated by Delphine LaLaurie, and close it out with our favorite voodoo queen Marie Laveau. And wish...

It's officially the birthday season for your favorite Spoop hosts, so we're talking all things ZODIAC (except the killer). Get the deets on what it means to be a Libra sun sign Aquarius ascending like us, some of the history behind the western zodiac, and the folklore behind the animal-centric eastern zodiac. Also learn why Courtney's only birthday crisis was her love of Hozier and our birthday go...

Do you know the spooky meaning behind common symbols of autumn and Halloween? Get the deets this week! Warm up with the game Is That a Pie I Spell? before diving into the hidden meanings of pumpkins and gourds, witches, bats, apples, and more.

After an excursion to our local Halloween Selfie Museum (yes, that's a real thing), we discuss the spooky art of spirit photography! From the history of ghosts in pictures like Freddy Jackson and the Girl in the Fire to William Mumler and William Hope, probable frauds and spirit photographers, learn about some ghosts popping up in photos and get tips for capturing your own ghost on camera.   (AUDI...

Turns out Virginia is a weird commonwealth! We take a look at some of the stuff that makes our home state weird, like secret societies at state schools like UVA and one man's giant ham best friend. We also dive into a cultish temple located too close to home for our liking... (cw/tw: 40:33 to 44:55 child abuse; 47:54 to 49:42 sexual assault)