The Feral Folklorist

For generations, sharp tools have done more than carve wood or cut rope—they’ve drawn boundaries, ended spiritual ties, and held protection in place. In this episode, we’re digging into the world of ritual knives, iron nails, and other edged tools used in folk magic across cultures. From black-handled conjure blades to coffin nails pulled from grave dirt, we’ll break down how these objects are use...

For centuries, people have whispered about the signs that death is coming—a knock at the window, a bird tapping on glass, a shadow in the shape of someone still breathing. From eerie sounds to black dogs and flying birds, this episode pulls back the veil on the chilling world of death omens: where they come from, how they’ve shaped family customs, and why they still creep into our dreams. We’ll tr...

Robert Johnson didn’t invent the story of making a deal with the Devil at the crossroads—but he sure made it sing. In this debut episode, we dig into the Southern folklore that shaped the myth, the deeper meaning behind crossroads in folk magic, and how these stories get tangled up with race, power, and fear. From Hoodoo conjure work to Delta blues to long-forgotten tales of midnight bargains, thi...

In 1897, a young woman died under mysterious circumstances in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Her death might’ve gone unnoticed—until her mother claimed she returned from the grave with a shocking truth. This isn’t just a ghost story—it’s a legal case where spectral testimony helped convict a killer. We walk through the legend, the court records, and the folk beliefs that gave voice to the dead....

For centuries, people buried glass bottles under thresholds and hearths, stuffed with hair, nails, pins, and other nasty bits—desperate measures to trap evil or send it crawling back where it came from. In this episode, we dig into the history and folklore of witch bottles: where they come from, why they work, and how they show up in both archaeology and modern magic. You’ll also learn how to make...

The Feral Folklorist is a podcast about the eerie, the enchanted, and the stories we’ve been whispering for generations. From haunted objects to weather witches, buried charms to crossroads deals—it’s where folklore meets real history and a little bit of dirt-under-the-nails magic. The show launches June 30, 2025 with a three-episode drop, followed by new episodes every other Monday. If you’re int...