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.
We’re joined by author Van Hoang, who teaches us the story of the Monkey King, how Journey to the West MIGHT have been a romance novel, and how going through puberty turns every kid into a trickster spirit.
Read MoreIn the past, we’ve talked about bird husbands and seal wives, but today we’re diving deep into Animal Spouses with the Japanese folk tale, the Crane Wife!
Read MoreAn episode with a framing device, within a framing device. We’re getting meta here with the One Thousand and One Nights story, Sinbad the Sailor. We discuss whether or not Sinbad is the luckiest or unluckiest guy in the world, his buckwild plans, and befriending eccentric rich guys.
Read MoreWe talk a lot about the ghost type of spirits on the show, but what about the liquor kind of spirits? We’re joined by Dr. Hyunhee Park to talk about the global history of the distinctive Korean drink: Soju. Hint: It all comes back to the Mongols.
Read MoreWhen you put on a Studio Ghibli film, you don’t expect to be talking about aliens and proto-science fiction in 9th century Japan. But that didn’t stop us! We gush over this retelling of a classic Japanese folktale, and lay out the details of a buck wild Third Act twist.
Read MoreWe’re closing out this year with the tale of Chang’e - or rather, the many tales of the Chinese moon goddess. We cry through a musical, blend tales of betrayal and love, and discuss the honesty of grief and moving on, drinks in hand.
Read MoreThe Godzilla and Kaiju movies are inextricably linked to a lot of difficult topics, but we have cocktails in hand and we feel ready to talk about them. Learn about the history of the Big Monster movies, the funny 70s franchises, and how Godzilla can teach us all a lesson about how to better talk about environmentalism.
Read MoreThis week we’re joined by Jeannette Ng, who is kind enough to walk us through the multitude of Mulan stories that span centuries. We discuss cross-dressing in Chinese literature, the political influences of the story, and Mulan’s importance in the Chinese diaspora.
Read MoreJulia has come up with the most scientific way of calculating who the coolest cryptid is: a tournament style bracket! While she brings the challengers, it’s up to Amanda and Editor Eric to determine, once and for all, who the coolest cryptid is.
Read MoreSince we’ve watched Amanda’s favorite vampire movie, it seemed like a good time to submerge ourselves in all things vampire. We touch on the vast history of vampire folklore and tradition, then dive into some of our favorite examples of vampire media. Since we’ve watched Amanda’s favorite vampire movie, it seemed like a good time to submerge ourselves in all things vampire. We touch on the vast history of vampire folklore and tradition, then dive into some of our favorite examples of vampire media.
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