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.
Doomed love has never been so fun to talk about! Special guest Linda takes us through one of the most famous love stories in the Chinese cultural canon, with twists, turns, and detours to Dana Scully’s shoulder pads, Amanda’s graveyard traditions, and Julia’s favorite IRL treasure hunt. We promise to fill you with only a little bit of existential sadness at the end.
Read MoreMeet the badass mermaid ruler of the rivers and coasts of Western Africa: Mami Wata, who knows how to exact revenge and how to enjoy the finer things in life. We talk snakes that can swim, Amanda’s lack of football knowledge, complicated relationships with water and exes, and how Mami Wata is the Fuck Mother we’ve been waiting for.
Read MoreCreepy ravens, death rituals, and battlefield curses abound in this episode on the Celtic goddess trinity of doom and destruction. Hear A+ cursing, terrible stories about our future forms, confusion over what exactly a bull is, and of course some epic mispronunciation as we discuss Badb, Macha, Nemain, and Anann.
Read MoreOur Lady of Guadalupe is “a thing that is both.” Mexican and Catholic, native and foreign, we dive deep into a story of devotion, roses, snake skirts, widowers, adult-born gods, human sacrifice, and the power of very pious grandmas. Stick around for some hot takes on mythology-inspired fashion, why you shouldn’t try to avoid your divine mom, and reasons to always believe the guy in your small town that says he spoke to God.
Read MoreA whole year has come and gone, and we’ve told a lot of stories. So why not DOUBLE IT? To celebrate Spirits Podcast’s first birthday, we’re giving you 30 myths in as many minutes - we hit almost every continent (fuck you, Antarctica), tell stories of warrior goddesses, magma monsters, creepy bears, and why Wario definitely isn’t a Maori deity
Read MoreAll stories have the same roots - or, at least, that’s what our boy Joseph Campbell says. This week, we enter into the cycle of The Hero’s Journey with special guest Mischa Stanton. We’ll talk Basic Hero Bitches, the archetype behind grumpy Obi-wan Kenobi, stories of our theatre school dropout days, and just how to get past self-loathing when fighting the forces of evil.
Read MoreIt's time to get a little abstract! (Get it? Because it's about Time?) With dad jokes galore, we dive into the New Year head-first with deities and spirits who control what is to come in the next year. Nail down a funny, tipsy future full of pop culture flubs, Pokémon goofs, and weird holiday films with Episode 25, Time!
Read MoreHe's made a list, and we've gotten smashed. This week, we stumble through the story of Krampus, the half-goat, half-demon, anti-Santa Claus. Unique traditions, questionable origins, and weird pop culture surround Europe's favorite chain-wielding holiday figure. End the year in style with a creepy/cool holiday story and a side of (a lot) of eggnog.
Read MoreThere's nothing quite like a fairy tale. Heroes on quests, helpful magical animals, and… hidden sex dungeons?! We break down the famous Russian folktale of Koschei the Deathless, which defies the conventions of all the fairy tales we've heard and read before this! (Except the Little Mermaid. That's still messed up.)
Read MoreYour hometown defines you - the stories you hear end up being the stories that you tell through the rest of your life. This week, in honor of heading home for Thanksgiving, we bring you the urban legends we grew up with! From haunted asylums, to spooky roads, to demonic possessions, hear the stories that got us into the creepy & cool early on.
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