306-Latin American Folklore: Payback

🗡️If at first you don't succeed, die, die again.Ian's had a hard life. That life gets even more difficult when he falls in love with a woman who is (not-so-secretly) a deer. And who makes him eat her earwax.😈 The Creature: The Charles Mill Lake MonsterThis week, the state of Oh ... Show More

🐒 Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, knows a demon shakedown when he sees it.And what's happening in this town, where people need to pay upwards of $30k (in 2026 USD) a year to a Buddha they never see? That's a shakedown. Does his master, the Tang Monk, believe him? Of course he doesn ... Show More

✏️Gaṅgâdhara's astrologer dad has some bad news for his boy: he's going to die.Well, first he'll spend a decade in prison, and then die. Then things will get better? It's the story of the Soothsayer's Son.😈 The Creature: Denpachi KitsuneAre you sure the best student in your scho ... Show More

Bloodsucking fiends appear in the folklore of every culture on the planet. But for some, they were more than just horror stories. Today’s story comes from early 18th-century Europe. A doctor tries in vain to save lives, while a monster waits in the shadows… determined to see him ... Show More

<p>Looking out for your fellow creatures of the forest&nbsp;might just keep you out of Baba Yaga's clutches. Here are two classic&nbsp;Baba Yaga tales, one from 19th-century American folklorist Katharine Pyle and one by the turn-of-the-century Russian folklorist&nbsp;Verra Xenoph ... Show More

Back with pt. 2 of autumnal fictions of the spine-tingling variety. This time largely from (where else) Pu Songling, as well as several shorter entries from the Zibuyu.00:01:15 - Friendship Beyond the Grave00:10:25 - Karmic Debts00:12:30 - Spiritual Man Luo Catches the Wrong Demo ... Show More

Listeners beware - you're in for TWO scares in this disturbing double feature! First, a boy left in the care of his neighbors while his parents travel is haunted by the rumors of a monstrous cat creature at large in The Werecat. Then, a man gets the last laugh from beyond the gra ... Show More

When you’re not raised on superstitions, entities of lore can lure the most vulnerable into their clutches. If these tales didn’t have a shred of truth to them, why then do most cultures have them? Always heed the warnings of folklore or before you know it, you might quickly slip ... Show More

00:02:09 - "The Scholar & the Headless Ghost" True music fans come in all types. 00:05:37 - "Magical Arts" Let the buyer beware... but sometimes the non-buyer, too! 00:12:37 - "Ruby Jade" Nobody knows you when you're down & out... 00:27:00 - "Examination for the Post of Guardian ... Show More

Mexican culture has a strong connection to the dead. They have deep roots in their beliefs of the supernatural world. These beliefs have evolved over centuries of their experiences with ghosts and spirits. While these and stories from other countries can be fun stories to share, ... Show More

Fantasy doesn’t always stay fiction. Sometimes it creeps into reality, and as we grow older those childhood fairy tales gain a whole new meaning. First, Sapphire reads a magical tale about a baker with a dark, delectable secret. Next, join Markeia as she follows a young occultist ... Show More