Folkloric

They live in the sea as seals. On land, they pass as human. And if someone steals the skin they shed on shore, they can never go home. Selkies are one of the oldest and most quietly heartbreaking figures in Celtic and Norse folklore. Creatures who ask almost nothing of the people around them, and are betrayed anyway. In this episode, Beth and Michelle explore the selkie legends of Scotland, the Shetland Islands, and the remote cliffs of the Faroe Islands: where these stories came from, what they were really trying to say, and why they hit differently now than they probably should. They dig into the documented folklore and the possible real-world origins, including the Inuit and Sami people whose sealskin kayaks and parkas may have done more worldbuilding than any storyteller intended. They cover the man who stabbed a selkie king, the otter king who showed up when it mattered, the Faroese women who chose the sea over the children they loved, and the Scottish clan that traces its webbed fingers back to a fisherman's marriage. Also discussed: the fragile nature of choice, duality as a way of life, the longing that never quite goes away, and why Michelle is officially breaking up with Mothman live on air. Calendar of the Weird for June 28 through July 11  Cryptid & Paranormal Events The Lizard Man Stomp Date: Saturday, June 28, 2026 | 10 AM – 2 PM Location: Downtown Main Street, Bishopville, SC What it is: South Carolina's beloved annual festival celebrating the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp -- the 8-foot, red-eyed, three-toed swamp creature first sighted in June 1988. Expect a parade down Main Street, live music, arts and crafts vendors, a car show, kids' games, face painting, food trucks, and of course, the Lizard Man himself available for photos. A free, family-friendly community event that keeps the legend alive. https://www.facebook.com/LIZARDMANSTOMP/ Hodag Heritage Festival Date: July 9-12, 2026 (Heritage Festival runs alongside Hodag Country Fest week) Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin What it is: Rhinelander celebrates its legendary local cryptid -- the Hodag, a fearsome horned beast said to haunt the Northwoods -- with a day of folklore, community, and creature lore. Features a traditional pancake breakfast, the beloved Hodag Calling Contest, live music, a Hodag Historical City Bus Tour, cryptid speakers, and more. A deeply local tradition that has made this beast Rhinelander's identity for over a century. https://www.rhinelanderchamber.com/hodagheritagefestival/ Sacred Days & Observances June 29 -- Full Strawberry Moon in Capricorn The last of the summer's early moons, named by Indigenous traditions for the ripening of wild strawberries. In Capricorn, this is a moon that rewards focus and ambition -- a grounded full moon energy perfect for taking stock of what you've built so far this year. July 4 -- Independence Day / Day of Pax Celebrated by patriotic American Wiccans as a day to honor Lady Liberty and perform workings for peace and the wellbeing of the land. In ancient Rome, this date also honored Pax, goddess of peace and harmony -- making it a layered day of fire, freedom, and intention. July 6 -- Day of the Horned Goddesses An ancient Pagan observance honoring all horned goddesses across traditions: Hathor, Hera, Isis, Juno, Selene, and more. Also the opening day of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain -- yes, that includes the Running of the Bulls, which carries its own deep mythological weight around the sacred bull as a symbol of fertility and divine masculine power. July 7 -- Tanabata (Star Festival) Date: July 7, 2026 Location: Japan (and celebrated by Japanese communities worldwide) What it is: One of Japan's five traditional seasonal festivals, Tanabata celebrates the one night each year when the star-crossed celestial lovers Orihime (the star Vega) and Hikoboshi (the star Altair) are allowed to cross the Milky Way and reunite. Rooted in a Chinese myth brought to Japan in the 8th century, the tradition involves writing wishes on small strips of colorful paper called tanzaku and hanging them on bamboo branches. A festival of longing, starlight, and love against all odds. https://nationaltoday.com/tanabata/ July 9 -- Panathenaea (Ancient Greek) Every four years in ancient Athens, a six-day festival began on this date in honor of Athena, goddess of wisdom and craft. Also traditionally celebrated as the divine birthday of Dionysus, god of wine, ecstasy, and transformation. July 10 -- Day of Holda A day honoring Holda (also known as Hulda or Holle), the ancient Germanic and Norse goddess of the underworld, winter, spinning, and the hidden order beneath the earth. Marked with candles, offerings of rose petals, and prayers to the keeper of the dead. July 14 -- New Moon in Cancer The dark of the moon in Cancer -- a watery, introspective new moon perfect for intention-setting around home, ancestry, and emotional healing. Cancer energy invites us inward before the sun moves on. In the Sky This Fortnight June 29 -- Full Strawberry Moon in Capricorn July 5 -- Earth reaches Aphelion (its farthest point from the Sun in its orbit) July 14 -- New Moon in Cancer Events & Festivals 15th Annual WitchsFest USA -- Ye Olde Pagan Street Faire Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 | 10 AM – 5 PM Location: Astor Place (between Broadway & Lafayette Streets), New York City -- FREE to attend What it is: New York City's beloved outdoor pagan street fair, hosted by the NYC Wiccan Family Temple. Now in its 15th year, WitchsFest USA brings together witches, pagans, druids, hoodoo practitioners, Santeria communities, and seekers of all paths for a day of live performances, workshops, a psychic court, magical vendors, a silent auction, and a summer blessing ritual -- all on the streets of the East Village. Benefits Feed America, City Harvest, and St. Jude Children's Hospital. https://witchsfestusa.org/   Attributions:  160904 seals at low tide.WAV by Bluesy1905 -- https://freesound.org/s/353439/ -- License: Attribution 3.0 Music by https://pixabay.com/users/echonn-30541699/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=220954 Szymon Jasiński from https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=220954 Pixabay

In the highlands of southern France, something was hunting people. For three years, from 1764 to 1767, La Bête du Gévaudan killed over a hundred men, women, and children across 700 square miles of rugged countryside, embarrassed the royal court of King Louis XV, and launched one of the largest coordinated hunts in French history. Soldiers failed. Professional wolf hunters failed. The king's own gun bearer declared it finished and went home. The attacks resumed two months later. But inside the terror were the people. A 19-year-old servant girl named Marie-Jeanne who stood her ground on a riverbank and drove a spear into the creature's chest. A 10-year-old boy who organized his friends and charged the beast with sticks. A royal court that rewarded the boy and gave the girl nothing. Not for 230 years anyway. Join Beth and Michelle as they dig into the historical record, the werewolf folklore, the silver bullet origin story you didn't know you knew, and the very human question of what we turn our monsters into when the truth won't hold still. Whatever the Beast of Gévaudan was, it left 113 confirmed dead behind. And a mystery that France never fully solved. Links to Events:  Silver's Stones Magical Psychic Fair | June 14th, 2026 Silver's Stones Magical Psychic Fair on Saturday, June 14thfrom 11 AM to 4 PM in Elizabeth, PA Strange and sacred market event in June 2026 | Seneca, SC The Strange Dark and Mysterious Market 2026! Sunday, June 14th Magic, Witchcraft and Nature Conference Dates: June 24–26, 2026 Location: York, UK (York St John University) & Online Dreamers, Witches & Mystics Virtual Summit Dates: June 26–28, 2026 Location: Online / Zoom Witches' Magick Market - Solstice Spell Market Dates: June 20, 2026 Location: UNEARTHED, Glendale, California, USA Witchy Workshop - Tarot with Cats Dates: Friday, June 26, 2026 | 5:30 PM Location: House of Black Cat Magic, Asheville, NC June 15 – New Moon in Gemini: Seed intentions for communication, curiosity, and mental agility as the twins’ quicksilver energy opens new pathways of expression. June 20-21 Litha (summer solstice) northern hemisphere June 23 – Day of the Lady & Lord of the Sidhe: A modern neopagan observance honoring the Fae and the otherworldly aspects of the divine. June 24 – Day of Household Deities: A modern devotional practice for cleansing and rededicating altars or household shrines, honoring the protective spirits of the home. June 29 – Full Strawberry Moon in Capricorn: A moon of adventure, truth-seeking, and seasonal abundance.   Sounds used:  Wolf run.wav by sabotovat -- https://freesound.org/s/414350/ -- License: Attribution 3.0 Moutons_Chateau_Matin by nicotep -- https://freesound.org/s/809220/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Before ghost hunting was a TV staple, Dr. Nandor Fodor was already doing it weirder and smarter than anyone else. In this episode we dig into the strange career of the paranormal investigator almost nobody talks about. From the Thornton Heath poltergeist to his most infamous case: a talking mongoose on the Isle of Man named Jeff who claimed to be born in New Delhi in 1852. Fodor's wild theory that poltergeists are manifestations of repressed trauma put him at odds with spiritualists, got him fired, and inspired more than a few lawsuits, but it also shaped how we think about the paranormal to this day.  Calendar of the Weird: New Jersey's 4th Annual Cryptids and Paranormal Conference Date: June 6, 2026 Location: Plainsboro, New Jersey, USA (Crowne Plaza Princeton Conference Center) What it is: A rapidly growing East Coast hotspot for fans of hidden zoology and local lore. This gathering features extensive deep dives, presentations, and panel discussions focusing on regional cryptids (including Jersey Devil theories), unexplained regional phenomena, and local paranormal investigative data. Link: NJ Cryptids & Paranormal Conference Tickets via Eventbrite Traditional Northern Hemisphere Litha / Midsummer Preparations Dates: Ongoing throughout early June (Culminating June 21, 2026) Location: Global / Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK What it is: While the exact astronomical Summer Solstice lands on June 21, the opening week of June marks the traditional beginning of localized Pagan and Druidic gatherings across Europe. Pagan communities begin setting up sacred spaces, building communal bonfires, and preparing for the high-energy solar alignment celebrations marking the peak of the Sun God's power. Link: Pagan Wheel of the Year Context via Tripr Travel     R4_00597_EXP01_Horror_atmosphere by kevp888 -- https://freesound.org/s/759670/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

This week, Michelle and Beth dig into one of the strangest, saddest, and most compelling folk traditions ever pulled from a forgotten archive box: the Benandanti of Friuli, Italy. Born into a calling, dispatched four times a year in spirit form to wage plant-based warfare in the fields, fiercely proud of who they were — until the Inquisition spent a century grinding that pride into confession. We trace their roots from the crossroads culture of northeastern Italy all the way to the Wild Hunt, Livonian werewolves, and a pan-European shamanistic pattern that historian Carlo Ginzburg spent decades trying to prove. Plus: the amniotic sac as a lucky charm, why fennel beats sorghum, and what it means when an institution can't tolerate something it simply can't categorize. It's not just folklore. It's a gaslit identity. And it almost disappeared completely. 📚 Resources from this episode: The Night Battles by Carlo Ginzburg — The book that started it all. Absolutely worth your time. Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches' Sabbath by Carlo Ginzburg — Ginzburg's follow-up and the deeper rabbit hole on the pan-European shamanic substrate. The Wild Hunt — Encyclopedia Britannica — A solid entry point into the broader tradition. European Shamanism and Folkloric Spirit Flight — Folklore Studies overview, JSTOR — For the academically inclined among you. The Inquisition and Witch Trials  — Broader context for the institutional machinery at work in this episode. Luna Nera on Netflix — The fictional take. Not historically accurate, but atmospheric. 🗓️ Upcoming Events (May 17–24): Paranormal & Supernatural PennHurst Paracon & Oddities Expo — May 16–17, Spring City, PA Texas Frightmare Weekend — May 22–24, Irving, TX Quantum-Con 4 — May 15–17, Plymouth, MN Pagan & Esoteric Sussex Faerie Festival — May 15–17, Alfriston, East Sussex, UK Welsh Occult Conference — May 16, Welshpool, Wales Rites of Spring — May 20–25, Western Massachusetts (and online) Sacred Days & Observances May 17 — Maple Ceremony (Haudenosaunee): Honoring the maple as the first gift of the year from the earth. May 19 — Festival of Adonia: Women's mourning rites for Adonis, consort of Aphrodite. May 20 — Frigga Blót (Norse): Honor the All-Mother. Light the hearth. May 20 — Sun enters Gemini: Start talking more. You won't be able to help it. May 22 — International Selkie Day: The hidden folk are watching from the water. May 23 — Vulcania (Roman): Fire, smithing, and the creative destruction of flame. May 24 — Feast of Sekhmet (Kemetic): The lion-headed protector, invoked for warding and healing. In the Sky Now through May 30 — Waxing Moon: Prime time for growth and manifestation work. May 31 — Full Blue Moon: Mark your calendars.

What are dreams, really? Science says your brain is filing memories and simulating threats. Psychology points to the subconscious doing its messy work. Metaphysics suggests something far stranger, that it’s a doorway to other realms, other versions of yourself you can only half-remember come morning. This week, Michelle and Beth float through the dreamscape: shared dreams that two people experience without knowing it, precognitive dreams that reach into a future you weren't supposed to know yet, and the dream locations your sleeping mind returns to that you've never visited while awake. They share their own precog dreams, including one born in the desert during wartime and one that foretold a tragedy before it happened and ask the question every vivid dreamer eventually faces: is it memory, the mind processing what it can't face in daylight, or something else entirely?

What happens when a community’s justice system fails, and the line between vigilante law and supernatural lore begins to blur? In this episode of Between Myth and Belief (formerly Folkloric), Michelle and Beth travel to the dark hollows of Booger Hole, West Virginia. Known for a string of mysterious disappearances and a history of post-Civil War violence, Booger Hole became the stage for one of Appalachia’s most haunting legends: The Witch of Booger Hole. We dive deep into the tragic story of Lacey Ann Boggs, a woman labeled a witch and targeted by the notorious Clay County Mob. Was she truly "hag-riding" her neighbors through sleep paralysis, or was she a convenient scapegoat for a community gripped by fear and lawlessness? Whether you’re here for the West Virginia folklore, the Appalachian history, or the true crime mysteries of the 19th century, grab a hot drink and join us in the gray area between what we know and what we believe. As mentioned in the podcast, here is the Upcoming Events for 4/16 to 5/1 of 2026: Folklore & Myth Events: April 19 – May 1 April 19: The Cerealia & The Ritual of the Burning Foxes This was the primary festival for Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. The most evocative (and slightly "feral") ritual involved tying blazing torches to the tails of live foxes and releasing them into the Circus Maximus. The Lore: It was said to cleanse crops and protect them from vermin, or to represent Ceres' frantic search for her daughter Proserpina with torches in hand. Links: History of Cerealia | Ceres and the Foxes April 21: Parilia (Rome’s Birthday) A pastoral festival dedicated to Pales, the deity of shepherds. This is a day of purification and "city-building" mythology. The Lore: Shepherds would jump through bonfires of straw and laurel to purify themselves and their flocks. Legend says Romulus founded Rome on this day in 753 BC by plowing a sacred boundary line. Links: Parilia Traditions | Rome’s Founding Myths April 23: St. George’s Day A cornerstone of European dragon lore. The Lore: The Golden Legend tells of a dragon in Libya that demanded human sacrifices. St. George subdued the beast, and in some versions, the princess led the dragon back to the city on a leash like a "meek beast." Links: St. George and the Dragon April 25: St. Mark’s Eve (The Death Vigil) In British folklore, this was a night of eerie divinations, often focused on mortality and marriage. The Lore: It was believed that if you sat in the church porch and fasted from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM, you would see the ghosts of all those in the parish who were destined to die in the coming year entering the church. Links: St. Mark's Eve Superstitions April 25: Robigalia (The Red Dog Sacrifice) A Roman ritual to ward off Robigo, the spirit of grain rust (mildew). The Lore: To protect the wheat, a priest would sacrifice a red-haired dog. It’s a fascinating look at how ancient cultures personified agricultural diseases as vengeful spirits. Links: Robigalia Lore April 30: Walpurgis Night (Hexennacht) Known as the "Other Halloween," this is the night witches were said to gather on the Brocken, the highest peak in Germany's Harz Mountains. The Lore: Traditions involve lighting massive bonfires to ward off evil and playing pranks. Offerings of bread with butter and honey (ankenschnitt) were often left out for "phantom hounds." Links: Walpurgis Night History | Witch Lore in the Harz May 1: Beltane (The Gaelic Fire Festival) One of the four major Gaelic seasonal festivals, marking the beginning of summer. The Lore: This is a "liminal" time when the veil between worlds is thin. Cattle were driven between twin fires for protection, and offerings were left for the Aos Sí (The Fae). It’s also the day of the Maypole, symbolizing fertility and the union of earth and sun. Links: Beltane Myths & Customs | Fae Offerings & Traditions Cryptid Anniversaries April 21–22: The Dover Demon (1977) One of the most famous short-lived cryptid "flaps" in American history occurred in Dover, Massachusetts. The Event: Over 24 hours, three teenagers independently reported a creature with glowing orange eyes and a watermelon-shaped head. It was described as having long, spindly fingers and peach-colored, "sandpaper-like" skin. Links: Dover Demon Records April 22: The "Strange Animal" of West Sutton (1921) A more obscure historical sighting from the Pine Barrens region. The Event: Residents reported a creature that "would answer a horn" with a cry like a wolf, but could also roar like a lion. It was noted for its incredible fleetness and tracks much larger than a wolf's. Links: Pine Barrens Cryptid Archive  

In the spring of 1973, in a small Southern Illinois town of about 800 people, something scratched at Henry McDaniel's door. He opened it. What he described was four feet tall, three-legged, pinkish-grey skin, eyes catching the porch light. It sent him rushing for his gun and sent the rest of Enfield into chaos. Michelle and Beth dig into the 1973 Illinois cryptid sightings from the ground up, the place, the time, the people, and what Southern Illinois in economic decline might have to do with what showed up on Canal Street. They also drag in a French explorer, the Illini legend of the Piasa, the case for an escaped wallaby, and the question of what happens when a town's dread gets heavy enough to need a shape.   Whazat.mp3 by macindoe1 -- https://freesound.org/s/52890/ -- License: Sampling+ evening woods Drunen NL 02 151009_0803.wav by klankbeeld -- https://freesound.org/s/333217/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

They were here before us. They will be here after we're gone. And in the meantime, they are definitely watching. For as long as people have been brave enough to go into the woods, trees have given us shelter, oxygen, fruit, and stories. People from all over the world and throughout history have looked up into those branches and felt something old looking back at them. So the question isn't if trees have power. Should we be afraid of it or respect it? Join Michelle and Beth as they dig deep into tree folklore, forest mythology, and the very human need to figure out why something that old and that shouldn't make you feel that way makes you feel that way.

Let's breathe in the strange and suffocating tale of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon, the phantom prowler who paralyzed an entire Illinois town in the summer of 1944 with nothing but a sweet smell and a whole lot of wartime dread. We dig into the moments that lit the fuse, the armed vigilantes who followed, and why the army chemical experts found absolutely nothing. Plus, we trace the long, weird history of fear going airborne, from the Glass Harmonica's alleged nerve-shredding powers to Spring-heeled Jack, War of the Worlds, and the surprisingly ancient art of a town losing its collective mind.

Let’s take a walk through a blood soaked history of Greyfriars Kirkyard and the apparitions who do or maybe do not haunt there. We discuss the plague victims, mass graves, the Covenanters, and the monster who may be lurking in the dark. Plus, a bonus illness-induced, emotional rant about humanity and how we treat one another.          R4_00597_EXP01_Horror_atmosphere by kevp888 -- https://freesound.org/s/759670/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Follow along with us as we enter a different realm, beyond the known and into... Toronto, Canada. Where we watch the 1970s every day citizens embark upon a journey of mysticism and science. Philip never existed but he has gained a life in the minds of those who created him and for those of us who uncover this, for all intents and purposes, successful attempt to create a ghost.    View the documentary The Philip Experiment

Most of us love to dance. School dances, dance clubs, weddings, etc., are all opportunities for those of us with the passion but not the professional skill to shake our groove thing. We dance until we need a drink or they switch to a song we dislike. But what if you couldn’t stop? What if your friends and neighbors were all dancing with you? What if none of you could stop? Join us as we explore the mysterious phenomenon known as the Dancing Plagues.

Time is like a river, or perhaps a babbling brook. Michelle and Beth jump into the time stream and visit fantastical places like across the street or down the road. Every place has a time slip story, those moments that capture you like a leaf in a dust devil and keep you twirling until you find yourself no longer in Kansas but out of time.

The mystery, the history, and the…science? This week Beth and Michelle discuss an area of the U.S. they both love as they set the scene for many myths and lore to come. This area can make a person ask a lot of questions and give few answers in return but will definitely leave a ton of room for speculation. So, close the curtains, don’t whistle, and ignore the voice in the woods calling your name. Don’t worry, it’s just the Appalachian Mountains.

Some beings endure over the centuries, not just surviving the encroachment of the modern world but thriving within new mediums. Whether it is in a Marvel movie, video games or a podcast about folklore, some beings still retain their relevance. Michelle and Beth discuss the nature and duality of Baba Yaga and her walking hut.    Beyond the Mother Metaphor: Baba Yaga's Ecofeminist Manifesto   Music by Ønetent from Pixabay

Michelle's favorite cryptid finally swoops into an episode! Beth takes a skeptical, if empathetic, eye to the cryptids origins. Everything you ever wanted to know -or hypothesize- about the Mothman is in this episode. Is the Mothman real or a mass hallucination? A harbinger or a watcher? Or maybe a lonely soul looking for a companion. The Mothman may be the only one who knows.   "The Mothman Song" by Melissa Starfall

The Cailleach, ancient hag, goddess of winter, she is the shaper of mountains. She is the keeper of storms and the weaver of endings. In this episode we discuss her steps through Celtic myth from Ireland to Scotland and beyond. We will uncover tales of icy reign, the power to sculpt land and her dual nature which is in the end so very human.   Music track: Heritage by Pufino Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Music (Free Download)

What started as a morbid fascination with how some saints met their deaths, this episode turned an emotional corner as we discuss different martyrs and how they came to be. Michelle focuses on the ancient past and the more ‘creative’ endings these saints met. Beth touches on more recent history and we find ourselves angered and appalled. Why does someone need to die just to further their message? Could change have come about if these individuals were allowed to live? What gives someone the right to claim another human’s life? What sicko decided to name the flayed saint the patron of tanners? Come listen and be frustrated by the lack of answers to these questions. Martin Luther King Jr - I Have A Dream Harvey Milk - The Hope Speech

Fog hangs heavy, the road ahead is barely visible by the light of your lantern. You hear the thudding beat of hooves in the distance, perhaps a messenger on his task. An angry orange light ahead pierces the fog, and the heavy lantern drops away from your numb fingers as you stare in shock at the headless figure wrapped in a dark cloak astride a black steed. It's upheld hand gripping a jack-o'-lantern, it's blazing orange eyes fall upon you and you feel the light burrow into your soul. The last thing you hear is your name escaping the horseman as if being pulled from a wet grave. Michelle and Beth take you on a journey across the Atlantic and back for this figure from folklore and myth.

Every state and every town has that one road where we are all a bit more cautious. Some of them are dangerous and have taken many lives, others have stores of phantom hitchhikers or ghostly headlights. Throw in a castle and a cryptid and you have one of the scariest stretches of asphalt: Clinton Road.

What are your teeth worth? It might be bartered for protection, traded for good health, or you may find a shiny half dollar as payment. We discuss the mythical creature known as the Tooth Fairy and it's many international incarnations.

Welcome to our first episode of Between Myth and Belief! Join us as we have conversations about all things preternatural and odd. This week we explore the mysterious unicorn and discover that Michelle is a Unicorn Girlie!

Between Myth and Belief is a bi-weekly podcast that will take a look at all the things in this world that make humans feel insignificant and scared or uncomfortable and confused. We will talk about the lore, the magic, the history, and the cryptids, as we discuss their significance in culture and society, both past and present. So tune in every other Sunday with Beth and Michelle.