← Monstrum

2023

15 episodes · 2023

  1. 1Is Yuki-onna the Most Terrifying Snow Monster?

    09 Feb 2023 · 10 min

    Yuki-Onna, the icy snow maiden of Japanese lore, might steal your heart, or your life. This harsh winter monster is beautiful and dangerous, the incarnation of winter storms.

  2. 2How Bloody Mary Turns Fear Into Fun

    09 Mar 2023 · 10 min

    If you are unlucky enough to summon Bloody Mary, there’s no real standard of what you’ll see. By some accounts, she’s hideously mutilated but in others she is beautiful but bloody—more commonly though—every aspect of her appearance is vague. There’s even versions where she was a witch burned at the stake in Salem. In some legends, she’s connected to a cult. But where she comes from and what she looks like is less important than the ritual that summons her.

  3. 3Unicorns: Magical Icons or Violent Beasts?

    11 Apr 2023 · 13 min

    Unicorns are all over the place in popular culture these days - movies, TV shows, toys, clothing and books for children and adults alike. But you might be interested to learn that the majestic, all-white horse with a spiralized horn on its forehead is just one version of the many varieties of unicorn that have appeared in folklore throughout history.

  4. 4Why Do Cyborgs Inspire Special Fear in Humans

    04 May 2023 · 11 min

    Advances in technology are always met with some degree of technophobia—and villainization. And cyborgs represent a special kind of fear inherent in losing ourselves in the technologies we create.

  5. 5Hero, Beast, or Both? The Complex Lore of the Centaur

    18 May 2023 · 14 min

    Humans have domesticated animals as beasts of burden for thousands of years and the vital role horses play in the evolution of culture in particular has inspired countless equine folklore, but none are quite like the centaur.

  6. 6The Untold Secrets of Pokémon’s Monster Mythology

    08 Jun 2023 · 13 min

    What inspired Pokémon’s Monster Mythology?

  7. 7Beyond the Supernatural Horror of the Nishi Daak Ghost

    06 Jul 2023 · 12 min

    The nocturnal entity called Nishi reflects the complex nature of good vs. evil in Bengali.

  8. 8The Hidden Origins of Nixie, the Scariest Little Mermaid

    19 Jul 2023 · 9 min

    Of all the many terrifying monsters haunting the waters of the world the Nixie stands out.

  9. 9Was Púca the Nightmare Bunny That Inspired Donnie Darko?

    17 Aug 2023 · 12 min

    The trickster Púca is an animal-spirit that was once dreaded across many lands.

  10. 10Uncovering the Enigma: Sasquatch Sightings

    07 Sep 2023 · 13 min

    North America’s most famous cryptid, Sasquatch is a bipedal hairy humanoid with history pre-dating European colonization with numerous sightings even up to the present day. From cave paintings to video documentation, Sasquatch is a uniquely American monster. Why has the legend endured, and what does it say about humanity?

  11. 11The SCP Foundation: Declassified

    28 Sep 2023 · 13 min

    Unlocking the Mysteries of SCP: From Secure, Contain, Protect to Unearth, Expose, Fascinate! Dive deep into the shadowy world of the SCP Foundation as we peel back the layers of secrecy surrounding these enigmatic entities. Discover the untold stories of containment, explore the unexplainable anomalies, and join us on a journey to unravel the secrets that have captivated the most curious minds.

  12. 12The Evolution of Creepy Dolls

    26 Oct 2023 · 14 min

    Maybe it’s the unblinking eyes, staring at you, emotionless, day and night. Or, perhaps it’s their small size acting as a cloak of innocence. Or their human-like appearance that makes them seem just slightly too real. However, you want to spin it—there’s something creepy about dolls.

  13. 13What Happened During Our Scary Slumber Party

    30 Oct 2023 · 13 min

    Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, Bloody Mary and Ouija are scary and entertaining rites of passage for kids and teens to participate in. But do these games actually work? And why do we love to scare each other so much at sleepovers?

  14. 14Creepy Clowns: The Horror Behind the Laughter

    22 Nov 2023 · 8 min

    When did clowns—the characters who filled our childhoods with juggling and balloons—become so creepy? For centuries, clowns have worn two faces: as irreverent entertainers, and tricksters who could break social norms. So when stories of scary clowns pop up all over popular culture, it's a sign that we're wondering who clowns really are behind the costume. Do they want to make us laugh? Or scream?

  15. 15Mari Lwyd: The Skeleton Horse's Deep Past with Christmas

    24 Jan 2024 · 11 min

    The coastal villages of Wales around the winter holidays have a unique nighttime visitor. A grim skeletal equine monster roams the streets with a rag tag group and demands entry to the homes of the citizenry, demanding food and drink. But is this really a monster to be feared, or one that is rather cheered?