Baba Yaga: The Ancient Origins of the Famous ‘Witch’
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January 14, 2021

One of the most beloved (and feared) figures in Russian and East Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is more than just a witch. She’s a rum...Read more

Werehyena: The Terrifying Shapeshifters of African Lore
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February 3, 2021

African folklore dictates that unlike other werecreatures this monster is an animal that disguises itself in human form. By day it...Read more

Taotie: The Mystery of Chinese Mythology’s Famous Glutton
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March 3, 2021

While its face is scarce in popular culture today, this influential ancient monster from Chinese mythology predates the written wo...Read more

Leprechaun: From Gold-Loving Cobbler to Cultural Icon
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March 16, 2021

Leprechauns are associated with St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture, but do you know why? The jovial, red-haired little man dresse...Read more

Will-o’-the-Wisp: Monstrous Flame or Scientific Phenomenon?
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April 7, 2021

These elusive blue flames have been reported globally and inspired a wealth of folklore. But what exactly is a Will-o’-the-Wisp? A...Read more

Yara-ma-yha-who: Australia’s Regurgitating, Blood-Sucking Mo
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April 8, 2021

The Australian wilderness is a dangerous place—in part because it’s the rumored hunting ground of a vampiric creature who uses its...Read more

Basilisk or Cockatrice? The Mysterious King of Serpents
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May 19, 2021

A venomous snake who can kill with its gaze alone, the basilisk has terrified us for thousands of years. But it also has another n...Read more

Don’t Let Them In! The Urban Legends of Black-Eyed Children
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June 23, 2021

An urban legend that exploits our fears of an obstructed gaze and the deeply unsettling idea that the youngest of our species are ...Read more

The Macabre Origins of the Grim Reaper
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July 1, 2021

There are fewer images of Death personified than the scythe-wielding skeletal form of the Grim Reaper. But where did it come from?...Read more

El Silbón: The Deadly Whistler of the South American Grasslands
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July 21, 2021 • 10m

El Silbón: The Deadly Whistler of the Grasslands The "Terror of the Plain," this emaciated, whistling devil is cursed to wander th...Read more

Fire Cat or Fire Cart? The History of Japan’s Kasha
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August 11, 2021

Swooping down from the heavens on a fire ball, the Kasha drags the bodies of the dead to the underworld for a life of damnation. M...Read more

Death Worms: Fact or Fiction?
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September 29, 2021 • 13m

Rumored to roam some of the world’s most desolate places the poisonous, killer death worm can trace its history in folklore back t...Read more

The Killer Origins of the Werewolf
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October 21, 2021

The first episode in this two-part series tackles the rise of the werewolf in its myriad of forms, looking at what happened when C...Read more

The Werewolf’s Modern Metamorphosis
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October 28, 2021

The second installment in Monstrum’s werewolf series looks at the evolution of the werewolf through Gothic fantasy, horror films, ...Read more

Trolls: Scandinavia’s Malevolent, Magical Outcasts
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November 10, 2021

While modern imagination might have you picturing trolls as ugly, hairy, rather unintelligent creatures their ancient folkloric co...Read more

Monster Bugs, Attack! The Origins of ‘Big Bug’ Science Fiction
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November 23, 2021

Insects make up 80 percent of the world’s species, so it's not all that surprising we’ve occasionally made them into monsters in s...Read more

Krampus: Origins of the Yuletide Monster
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December 15, 2021

You better watch out, you better not cry, and you certainly must behave—or else face the brutal beating of the Krampus. Why does t...Read more