Folklore Fangirl

The Knocker is a small, unseen presence said to dwell deep within abandoned mines. Its faint tapping echoes through the stone—sometimes a warning, sometimes a lure. That depends on you.

Resources:

https://www.ancient-origins.net/folklore-myths-legends/knock-knock-mysterious-cornwall-knockers-0020981

https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2020/10/tommy-knockers-mine-ghosts.html

https://www.americanfolklore.net/tommy-knockers/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzNugUSsLLI Homemade Cornish Pasties

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Thanks for listening—it means so much to us! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore.

“Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

Take an imagination vacation with me to learn about the Brownie, a helpful household spirit from Scottish folklore believed to dwell quietly within the home. Known for completing chores at night, this shy being asks for little in return—but if offended or given gifts of clothing, it may vanish, sometimes taking the home’s good fortune with it.

Resources:

https://scotlands-stories.com/scottish-brownie/

https://www.historicmysteries.com/myths-legends/brownie/30892/

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/brownie-folklore

https://folklorescotland.com/the-boghall-brownie/

https://forest-healing.co.uk/articles/uruisg-brownie-scottish-folklore

https://theskaldscircle.com/scottish-folklore/the-brownie-scottish-folklore/

https://folklorescotland.com/maggy-moulach/ Hairy Meg

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Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore.

“Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

Quick content warning: part of today’s episode discusses animal cruelty. We’ll give you a heads-up before that segment so you can skip it if you’d like.

Lurking in the quiet corners of homes and barns, the Lutin is a mischievous spirit from French-Canadian folklore. Small and quick, it delights in subtle chaos—hiding tools, tangling hair, or leaving behind just enough disturbance to be noticed. Though sometimes helpful, its favor is fickle, and a slight or neglect can quickly turn its playful tricks into persistent annoyance, making its unseen presence both curious and unsettling.

Resources:

https://confettipark.com/storytime-le-lutin/

https://occult-world.com/lutin/

https://mysteriesofcanada.com/quebec/les-lutins-the-goblins-by-louis-frechette-english-translation/

https://spookysleuth.substack.com/p/lutins-frances-festive-hobgoblins

https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lutin

https://mysteriesofcanada.com/quebec/the-goblin-lore-of-french-canada-from-honore-beaugrands-new-studies-of-canadian-folklore-1904/

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/colonization-and-immigration

https://study.com/academy/lesson/french-canadian-culture-history.html

https://ostrichpillow.com/products/original-napping-pillow - Ostrich Pillow

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Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore.

“Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

In this episode, we’re taking a look at Shrek and comparing the movie version most of us know with "Shrek!" the original children’s book by William Steig. We’ll talk about how the story changed from page to screen and some of the surprising differences between the book and the movie.

Resources:

Shrek! by William Steig Amazon Link

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Thanks for listening — we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating or review. And keep fangirling over folklore.

“Quinn's Song-The Dance Begins” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

Don’t be fooled by the silence—Kobolds are rarely far away. These playful German household spirits can help with chores or stir up trouble, leaving behind strange noises, misplaced objects, and just enough mischief to keep you guessing.

Resources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/kobold

https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/nature-and-dangers-legendary-kobold-002121

https://germanyinusa.com/2018/10/26/word-of-the-week-kobold/

https://sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tfm/tfm086.htm

https://deyerinstorytellers.com/kobold/

https://godsandmonsters.info/kobold/

https://furtivegoblingaming.blogspot.com/2019/02/goblin-watch-episode-3-mythology-2.html?m=1

https://grognardia.blogspot.com/2024/06/a-very-partial-pictorial-history-of.html Pictorial History

https://grammarist.com/spelling/mischievous-mischievious/ Article on the word “mischievous”

https://greekmythologytours.com/blog/greek-mythology/dionysus-greek-god Dionysus

https://www.zashiki-warashi.co.jp/yoyaku.html Ryokufuso Inn

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Thanks for listening — we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating or review. And keep fangirling over folklore.

“Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

Explore the Zashiki-warashi, a mischievous child spirit from Japanese folklore believed to live quietly within the home. Said to bring good fortune to the household it inhabits, this playful presence may leave small signs of its activity—footsteps, laughter, or moved objects—but if it ever leaves, the home’s luck is believed to leave with it.

This segment discusses historical practices involving infanticide due to poverty, which listeners may find disturbing. A brief warning will be given before the discussion so you can skip ahead if you prefer.

Resources:

https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/folk/spooky/zashiki/zashiki02.html - this one has the picture of Shobuke Miya, the storyteller.

https://uncannyjapan.com/podcast/guest-room-child-zashiki-warashi/

https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/'zashiki-warashi'-the-mythical-children-who-look-after-your-house

https://fukusakikankou.jp/en/yokai-bench-en/zashikiwarashi-2/

https://yokai.com/zashikiwarashi/?srsltid=AfmBOopnOuakYOi-AbMvchlPlBPW4_Pq6ftaf8Lf1jJyM1SOPTDFaetZ - First Picture

https://yokaimania.com/zashiki-warashi/ - Second Picture

https://matthewmeyer.net/blog/2009/10/03/a-yokai-a-day-zashiki-warashi/ - Third Picture

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1Qjz2TsGQT/ - Fourth Picture

https://www.zashiki-warashi.co.jp/yoyaku.html Ryokufuso Inn

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Thanks for listening — we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating or review, and keep fangirling over folklore.

“Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

1.3 The Lares & Penates

Explore the household spirits of ancient Rome—Lares and Penates—who were believed to protect the home, family, and food stores. Honored with daily offerings, these guardians played a quiet but important role in Roman life.

Resources:

https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/lares-and-penates#:~:text=Another%20group%20of%20deities%2C%20the,the%20hearth%20or%20household%20fireplace.

https://libraryforkids.com/roman-religion-from-greek-mythology-to-christianity/

https://connectparanormal.net/2024/12/07/lares-and-penates-guardian-spirits-of-roman-homes/

https://mythosanthology.com/lares/

https://occult-world.com/lares/

https://www.historyforkids.net/roman-mythology.html

Lares Compitales:

https://dinosaursandbarbarians.com/2021/01/01/january-3-5-the-compitalia-ancient-romes-winter-street-fair/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Lararium Pictures:

https://pompeii-79ad.blogspot.com/2015/06/pompeii-lararium.html

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_temple_style_lararium_in_the_garden_of_the_House_of_the_Prince_of_Naples,_Pompeii,_Italy_2nd_century_BCE_-_1st_century_CE.jpg

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Thanks for listening — we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. And keep fangirling over folklore.

“Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

In this episode, we’re taking a look at Snow White and comparing the version most of us know with the much darker one first published in Grimms' Fairy Tales. We’ll talk about how the story has changed over time and some of the wild differences between the original tale and the modern versions.

Resources:

https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm053.html

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Thanks for listening — we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. And keep fangirling over folklore.

“Quinn's Song-The Dance Begins” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

1.2 Household & Domestic Spirits - The Duppies

Travel to the Caribbean as we explore the history of the Jamaican duppies—restless spirits of the dead said to linger among the living. Feared as hauntings yet sometimes summoned for protection, these ghosts reveal a haunting side of Jamaica’s folklore.

Resources:

https://medium.com/@feliciamlittle/duppies-5d61de51f880

https://www.museumand.org/2020/11/09/caribbeanghoststory/

https://amanninghogarth.com/2022/10/19/duppy-story-time/

https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/what-is-a-toadstool.html

https://chloemaraj68104874.wordpress.com/home-3/page-1/men-in-folklore/duppy/ (this is the one with the picture we talked about in the episode)

Instagram: folklore.fangirl

Thanks for listening — we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. And keep fangirling over folklore.

“Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

1.1 The Domovoi

Explore the mysterious domovoi, the protective house spirit of Slavic folklore. Believed to dwell behind the stove or within the walls, this unseen guardian was said to bless households that honored tradition — and stir up trouble in those that did not.

Resources:

Domovoi, House Spirit of Slavic Mythology

Domovoy | Household Spirits, Folklore & Mythology | Britannica

Domovoy - the guardian spirit of the home and the family This is the one with the pictures we talked about on this episode

Russian Fairy Tales Domovoi

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Thanks for listening — we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. And keep fangirling over folklore.

“Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠

Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)