Some stories are kept secret for a reason, and among the Diné, the figures outsiders call 'skinwalkers' is one of them.

In this chapter, we examine how this subject sits within Diné teachings about witchcraft rather than monsters, why many details are not shared publicly, and how 19th-century accusations, modern reporting, and internet mythmaking reshaped the idea for the rest of the world.

We separate community perspectives and documented history from hearsay and pop-culture distortion. To many, the Skinwalker is another Urban Legend, but to those who know its secrets, it is far more than that.

__________________

This week’s mid-roll ad features 'Out There: A Cryptid Podcast', a show that follows Josh and his team as they dive into the world of cryptids, paranormal encounters, and unexplained phenomena. Each week, Josh takes you on an adventure beyond the edges of reality - uncovering strange stories, exploring eerie legends, and asking the big questions about what might really be... out there.

Find them by searching 'Out There: A Cryptid Podcast' in your podcast app.

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• If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at [email protected].

• For more information on the show, to find all our social accounts and to ensure you are up to date on all we do, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lukemordue.com/podcast

The 'Dead Children’s Playground' urban legend is most often linked to the small play area beside Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Alabama. A place where grief and suggestion overlap. Visitors report swings moving on their own, childlike voices emitting from the dark, and odd lights appearing in photographs, but is there any truth to it?

In this chapter, Urban Legends examines what can be verified, what is only claimed, and how a modern haunt grows from older histories and the psychology of play.

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• If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at [email protected].

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Each Halloween, stories circulate of decorations that look disturbingly real, until someone realises theres a very good reason for that.

The 'Halloween Hanging' story is often dismissed as an Urban Legend as scattered reports over the years have blurred fiction and fact, leaving many to wonder how much truth hides behind the tale. Join us as we discuss the origins of this eerie story, and how very real incidents may have shaped its spread.

This week’s episode also features a mid-roll ad from our friends at www.oddityshoppodcast.com, a show that dives into the bizarre, the unexplained, and the wonderfully strange. Check them out by clicking that link, or simply searching 'oddity shop' in your chosen podcast provider.

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Long before online conspiracies took hold, one of the most famous legends in music history began to circulate claiming that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 and had since been secretly replaced by a double.

Known as the 'Paul is Dead' urban legend, it transformed Beatles fans into detectives, studying the bands lyrics, album artwork, and audio recordings for hidden clues, but just where did this story come from? and is there any truth to it at all?

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• If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at [email protected].

• For more information on the show, to find all our social accounts and to ensure you are up to date on all we do, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lukemordue.com/podcast

In this chapter, we explore a story that’s grown far beyond its origins, from a simple Raggedy Ann doll to a symbol of modern horror. 

The legend of 'Annabelle'.

Join me as we trace her history alongside Ed and Lorraine Warren, the couple who shaped her fame and controversy. We’ll examine the psychology that makes dolls so unsettling, uncover the real events behind the story, and look at how belief, media, and myth turned a children’s toy into a global icon of fear.

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Urban Legends returns next week, but today, we’re sharing a guest episode from our friends at Weekly Spooky — one that connects closely to our most recent chapter.

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On July 4, 1984, police dogs uncovered a shallow grave in the quiet town of Northport, Long Island. Inside lay the mutilated body of 17-year-old Gary Lauwers—stabbed more than 30 times in a drug-fueled frenzy by his friend Ricky “The Acid King” Kasso. Within days, the story became national news, sparking headlines of Satanic sacrifice and cementing Kasso as the terrifying face of America’s 1980s Satanic Panic.

But was this really the work of a Satanic cult, or simply the grim fallout of teenage drug abuse, mental illness, and neglect? In this episode of Terrifying & True, we dive deep into the disturbing murder in Aztakea Woods, Ricky Kasso’s descent into drugs and occult posturing, and how the media turned one horrific killing into a nationwide moral hysteria.

We’ll examine:

• The brutal murder of Gary Lauwers and Kasso’s infamous demand, “Say You Love Satan.”
• How the case fueled the fire of the Satanic Panic sweeping America.
• The media’s sensational claims versus the grim reality of drugs, rage, and tragedy.
• The trial of Jimmy Troiano and the lasting legacy of the “Acid King” myth.

From grave robbing to cult rumors, from teenage rebellion to national paranoia, this is the chilling true story of Ricky Kasso, the Acid King of Northport.

We’re telling that story tonight.

To find out more, simply search 'Weekly Spooky' in your chosen podcast providers or visit http://WeeklySpooky.com

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**Trigger Warning: This chapter involves harm to children.**

In this chapter, let's delve into the urban legends that brought forward what is now known as 'The Satanic Panic‘, from the first sensational cases and flawed investigations to the media frenzy and courtrooms that followed.  We’ll look at how fear, politics, and culture combined to create a moral wildfire, one that still echoes in today’s conspiracy movements.

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For decades, stories of an unknown figure staring through bedroom windows have circulated in whispered warnings and late-night news reports, but is there any truth to it?

In this chapter, we explore the origins of the 'Killer in the Window' Urban Legend and the real incidents that connect to it. Join us as we examine how a fleeting shape outside the curtains became a modern myth about invasion, vulnerability, and the fear of being watched.

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From ancient carvings and medieval manuscripts to shipwreck songs and seaside myths, 'Mermaids' have haunted human imagination for centuries.

Over the years, they have been a symbol of beauty, danger, sin, and even salvation. But where did these beings come from, and why have they endured in so many cultures across the world?

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In the late hours of the night, a bus winds its way through the quiet streets of Beijing - a vehicle that has given rise to one of China’s most haunting modern legends. Known as the tale of the 'Midnight Bus', it tells of unsuspecting passengers, strange late-night boardings, and a ride that takes a turn into the supernatural.

In this chapter, we unravel the origins of the tale, the cultural fears it reflects, and why the 'Midnight Bus' continues to haunt the urban imagination today.

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• If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at [email protected].

• For more information on the show, to find all our social accounts and to ensure you are up to date on all we do, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lukemordue.com/podcast