I’ll be the first to admit, I was not a big fan of the podcast craze. Nine out of ten times I would much rather listen to music than someone talking. However, Aaron Mahnke and his podcast “Lore” have won me over. I don’t even remember what made me decide to listen to it in the first place, all I know is that I gave it a chance last summer and I haven’t looked back since. It’s not the only podcast that I’ve listened to, but it is the only one that can consistently keep my attention. Perhaps it’s Aaron Mahnke’s soothing voice, or the chilling content that he talks about that piques my interest…whatever the reason, I would recommend it to anyone who loves history—specifically the dark elements of it. The subjects covered include witches, werewolves, vampires, serial killers, psychics, aliens, and anything else that can’t be explained in the natural world.
Each 30-minute episode dives into one of these subjects, and Aaron Mahnke provides stories and insights into how certain stories and folklore came to be; even if that means admitting that nothing short of supernatural could possibly explain it. The show’s tagline: “Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.” That’s right folks, none of the stories are fictional, which if you’re like me, makes the podcast even more intriguing.
Fans of American Horror Story will be quick to enjoy Mahnke’s stories, as many of the plot lines in the show can be found in the podcast’s episodes. From H.H. Holmes and his murder mansion in Chicago, to the mysterious disappearance of the Roanoke colony, and even Barney and Betty Hill, the inter-racial couple who claimed they were abducted by extraterrestrials in a rural portion of the state of New Hampshire in the 1960’s (a sub-plot of the second season of AHS).
Even if you’re not a horror junkie, I think you’ll find that Lore has much more to offer than giving you a case of the chills. Lore, when you boil it down, is how human beings have passed down stories and experiences from one generation to the next. It defies boundaries and spans cultures. It can make sense of some phenomena, and raise more questions about others. Most importantly, it teaches us to never stop asking questions about the world around us.
Favorite Episodes:
Explores the life and crimes of H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who committed most of his murders in his home in Englewood, Chicago during the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893.
The story of Robert, a doll owned by painter Robert Eugene Otto of Key West, Florida.
Explores a selection of stories and legends from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, including the story of the witch-trial of a woman named Cora and her infant in the town of Frisco on Hatteras Island.
A selection of alleged accounts of gremlins, including a sighting reported by a former B-17 pilot from Jonesboro, Arkansas, as well as an incident that supposedly occurred at an air base in San Diego, California, in 1939.
A selection of stories and legends from New Orleans, Louisiana, including the story of the Voodoo QueenMarie Laveau, as well as the story of the alleged sultan who was murdered at the mansion on the corner of Dauphine Street and Orleans Avenue.
The story of thirteen-year-old Mary Lurancy Vennum, who was supposedly possessed by the benevolent spirit of nineteen-year-old Mary Roff in Watseka, Illinois, in 1878.
An exploration of tricksters in folklore and mythology, including the Nain Rouge, and the curse it supposedly placed upon the city of Detroit, Michigan, as well as upon the city’s founder, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, in 1707.
The story of the life of Sarah Winchester, and the construction of her Winchester House in the Santa Clara Valley near San Francisco, California, between the years of 1886 and 1922.
The story of the life of Mollie Francher, a so-called “fasting girl” living in Brooklyn who supposedly developed the ability of “second sight” after suffering several accidents that rendered her bedridden. Also discusses physician William Hammond’s attempts to expose Fancher as a fraud.
The history of the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia, as well as the ghost stories associated with the building.