Mythical Monsters
180 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 951 ratingsTravel the world in search of the strangest and most powerful creatures from myth and legend. These beasts are alternately beautiful and ferocious, seductive and sadistic. But no matter what form they take, they tell a story about their culture as only a monster can. Mythical Monsters is a Spotify Original from Parcast.
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Episodes
Monsters of Disease: Jwara
November 15, 2021 08:01 - 46 minutesJwara is the lord of all diseases. Part Ayurvedic medical concept and part Hindu god, he’s a shapeshifting figure that causes a mysterious fever that has no cure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Monsters of Disease: Sopona
November 08, 2021 08:01 - 44 minutesSopona is one of the most powerful gods of the Yoruba religion. He's the god of the earth, in charge of blessing the crops and grains. But if you anger him, he'll clap back in a fearsome way, infecting your body with a deadly rash — a disease known today as smallpox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nightmare Creatures: Mara
November 01, 2021 07:01 - 41 minutesDeep in the forests of Germany and Britain lies a creature seemingly made of darkness. It will render you immobile in sleep, then crush your lungs so you can't breathe. This is the Mara, and she's the origin of the word “nightmare.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nightmare Creatures: Manananggal
October 25, 2021 07:01 - 36 minutesA beautiful woman transforms at nightfall, sprouting bat wings and severing the lower half of her body. Dragging her entrails, she goes in search of the one thing that will sate her appetite: fetuses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nightmare Creatures: Camazotz
October 18, 2021 07:01 - 36 minutesA fearsome bat god of the K’iche’ Mayans, the Camazotz is at home in both the underworld and the apocalypse. And it specializes in slicing heads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nightmare Creatures: Soucouyant
October 11, 2021 07:01 - 45 minutesIn the Caribbean, a blood-sucking fireball has an insatiable hunger, a terrible grudge, and a secret that will divide a family… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nightmare Creatures: Mares of Diomedes
October 04, 2021 07:01 - 40 minutesThe monsters of Hercules’ eighth Labor put the ‘mare’ in ‘nightmare’ — they may look like ordinary horses, but these creatures are supernaturally strong, with an insatiable taste for human flesh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hercules’ Labors: Cretan Bull
September 27, 2021 07:01 - 38 minutesHercules heads south to meet the Minoans. You might know them from the stories of Icarus, Daedalus, Theseus, and the Minotaur. But there was another fearsome beast that started it all... with plenty of blood, gore, and savage hatred. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hercules’ Labors: Stymphalian Birds
September 20, 2021 07:01 - 35 minutesOn the surface, hunting the Stymphalian Birds seems right in Hercules' wheelhouse: it should be a simple point and shoot. Unfortunately, things start to look a little more complicated once our hero gets to Lake Stymphalia... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hercules’ Labors: Ceryneian Hind
September 13, 2021 07:01 - 38 minutesThe chase is on when Hercules is tasked with capturing the fastest creature in the world — a deer that can outrun the goddess of the hunt herself, Artemis. But the real challenge may come later, when Hercules must outwit a king… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hercules’ Labors: Hydra
September 06, 2021 07:01 - 41 minutesAn epic hero. An unusually terrifying monster. If Hercules is going to survive, his greatest weakness will need to become his greatest strength. Join us over the next four weeks as we look at the monsters of the Twelve Labors of Hercules, and the legendary showdowns that were his penance for a terrible crime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Monsters of Revenge: Oiwa
August 30, 2021 07:01 - 43 minutesThe disfigured, betrayed bride known as Oiwa is one of Japan’s most legendary spirits. Her hideous appearance and thirst for revenge are scary enough, but what’s even more terrifying is her ability to warp her victims’ entire sense of reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Monsters of Revenge: Tupilaq
August 23, 2021 07:01 - 34 minutesStalking the waters and villages of the Greenlandic Inuit, the Tupilaq is a horrific creature made up of parts from many dead animals. It’s conjured by a shaman for revenge… but all bets are off once the Tupilaq begins to think for itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Monsters of Revenge: The Erinyes
August 16, 2021 07:01 - 40 minutesThe Erinyes are some of Greek mythology’s most menacing figures. Though the three winged sisters make their home in Hades torturing wicked souls, they will also rise up to the human world if it means they can drink the blood of those who break the moral laws of society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Monsters of Revenge: Kanontsistóntie
August 09, 2021 07:01 - 39 minutesThe Kanontsistóntie is a flying, blood-thirsty head that terrorized Native American and First Nation clans across the U.S. and Canada. It’s bound to stalk and devour anyone who sees it… and it’ll take one young woman’s cleverness and patience to defeat it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Monsters of Revenge: The Pontianak
August 02, 2021 07:01 - 38 minutesFrom Southeast Asia comes the legend of the Pontianak. Once an innocent victim, she’s now a vampiric monster who pursues men and pregnant women to avenge her unfair death… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
American Monsters: Dark Watchers
July 26, 2021 07:01 - 39 minutesFirst observed by Spanish colonizers in the 16th century, the Dark Watchers reside high up in California’s Santa Lucia Mountains. But these phantom figures do far more than just watch… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
American Monsters: Flathead Lake Monster
July 19, 2021 07:01 - 38 minutesIt has a home covering nearly 200 square miles in Big Sky Country. This slithering, serpentine water-beast is Montana's Flathead Lake Monster and you better hope you see it before it sees you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
American Monsters: Mothman
July 12, 2021 07:01 - 36 minutesFrom the dregs of war-loving humanity’s industrial waste comes the terrifying winged Mothman, who’s a warning of danger to come... and also the danger itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
American Monsters: Skunk Ape
July 05, 2021 07:01 - 39 minutesThe red-haired skunk ape stalks the Florida Everglades, and it’ll do anything to protect its territory against nosy humans and their cameras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Grendel
June 28, 2021 07:01 - 41 minutesGrendel is the fearsome villain from the classic “Beowulf,” but this beast started out as a protector of nature. He only went bad to fight a terrifying threat to nature: humankind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Solstice Special: Scorpion Men
June 21, 2021 07:01 - 51 minutesStinging tails. Fatal venom. The Scorpion Men from Babylonian mythology are ruthless guards of the underworld. But they were created by a powerful goddess for a noble purpose: to avenge a murder, and seek out justice. For more celestial stories, keep listening across Parcast Network for episodes on the Zodiac signs, constellations and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Introducing: International Infamy
June 15, 2021 07:01 - 14 minutesAshley Flowers explores 15 of the world’s worst crimes in the new Spotify Original from Parcast, International Infamy. The first episode takes you to Mexico and the true story of Juana Barraza — a pro wrestler who became a serial killer known as the “Little Old Lady Killer.” Listen to an exclusive clip right here, then follow International Infamy for the full episode. New episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hecatoncheires
June 14, 2021 07:01 - 47 minutesWith their fifty heads and one hundred arms, the giant Hecatoncheires terrorize ancient Greece as they rise from their undersea prison to wreak havoc. It’s up to one scared young man to find his bravery and stop the devastation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sphinx
June 07, 2021 07:01 - 40 minutesThe winged, feminine, and very feline Sphinx terrorizes ancient Greece with her sharp claws and unsolvable riddles. But all that changes when the Sphinx meets a young man named Oedipus… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Shojo
May 31, 2021 07:01 - 42 minutesThe Shojo is a water-dwelling monkey with bright red fur and a fondness for getting drunk. The creatures are said to have created sake, and they delight in drinking it with new human friends. But if a Shojo is betrayed, the party ends… and the danger begins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Yamauba
May 24, 2021 07:01 - 39 minutesAmidst Japan’s highest peaks, a kindly woman provides weary travelers with food and shelter — if they obey her rules. If they don’t, the Yamauba reveals the demon inside of her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bagan
May 17, 2021 07:01 - 37 minutesMuch like Godzilla, the Bagan is an ancient dragon-like beast who erupts from the Earth to wreak havoc. Though the fire-breathing monster leaves a trail of destruction in its wake, it may actually be there to teach a lesson about balance in the natural world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Kappa
May 10, 2021 07:01 - 39 minutesLurking in the rivers of Japan is the kappa, a turtle-monkey hybrid who’s quite curious about human ways. The kappa’s favorite food is cucumbers, so you’d better have some on hand. Otherwise, it will want to indulge in its other favorite: human blood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Gashadokuro
May 03, 2021 07:01 - 40 minutesThe Japanese Gashadokuro is a giant, ravenous skeleton made of restless, angry spirits. It can be controlled for a time with the right magic, but if it gets too hungry, it can ravage an entire country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lilith
April 26, 2021 07:01 - 44 minutesBefore Eve, there was Lilith. Adam’s first wife was a feisty, lusty woman whose defiance gets her thrown out of Eden, and whose passions put her in the Lord’s line of fire. But her power is undeniable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Amorites
April 19, 2021 07:01 - 42 minutesIn biblical times, no tribe was as feared as the Amorites. Legends say they were fearsome giants with no morals — but this band of enormous shepherds had very human goals: to love, survive, and help their flock thrive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Beasts of Revelation
April 12, 2021 07:01 - 43 minutesThe Book of Revelation presents an apocalypse worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, with rivers of fire and gigantic beasts that lay waste to the land. These creatures haunt the visions of the old prophet John, who must figure out their meaning and warn the rest of the world before it’s too late. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Asmodeus
April 05, 2021 07:01 - 42 minutesThe King of Demons stokes the flames of humanity’s lust and wrath. But when Asmodeus becomes obsessed with a young woman, killing her suitors until she agrees to marry him, a young man steps up to end his reign of terror... with a little help from an angelic guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Morgan Le Fay
March 29, 2021 07:01 - 41 minutesBefore she gained a reputation as a scheming sorceress and King Arthur’s nemesis, Morgan Le Fay was an ambitious teenager struggling to claim her power in the world of men. It takes a trip to an eerie fairy domain for Morgan to find her strength. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fairy Godmother
March 22, 2021 07:01 - 42 minutesThe Fairy Godmother is a classic character who solves children’s problems with sparkles, magic, and whimsy. But some children have issues that are far more disturbing than finding the perfect prince… and it takes a fairy with edge and attitude to save the day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Tooth Fairy
March 15, 2021 07:01 - 39 minutesShe’s charmed her way into the hearts and piggy banks of children across America… But instead of asking how much money she’ll give them for their teeth, perhaps kids should be asking instead: Why does the Tooth Fairy need all those teeth? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Wicked Fairy
March 08, 2021 08:01 - 42 minutesNo one likes a Wicked Fairy who crashes a christening and curses a princess, but maybe she has her reasons. Perhaps the Wicked Fairy is a mother herself, who’s only fighting for her own daughter’s future… and will do anything to prove her love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Puck (Robin Goodfellow)
March 01, 2021 08:01 - 41 minutesYou may know Puck as the impish sprite from Shakespeare’s tales, but he also lurks in the English countryside and offers help to people with household chores… for a price. As one overwhelmed, newly married housewife learns, a deal with Puck may bring bad luck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bái Hǔ
February 22, 2021 08:01 - 38 minutesThe Bái Hǔ is a celestial deity in ancient Chinese mythology who takes on the form of the majestic White Tiger. Those who worship Bái Hǔ can count on his blessings and protection… but those who thumb their noses at him may find themselves fleeing the claws and jaws of this ferocious beast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tatzelwurm
February 15, 2021 08:01 - 39 minutesHigh up in the Alps lives a creature that is part-snake, part-cat, and fully terrifying. The Tatzelwurm’s venomous bite can kill a man on sight, but it’s still a target for the Alps’ bravest hunters… especially Heinrich, a wrongly imprisoned man who learns that killing the beast will earn him his freedom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wampus Cat
February 08, 2021 08:01 - 41 minutesThe Wampus Cat is a human-feline hybrid that stalks the woods of Appalachia and terrorizes young and old alike. But while legends of the Wampus have been around since the 19th century, its true origins may lie in the tale of the Ewah — a mythical Cherokee creature who is both predator and protector. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bakeneko
February 01, 2021 08:01 - 49 minutesFrom Japanese folklore, the Bakeneko is a cat with supernatural powers. Unlike its benevolent cousin, the magical Maneki Neko, Bakeneko terrorized medieval Japan — but it has also been known to avenge cruel injustice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tezcatlipoca
January 25, 2021 08:01 - 51 minutesThe Jaguar is the animal embodiment of Tezcatlipoca, the Aztec god of chaos. While the Aztecs fear and celebrate him, their Spanish conquerors brush him off as a pagan myth… until the Jaguar returns to avenge his worshippers with sharp claws and madness-inducing magic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Frau Perchta
January 18, 2021 08:01 - 47 minutesShe’s no Santa Claus: Frau Perchta is a Germanic Christmas witch who punishes lazy, unproductive people in sadistic ways. When a flax spinner named Anna spends a year mourning a loss, a visit from the Frau brings sharp clarity… and impending wrath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fossegrim
January 11, 2021 08:01 - 46 minutesA Norwegian water spirit will bestow the gift of musical talent upon desperate pupils — for a price. But a barter with this bard can be treacherous: Fail to uphold your end of the deal, and pay more dearly than you ever intended. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dwarf
January 04, 2021 08:01 - 49 minutesA brew of blood and honey bestows knowledge upon Fjalarr and Galarr, dwarf brothers in Norse mythology who begrudge their lowly status among the gods and their creations. But enlightenment brings its own set of troubles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Superstitions Special: New Year’s Eve Festivities
December 31, 2020 08:01 - 34 minutesThe clock’s winding down on the final moments of the year and people around the world are putting their charms and traditions to work, shoring up good fortune for the future. But it’s not always our own personal luck that’s on the line… In this story, a night of superstitions weaves together the fates of merrymakers eager for fresh starts. This episode is presented by Superstitions, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Follow Superstitions free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Holiday Special: A Christmas Carol (Pt. 2)
December 22, 2020 08:05 - 51 minutesHe’s faced his ghosts, and reckoned with his past. But after decades of relentless self-enrichment, how can Ebenezer Scrooge truly redeem himself? “A Christmas Carol” is presented by Tales, a Spotify Original from Parcast. For more stories that aren’t afraid to get dark, follow Tales free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Holiday Special: A Christmas Carol (Pt. 1)
December 22, 2020 08:01 - 49 minutesNearly two centuries ago, Charles Dickens wrote a tale of greed and redemption. It starts with a miserly old man, his long-dead business partner, and the sound of rattling chains… When Ebenezer Scrooge is forced to reckon with his past, he’s in for a frightful night of ghostly visitations — and a long overdue moral awakening. “A Christmas Carol” is presented by Tales, a Spotify Original from Parcast. For more stories that aren’t afraid to get dark, follow Tales free on Spotify, or wherever y...