PBS
Is Yuki-onna the Most Terrifying Snow Monster?
Yuki-Onna, the icy snow maiden of Japanese lore, might steal your heart, or your life. This harsh winter monster is beautiful and dangerous, the incarnation of winter storms - as beautiful and pale as the falling snow. She may have black...
PBS
Can All Monsters Be Traced Back to Tiamat?
Across multiple mythologies, the term “mother of monsters” is used frequently on the likes of women such as Echidna, Lamia, and Angrboda. But in Mesopotamian mythology, the mother of monsters is Tiamat, who’s less of a woman, and more of...
PBS
Tikbálang: The Filipino Nightmare Shapeshifter
A malevolent spirit lurks in the shadows of forests and the darkest mountains of the Philippines. Capable of adopting physical form, the most terrifying of which being a massive half-human, half-horse hybrid, the Filipino Tikbálang...
PBS
How Cthulhu Transcended its Creator, H.P. Lovecraft
The tentacle-faced creature Cthulhu is H.P. Lovecraft’s most enduring eldritch creation. But while Lovecraft may be Cthulhu’s inventor, this monster has outgrown its creator, impacting both horror fiction and the real world in...
PBS
Is Siren Head the Ultimate Modern Monster?
Lumbering through the countryside blasting its eerie messages from metal speakers perched atop a forty-foot wooden humanoid frame, Siren Head is a prime example of modern folklore born on the internet. Featuring insights from Siren...
PBS
What Hellhounds Reveal about Humans' Oldest Companion
Hellhounds, the fearsome canine beasts of the underworld who often serve as guardians to the very gates of hell, pop up in a wide variety of cultural folklore throughout history. They're also fairly commonplace in the stories we tell in...
PBS
Mapinguari: Fearsome Beast and Protector of the Amazon
Deep within the Amazon rainforest lurks a mysterious creature called the Mapinguari. Notoriously elusive, this cave-dwelling giant leaves a trail of broken trees and trampled ferns in its wake. Massive, hairy, and pungent, this beast...
PBS
Why Has the Majestic Griffin Been Forgotten?
The Griffin is a half-lion, half-eagle creature that is commonly seen adorning royal crests and perched menacingly atop buildings. Why is this ancient creature that many of us see every day largely forgotten?
PBS
Have Humans Always Feared Sharks?
Despite the extreme rarity of attacks on humans, Sharks have become perhaps the most widely feared animals on the planet. How did this happen? They're not naturally aggressive towards humans and kill fewer people each year than falling...
PBS
Why the Dragon is Central to Chinese Culture
The Chinese dragon is one of the world’s most globally recognized monsters. Playing a major role throughout Chinese history, they were both creators and destroyers and controlled the elements. They've influenced everything from politics...
PBS
Adze: the Shapeshifting Firefly from West Africa
For many of us, the firefly is a mystical, enchanting creature of the twilight. To the people of some West-African cultures, however, the firefly brings to mind a malevolent, shapeshifting, blood-sucking monster of lore: the Adze.
PBS
The Enchanting Fairies of Celtic Lore
The fairies of Celtic traditions trace their origin back to an ancient race of otherworldly royalty - the Tuatha Dé Danann. As fairy nobility, the Tuatha Dé Danann were alternatively seen as gods, monsters, demons, and even the real...
PBS
Krampus: Origins of the Yuletide Monster
You better watch out, you better not cry, and you certainly must behave—or else face the brutal beating of the Krampus. Why does this demonic, horned Yuletide monster exist? This episode looks at the historical origins of Krampus in the...
PBS
El Silbón: The Deadly Whistler of the South American Grasslands
The “Terror of the Plain,” this emaciated, whistling devil is cursed to wander the South American countryside carrying the bones of his victims. Intimately tied to the cattle ranching history of Latin America, the myth of El Silbón...
PBS
The Macabre Origins of the Grim Reaper
There are fewer images of Death personified than the scythe-wielding skeletal form of the Grim Reaper. But where did it come from? You may have heard that this haunting figure emerged as a result of the Black Plague, but that’s only a...
PBS
Basilisk or Cockatrice? The Mysterious King of Serpents
A venomous snake who can kill with its gaze alone, the basilisk has terrified us for thousands of years. But it also has another name—the cockatrice. That’s right, the reptile-chicken hybrid creature and the poisonous snake are actually...
PBS
Yara-ma-yha-who: Australia’s Regurgitating, Blood-Sucking Monster
The Australian wilderness is a dangerous place—in part because it’s the rumored hunting ground of a vampiric creature who uses its fingers and toes to suck your blood. Fall prey to the Yara-ma-yha-who and you risk not only being...
PBS
Will-o’-the-Wisp: Monstrous Flame or Scientific Phenomenon?
These elusive blue flames have been reported globally and inspired a wealth of folklore. But what exactly is a Will-o’-the-Wisp? Also commonly called “ignis fatuus” or “corpse-candle” the glowing atmospheric phenomenon has a reputation...
PBS
Taotie: The Mystery of Chinese Mythology’s Famous Glutton
This influential ancient monster from Chinese mythology predates the written word. Inspired by ancient bronze and jade iconography detailing the face of a bulging-eyed, gapping-mouthed beast, the Taotie creature is both mysterious and...
PBS
Werehyena: The Terrifying Shapeshifters of African Lore
African folklore dictates that unlike other werecreatures this monster is an animal that disguises itself in human form. By day it walks the earth nearly indistinguishable from humans, but at night it returns to its true hyena shape. We...
PBS
Pontianak: The Vengeful, Violent Vampiric Ghost of Southeast Asia
The pontianak, or kuntilanak, has long been a staple of Malay horror. In addition to serving as an allegory for the tension between traditional and modern cultural and spiritual practices, these monsters gave name to a real city. In this...
PBS
How Gargoyles Became Monsters
Before these stoney grotesques became monsters they were just water spouts. We still adorn our buildings with the carvings and sculptures of the frightening, funny, and exaggerated forms—but why? Learn all about the strange history of...
PBS
The Original Urban Legend: Spring-heeled Jack
19th century London and the hunting ground of Spring-Heeled Jack. The fire-breathing, wall-leaping, claw-wielding devil attacked women in their homes and in the streets, terrorizing England for more than 50 years. Learn how Spring-Heeled...
PBS
The Fatal Song of the Sirens
This episode explains how sirens appeared in ancient history, from literature to art, and looks at how the half human half bird creatures became more commonly associated with mermaids. From Ancient Greek legends to Medieval bestiaries,...