PBS
Hero, Beast, or Both? The Complex Lore of the Centaur
Humans have domesticated animals as beasts of burden for thousands of years and the vital role horses play in the evolution of culture in particular has inspired countless equine folklore, but none are quite like the centaur.
PBS
Unicorns: Magical Icons or Violent Beasts?
Unicorns are all over the place in popular culture these days - movies, TV shows, toys, clothing and books for children and adults alike. But you might be interested to learn that the majestic, all-white horse with a spiralized horn on...
PBS
Was Púca the Nightmare Bunny That Inspired Donnie Darko?
Existing somewhere between boogeyman, scapegoat, and temperamental fae, the known trickster called Púca is an animal-spirit that was once dreaded across Ireland, the Channel Islands, and England.
PBS
The Wicked Feline Murder Floof, a Yule Cat Story
Christmas isn’t just a time for presents, cookies, and holiday cheer, but the hunting period of Iceland’s murderous monster feline, the Yule Cat. This giant, fluffy cat towers over buildings, roaming the snowy countryside for human...
PBS
How Chimaera Mythology Became Reality
The impossible, three-headed monster of Ancient Greek mythology, the Chimaera, may have started off as a fantasy, but today, the word “chimera” can be used to refer to anything that seems impossible. This includes the real-life,...
PBS
Kasogonagá: Sky Deity and Absolute Cutie
A sky deity falling from the sky sounds bad, right? Not if it’s the Kasogonagá! From the mythology of the Toba peoples of South America, this god of lightning, thunder, and rain appears as a small, hairy anteater-like creature and needs...
PBS
Windigo: The Flesh-Eating Monster of Native American Legend
Explore the symbolic interpretations of the windigo with Dr. Zarka as she explains how this Native American legend can teach us about the spiritual beliefs and social values of the early indigenous peoples of North America.
PBS
Mari Lwyd: The Skeleton Horse's Deep Past with Christmas
The coastal villages of Wales around the winter holidays have a unique nighttime visitor. A grim skeletal equine monster roams the streets with a rag tag group and demands entry to the homes of the citizenry, demanding food and drink....
PBS
The Hidden Origins of Nixie, the Scariest Little Mermaid
The half-human half-fish Nixie may look very familiar at first. But these shape-shifting monsters with their eerie songs that lure humans to the watery depths are much older, and much scarier, than the mermaids we know from pop-culture.
PBS
Creepy Clowns: The Horror Behind the Laughter
When did clowns—the characters who filled our childhoods with juggling and balloons—become so creepy? For centuries, clowns have worn two faces: as irreverent entertainers, and tricksters who could break social norms. So when stories of...
PBS
Beyond the Supernatural Horror of the Nishi Daak Ghost
The lines between demon, spirit, and deity are often blurred in the cultures of the Indian subcontinent, where the clear “good vs. evil” dualism that is seen more commonly in the Western hemisphere don’t exist in quite the same way. The...
PBS
Are Cyborgs Really Monsters?
Advances in technology are always met with some degree of technophobia – and villainization. Anxieties about humans being replaced by machines immediately emerged alongside voices praising their life-enhancing benefits. What is it about...
PBS
How Bloody Mary Turns Fear Into Fun
By some accounts, she’s hideously mutilated but in others she is beautiful but bloody—more commonly though—every aspect of her appearance is vague. There’s even versions where she was a witch burned at the stake in Salem. In some...
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.