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
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
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,...
PBS
Bunyip: Australia’s Mysterious Amphibian Monster
Originating in the stories and beliefs of the southeastern Indigenous peoples of Australia, accounts of the bunyip are widely varied. This episode uses Aboriginal stories, historical records, and fossils to explore the bunyip legend, and...
PBS
Jorōgumo: The Deadly Spider Woman from Yokai Lore
Although able to appear as a beautiful young woman, the jorōgumo is really a deadly spider monster in disguise. This episode dives into the fascinating world of yōkai and the long history of beautiful women and spiders in Japanese...
PBS
Slender Man: How The Internet Created a Monster
Dr. Zarka explains the timeline of this Internet folklore sensation, examining how unlike so many other monster origins stories, we know exactly when and why this one was created. From Creepypasta to video games, horror movies to...
PBS
Jinn: The Ancient Arabian Shapeshifters
Jinn is a popular character in fiction and their origins continue to influence Islamic cultures today. From the Qur’an to The Thousand and One Nights, the story of Aladdin to I Dream of Jeannie and everything in between—the jinn are more...