Daemons, Tantra, and Cultural Exchange with David Gordon White

Daemons, Tantra, and Cultural Exchange with David Gordon White

Author: Marshall Poe March 11, 2025 Duration: 56:31
In this episode, Dr. Pierce Salguero sits down with David Gordon White, a distinguished indologist and scholar of Tantra. Our conversation focuses on David’s most recent project tracing the transregional histories of spirits, gods, demons, and their associated rituals across Eurasia. Along the way, we dive into an intellectual conversation about dog-headed men, angry goddesses, alchemical mercury, body-snatching yogis, the origins of Dracula, and much, much more. If you want to hear scholars and practitioners engaging in deep conversations about the dark side of Asian religions and medicines, then subscribe to Black Beryl wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check out our members-only benefits on blackberyl.substack.com. Enjoy the show! Resources mentioned David Gordon White, Daemons are Forever (2021) David Gordon White, Myths of the Dog-Man (1991) David Gordon White, The Alchemical Body (1997) David Gordon White, Kiss of the Yogini (2006) David Gordon White, Sinister Yogis (2011) Michel Strickmann, Chinese Magical Medicine (2002) Michel Strickmann, Mantras et Mandarins (1996) David Gordon White, “Three Shades of Tantric Yoga,” in Oxford Handbook of Tantric Studies (2024) David Gordon White, "Were-Creatures of the Eurasian Ecumene," Journal Asiatique(2020) David Gordon White, "Dracula’s Family Tree," Gothic Studies (2021) Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University’s Abington College, located near Philadelphia. www.piercesalguero.com. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/folkore

Hosted by Marshall Poe, New Books in Folklore is part of a much larger academic conversation happening across the New Books Network, a sprawling audio library built for the curious public. This particular channel focuses on the stories, traditions, and beliefs that cultures weave into their daily lives. Each episode features an in-depth conversation where an author discusses their newly published work on folklore with a knowledgeable interviewer, delving into the research and ideas behind the book. You’ll hear about everything from contemporary legends and digital storytelling to ancient myths and material culture, all explored with scholarly depth and genuine curiosity. It’s a space where academic work becomes accessible, moving beyond the journal article or monograph into a lively, direct exchange. For anyone fascinated by why we tell tales, how traditions evolve, or what our shared rituals reveal about us, this podcast offers a front-row seat to the latest scholarship. The broader network, with its many specialized channels, underscores a commitment to making expert knowledge freely available. Tuning in provides a unique form of continuing education, one thoughtful discussion at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

New Books in Folklore
Podcast Episodes
Ann Schmiesing, "The Brothers Grimm: A Biography" (Yale UP, 2024) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:28
Ann Schmiesing, Ph.D. is Professor of German and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder, with research interests spanning 18th and 19th-century German and Norwegian literature and culture. In our inte…
Vaughn Scribner, "Merpeople: A Human History" (Reaktion Books, 2020) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:15
Vaughn Scribner joins Jana Byars on the occasion of the paperback edition of Merpeople: A Human History (Reaktion, 2024) People have been fascinated by merpeople and merfolk since ancient times. From the sirens of Homer’…