Nature Yokai

Nature Yokai

Author: Multitude May 13, 2026 Duration: 59:00
Gardeners, as you start to see your plants begin to sprout, be cautious that there might be nature spirits lurking in your (garden) beds! This roundup, we talk about the various yokai that might be haunting your trees, fruits, and vegetables this spring and summer - gangly pumpkin spirits, dueling melons, and the BEAN BOIS! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, animal death, illness, sexual content, pregnancy, murder, child endangerment, defecation, and gun violence.  Housekeeping - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books - Call to Action: Send in those urban legend emails! - Submit Your Urban Legends Audio: Call us! 617-420-2344 Find Us Online - Website & Transcripts: spiritspodcast.com - Patreon: patreon.com/spiritspodcast - Merch: spiritspodcast.com/merch - Instagram: instagram.com/spiritspodcast - Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/spiritspodcast.com - Twitter: twitter.com/spiritspodcast - Tumblr: spiritspodcast.tumblr.com Cast & Crew - Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin - Editor: Bren Frederick - Music: Brandon Grugle, based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod - Artwork: Allyson Wakeman - Multitude: multitude.productions About Us Spirits is a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and folklore. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grab a glass and settle in for Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore, a weekly podcast from Multitude that blends humor with deep dives into the world's oldest stories. This isn't a dry lecture; it's a conversational and often hilarious exploration where each episode pairs a legendary tale with a thematic drink. You'll hear about familiar gods and heroes from Greek or Norse myths, sure, but the show truly shines when it uncovers lesser-known folklore from cultures across the globe, stories of tricksters, ghosts, and creatures you've never encountered. The hosts approach these ancient narratives with genuine curiosity and a comedic touch, making themes of love, betrayal, creation, and chaos feel both timeless and freshly relevant. Listening to this podcast feels like joining a fun, insightful chat between friends who are just as likely to laugh at a god's misadventure as they are to ponder its cultural significance. New stories are served over ice every Wednesday, offering a perfect midweek escape into the weird and wonderful foundations of human imagination. It’s the kind of show where you might learn about a Filipino vampire one week and a Scottish selkie the next, all while getting a great drink recommendation. The result is a uniquely engaging mix of comedy, history, and culture that demystifies mythology without ever losing its sense of awe.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Spirits: Mythology, Legends, & Folklore
Podcast Episodes
The Mythos of Technology and Capitalism w/ Jathan Sadowski [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:06
Technology and capitalism? In your mythology podcast? It’s more likely than you’d think! We’re joined by Jathan Sadowski, professor and podcaster, to discuss the myth of inevitability, the modern Eleusinian Mysteries of…
Gnomes 2: The Nisse [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:24
Julia really wanted to title this episode 2 Gnomes 2 Furious, but SEO! We dig into the Scandinavian Nisse and Tomte, the socialist leanings of these house spirits, and just why everyone got so into garden gnomes all of a…
Gnomes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:55
Those little red-hatted fellas that hang out in your garden? There’s enough for a whole Spirits episode on that? The answer might surprise you as we dig into the mythological (and alchemical, shoutout Paracelsus!) origin…
The Birthplace of Dark Academia | Your Urban Legends 107 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:26
We’ve got a variety of haunted places this month for you - a haunted house (classic), a haunted college (love it), a haunted adult store (?????). Also, we explore the birthplace of Dark Academia. And yes, it’s as haunted…
Urban Legends of NYC w/ Greg Young of The Bowery Boys [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:47
NYC has a long history, filled with (unsurprisingly) MANY ghosts. So we called in an expert to tell us about them: Greg from The Bowery Boys discusses his favorite ghost stories and urban legends from over 18 (!!!) years…
Gardening Superstitions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:09
Spring has sprung, and you’re probably wondering: What should I be planting? How do I make sure my garden is a success? Well, we’ve got all the gardening superstitions and folk magic to make your garden sparkle this year…
Riddling Spirits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:43
Riddles have captivated fiction and mythology alike for thousands of years! From sphinxes and gods to kings and princesses, we’ve been posing riddles to each other for longer than we can remember. But why? That’s the rea…
Oops! All Haunted Schools! | Your Urban Legends 106 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:12
Ooops! That’s a lot of haunted schools! Haunted school trips, haunted school theatres, haunted turrets that no child should be crawling up into! Be unruly, be ungovernable, give children nightmares! Content Warning: This…
Feed Drop: Queens Podcast - Amina of Zaria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:08
This week, we give you an episode from our friends at Queens Podcast about the life of Amina of Zaria, a legendary figure in African history. Enjoy this episode capturing the incredible story of a woman who defied the no…
Women of a Certain Age w/ Deanna Raybourn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:12
Women of a certain age can do anything - whether it’s being assassins, spinning the threads of fate, or doing witchy things in the woods! From the Fates of Greek mythology to Victorian scientists like Margaret Fountaine,…