Mythical Monsters

Reborn again and again from ashes, with brilliant red and gold feathers and wisdom to dispense, the phoenix is a guide through the ages. And when a young apprentice spies the magnificent bird in a forbidden temple, he undergoes a reinvention of his own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From ancient Greece comes a mischievous hybrid of human and animal, with a penchant for parties and wine. The satyr is often used as comedic relief in myths… but its lecherous behavior also acts as a warning against unbound inhibitions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1700s, a Serbian soldier encountered a bloated corpse with a hunger for human flesh, known as a Vrykolakas. But when he tried to break the creature’s power over him, he created a monster even more terrifying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Wolfman is more than just a Universal Monster — it’s a representation of man's capacity for evil. Today's story retells one of the original werewolf stories from Norse mythology's The Saga of the Volsungs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the demi-god Heracles is tasked with defeating the three-headed guard dog of Hades, we see what happens when the world’s greatest hero meets the underworld’s greatest monster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Their ubiquity in pop culture suggests zombies are a recent creation, but the ideas animating these cannibalistic cadavers originated in a 16th century French colony. Enslaved Africans conceived of a soul in unrest, occupying the ether. In Western culture, zombies transformed into flesh-eating ghouls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She’s the queen of death, a folk saint known as the champion of lost souls. Those who pray to Santa Muerte are granted what they desire without judgement. But her generosity comes with a dark side. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before “Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones,” dragons stalked the pages of mythology across the world. The European version became a powerful metaphor for the evils that supposedly stalked mankind. And that's where we get the most iconic European Dragon Story, featuring a man known as Saint George. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Jewish mythology, a dybbuk is a ghost with the power to enter and seize control of the body of a living person. While they are often the malicious soul of a particularly sinful person, possession by even the most well-meaning dybbuks can have disastrous consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To the ancient Egyptians, Ammit was known as the Devourer of the Dead and the Eater of Souls. A hybrid creature and a demon of the underworld, she plays a vital role in the Final Judgment of souls, doling out deadly punishment to those found unworthy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Djinn that appear in the Qu'ran and throughout Arabic mythology are far more terrifying and dangerous than the wish-granting entities known as genies. They’re complicated spirits with incredible powers and free will, able to grant immense fortune… or gruesome death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Roc is an enormous bird of prey from Arabic mythology that was said to be large enough to carry elephants in its huge talons. It was once the ultimate symbol of adventure, and featured heavily in the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They’re mysterious ghost lights, lurking in swamps and marshes. In European folklore, the Will O’ the Wisp, or Ignus Fatuus, are said to be the spirit of a sinful man, using his lantern to lure travelers to their deaths… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s known the world over as a symbol of innocence and purity… But the unicorn has a history as dark as any other beast in the mythological menagerie. Through its evolution from dangerous and deadly to noble and majestic, its story has always been one of blood, sacrifice, and transformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hailing from Arthurian Legend, the Questing Beast is not so much a horrific predator or a noble creature… It’s an enigma, layered with symbolism and competing interpretations. With a bizarre appearance—and even more confounding purpose—the barking animal conjures a sense of immense strangeness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a symbol of chaos and destruction. A chimeric beast with the body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion, the face of a human man… and an appetite for human flesh. But is the manticore’s horrific visage a mirror for humanity’s own evil propensities? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vampiric and reptilian, the Chupacabra first appeared in Puerto Rico in the 1990s. It’s known for sucking the blood of goats, but its true victims are the communities it destroys. Its thirst is so great, it will feed and feed until nothing is left… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In some legends, this elemental creature is considered a sacred force for good, while in others, it is a dangerous figure with the power to create unparalleled chaos and destruction. In every telling, it’s clear: the Thunderbird inspires equal amounts of awe and terror. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Leviathan is an enormous sea monster, often depicted as a serpent or dragon. While best known for its appearances in the Old Testament of the Bible, its story is part of a mythological tradition that stretches all the way back to the very first civilizations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An ancient alien goliath slumbers at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, awaiting the day when he will rise again to destroy humanity. From the mind of weird fiction author H.P. Lovecraft comes Cthulhu, a cosmic entity of almost unimaginable scale and power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Medieval Europe, parents lived in fear of the Fae-folk, who liked to steal sleeping infants from their crib. Whenever they did this, the faeries would replace their human child with one of their own. These Changelings would take the shape of the human child, so that the parents would have no way of knowing that it was an imposter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This half-man, half-horse creature from Greek mythology combines the wisdom associated with civilization and the wildness of nature. We'll look at the stories of several of the worlds' most famous centaurs, each of which shines a light on the bestial elements of human nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is a mermaid-like creature from Inuit folklore that makes its home in the icy-cold waters of the arctic. The qalupalik pounces on any children foolish enough to stray into its path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a mischievous, shape-shifting trickster from Celtic folklore, often appearing in the guise of a demonic horse. Though the Púca can bring good or bad fortune, its ability to hold a grudge has made it an enemy of Irish farmers for centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Part man, part monstrous amalgamation—his thighs are said to have been made of snakes, and his back covered in feathers and wings. A denizen of pure evil, Typhon was created for the sole purpose of sowing chaos, and has often been called the father of all monsters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Part eagle, part lion, these formidable creatures have commanded respect for centuries. Today, the griffin is used as a symbol of strength. But hundreds of years ago, its incredible size and power instilled true dread. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They are an obscure but truly disturbing army of monsters found in the Book of Revelation. While the description for Abaddon’s Locusts is less than 12 lines long, these hybrid creatures make a real impression—torturing everyone they see who isn’t marked for safety by God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They’re a mysterious race of giants mentioned in the Book of Genesis. The non-canonical Book of Enoch tells the story of the Nephilim’s conception—sired by rebellious angels and human women, they were one of the most destructive forces in the world before the Great Flood covered the earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He is a demon prince of hell, often depicted as the right-hand man of Satan. But long before Beelzebub appeared in the Bible or Paradise Lost, he was the pagan god Ba'al Zebub, the "Lord of the Flies." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are thrilled to bring you a brand new episode of Mythical Monsters today and for the foreseeable future. We thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. Appearing in Abrahamic mythology, the Behemoth is a gargantuan beast of chaos. Its steps shake the earth and drive livestock insane. At the end of the world, it will face its sister Leviathan where the land meets the sea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you enjoy the stories told in Mythical Monsters, check out this episode from our series Tales: An adult Nathanael attempts to overcome the traumatic experiences of his childhood. But he knows, deep down, that Coppelius will always return, ready to take his eyes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you enjoy the stories told in Mythical Monsters, check out this episode from our series Tales: Young Nathanael fears the one who comes in the night, who takes the eyes of children. His fear only grows when his father's co-worker, Coppelius, begins to show signs of being the boogeyman himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Prevalent in medieval European folklore, the Succubus is a demonic entity that assumes a female form and seduces men as they sleep. She was said to drain her victims of vitality, bringing fatigue, mental illness, and even death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They were two sea monsters from Greek mythology that represented real-life hazards in the Strait of Messina. One was a jagged, rocky cliff wall, and the other, a deadly whirlpool. Greek sailors who tried to pass through the strait found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place...literally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the unfortunate spread of COVID-19, Parcast has decided to halt recording for the time-being. This is a precautionary measure taken to ensure the safety of our hosts and staff. In the meantime, we're excited to share one of our classic episodes that we know you'll enjoy! He’s not the loveable guy you’re used to seeing in animated films: These 12th century monsters were usually depicted as large, hideous, man-like beings that ate humans—especially infants and children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They’re one of history's most pervasive mythological creatures, appearing in the folklore of cultures from around the world. From the temples of Ancient Assyria to the epic poems of Ancient Greece, mermaids have endured the test of time to make a big splash in pop culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Known as the “Irish harbinger of death,” this female fairy appears before the death of members of the oldest families of Ireland. If the Banshee appears to you, it means that before the day is over, some unlucky soul will perish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Lamia was a monster, she was a queen. Her children were sired by Zeus, and her life was perfect. But then, Hera, the queen of the gods, became jealous. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pearly white and standing no more than two feet tall, Yumboes have been described as Senegal’s Wolof counterpart to the European fairy. Unlike fairies, however, Yumboes are the chosen form of the spirits of the dead, who haunt the hills of the woodland savannah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For years, Zulu people living near Howick Falls in South Africa have reported encounters with the Inkanyamba—a giant water-dwelling serpent with a horse-like head. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s a legendary creature said to live in the Richtersveld, a desert region of South Africa. Was the Grootslang an abomination from the dawn of the Earth, or a mythological warning against the dangers of man’s greed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Kongamato is a legendary winged creature first described by the Kaonde tribe of modern Zambia, formerly Northern Rhodesia. Sightings of the Kongamato have continued well into the 21st century, leading some cryptozoologists to believe that it might actually exist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Hindu Mythology, Narasimha was the fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu took the form of the half-lion, half-man to face the evil Asura Hiranyakashipu—adopting Narasimha’s fierce lion appearance to fight evil, injustice, and to protect the earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A walking corpse with inhuman strength and the power to change its shape and size, the Draugr was a true outcast. In death, it preyed upon the society it had scorned in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Long before the Vikings, before the first man, and even before the Gods, there was Ymir—a primordial giant who figures prominently in the Norse creation myth. As the first being to exist in Norse cosmology, Ymir gets to the very heart of their culture and belief system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vampires have sucked on our attention for centuries, thriving on our fears. But they reached a new height in 1897, when Irish author Bram Stoker published his novel, Dracula. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It had the head and body of a lion, as well as a goat’s head protruding from its back, and a long tail that ended in the head of a serpent. Chimaera is one of the most fearsome legendary beasts in the Greek pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Also known as the Yeti, the Abominable Snowman has purportedly stalked the mountainous areas of Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan for hundreds of years. Often reported, but never caught, the Yeti is the spirit of the harsh conditions of the Himalayas, where death is a constant companion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to Japanese legend, when a golden orb-weaver spider turns 400-years-old, it grows horrifically large and becomes capable of transforming into a beautiful woman known as the Jorōgumo. Their shape-shifting abilities enable them to lure young, virile men into their webs to devour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A powerful and mischievous shape-shifter from Japanese mythology, Tengu was known as a mythological trickster. Its depiction ranges from a fierce demonic dog in Chinese folklore to a modern half-man-half-bird creature that permeates Japanese art and ceremony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices