Haunted History Podcasts for Halloween
5 podcast episodes on a theme, each week curated by a different person
Haunted History Podcasts for Halloween
Curated by...
Brandon Schexnayder (he/him)
Why did you choose this theme?
Halloween is near and the only thing better than a good old-fashioned ghost story is one with a bit of truth underneath the surface — and since podcasting has folks from all walks of life, there are podcasts that showcase the spookiest tales from all over the world! These shows aren’t just some of the best at researching authentic haunted history, but they’re also a diverse lot with very different approaches to the field. Sit back, relax, and have a listen… if you dare!
PODCAST PICKS:
Click on the podcast art to listen
American Hauntings
The American Witch
Troy Taylor is hands down the most prolific author when it comes to haunted history, and his podcast American Hauntings delivers the way most can’t. This episode takes us back to early American history and explores the many people — from healers to herbalists, hex signs, and hoodoo doctors — who have all been accused of witchcraft but never quite reached the level of infamy as those in Salem.
Susto
Santa Muerte
This spooky podcast about the folklore of Latinx and Hispanic cultures is absolutely to die for. In this episode, host Ayden explores the background and history of the death deity La Santa Muerte — a deity that EarBuds curator Brandon had no idea existed in the first place. Of course, after hearing more about the history behind La Santa Muerte, he now wishes he never had!
Real Life Ghost Stories
The Cooneen Poltergeist
Host Emma, an Irish storyteller and a horror movie fanatic, has a gift for writing truly captivating stories, and in this episode she really shines with a tale that she grew up hearing about in Ireland. After all, this early-20th-century ghost story involves the first sanctioned exorcism in Ireland.
Pleasing Terrors
The Mermaid Returns: Part One
Host Mike Brown has spent almost 30 years as a tour guide in Charleston, South Carolina, and this three-part series explores local lore there. It is an absolute masterclass in deep dives… in fact, you might even call him a "Dan Carlin of Dark History."
One Strange Thing
The Toy
If you’re done being creeped out by all those spooky storytellers at the beginning of this list, One Strange Thing is the perfect palate cleanser. Hosted by The Fall Line veteran Laurah Norton, the show offers up true stories with a little bit of snarky commentary and dry wit. In “The Toy,” Laurah not only tells you the story of Robert the Doll, possibly the world’s most haunted object, but pushes the line when it comes to disrespecting “him” — and if you want to know what happens to folks who disrespect Robert, you might want to give this one a listen.
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Frankie Bradshaw, the curator of a collection of medical oddities in Philadelphia, has her world turned upside down when a mysterious skeleton is delivered without explanation. Eager to discover its origins, she is sucked into a world of occultists, as her own demons come back to haunt her.
When Frankie is sent a box of reel-to-reel tapes from the 1960s, she learns the story of Frances Pollard, a woman incarcerated in a British hospital for the criminally insane. In a series of interviews, Frances recounts a happy family life in England, until the arrival of a stranger led to family tragedy and a descent into madness.
COMMUNITY:
🎤This week in Podcast The Newsletter: Lauren Passell writes: "The Have You Heard George’s Podcast? feed has been dormant for two years, but now we have George, the Peabody-winning London-born spoken word performer, back. The piece is about Ghana, the first African country to break free from colonial rule, and Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, who helped pave the way to Ghana’s independence."
🎙️The Gun Machine is a collaboration between WBUR and The Trace, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to reporting on gun violence. With a mission to break America out of its stalemated conversation about gun violence and gun rights, The Gun Machine begins with a question: What if everything we know about guns is wrong? This series explores the history and cultural impact of the firearms industrial complex, delving into crime, race, politics, business, and history.
🏊🏽♀️In this episode of Angela Walker In Conversation - Inspirational People, Under-Reported Issues, meet Laura Reineke, a fearless woman fresh from the challenge of swimming from England to France to highlight the issue of sewage pollution. She shares her riveting 15-hour journey, fighting harsh weather, jellyfish, and huge tankers.
🧬On the latest episode of The Show About Science; The platypus has perplexed generations of scientists. Now researchers are studying the platypus on the molecular level, and it turns out to be even more surprising than we could have imagined.
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CLASSIFIEDS:
🌳Nature Breaking, a World Wildlife Fund podcast, explores the biggest issues affecting people and our planet. Hear from WWF experts on everything from the decline of monarch butterflies, to the ways in which environmental DNA might help build a more sustainable future for polar bears.
🎧Once Upon a Wasteland: A Fallout Story is a post-apocalyptic science fiction romance set in West Virginia 27 years after a nuclear war devastated the planet. Our protagonists fight to save their home and fall in love along the way.
⚖️Tried and True Podcast is a new show in which Adewonuola Johnson observes criminal trials across North America and evaluates their fairness against international human rights standards. Think of it as a trial of a trial!
ADVERTISE YOUR PODCAST OR BUSINESS HERE STARTING AT $40/WEEK.
SPOTLIGHT:
Play on Podcasts: Othello
Play On Podcasts are epic audio adventures reimagining timeless tales, featuring original music composition and the voices of extraordinarily gifted artists.
Mfoniso Udofia's unsparing translation of Shakespeare's cruelest tragedy unmasks the ravages of prejudice and racism with unflinching honesty, revealing a world where bodies can be dispossessed by the meanest of minds.
PODCAST NEWS from Podnews:
The winners of the Black Podcasting Awards were announced in New York.
Pushkin Industries is to make 17 employees redundant, representing 30% of its workforce. There are executive changes as well, reports Bloomberg. Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that WNYC is to cut its workforce by 12%, roughly 40 people.
In what the media regulator calls a “major step forward” but others call an attempt to crush free speech, Canada’s CRTC has moved into regulation of podcasts.
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