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PODCAST

Urban Legends

Luke Mordue examines the historical impact of the stories that haunt our society, tales that have gripped towns and cities worldwide for centuries as actual events - Urban Legends. First, hear the tales retold as short stories before delving into the history of the legend, dissecting its cultural significance, factuality, and origins.Released Fortnightly.

society & culture social sciences

All Episodes

59:27

Halloween Hanging

Urban Legends ·

2025/10/29

Each Halloween, stories circulate of decorations that look disturbingly real, until someone realises theres a very good reason for that.The 'Halloween Hanging' story is often dismissed as an Urban Legend as scattered reports over the years have blurred fiction and fact, leaving many to wonder how much truth hides behind the tale. Join us as we discuss the origins of this eerie story, and how very real incidents may have shaped its spread.This week’s episode also features a mid-roll ad from

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2:41

Paul is Dead [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/10/22

Long before online conspiracies took hold, one of the most famous legends in music history began to circulate claiming that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 and had since been secretly replaced by a double.Known as the 'Paul is Dead' urban legend, it transformed Beatles fans into detectives, studying the bands lyrics, album artwork, and audio recordings for hidden clues, but just where did this story come from? and is there any truth to it at all?Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot

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71:20

Annabelle

Urban Legends ·

2025/10/16

In this chapter, we explore a story that’s grown far beyond its origins, from a simple Raggedy Ann doll to a symbol of modern horror. The legend of 'Annabelle'.Join me as we trace her history alongside Ed and Lorraine Warren, the couple who shaped her fame and controversy. We’ll examine the psychology that makes dolls so unsettling, uncover the real events behind the story, and look at how belief, media, and myth turned a children’s toy into a global icon of fear.Text Me (this is 3rd party

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54:32

Weekly Spooky: The Acid King of Northport [Guest...

Urban Legends ·

2025/10/08

Urban Legends returns next week, but today, we’re sharing a guest episode from our friends at Weekly Spooky — one that connects closely to our most recent chapter.____On July 4, 1984, police dogs uncovered a shallow grave in the quiet town of Northport, Long Island. Inside lay the mutilated body of 17-year-old Gary Lauwers—stabbed more than 30 times in a drug-fueled frenzy by his friend Ricky “The Acid King” Kasso. Within days, the story became national news, sparking headlines of Satanic sacrifice

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74:04

The Satanic Panic

Urban Legends ·

2025/09/24

**Trigger Warning: This chapter involves harm to children.**In this chapter, let's delve into the urban legends that brought forward what is now known as 'The Satanic Panic‘, from the first sensational cases and flawed investigations to the media frenzy and courtrooms that followed. We’ll look at how fear, politics, and culture combined to create a moral wildfire, one that still echoes in today’s conspiracy movements.Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all

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2:28

Killer in the Window [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/09/17

For decades, stories of an unknown figure staring through bedroom windows have circulated in whispered warnings and late-night news reports, but is there any truth to it?In this chapter, we explore the origins of the 'Killer in the Window' Urban Legend and the real incidents that connect to it. Join us as we examine how a fleeting shape outside the curtains became a modern myth about invasion, vulnerability, and the fear of being watched.Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond,

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78:35

Mermaids

Urban Legends ·

2025/09/10

From ancient carvings and medieval manuscripts to shipwreck songs and seaside myths, 'Mermaids' have haunted human imagination for centuries.Over the years, they have been a symbol of beauty, danger, sin, and even salvation. But where did these beings come from, and why have they endured in so many cultures across the world?Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)Support the showIf you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this

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2:14

The Midnight Bus [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/09/03

In the late hours of the night, a bus winds its way through the quiet streets of Beijing - a vehicle that has given rise to one of China’s most haunting modern legends. Known as the tale of the 'Midnight Bus', it tells of unsuspecting passengers, strange late-night boardings, and a ride that takes a turn into the supernatural.In this chapter, we unravel the origins of the tale, the cultural fears it reflects, and why the 'Midnight Bus' continues to haunt the urban imagination

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2:21

Pin Prick Attacks [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/08/20

In the crowded streets and buzzing venues of modern life, a rumour began to spread of strangers attacking at random with needles, leaving their victims with more than just fear and discomfort. Known as 'Pin Prick Attacks', this urban legend has gripped communities with its unsettling blend of danger, anonymity, and the dread of an invisible threat.Join us as we delve deeper into the psychology and horror of a tale that may be older than you'd first think...Text Me (this is 3rd party

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52:49

Knife in the Briefcase

Urban Legends ·

2025/08/13

In this chapter, we investigate the ‘Knife in the Briefcase’ urban legend, a chilling tale that has circulated in cities across the world. Rooted in warnings about predatory strangers, it tells of women lured into vulnerable situations by a man whose professional façade hides something far darker.We trace the story’s spread through history and explore its links to real crimes and cultural fears. Just how much of it is true? Let's find out...Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but

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1:58

The Horseshoe Grave [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/08/06

In a quiet corner of Perry County, Ohio, lies a grave that’s become the centre of a dark fascination. Marked by a horseshoe carved into stone, this otherwise unassuming headstone has inspired decades of eerie tales, commonly known as 'The Horseshoe Grave'.From it's original story to today, we unravel how a single symbol etched in stone became the anchor for one of America’s most haunting rural myths.Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)Support the

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61:23

Chupacabra

Urban Legends ·

2025/07/30

Livestock found drained of blood. Puncture wounds with no clear cause.In this chapter, we investigate the 'Chupacabra', one of the most infamous cryptids in modern folklore. However, beneath the sensational headlines and pop culture portrayals lies an origin story rooted in real fear. From rural Puerto Rican farms to dusty Texas backroads, we trace the legend’s spread, dissect the eyewitness accounts, and explore how one woman’s sci-fi obsession may have helped shape the creature’s

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2:48

Electric Birds. Part II. Thunderbird [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/07/02

The 'Thunderbird' is one of the most enduring figures in Native American folklore. A powerful, electric bird said to summon storms, strike down monsters, and keep balance between worlds. In this episode, I look at where the legend comes from, what it means to the tribes who tell it, and how it’s been reshaped over time.We’ll explore stories from the Ojibwe, Sioux, and Menominee peoples, dive into ancient battles with underwater spirits, and trace how settlers reimagined the Thunderbird as

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55:20

Banshee

Urban Legends ·

2025/06/25

Let's trace the eerie wail of one of Ireland’s most enduring legends, the 'Banshee'.Often dismissed as myth or metaphor, the Banshee is more than just a ghostly woman who cries in the night. Her story shifts across time and region, tangled in ideas of ancestry, grief, and death itself.This unsettling figure has followed generations through the centuries but just what is she? and what does she want with us?Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all

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2:59

Electric Birds. Part I. Impundulu [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/06/18

Amongst the skies of southern Africa, legend speaks of a bird born of lightning, the 'Impundulu'.In this chapter, part I of II electric bird tales, we investigate the creature’s mythic origins, its ties to witchcraft, and shapeshifting folklore. Join patreon at: https://patreon.com/urbanlegendsText Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)Support the showIf you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at

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50:15

The Pet Snake

Urban Legends ·

2025/06/11

**Trigger Warning: This chapter involves harm to children.**Join us as we explore a strange and unsettling tale that slithered its way into urban legend, 'The Pet Snake'.At first glance, it's a strange story of an affectionate reptile that stops eating, only to reveal a chilling intention. But behind the surface lies a story that speaks to our uneasy relationship with domesticated predators.Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)Support the showIf

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2:37

Nale Ba [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/06/04

In the narrow lanes of southern India, a whispered warning once echoed from door to door, 'Nale Ba'.In this chapter, we trace the origins of this unsettling tale, exploring its rise in 1990s Bangalore, its deep roots in rural superstition, and its reflection of social fears and urban transformation.Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)Support the showIf you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at

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48:40

Kuchisake-Onna

Urban Legends ·

2025/05/28

Today we turn to one of Japan’s most enduring and disturbing legends, 'Kuchisake-onna', also known as 'the Slit-Mouthed Woman'.This tale of a disfigured woman who asks a chilling question has stalked schoolyards, late-night streets, and the public imagination for decades. But beneath the horror lies a deeper story - one shaped by post-war trauma, shifting societal fears, and the evolution of urban myth in a media-saturated age.We trace the legend’s rise from whispered folklore to

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1:41

The Nain Rouge [Patreon Teaser]

Urban Legends ·

2025/05/21

A snippet of this weeks Patreon Exclusive chapter.Lurking in the shadows of Detroit’s history is a red-eyed harbinger of doom, the 'Nain Rouge'.In this chapter, we explore the legend of this elusive creature said to appear before disaster strikes. From the founding of the city to its moments of greatest turmoil, the Nain Rouge has remained a constant, now even commemorated in parades. We’ll trace the roots of this peculiar folklore, uncovering its connections to French colonial

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59:59

Men in Black

Urban Legends ·

2025/05/14

As we begin Season V, we explore one of the most unnerving figures in modern folklore: the Men in Black.Join us as we trace the shadowy origins of these silent enforcers, following their evolution from early UFO encounters to government conspiracies and their place in pop culture. We’ll examine the strange patterns that link witness testimonies, the unsettling uniformity of their behaviour, and the psychological weight they carry as symbols of censorship, paranoia, and control. Blurring the line

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94 results

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