Urban Legends

Luke Mordue

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.

  1. Santa Stuck in Chimney

    1 mei

    Santa Stuck in Chimney

    Get ready for a festive, yet perplexing journey into the world of urban legends as we explore the mysterious tale of Santa stuck in chimney. Join us as we investigate the origins, variations, and enduring fascination with this quirky holiday myth. The legend of the body of a man, dressed as Santa Claus being found stuck in the chimney has endured for many years. But where did this twisted story originate? Why does it continue to spread? and has this ever really happened? Support the show  Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: lukemordue.com/podcast

    25 min.
  2. The Kraken

    1 mei

    The Kraken

    The Kraken belongs to a 600-year tradition of Scandinavian sea monsters; creatures so vast that medieval sailors mistook their backs for islands and landed on them. The word itself is said to have first appeared in a Norwegian glossary in 1646, but by the 1750s, Erik Pontoppidan was cataloguing fishermen's accounts in his ‘Natural History of Norway’, treating the creature not as folklore but as a species awaiting classification. But what were these sailors actually seeing? Was it mass hysteria? Mistranslated whale sightings? Or genuine encounters with something the world hadn't named yet?  In this chapter, I trace the Kraken from 13th-century Norwegian texts to the harpoon scars left on dying sperm whales and to 2004, when researchers finally photographed a living giant squid in its natural habitat for the first time in human history. This is Urban Legends. Support the show  Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: lukemordue.com/podcast

    45 min.
  3. Goatman

    11 mrt

    Goatman

    In the wooded outskirts of Maryland, beneath an old railway bridge in Prince George’s County, locals have long warned of a figure that should not exist. In this chapter, we examine the urban legend of the ‘Goatman’, a creature said to haunt Lovers’ Lane bridges and rural roads, swinging an axe at those who dare to enter its territory.  Join us as we explore where the Goatman stories began and just how they spread through modern folklore. Support the show  Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: lukemordue.com/podcast

    40 min.
  4. Mercy Brown

    25 feb

    Mercy Brown

    In this chapter, we examine one of America’s most famous vampire cases, the story of 'Mercy Brown'. During the tuberculosis spread of the 19th century, grief, fear, and limited medical understanding gave rise to the belief that the dead could feed on the living. Join me as we explore the real history behind this legend, how the press helped shape Mercy’s story, and why this case blurs the lines of folklore and medicine. Support the show  Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: lukemordue.com/podcast

    43 min.
  5. Q&A With Luke Mordue

    31-12-2025 ·  Bonus

    Q&A With Luke Mordue

    This week’s chapter steps away from the archive and into the inbox as creator Luke Mordue answers the listener questions over the years. If you have any questions you want answer, you can drop us a text, an e-mail, or DM on our social media accounts for a future edition.  Support the show  Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: lukemordue.com/podcast

    21 min.
  6. Jersey Devil

    1 mei

    Jersey Devil

    In this chapter, we delves deep into the urban legend of the 'Jersey Devil'. From its roots in the Pine Barrens and the Leeds family story into the 1909 wave of sightings, when strange tracks, alleged attacks, and public fear spread across South Jersey and beyond.  Join us as we examine what was actually reported, how the story travelled, and what the panic reveals about rumour, media, and the human need to give a name and a shape to the unknown. Support the show  Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: lukemordue.com/podcast

    52 min.
  7. Humans Can Lick Too

    03-12-2025

    Humans Can Lick Too

    In this chapter, we trace the evolution of the haunting ‘Humans can lick too’ Urban Legend. From early cautionary tales about young women alone at night through to its modern form shaped by fears of home invasion, serial killers, and the thin line between security and vulnerability in our own homes. We examine how this legend blurs folklore and reality, how it has absorbed real crimes and media scares, it's surprisingly long history, and why the simple act of a hand reaching down in the dark continues to haunt listeners long after the story is told. Support the show  Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: lukemordue.com/podcast

    44 min.
  8. Skinwalkers

    1 mei

    Skinwalkers

    Some stories are kept secret for a reason, and among the Diné, the figures outsiders call 'skinwalkers' is one of them. In this chapter, we examine how this subject sits within Diné teachings about witchcraft rather than monsters, why many details are not shared publicly, and how 19th-century accusations, modern reporting, and internet mythmaking reshaped the idea for the rest of the world. We separate community perspectives and documented history from hearsay and pop-culture distortion. To many, the Skinwalker is another Urban Legend, but to those who know its secrets, it is far more than that. Support the show  Contact me at: luke@lukemordue.com Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/lukemordue Everything else: lukemordue.com/podcast

    55 min.
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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.

Informatie

  • Maker
    Luke Mordue
  • Jaren actief
    2020 - 2026
  • Afleveringen
    53
  • Beoordeling
    Veilig
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Urban Legends
  • Website van aflevering
    Urban Legends

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