Folklore Fangirl

Janae
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

Before everything around us constantly demanded our attention, people explained the world through stories—stories about spirits in the house, things watching from the forest, and the feeling that something was always just out of sight. A lot of those beliefs never really went away, and I love exploring them. I’m Janae, and on Folklore Fangirl I bring one old-world folklore story to my husband, Jamison, each week. I tell the tale, and he reacts in real time. It’s part storytelling, part conversation, and a little bit of wondering what might still be lurking around us.

  1. 23h ago ·  Bonus

    Bonus Episode! Side Story - Berberoka

    The Berberoka is a strange water creature from Philippine folklore, said to lurk beneath quiet ponds. When the water suddenly recedes, curious fishermen may be tempted to investigate—but the Berberoka has a very different plan.  With Special Guest, Jackson from Addicted to Mysteries for Investigators! Check out his podcast! ⁠https://youtube.com/@atmfi?si=hHE_OAlmJlqV16ze⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-mysteries-for-investigators/id1892930946 Resources: https://pinoymyths.com/the-drained-depths-unraveling-the-mystery-of-the-berberoka/ - This is the one with the embedded videos https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Berberoka - This is the one with the picture we decided was the most accurate https://mythlok.com/berberoka/ https://2e.aonprd.com/Monsters.aspx?ID=4281&Redirected=1 Instagram: folklore.fangirl Spotify: Folklore Fangirl Thanks for listening—it means so much to us! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore. “Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

  2. Aug 26

    3.7 Black Annis

    Step into the legend of Black Annis, a terrifying hag from English folklore said to dwell in a cave beneath an ancient oak. With blue skin, iron claws, and a hunger for human flesh, she is remembered as a warning to children not to wander alone after dark. Even today, tales of her haunting laughter and shadowy presence linger in local legend. This episode discusses disturbing elements of folklore including child abduction, violence against children, cannibalism, and references to human remains. Some versions of the legend also include frightening imagery. Listener discretion is advised. Resources: https://www.storyofleicester.info/faith-belief/black-annis-and-dane-hills/ https://thehorrorscopeproject.medium.com/black-annis-the-dark-english-folklore-legend-of-the-blue-black-witch-7bf4180dde4f https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Annis https://godsandmonstersinfo.substack.com/p/myth-of-the-day-black-annis https://aprilmunday.wordpress.com/2018/08/19/anatomy-of-a-castle/  https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/leicestershire/leicester/prince-rupert-gateway.htm  https://www.amazon.com The book on Amazon https://crowspirit.org.uk/black-anniss-bower-by-john-heyrick/  Instagram: folklore.fangirl Spotify: Folklore Fangirl Apple Podcasts: Folklore Fangirl Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore. “Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

  3. Aug 11

    3.6 Yasy Yateré

    Step into the legend of Yasy Yateré, a mischievous forest spirit from Guaraní folklore in Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. Said to lure wandering children with a magical whistle before leading them deep into the woods, Yasy Yateré is both a trickster and a warning, reminding children never to stray too far from home.  Content Warning: This episode discusses folklore that includes themes of child endangerment and violence toward children as part of the creature’s traditional legends. These topics are discussed from a cultural and historical perspective, and the episode does not include graphic descriptions. Some of the historical artwork, statues, and reference materials linked in the episode notes may contain images of the creature portrayed as a nude or unclothed young child. These are traditional representations of the folklore figure and are included for cultural and historical context. If you prefer to avoid these topics or images, please use caution when exploring the included resources.  Resources: https://mbaechepa.wordpress.com/fotos-paraguay-allgemein/yasy-yatere-gnom/ This is the one with the statue! https://fablins.com/south-america/py/jasy-jatere/ https://steemit.com/yasy/@abducidor/the-legend-of-yasy-yatere https://godsandmonsters.info/jasy-jatere/ https://kids.kiddle.co/Guarani_mythology  https://yerbamadre.com/blogs/the-gourd-circle/what-is-yerba-mate  Instagram: folklore.fangirl Spotify: Folklore Fangirl Apple Podcasts: Folklore Fangirl Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore. “Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

  4. Aug 4

    3.5 Pontianak

    First, a content warning. This episode includes discussion of pregnancy loss, child loss, and domestic violence. It also contains research references to videos depicting violence. Listener discretion is advised, and please use caution if you choose to explore the sources linked in the episode description. Explore the Pontianak, a feared spirit from Malay folklore said to be the restless ghost of a woman who died during pregnancy or childbirth. Often appearing as a beautiful woman with long black hair and pale skin, it is believed to lure unsuspecting victims before revealing its monstrous nature. Its chilling laughter, the scent of flowers, and sudden silence are all said to signal that the Pontianak is drawing near.  Resources: https://www.huntmuseum.com/stories/objects-in-focus/roman-empire-dodecahedron/ https://sketchfab.com/blogs/community/enormous-petrified-mulberries-a-new-dimension-on-carved-stone-balls/ httphttps://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Pontianak  https://dcmps://legendsofwindemere.com/2022/10/14/monster-month-pontianak/  .org/media/14607-monstrum-pontianak-the-vampiric-ghost-of-southeast-asia This is the one with the long video https://cvltnation.com/pontianak-the-blood-sucking-female-vampires-of-southeast-asia/ This is the one with the short video https://youtu.be/Vl5DYZ0UoGQ?si=AfsxcjccbmVgCDXm Short Video Direct Link https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/legend-of-the-pontianak-a-look-into-her-history-legacy-233046685.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHt0YJcsHvH_SQW40VqdG_mRED2Sk5rSIHM_aMUmU0eSYyNF9SCM-s_4fkhDz1IGW-U4yYNLvjJiSQTVTAMcNxeLbqmlBYqNrFUInTkvke5oiFv1hO7xmOt_b-L7f0pAy34Pskvxu1wWVZoDIlYLjRIp2E5m18KjlcM-FgOqAF8s  https://daily.jstor.org/the-indonesian-frontier-town-named-for-a-jungle-vampire/ https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/malaysia  https://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/indonesia-facts.html  Instagram: folklore.fangirl Spotify: Folklore Fangirl Apple Podcasts: Folklore Fangirl Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore. “Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

  5. Jul 28

    3.4 Baba Yaga

    This episode discusses themes found in traditional folklore that may not be suitable for younger listeners. Topics include stories of child-eating, references to a witch feeding on blood or milk from a young woman's breast, and other unsettling elements common in historical legends. While these subjects are discussed in a historical and folkloric context rather than a graphic one, listener discretion is advised.Deep in the forests of Eastern Europe, a hut with giant chicken legs is said to wander beneath the trees. Inside lives Baba Yaga, a mysterious witch who may help the worthy—or destroy the foolish. But the stories all agree on one thing: if you ever find her house... she's probably been expecting you.  Resources: https://ces.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/162/Baba-Yaga-informational-material.pdf https://snowwhitewrites.com/baba-yaga/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/who-is-baba-yaga https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/baba-yaga-confounding-crone-slavic-folklore-002836 https://thewickedgriffin.com/baba-yaga-hut/?srsltid=AfmBOopG40PPIPA3rYkE9uXkZfixvvgyL8QTwBBbbBo-CYAhfZu7zf8i Baba Yaga and Hut https://share.google/48LtIW8E20t82mOQp https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/geography/countries/russia-facts/ https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Slavic-languages/277089  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zcrx2v4#z37xm39  Instagram: folklore.fangirl Spotify: Folklore Fangirl Apple Podcasts: Folklore Fangirl Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore. “Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

  6. Jul 21

    3.3 Qalupalik

    Along the icy shores of the Arctic, something is said to wait just beneath the water. The Qalupalik is a strange sea-dwelling being from Inuit folklore, known for luring children who wander too close to the ice. Some say its haunting call is the only warning you'll ever get—but by then, it may already be too late.  Resources: https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Qalupalik https://www.jahernandez.com/posts/the-qalupalik-of-inuit-folklore Links to four children's books https://www.worldanvil.com/w/the-cryptobiologist/a/the-qalupalik-article https://www.nfb.ca/film/nunavut_animation_lab_qalupalik/ https://quillandquire.com/review/the-qalupalik/ https://mythbeasts.com/beast/qalupalik/ https://mapcreator.io/galleries/omaha-world-herald-greenlands-true-size-compared-to-the-united-states/ The real size of Greenland https://youtu.be/aObQpqZKwtA?si=qkF9UK14-dnrH1Rw video with the recording of the creature humming https://youtu.be/drdYXt8rwWM?si=eSRvaVarzmWXaXkv Short Film about the Qalupalik https://ofmermaidsandmyrmidons.com/mermaid-vs-siren/ Mermaids v Sirens Instagram: folklore.fangirl Spotify: Folklore Fangirl Apple Podcasts: Folklore Fangirl Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore. “Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

  7. Jul 14

    3.2 Changeling

    Hidden among the old tales of Europe is the Changeling, a supernatural child believed to take the place of a stolen human infant. These eerie stories sought to explain sudden changes in a child's health, personality, or appearance, warning that not every child in the cradle was truly human.  This episode includes historical references to infanticide, as well as a brief retelling of a historical murder involving domestic violence. The murder account includes some descriptive details that may be disturbing to some listeners, though it is not excessively graphic. Please listen with care. If you'd rather skip those sections, I'll give another warning just before each one begins. Resources: https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/exploring-the-irish-mythology-changelings-170347 https://roundthecauldron.com/2020/07/16/changelings-in-irish-folklore/ https://emeraldisle.ie/changelings https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/britchange.html https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/ireland  https://www.cleveland.com/travel/2023/07/48-hours-in-northern-ireland-giants-causeway-titanic-museum-belfast-black-cab-tour.html Giants Causeway, Ireland https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/stories-from-staffa-island-of-staves Fingals Cave, Staffa https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/bridget-cleary-changeling-murder-ireland The murder of Bridget Cleary Instagram: folklore.fangirl Spotify: Folklore Fangirl Apple Podcasts: Folklore Fangirl Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore. “Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

  8. Jul 8

    3.1 El Cucuy

    Meet El Cucuy, the unseen figure of Latin American folklore whispered about at bedtime. More warning than monster, El Cucuy is said to wait in its mountain cave for children who stay awake too long or wander where they shouldn’t. No one agrees what it looks like—only that you never want to find out.  Resources: https://www.jahernandez.com/posts/el-coco-el-cucuy-the-child-eater This is the one with the map https://www.latinobookreview.com/the-origin-of-el-cucuy-el-coco-by-alan-gerardo-aguilar-padilla--latino-book-review.html  https://folklore.usc.edu/el-coco-and-la-mano/  https://www.valeriemevans.com/culture/origins-el-cuco/ https://europeanfolktales.com/the-legend-of-el-coco/  https://www.galiciaoriginal.com/en/where-is-galicia/  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSE_Dr0ZBOg One man’s personal tale of a Cucuy encounter (this is the one with the song) https://www.amazon.com/El-Cucuy-Bogeyman-English-Spanish/dp/0938317784 Amazon link to the storybook ¡El Cucuy!: A Bogeyman Cuento in English and Spanish by Joe Hayes and illustrated by Honoria Robledo Tapia https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/collections/highlights/voynich-manuscript The Voynich Manuscript Instagram: folklore.fangirl Spotify: Folklore Fangirl Apple Podcasts: Folklore Fangirl Thanks for listening—we really appreciate you! If you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a rating and review. If this sounds like something a friend would enjoy, please pass it along. And as always, keep fangirling over folklore. “Dance Macabre-No Violin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠ Edited for use (volume adjusted, segments used for intro and outro)

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Before everything around us constantly demanded our attention, people explained the world through stories—stories about spirits in the house, things watching from the forest, and the feeling that something was always just out of sight. A lot of those beliefs never really went away, and I love exploring them. I’m Janae, and on Folklore Fangirl I bring one old-world folklore story to my husband, Jamison, each week. I tell the tale, and he reacts in real time. It’s part storytelling, part conversation, and a little bit of wondering what might still be lurking around us.

Information

  • Creator
    Janae
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Janae
  • Show Website
    Folklore Fangirl