Immortal Sunshine Podcast

Lee Dawna

The podcast shedding candlelight on cryptids, hauntings, mythology, and more. If it's weird, we're talking about it! Join thriller and suspense author Lee Dawna on a journey through the macabre.

  1. Jun 1

    Paternal Hauntings: Fatherhood from beyond the grave

    In honor of Father’s Day, this month’s episode explores the haunting phenomenon of dads and grandfathers. Drawing on historical research like Sir William Barrett’s early 20th-century studies on deathbed visions, along with cultural spirit guides and real-life accounts, we examine everything from comforting visitations where deceased fathers figures appear to offer protection or guidance, to warning apparitions that save lives at the final moment, and even vengeful paternal spirits with unfinished business. LeeDawnaBooks.com Amazon wish list leedawnabooks@gmail.com Mailing List - join here! Postal Mail: PO Box 824, Aurora NC 27806 Affiliate links: ALLi - https://allianceindependentauthors.org/?affid=10208   Resources (Note that Amazon links may be Affiliate Links, providing a small commission for the host): https://amzn.to/4uzcAs5 William Barrett (Barrett, William, Sir, 1844-1925) | The Online Books Page Frederic W. H. Myers - Wikipedia https://amzn.to/3S4tSih or Death-bed visions : Barrett, William, Sir, 1844-1925. n 88141849 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Death-bed Visions : William Fletcher Barrett : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Psychopomp - Wikipedia The Psychopomp Guide - Psychopomps from Around the World https://amzn.to/3S4tSih

    53 min

  2. Apr 30

    Tokoloshe - The small boogeyman of southern Africa

    From its ancient origins as an explanation for mysterious nighttime deaths to its modern malevolent nature, the Tokoloshe has been shaping beliefs and leaving its hairy mark on culture for generations. In this episode, we uncover the terrifying legend of southern Africa’s dwarf-like water spirit. LeeDawnaBooks.com Amazon wish list leedawnabooks@gmail.com Mailing List - join here! Postal Mail: PO Box 824, Aurora NC 27806   Affiliate links: ALLi - https://allianceindependentauthors.org/?affid=10208 Western Africa folklore book - https://amzn.to/4t1qJg5 South African legends book - https://amzn.to/4uoHJOG   Episode resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokoloshe https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2001-11-22-i-didnt-kill-a-baby-i-killed-a-tokoloshe/ https://www.news24.com/tokoloshe-baby-killer-gets-life-20020128 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elifasi_Msomi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Reasonable_Man https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178860/ https://astonishinglegends.com/astonishing-legends/2019/2/16/the-tokoloshe

    29 min
  3. The Easter Hare of European Folklore: Episode 31

    Apr 1

    The Easter Hare of European Folklore: Episode 31

    The Easter Hare of European folklore—today's Easter Bunny—emerges from pagan traditions celebrating spring renewal, fertility, and rebirth. However, this mythical figure has a darker side. In this episode, we take a look at how the legend blends the joyful with the supernatural, with the hare carrying both blessings and a basket full of witchy deeds.   LeeDawnaBooks.com Amazon wish list leedawnabooks@gmail.com Mailing List - join here! Postal Mail: PO Box 824, Aurora NC 27806 Social Media: Facebook - Instagram - Twitter   Affiliate links: ALLi - https://allianceindependentauthors.org/?affid=10208   Resources: https://mythosanthology.com/puc https://medium.com/@arras.healing/the-hare-and-the-goddess-the-story-of-a-sacred-animal-5bf8f3c24597 https://thedruidscauldron.net/category/course-sacred-figures https://www.thefield.co.uk/country-house/hare-mythology-why-we-are-all-mad-for-hares-21624 https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/ancient-roots-of-easter-bunny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leshy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familiar https://storytellingdb.com/monsters-slavic-mythology https://www.transceltic.com/pan-celtic/importance-of-hare-celtic-belief-and-our-duty-protect-all-wildlife https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koshchei

    22 min

  4. Mar 1

    Dullahan: The Headless Bug-Bear of Ireland

    The Dullahan is one of Ireland’s most chilling figures—a relentless, headless rider who gallops through the night carrying his severed head under his arm, calling out the names of the doomed. Join me as we uncover the origins of this spooky folktale. LeeDawnaBooks.com Amazon wish list leedawnabooks@gmail.com Mailing List - join here! Postal Mail: PO Box 824, Aurora NC 27806 Social Media: Facebook - Instagram - Twitter   Affiliate links: ALLi - https://allianceindependentauthors.org/?affid=10208 Resources: https://archive.org/details/fairylegendstrad00crokrich     https://www.gutenberg.org/files/39752/39752-h/39752-h.htm    https://www.gutenberg.org/files/33887/33887-h/33887-h.htm https://dorisvsutherland.com/2020/06/19/the-history-of-the-dullahan-in-irish-folklore    https://dorisvsutherland.com/2020/06/23/more-on-the-dullahan-in-irish-folklore https://irishmyths.com/2021/09/22/headless-horseman-history https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/how-tales-of-the-headless-horseman-came-from-celtic-mythology-1.4060086 https://theghostinmymachine.com/2025/10/13/encyclopaedia-of-the-impossible-the-dullahan-the-headless-horseman-of-ireland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dullahan https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Dullahan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_coach Pronunciations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVy7_yFWwVU   https://forvo.com/word/dullahan https://www.howtopronounce.com/dullahan.

    27 min

  5. Feb 1

    Morgan le Fay: Enchanted Entanglements

    Morgan le Fay is a timeless enigma born on the pages of Arthurian lore. Yet before she was the modern legend’s evil sorceress, Morgan was a benevolent, shapeshifting healer. Join me on this brisk walk through the mists of Avalon and decide for yourself if Morgan is merely a lovesick character or the embodiment of a real-life enchantress whose pure-hearted magic makes her the perfect subject for this year’s Valentine episode. LeeDawnaBooks.com Amazon wish list leedawnabooks@gmail.com Mailing List - join here! Postal Mail: PO Box 824, Aurora NC 27806 Social Media: Facebook - Instagram - Twitter   Affiliate links: ALLi - https://allianceindependentauthors.org/?affid=10208   Episode resources: Mary Jones Celtic Texts – Vita Merlini   John Jay Parry translation – public domain – The Vita Merlini Sacred Texts Archive version: Vita Merlini Hero of Camelot, English translation – Erec et Enide Poetry in Translation – Érec and Enide Mary Jones – Vulgate/Lancelot-Grail Cycle   Norris J. Lacy's English Translation/Boydell and Brewer – Lancelot-Grail 10 Volumes Project Gutenberg – public domain: Volume I and Volume II Le Morte Darthur Norton Critical Edition or Amazon version https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_le_Fay "The Infamous Sorceress Morgan le Fay of Arthurian Legend" by The Collector (Sep 11, 2025)  Ancient Origins – Morgan le Fay Morgan le Fay – Medieval Sources and Modern Novels by Miriam Tosadori (2021 Thesis, University of Padua)

    23 min

  6. Jan 3

    Where's the Bacon? House Bill 23261: The Hippo Meat Plan

    Before “bacon fixes everything” was a meme - a lifelong politician, a boy scout, and a German spy almost ruined the most perfect food on earth. Tune in to find out how the Hippo Bill of 1910 got into the weeds and sank to the bottom of a Louisiana swamp. LeeDawnaBooks.com Amazon wish list leedawnabooks@gmail.com Mailing List - join here! Postal Mail: PO Box 824, Aurora NC 27806 Social Media: Facebook - Instagram - Twitter Affiliate links: ALLi - https://allianceindependentauthors.org/?affid=10208   Episode resources: American Hippopotamus by Jon Mooallem Smithsonian Magazine – “The Plan to Import Hippopotamuses to the U.S.” Hippopotamidae - Wikipedia Hippopotamus amphibius (Hippopotamus) American Hippo bill - Wikipedia The Crazy, Ingenious Plan to Bring Hippopotamus Ranching to America | WIRED 7 Problematic Invasive Species in Hawaii (Pictures) - Wildlife Informer

    1h 15m
  7. The Shocking End - Elizabeth Bathory part 2

    03/31/2025

    The Shocking End - Elizabeth Bathory part 2

    The infamous Elizabeth Bathory is a Hungarian Noblewoman holding a Guinness World Record as the most prolific female serial killer in history. But was she a cold-blooded killer? Or a wealthy widow caught in the crosshairs of a war-torn country? Join me as I attempt to unravel fact from fiction in part two of this dive into the Blood Countess, covering the charges against her, the outcome of a trial she never participated in, and her shockingly quiet end. Resources: História hradu - Čachtický hrad Countess Bathory's case - Elizabeth Báthory: The Blood Countess The Bloody Countess? | Notes on Hungarian History Elizabeth Bathory | Biography, Husband, Castle, & Facts | Britannica Elizabeth Báthory - Wikipedia Countess Elizabeth Bathory - The Blood Countess — Clandestine Entry — Crime Library bledsaw.pdf Béla IV of Hungary - Wikipedia Palatine of Hungary - Wikipedia Konrad III Rudy - Wikipedia Voivode of Transylvania - Wikipedia Deutsche Biographie - Nádasdy, Pál Pál (Nádasdy) Nádasdy de Nádasd et Fogaras-Föld (abt.1597-1633) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree Contact me: leedawnabooks@gmail.com Postal Mail: PO Box 824, Aurora, NC 27806 Mailing List - join here! Amazon wish list Facebook - Instagram - Twitter   Affiliate links: Rakuten ALLi Kobo home page

    1h 43m
  8. Hungary's Lady in Red - Elizabeth Bathory, part one - The Origins

    02/21/2025

    Hungary's Lady in Red - Elizabeth Bathory, part one - The Origins

    The infamous Elizabeth Bathory is a Hungarian Noblewoman holding a Guinness World Record as the most prolific female serial killer in history. But was she a cold-blooded killer? Or a wealthy widow caught in the crosshairs of a war-torn country? Join me as I attempt to unravel fact from fiction in this two-part dive into the workings of the Kingdom of Hungary and the makings of a Blood Countess. Resources: História hradu - Čachtický hrad Countess Bathory's case - Elizabeth Báthory: The Blood Countess The Bloody Countess? | Notes on Hungarian History Elizabeth Bathory | Biography, Husband, Castle, & Facts | Britannica Elizabeth Báthory - Wikipedia Countess Elizabeth Bathory - The Blood Countess — Clandestine Entry — Crime Library bledsaw.pdf Béla IV of Hungary - Wikipedia Palatine of Hungary - Wikipedia Konrad III Rudy - Wikipedia Voivode of Transylvania - Wikipedia Deutsche Biographie - Nádasdy, Pál Pál (Nádasdy) Nádasdy de Nádasd et Fogaras-Föld (abt.1597-1633) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree Contact me: leedawnabooks@gmail.com Postal Mail: PO Box 824, Aurora, NC 27806 Mailing List - join here! Amazon wish list Facebook - Instagram - Twitter   Affiliate links: Rumble Rakuten ALLi Kobo home page

    1h 8m
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The podcast shedding candlelight on cryptids, hauntings, mythology, and more. If it's weird, we're talking about it! Join thriller and suspense author Lee Dawna on a journey through the macabre.

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