Shows
FaecraftThe Bwbach & HobgoblinsChurn, baby, churn! Hear all about the butter churning, anti-teetotaler the Bwbach, a creature near and dear to Holly and Chelsea's hearts. We share family lore about bwbachad (plural for bwbach--fun, right?) and learn more about hobgoblins in general. Sources:•Jenkins, Geraint. Studies in Folk Life (RLE Folklore): Essays in Honour of Iorwerth C. Peate. 2/17/2015, Taylor & Francis.•Wood, Juliette. “Perceptions of the Past in the Welsh Folklore Studies.” Folklore, 108:1-2, 93-102 (1997).•Rhys, John. Celtic Folklore, Welsh and Manx. 1901.•Froud, Brian and Alan Lee. Faeries: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2002.•https://www.oxfordrefer...2025-06-0451 minFaecraftThunderbirdsThunderbirds and lightning, very very frightening ME! (Galileo, Galileo, Figaro). Holly and Chelsea learn about thunderbirds, creatures that hold importance for indigenous peoples across North America. Chelsea pontificates on why she hates nineteenth-century ethnographies while Holly refuses to purchase a full text on Google Books. Sources: • Thunderbird (mythology) wikipedia • Harry Potter Wiki- Thunderbird • Thunderbird- American Gods wiki • American Gods- Grace’s Literature Blog • The Legend of the Thunderbirds- Pennsylvania Wilds • Thunderbird Cryptid Wiki • Book- The Exploits of Chief Aj: As Told to Chuck Vaughn- Google Books • The Giant Thunderbird Returns- li...2025-06-041h 00FaecraftLa LloronaLa Llorona: the patriarchy makes me cry, too, sometimes. This week the Burk sisters learn about a fascinating figure from Mexican folklore, La Llorona, the weeping woman. We talk colonization, Coco, and Chicana feminism in relation to this powerful story of love, motherhood, loss, and grief.Sources:Biggs, Mary Jo Garcia. "La Llorona." The Encyclopedia of Latino Culture: From Calaveras to Quinceaneras, edited by Charles M. Tatum. ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2013.Perez, Domino Renee. There was a Woman: La Llorona from Folklore to Popular Culture. 2008, UT Press.Perez, Domino Renee. "La Llorona." The Oxford Encyclopedia...2025-06-0250 minFaecraftKitsuneWhat does the fox say?!Holly and Chelsea find out in this week's episode focusing on the Japanese kitsune, or fox god. Hear all about how these adorable, powerful creatures became synonymous with Japanese culture, permeating all areas of life from religion to architecture to literature and more for centuries. Sources:5 Great Kitsune Aime for Fans of the Nine-Tailed Fox6 Things to Know About the Inari Fox in Japanese FolkloreThe 10 Best Pokemon, RankedA 'Killing Stone' Broke in Japan. Is a Demon on the Loose? NYTimes article by Mike Ives and Makiko Inoue, March 18, 2022All A...2024-05-2254 minFaecraftThe Skunk ApeGet ready to smell what the Florida Man is cooking in this latest installment of Faecraft! Holly and Chelsea dig into the stinky cryptid prowling Floriday from the Everglades to the Keys: the Skunk Ape. They discuss the ape's biggest proponents, Florida's history, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the correlation between white nationalism and cryptozoology.Sources:Atlanta Daily World, July 21 1977. "Fla. Family Cowers in Fear of Prowling 'Skunk Ape.'"Chicago Defender, Jan. 10 1974Connolly, Patrick. "Searching for Florida's Skunk Ape: Chasing the Sunshine State's Sasquatch in the Everglades," June 27, 2021 Orlando SentinelDickinson, Joy Wallace. "Skunk Ape among State's Odd...2024-05-221h 04FaecraftThe BansheeHolly and Chelsea have a WAIL of a time this week talking ... you guessed it, banshees! Fae in Ireland, ghosts in Scotland, these wailing women are thought to be harbingers of death, mourners ushering souls to the next realm, and family protectors.Sources:Irish MythologySoul Screamer book series (Goodreads)Banshee book series (Amazon)Banshee (Disney wiki)Scream of the Banshee movie (Wikipedia)Banshee (short story)- WikipediaThe Making of Darby O'Gill and the Little People - Irish TimesBanshee Bakes a Cherry Pie - Ghostbusters WikiThe Hound of Ulster - Gargoyle WikiCú Chulainn - World HistoryBanshee (character...2024-05-2258 minFaecraftThe Seelie and Unseelie CourtsHello and welcome to Faecraft, a journey into tales of wonder, whimsy, and woe. Join us, the Burk sisters, for a romp with the Seelie and Unseelie courts in this our very first episode. Chelsea digs into historical research and origins of the magical Scottish courts of lore, while Holly shows us the lasting legacy of these creatures in popular culture.SourcesAn Encyclopedia of Faeries, Katherine Briggs, 1976British Faeries Wordpress, "The Good and the Wicked Wichts; The Seelie and Unseelie Courts; Two Tribes- Good and Bad Fairy Folk""The Cult of Seely Wights in Scotland,"...2024-05-2247 minFaecraftThe MorriganCows! Fertility! Ravens!This week on the podcast Holly and Chelsea tackle one of their favorite Irish goddesses, the Morrigan. Chelsea goes into the ways this oral tradition was collected and interpretive issues, while Holly looks at how the Morrigan is honored today.Sources:Clark, Rosalind. The Great Queens: Irish Goddesses from the Morrigan to Cathleen Ni Houlihan. Irish Literary Studies 34, Barnes and Noble Books, 1991The Hounds of the Morrigan, by Pat O'Shea (Goodreads)MythopediaThe Morrigan as a "Dark Goddess": A Goddess Re-Imagined Through Therapeutic Self-Narration of Women on Social MediaThe Morrigan - World...2024-05-221h 10
FaecraftOhio CryptidsVirginia may be for lovers, but Ohio is for the Loveland Frogmen. Journey to the midwest on this episode's latest installment of our state cryptid series, the land of the Frogman, the Mothman, the Ohio Grassman, and so much more. Sources:Cryptid OhioTop 10 Cryptids Still Creeping Around Ohio- ExemploreThe 11 Most Bizarre Mythical… Columbus NavigatorThe Werewolf of Defiance- Fox19The Mothman Museum- citybeat.comCryptid Profile: The Crosswick Monster- Pine Barren InstituteMeet the Monsters: The Crosswick Monster- monstersofohio.comThe Peninsula Python: An Absolutely True Story- the AtlanticMonsters, Cryptids, and Mysterious Wild Beasts: West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, and Beyond, Jan...2022-09-2954 minFaecraftSpecial AnnouncementJust popping in your feed to say we are moving from releasing our podcast weekly to biweekly. Life, uhhhh, gets in the way (and women inherit the earth; watch Jurassic Park). Stay tuned for our next full episode on Thursday, Sept. 29!2022-09-2201 minFaecraftThe BunyipWhat's grey and feathered and bipedal and a starfish but also an alligator? The Australian bunyip, of course!Holly and Chelsea reminisce about Chelsea's year as an exchange student in Australia as they unearth historical and contemporary cultural nuggets about the bunyip, a creature from multiple southern Aboriginal cultures' creation traditions. Sources:The Gloomy BunyipRed Billabong- wikiBunyip wikiMeet the Bunyip- all that’s interestingBunyip cryptid wikiSteve Irwin StampsDot and the Kangaroo wikiBunyip, The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature, 2nd ed. Wilde, William H., Joy Hooton, and Barry Andrews. Oxford UP, 1994. Holden, Robert; Nicholas Holden. (2001). Buny...2022-09-1548 minFaecraftRecommendations: What We're Reading/WatchingWe're doing something different this week to accommodate Chelsea's croaky cold voice (blame her toddler, the walking germ farm): recommendations! We discuss fae-adjacent books, tv shows, and movies we've enjoyed recently. Mostly books, because, well, we were both English majors. Chelsea's book recommendations:The Chosen and the Beautiful, Nghi VoA Spindle Splintered, A Mirror Mended, and all things Alix E. HarrowSmall Favors, Erin A. CraigFor the Wolf and For the Throne, Hannah WhittenHolly's book recommendations:Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes, Elizabeth LesserWomen and Other Monsters: Building a New...2022-09-0823 minFaecraftDogs in Celtic FolkloreMeet the original Dr. Burk, our dad, on this canine-centered episode! Dr. Craig Burk, veterinarian for over 40 years, helps us understand the differences between Cardiganshire Welsh Corgis and Pembroke Welsh Corgis, discusses Kennel Clubs, and reminds us to always bring water for our pups on hot days. Also, Chelsea solves a corgi-as-fairy-steed mystery and Holly teaches us about best practices when introducing your corgi to its fairy saddle.Sources:Can Dogs See Fairies? WagFaerie Guardian Dogs- The Faerie Dog… YouTubeWhat is a Fairy Saddle on a Corgi? corgicarehttps://folklorethursday.com/folklife/5370/Pembroke Welsh Corgi Lis...2022-09-0150 minFaecraftJinnChelsea learns that she's been confusing I Dream of Jeannie with Bewitched for her entire life while Holly chooses which jinn origin story is the best (hint: witches always win). Hear all about jinn and their evolution from Muslim spirits with the same moral obligations as humans into the Will Smith genie that horrifies us today!Sources:El-Zein, Amira. Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn. Syracuse University Press; 2009.Duggan, Anne E. “From Genie to Efreet: Fantastic Apparitions in the Tales of The Arabian Nights.” Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 26.1, 2015.Lebling, Robert. Legen...2022-08-241h 14FaecraftState Cryptids: MissouriPicture yourself: it's the dark. Cuddle under your blankets and keep your head on a swivel for the first episode of our state cryptids series! Who knew Missouri had so many weird critters lurking about? We talk MoMo, the Missouri Monster, the Ozark Howler, Batsquatch, and so much more. Sources:Momo the Monster- wikipediaMissouri's mysterious monsters live on through generations of storytelling- VOX magazineDevil’s Promenade and the Hornet Spook Lights- Legends of AmericaThe Ozark Howler- Explore Southern HistoryCreature feature: Missouri and Illinois beasts and why we love their stories- St. Louis Post-DispatchThe Missouri Mons...2022-08-1847 minFaecraftThunderbirdsThunderbirds and lightening, very very frightening ME! (Galileo, Galileo, Figaro). Holly and Chelsea learn about thunderbirds, creatures that hold importance for indigenous peoples across North America. Chelsea pontificates on why she hates nineteenth-century ethnographies while Holly refuses to purchase a full text on Google Books. Sources:Thunderbird (mythology) wikipediaHarry Potter Wiki- Thunderbird Thunderbird- American Gods wikiAmerican Gods- Grace’s Literature BlogThe Legend of the Thunderbirds- Pennsylvania WildsThunderbird Cryptid WikiBook- The Exploits of Chief Aj: As Told to Chuck Vaughn- Google BooksThe Giant Thunderbird Returns- liveabout.com Did Giant Birds Roam the American Plains? HistoryDailyA flyin...2022-08-111h 00FaecraftThe Bwbach & HobgoblinsChurn, baby, churn! Hear all about the butter churning, anti-teetotaler the Bwbach, a creature near and dear to Holly and Chelsea's hearts. We share family lore about bwbachad (plural for bwbach--fun, right?) and learn more about hobgoblins in general. Sources:Jenkins, Geraint. Studies in Folk Life (RLE Folklore): Essays in Honour of Iorwerth C. Peate. 2/17/2015, Taylor & Francis.Wood, Juliette. “Perceptions of the Past in the Welsh Folklore Studies.” Folklore, 108:1-2, 93-102 (1997).Rhys, John. Celtic Folklore, Welsh and Manx. 1901.Froud, Brian and Alan Lee. Faeries: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2002.https://w...2022-08-0451 minFaecraftLa LloronaLa Llorona: the patriarchy makes me cry, too, sometimes. This week the Burk sisters learn about a fascinating figure from Mexican folklore, La Llorona, the weeping woman. We talk colonization, Coco, and Chicana feminism in relation to this powerful story of love, motherhood, loss, and grief.Sources:Biggs, Mary Jo García. “La Llorona.” The Encyclopedia of Latino Culture: From Calaveras to Quinceaneras, edited by Charles M. Tatum, ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2013. Perez, Domino Renee. There Was a Woman: La Llorona from Folklore to Popular Culture. 2008, UT Press.Perez, Domino Renee. “La Llorona.” The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latina...2022-07-2850 minFaecraftThe BansheeHolly and Chelsea have a WAIL of a time this week talking.... you guessed it, banshees! Fae in Ireland, ghosts in Scotland, these wailing women are thought to be harbingers of death, mourners ushering souls to the next realm, and family protectors. Sources:WikipediaSoul Screamer book series- GoodreadsBanshee book series- AmazonBanshee- Disney WikiScream of the Banshee movie- WikipediaBanshee (short story) WikipediaThe Making of Darby O’Gill and the Little People- Irish TimesBanshee Bakes a Cherry Pie- Ghostbusters WikiThe Hound of Ulster- Gargoyle Wiki Cú Chulainn- World History Banshee (character)- WikipediaNoetzel, Justin T. "Banshee." The Ashgate Encycl...2022-07-2158 minFaecraftThe Skunk ApeGet ready to smell what the Florida Man is cooking in this latest installment of Faecraft! Holly and Chelsea dig into the stinky cryptid prowling Florida from the Everglades to the Keys: the Skunk Ape. They discuss the ape's biggest proponents, Florida's history, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the correlation between white nationalism and cryptozoology.Sources:Atlanta Daily World, July 31 1977. “Fla. Family Cowers in Fear of Prowling ‘Skunk Ape.’”Chicago Defender, Jan 10. 1974.Connolly, Patrick. “Searching for Florida’s Skunk Ape: Chasing the Sunshine state’s sasquatch in the eEverglades”, June 27 2021 Orlando SentinelDickinson, Joy Wallace. “Skunk Ape among State’s odd legends.” Oct...2022-07-141h 04FaecraftKitsuneWhat does the fox say?! Holly and Chelsea find out in this week's episode focusing on the Japanese kitsune, or fox god. Hear all about how these adorable, powerful creatures became synonymous with Japanese culture, permeating all areas of life from religion to architecture to literature and more for centuries. Sources: 5 Great Kitsune Anime for Fans of the Nine-Tailed Fox6 Things to Know About the Inari Fox in Japanese FolkloreThe 10 Best Fox Pokemon, rankedA ‘Killing Stone’ Broke in Japan. Is a Demon on the Loose? NYTimes article by Mike Ives and Makiko Inoue March 18, 2022All About K...2022-07-0754 minFaecraftThe MórríganCows! Fertility! Ravens! This week on the podcast Holly and Chelsea tackle one of their favorite Irish goddesses, the Mórrígan. Chelsea goes into the ways this oral tradition was collected and interpretive issues, while Holly looks at how the Mórrígan is honored today.Sources:Clark, Rosalind. The Great Queens: Irish Goddesses From the Morrígan to Cathleen Ní Houlihan. Irish Literary Studies 34, Barnes and Noble Books. 1991.The Hounds of the Morrigan- by Pat O’Shea (Goodreads)MythopediaThe Morrigan as a “Dark Goddess”: A Goddess Re-Imagined Through Therapeutic Self-Narration of Women on Social Media...2022-06-301h 10
FaecraftThe Seelie and Unseelie CourtsHello and welcome to Faecraft, a journey into tales of wonder, whimsy, and woe. Join us, the Burk sisters, for a romp with the Seelie and Unseelie courts in this our very first episode. Chelsea digs into historical research and origins of the magical Scottish courts of lore, while Holly shows us the lasting legacy of these creatures in popular culture. SourcesAn Encyclopedia of Faeries, Katherine Briggs, 1976. British Faeries Wordpress website- The Good and the Wicked Wichts; The Seelie and Unseelie Courts; Two Tribes- Good and Bad Fairy Folk"The Cult of Seely Wights in Sc...2022-06-2147 min