The Ghosthropology Podcast examines ghost stories, folklore, and tales of the weird, It is hosted by
The White Lady is a common ghost story motif, and the city of Santa Cruz, California, is home to a classic example. She wanders in a place that is at the edge between urban and rural in a small canyon that gets dark before the sun has even set. If you aren’t careful, you might just find an axe flying towards your head…or not. In this episode, Matt talks about the White Lady of Santa Cruz.
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Episode 78 is out!
In this episode, Matt speaks with podcaster Jim Harold who has been the host of The Paranormal Podcast since 2005 and Jim Harold’s Campfire since 2007. The Paranormal Podcast has allowed list…
This afternoon I recorded an interview with Jim Harold of The Paranormal Podcast and Jim Harold's Campfire. The episode will drop a week from tomorrow, and I hope y'all enjoy it.
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Episode 77 is out!
https://kmmamedia.com/2024/06/03/77-interview-with-a-haunted-tour-guide/
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So, a bit of folklore that I find fascinating:
In the online forums that I have visited over the years, if there is talk of music stores - that is, places where you buy instruments, not places to buy CDs - eventually someone will bring up how there is a "forbidden riff" that one is not allowed to play in an establishment that sells guitars. Occasionally, someone will ask what the "forbidden riff" is, but most of the time people know that this refers to the opening of Led Zeppelin's song Stairway to Heaven. When I first saw this, I thought people were joking, but I eventually learned that, while there are some people who post this as a joke, there are a lot of people who honestly believe that playing the opening of Stairway to Heaven in a guitar store will result in you being promptly invited to leave said store.
This is, of course, nonsense. These stores exist to sell you guitars, and it is a given that you will want to try playing the instrument before buying (at least you will if you are an even moderately experienced guitar player). You are welcome to play whatever you would like to determine if a given guitar is suited to you, including Stairway to Heaven.
So, in these forums, the people who are actually guitar players will try to explain to the people posting about the "forbidden riff" that there is no such thing, but this is often met with a response that "oh yes there is! My dog's former-owner's cousin had a friend who was forcefully kicked out of a story for playing the forbidden riff."
What I found must amusing and interesting about this is that we can pinpoint exactly where this urban legend originates.
In the 1992 film Wayne's World, the title character is in a guitar store and begins playing the opening to Stairway to Heaven, when one of the employees taps him on the shoulder and points to a sign that reads "No Stairway."
It's a silly one-off joke in a very goofy movie, but it has spawned this weird belief that there is something that nobody is allowed to play in stores that sell guitars.
In this episode, Matt discusses three different ghost stories associated with three different water sources: Isla De Las Munecas in Mexico, Okiku’s Well at Himeji Castle in Japan, and the ghost of the Central Park Canal in Bakersfield, California. The stories are quite different from each other but should provide some chills to listeners.
Working on two new episodes - one where I talk about the role of organized skepticism in supernatural culture, as well as my own history with skepticism, and another where I talk about an allegedly haunted diving spot in the Pacific where you are genuinely likely to encounter human skeletons.
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A mix of work and health issues here at the Ghosthropology world Headquarters is forcing a delay in the next episode. But, it is written, it just needs a bit of editing before being recorded. I am also working on getting a couple of interviews lined up for the coming months. So, we will miss our usual every-other-Monday episode drop, but we will be back in the swing of things soon.
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Episode 72 is out, in which Matt discusses the ghostly politics of Hauntology. https://kmmamedia.com/2024/03/11/72-hauntology/
Ep 71 is here!
In this episode, Matt speaks with archaeologist Dr. April Beisaw about the connection between archaeology and ghost hunting, as well as what academics might learn from ghost hunters in terms of communicating with the public.
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Well, I have been inactive through the Holidays, but am prepping to start dropping episodes again in February. I have one script prepared for an upcoming episode, have lined up an interview for the next one, and am doing research for the one after that.
The Myrtles Plantation, claimed by many to be one of the most haunted places in the United States, is famed primarily for the ghost of a young enslaved woman named Chloe. In this episode, Matt provides a few different perspectives on how the ghost stories of the Myrtles developed and what they mean to visitors.
https://kmmamedia.com/2023/11/13/68-the-myrtles-plantation/
New episode! Ghosts of UC Santa Cruz
Matt and his old friend Liberty Stanavage talk about the ghosts rumored to haunt their alma mater, the University of California Santa Cruz. Along the way, they discuss how these ghost stories reflect both student life on campus and the way that the faculty and student body of the university view themselves.
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Working on an episode on the Myrtles Plantation that is likely to come out either in late October or in November. The research is interesting, but it is going to be a heavy episode.
In this episode, Matt talks with Dr. Justin Sledge, an expert on esoteric and occult traditions in philosophy and religion. They discuss the transition from priests to necromancers in Medieval Europe as well as the influence of the Protestant Reformation on beliefs about ghosts.
https://kmmamedia.com/2023/10/02/65-necromancers-priests-and-protestants-with-dr-justin-sledge/
The Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains is both a large resort hotel and a local haunted house. In this episode, Matt shares the local lore, talks with two people who had eerie encounters at the Brookdale Lodge, and shares his own experiences. He also discusses the inherently social nature of the stories that surround this place and how they inspire people to come and look for the ghosts.
https://kmmamedia.com/2023/09/18/64-the-brookdale-lodge/
New episode!
Ghost stories are often associated with campfires, and common perception is that Scout camps are a prime place to learn ghost stories. But the logistics of camp, and of the counselor's need to keep control over campers, makes that situation a bit more complicated. In this episode, Matt is joined by his old friend, and former Girl Scout camp counselor, Dawn Burley to talk about ghost stories in the Girl Scout camp experience.
New episode!
Colleges and universities attract spooky stories like nobody's business. In this episode, NYU faculty member Dr. Michele Hanks speaks with Matt about the ghost stories associated with the historic campus.
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New episode!
Robert Johnson, Reconsidered
In this episode, Matt revisits the story of and his supposed at the crossroads. Along the way, we discuss the history of music ,Jim Crow-era , and how the culture of the 1980s led to the story of the bluesman who sold his soul becoming permanently affixed to Johnson.
Returning next week, and I have some good stuff lined up!
About to record a Pages and Popcorn episode with Kaylia, my esteemed good ladywife and producer.
It's not ghost related, but if you want to hear us talk about private eyes, elite corruption, and 1930s (or 1950s) Los Angeles, then keep an eye on Pages and Popcorn.
So, we are currently on hiatus, but:
A) I have recorded two episodes, one where I speak with a previous guest about hauntings at a major urban university;
B) The second recorded episode features me and Kaylia Metcalfe of Pages and Popcorn Podcast (another KMMA Media podcast), talking about Vampires - the folklore surrounding them is much, much closer ties to ghosts than you might think;
C) I am writing an episode on a famous, but remote, haunted hotel in California's coastal mountains;
D) I am doing research for an episode on the Myrtles Plantation; and
E) I am working on an episode to expand the discussion of the old legend of Robert Johnson at the Crossroads.
So, right off the bat, I have a month's worth of episodes recorded and ready to drop in August and will have more ready soon.
Remember kids, folklore is dangerous!
A Connecticut man who told police he was a paranormal investigator faces several charges after firing shots in his house at what he told police may have been a ghost.
While you wait for the next GP episode...
Don’t miss this week’s newest edition of , featuring some truly frightening ghost ship tales!
In the time that I have spent doing this podcast, I have noticed something interesting when doing my research.
Amongst folklorists, I don't noticed any particular gender divide with those interested in these types of stories. But when I look outside of the Folklorist circles and look at the work of sociologists, anthropologists, and historians who study the phenomenon of ghost stories, while there are some men, it is overwhelmingly women who are doing the research.
I don't know what to make of this, but I find it interesting.
New episode! (link in bio)
It’s dangerous, thrilling, and, for many, a rite of passage. In this episode, Matt discusses one of the most widespread ghost stories on earth – Bloody Mary.
Mrs. Ghosthropologist is editing the episode that will drop on Monday - Bloody Mary
The Cannon Beach and Seaside areas of Oregon’s coast are home to an unusual spirit – the Bandage Man. Part ghost, part mummy, part reanimated co**se, this creature is the central character of a local urban legend and serves as something of a local mascot. Join Matt for a discussion of this weirdly delightful story.
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In contrast to most of the stories that I cover, I am finding that there is a LOT of academic materials available on the Bloody Mary story. Rather than my usual efforts to identify anything that might be useful, in this case I had to figure out a point to stop doing research and start writing.
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Another episode coming on Monday, with a bit on the story I briefly discuss in this video.
Back from summer travels and back at my desk. Working on new episodes. A final little video from my trek to Monterey a few months back.
Part 2 of my trip to Monterey...on the hunt for the ghost of a Chinese Fisherman
Another field report from my visit to Monterey
...and now, Part 3 of the epic (oh so epic) search for the Dark Watchers...
...Part 2 (part 1 was posted yesterday). Still looking for Dark Watchers...
A preview of the supplemental episode coming in the next day or two. Out in Big Sur, on the hunt for the Dark Watchers. I am especially proud of my "Old man can't figure out which button shuts off the recorder" moment at the end of this.
Looking for creepy stuff while on vacation. It turned out that I was farther from the wax museum than I thought, but still within about a quarter mile of it.
Hello to all our new followers! Thanks for the "like"
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