Mythic Existence with Jack Daly
Mythic Existence is a podcast about folklore, mythology, and monsters, hosted by folklorist and PhD candidate Jack Daly. Every week, we will take a journey to the perilous realm, where magic and the dangerous unknown lurks around every corner. This podcast is all about exploring the mythical and mysterious aspects of life, so heed the call to adventure and embark on your Quest. Who knows, you might just find the treasure you seek.
Episodes
48 episodes
Theories of Bigfoot
Legends of hairy creatures stalking the forests and edges of civilization have been a key part of mythology and folklore since humans first started telling stories. Traditions of Bigfoot-like creatures are shared all over the world, and tie tog...
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18:13
The Van Meter Visitor
In the Fall of 1903, the small town of Van Meter, Iowa was visited by a strange creature that had no business being there. Over the course of several days, well-respected residents of Van Meter saw a giant flying creature with a horrible, uncan...
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35:38
The Jersey Devil
Deep in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, folklore says that there is a hideous monster with cloven feet, the head of a horse, and giant wings that flies among the remote forests. This creature is said to be the cursed 13th child of an 18th centu...
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22:55
Mysteries of The Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is one of the most enduring images in world culture. But what is the grail exactly, and if we can determine that, can it be found? The grail has been described as a cup, a dish, the chalice used by Jesus during the last sup...
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29:34
The Ozark Howler
Deep in the valleys of the Ozarks, lore tells of a terrifying horned beast with glowing eyes and the power to either bring luck to those who see it or predict their death. This monster is known as the Ozark Howler, and on today's episode of The...
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Episode 44
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28:10
The Old Hag
On this episode of The Monster Folklorist, host Jack Daly explores the phenomenon of "the Old Hag," and David Hufford's experience-based approach to the supernatural.
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Episode 43
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11:44
The Cropsey Maniac
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly investigates one of the most notorious figures from the halls of legend: The Cropsey Maniac.*Like and Subscribe!**Follow Mythic Existence on Instagram and Twitter!*Comforta...
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10:08
The Origins of Sauron
On today's episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly covers the origins of one of literature's greatest villains: Sauron. Listen to learn how Sauron's story stretches back to the origins of Arda, and how he was the student of the original dar...
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12:51
Monster Theory Part 2: Legendary Monsters
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly discusses contemporary legendary monsters. We build off of one of our most popular episodes, the monster theory episode, by discussing North American monsters that are at times believed to ...
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25:29
Cyclic Belief in Folklore and Myth with Steven Merrell
On this episode of Mythic Existence, guest Steven Merrell joins to talk about his cyclic belief theory and how it applies to folklore and myth. Steven is a second-year graduate folklore student and is finishing his degree at Utah State Universi...
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59:21
Harry Potter with Carly Schaelling
This episode of Mythic Existence is the start of a new direction that the podcast will be taking, as I’m recording this episode with a guest, the one and only Carly Schaelling. For those of you who don’t know, Carly is my beautiful fian...
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49:49
Ring Composition in Harry Potter
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly talks about ring composition and chiasm in Harry Potter. This is a literary technique in which a story leads to a mid point and then is reversed. By determining this key function of the boo...
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32:20
The Tao of Physics
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly explores the Tao of Physics, a book written by the physicist Fritjof Capra that examines the similarities between physics and Eastern mysticism. We discover how both science and spiritualit...
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39:00
Irish Vampires: the Dearg Due and the Abhartach
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly begins our preparations for St. Patrick’s Day by investigating the Irish vampire: the Dearg Due. We’ll look at one particular incarnation of this creature by recanting the story of the Abharta...
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21:28
The History of Witches
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly covers the history of witchcraft. We journey to Ancient Greece and plunge into the mythic witches of old to dispel the misconception that witchcraft only occurred in the Middle Ages by taking ...
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35:50
Chupacabras
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly takes the listener to the island of Puerto Rico, where in the 1990s a stealthy, vampiric creature was reported to kill livestock and suck their blood. This creature came to be known as the chu...
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34:03
Appalachian Folk Magic
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly discusses Appalachian folk magic. We'll learn about folk traditions for healing wounds, curing illnesses, and how the weather shows portents of things to come. Appalachian magic is a unique tr...
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28:03
Magic Theory and Types of Magic
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly covers a fascinating topic: the different types of magic. We discuss the difficulties involved with defining magic, trace the development of European medieval magic, and read excerpts from lit...
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38:07
Christmas Folklore: Krampus, Frau Perchta, and Iceland's Yule Lads
This week on Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly spices up the winter with a holiday-inspired episode. Instead of focusing on the holly and jolly, we dive into some of the darker aspects of Christmas folklore by talking about Krampus, Frau Perchta...
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21:00
The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly discusses the archaeology of counter-witchcraft and popular magic. We look at how protective charms such as witch bottles and dried cats, along with other magic items were used in Englan...
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19:26
Goddesses
On this episode of Mythic Existence, host Jack Daly discusses goddesses and goddess worship. We'll trace the development of the divine feminine from paleolithic caves, all the way through to the Greek pantheon. We'll try and understand how the ...
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34:24
Osiris Myths
On this episode of Mythic Existence, we discuss one of the most important god in the Egyptian pantheon: Osiris. Osiris was clearly one of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon for good reason. His stories gave Egyptians a strong mora...
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13:00
Hip Hop and Rap Conspiracies: The Folklorist's Perspective
On this episode of Mythic Existence, we are going to build off of my previous episode which focused on the folklorist’s approach to conspiracy theories by discussing rap and hip hop conspiracy theories. In the light of the recent tragedy at Tra...
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31:57