Lore

If history has shown us anything, it’s that humans are easily motivated by fear. Just what some of those fears have been, though, is more than a …

Humans have long practiced the art of building walls and fortresses in an effort to gain control or find safety. But no place is safe from the danger …

Humans have spent thousands of years building systems to keep us as safe as possible. But eventually, each of us will have to stop and rest, letting down our guard and opening ourselves up to perhaps our darkest and …

Human ingenuity knows no bounds. Along with creating all manner of new technology, and ever more complex levels of knowledge, another thing we are …

Folklore is often about danger and how we, as a community, might avoid it. But real life sometimes becomes a mirror of those fears, and leaves us …

Some of the oldest and most popular parts of folklore are the ghost stories. Whether told around a campfire, or red about in the safety a well-lit …

There’s a lot that science has explained away. Mysteries that left us cowering in fear. Events that challenged our feelings of security and control. …

Humanity has always been very good at making the best of a bad situation. Either by burying the past, or at least by building distractions that take …

We often speak in lofty terms about all that humans are capable of achieving, and much of that is true. But looking backward in time, we can also see moments when that potential has led to horrible tragedy. And we have …

The way we treat the past is a great lens into the character of humanity. Sometimes we elevate it, but all too often we work to bury it. And while the excuse might be to make room for the march of progress, it also …

Humanity has grown over the millennia by passing on knowledge through teachings and guides. Even today, how-to books are best-sellers, and people are more hungry than ever to learn and grow. But some lessons aren’t …

Our passion for solving incomplete puzzles is something that unites us as a culture. We will chase any mystery and dig into every single question we …

Folklore is our legacy. We humans have carried it with us everywhere we’ve gone in the world, and it anchors us to our roots and our community. But …

We like it when things go according to plan. Even when it comes to death, we long to have some semblance of control over our path. So when those …

Episode 134: Disturbing the Peace

There’s nothing more certain in life than death. No matter how rewarding or challenging our days on this planet might be, for as long as humans have been around, we’ve viewed death as …

The human tendency to study the unknown—to dig deep and search for the bedrock of truth at the bottom of the mystery—is one of our most enduring qualities. But while that tenacity has helped scientists unlock much of …

We all love a good hiding place. Whether it’s the child who tucks the key to their diary under their pillow, or the parent who hides away the holiday …

While the ocean represents opportunity and hope to a lot of people, it also holds more mystery than most of feel comfortable with. Yes, we’ve …

Before cell phones and internet access, learning about the world around us took a lot of time. Along the way, there would be gaps in our …

The longer humans stay in one place, the more progress and community we seem to create. But at the same time, we bring our darkness with us, and over time it begins to stain a place with shadows of pain and tragedy. And …

Most of our life is spent looking for things. Companionship, security, even our lost keys. But above all of that is our search for answers, and the way human beings have tried to find them has lead to all manner of …

Episode 127: Tipping the Scales

If you flip through the pages of history long enough, you’ll eventually run into stories about life out of balance, and how something—fate or chance or something otherworldly—has stepped …

Some places in our world have a dark legacy. Prior failures. Shameful acts. Painful tragedy. Even though it all took place long before we arrived …

Everyone longs for someone. That special partner who can enter their life and make is something better, something more. And while dating has taken …

Everyone wants to look good. And while there’s nothing wrong with beauty, sometimes people have made sacrifices—both willing and unaware—in the pursuit of it. After looking through the pages of history, though, that …

Home might very well be what you make it, but it’s not always about beautiful decorations and comfortable furnishings. Sometimes the places we live …

Episode 122: The Shortest Straw

Human nature has a number of powerful, universal characteristics. Our need for community. Our love of storytelling. …

Some threats to our safety and well-being are obvious and easy to spot from a mile away. Over the course of history, people have become very skilled at looking for danger and avoiding it. But some threats are more …

Human ambition has led us to some amazing achievements, and taken us to unexplored places. But it has also lured us into places where there is a lot more fear and danger than we are used to, and the stories that have …

Some stories have been around for a very long time, and others are fairly new. One thing is certain, though: the tales we tell have a way of changing …

Some people have a fire inside them that drives them to do great things. New discoveries, breakthrough inventions, or astonishing accomplishments. But some have harnessed that passion for something darker, and they’re …

Episode 117: Bones

Everything is built upon something else. Whether it is a mighty fortress, a simple home, or the very lives of the people around us, there’s a foundation beneath everything. But don’t let that strong, …

No one likes to be sick, and yet it is one of the most dependable things in life. We will all, at some point, become ill, and when we do, the most important thing in our world will be recovery and wellness. Many simply …

The way we explain the world around us is determined by the lens we view it through, especially when events sit outside the realm of the believable. And no better moment in time can illustrate that idea better than the …

Most locations have an isolated history that is unique to them and only them. But some places have served as the entry point for a bigger idea and a …

Throughout history, cultures around the world have explored the world of medicine in search of tools that can heal our bodies. We’ve used plants and …

Of all the parts of life that we can depend on, one of the darkest parts is loss. That’s the trouble with being surrounded by mortal, fragile human beings; at some point, the people we love won’t be here anymore. Which …

The deepest mysteries come from the places we haven’t fully explored, or where we lack the control that makes us feel safe. And yet one of the most …

Not everything can be perfect. Even when there’s a clean slate and we’re given the resources and tools to make something great, humans have a way of …

There’s a lot in life we can count on. Death, taxes, the sunrise, and political turmoil--these are all guaranteed, safe bets. But outside that, …

Our oceans are some of the most remote regions on the planet. Because of that, people have filled that darkness and space with stories that reflect our common fears and deepest suspicious. Unfortunately, the pages of …

We like to think we’ll see it coming. That we can plan ahead and prepare—even defend ourselves. But death comes in all shapes and sizes, sometimes so …

Humans have a tendency to collect things. From baseball cards to Twitter followers, we enjoy bringing everything into one place. But when that …

We love to simplify things. Easy is better than complex, after all, and simple things are easy to understand. Sadly, though, the people around us are far from simple; they are complex and layered, with deep, hidden …

The ocean is very good at taking things from us, but we are equally skilled at not forgetting. Still, no matter how many stories we tell about lost ships and vanished loved ones, it will never bring them back. At least, …

Humanity is fueled by hope. We hope for improvement, and dream of a day when things get better than they are right now. And for a very long time, there have been certain people who have taken advantage of that hope. …

Most of us live incredibly busy lives, and because of all that distraction, we tend to miss the little things. Whether it’s a forgotten birthday, or the small puddle of water beneath your water heater in the basement, …

Like a well-loved pair of shoes, or those jeans you bought in college and never gave up on, some things become worn out over time. But when that …

Every movement has a seed, that spark that sets the fire ablaze. But this spark is more than just a murder mystery, or a treasure hunt, or even a haunting unlike any other. This one is all three. Which may explain why a …

Each of us holds inside ourselves a precious cargo. It is the key to life, and a worthy sacrifice when important things are on the line. And yet it …

When tragedy strikes and poor choices haunt us, sometimes the only thing we can do is move on and build on the ashes of the past. But there are places where that hasn’t worked out so well. In fact, sometimes the worst …

For thousands of years, humans have built rules and procedures for handling the various curveballs that life throws our way—and we place a lot of …

Life is full of challenges. From learning new skills to climbing the social ladder, most people struggle with the hurdles we’re forced to overcome. …

Few things disappoint us more than when our expectations aren’t met. We expect to be loved, or to be rewarded for our hard work. And above all, we expect the people in our lives to always be there. Which is why it’s so …

Our understanding of the natural world is incredibly advanced compared to our ancestors from a few centuries ago. We have established rules and order …

Humans are hard-wired for trust. It’s the secret ingredient that helps us form communities, build relationships, and grow as people. But while that trust is a noble inclination, it can also get us into trouble—trouble …

There is a lot in life that we can control, but no system is perfect. Every now and then, circumstances pull the rug out from underneath us and leave …

Islands have served a variety of functions for people over the years. They can be a place of safety and privacy, or of simplicity and escape. But islands have played host to other less savory events over the years. And …

We tend think of rivers and lakes as tame. They are the safe and friendly counterpart to the deep and treacherous waters of the ocean. Freshwater rivers and lakes give us life, after all. But that doesn’t mean they …

Some cities experience a single tragedy and then live with that pain and loss for generations. They are built on a dark foundation, and everything new takes on a flavor of the past. But there are other places where that …

Humans have always sought companionship. From the communities we live in, to the pets we welcome into our homes, our need for companions is as old as …

Every now and then a story comes along that is so powerful and compelling that it creates a new branch on the tree of folklore. Yes, it has deeper …

Our bodies are a fortress, and every day, they suffer through attacks from the outside. Over the centuries, we’re become very good at protecting ourselves from illness and disease, but all of those efforts assume …

Our home is supposed to be a safe space where we are free to relax and enjoy life. History, though, contains stories that break that mould. Places …

Nothing is more magical than when a family works together. But when their talents seem to defy all logic and reason, it might not be a bad idea to …

Humans have always been more than a little bit superstitious, and one of the oldest and most universal of those beliefs is the curse. The story of …

People are really good at moving on. We rush from fad to fad at an alarming speed, and it’s difficult to predict where our interests will land next. …

Humanity seems to always be at risk of suffering through another major outbreak. History is full with dark moments of biological chaos, and despite …

The places we inhabit slowly become like us, reflecting our brightest ambitions and darkest secrets. Countless cities harbor the shadows of a violent …

Our lives have a way of becoming magnets that attract pain and suffering. Some of us go through more than others, but in the end, we’re all running from something. Just how far we might go to get away is a mystery, but …

We live in a very technological world today, with constant updates and improvements over last year’s model, and while many of the advancements are …

Waves of illness crash against the shores of humanity. They always have, and they probably always will. But we weather the storm through advancements in medical science and the resilience of human nature. Still, no …

Life is a lot like a big budget movie. We click play, and then let the action wash over us. There are highs and lows, laughter and tears, and then it’s all over and the screen goes silent. The dead can’t talk back, …

The pages of our greatest literature are full of tales of powerful wizards. People gifted with abilities that stand head and shoulder above their …

The sky is a source of life for everything on this planet. Rain to quench our thirst and sunlight for our food. We don’t look up too often these days, but that hasn’t changed our dependance on it. But occasionally, the …

When our health is failing and our lives are at risk, trust is essential. The people who care for us often find themselves in a position of power, …

Humans have a seemingly never-ending list of fears. The dark of night, small spaces, open water…there doesn’t seem to be an area of life that doesn’t come with a few reasons to take pause and be afraid. But the greatest …

In this second Lore Trick or Treat 2017 set of stories, we explore the power of folklore and fate. A Head of Steam takes us on an eerie trip through …

We’ve conquered much of our world, but even with all of our great cities and urban sprawl, there are still shadows on the edge. And it’s in the shadows that the greatest threats still exist—creatures from our darkest …

The first Trick or Treat Halloween special of 2017 features two tales. The first, A Bridge Too Far, walks us through a winter train ride that went horribly wrong over a century ago. The second story reminds us that life …

There’s a fine line between rationality and madness, but it’s not as easy to avoid as you might think. Throughout history, our world has played host to people who have taken their superstitions too far, but it was the …

The sky is full of mystery. It’s big, expansive, and—despite a century of powered human flight—outside our realm of control. Which is why, for …

The older the country, the deeper the roots of its folklore have grown—roots that are fed by darkness, fear, and pain. And few countries hold such a …

There are some locations that seem to draw humans closer. Places that are away from the bustle of everyday life, that almost seem part of our soul. …

Fire is a dangerous tool. Used properly, it can transform a society, but if it isn’t respected, it can burn that society to the ground. Which is why …

There are very few bits of folklore that haven’t spread around the globe over the past few centuries. Yet every now and then, something fresh and …

The bigger the city, the easier it is to miss the little details. Stories of loss, tragedy, and horrifying events have a way of vanishing beneath the bustle of everyday life. And no place is better at hiding away its …

Folklore and popular culture are filled with a type of event that seems both unusual and logical: time and time again, criminals return to the …

Folklore and medicine often go hand in hand. In fact, for a long time they were the very same thing. But folklore has a way of leading people to …

You can tell a lot about a culture by the things it creates. Tools, exploration, weapons; all of it speaks to the priorities and character of that …

Humans have an innate desire to fix what’s broken, and that’s a good thing. We’re not the best at it, though, and we often fail—sometimes horribly. …

H.P. Lovecraft said it best: “…the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown”. And no other place in the world is as unknown to us as …

Human culture has a different expression no matter where you go. Despite that variety, though, we do share one common thread: music. And while it has …

Nearly four centuries ago, a wave of sickness spread through a community in the French countryside. It wasn’t a traditional disease they were fighting, though. This plague had a more sinister source.

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This episode …

Fear has a way of spreading. It’s contagious, moving from person to person. Given enough time, fear can consume an entire community. Sometimes, though, there’s good reason to be afraid.

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This episode of Lore was …

Folklore is more than just a collection of stories; it’s the soul of a culture or location. Without them, our world has less texture and beauty. And …

The more crowded our world becomes, the more frequently we are confronted with our commonality. Our interests, our passions…even our appearance. But …

Our connection to animals is ancient, intimate, and complex. Humans have worshiped them, sacrificed them, lived with them, and been buried with them. …

History is full of criminals. They come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Some are cheerful, some are dark. Some, however, steal more than money or …

We crave safety. We build rules and systems and even physical barriers in order to create a sense of security. But darkness has a way of creeping in, …

The Spiritualist movement placed a large focus on reaching beyond the veil, which made us the outsiders pressing into a foreign realm. In the late 1800’s, however, that realm pressed back, and what a wonder it turned …

It’s often said that our real identity is the person we are in private, away from the public eye. Over two centuries ago, however, one person gave life to that idea, and in the process, gave birth to an entirely new …

Tragedy is never something we plan for. It sneaks up on us like a bandit in the night, and takes away our sense of security and purpose. But throughout history, there have been places so plagued by tragedy that those …

Our world is full of mysterious sightings, but most of them can be explained away with cold logic and common sense. When multiple reports flood in, …

For almost as long as there have been stories of supernatural beings, there have been tales of those who hunt them. From ancient traditions to …

A Halloween treat to add a bit of dark history to your week. Each Lore “Trick or Treat 2016” episode is a collection of two of my favorite “shorts” …

We say it all the time. It’s a phrase we hang our hopes on. It represents our wants and desires. But “a dream come true” has an older, darker side as …

A Halloween treat to add a bit of spook to your week. Each Lore “Trick or Treat 2016” episode is a collection of two of my favorite “shorts” in one …

Civilization was transformed the moment we discovered it. We’ve built it into our religions and use it to advance our technology. Whether we take it …

Throughout history, certain individuals have managed to rise to the challenge in the face of difficulty. But in 1827, that attitude was taken to a …

Most of our fears can be blamed on a deeper, more instinctive anxiety: we hate losing control. And no place on earth represents that sensation more …

We’ve been taught since childhood to be honest, because our actions have consequences and our words can hurt people. But the events that took place in a Scottish village over three hundred years ago took that lesson to …

The older the city, the more stories there seem to be. Some places are home to tragedy, while others have played host to disaster or war. Few cities …

For as long as humans have lived together in community, there has been the need for crimes and disputes to be settled by some form of court. Many of those trials have been fair, while others have been unjust. Some, …

Humans have always wandered off into unexplored territory. It’s a key part of our identity to leave safety behind in pursuit of adventure. Those journeys, though, don’t always end in success. In fact, sometimes they end …

For as crowded as this world has become, most people feel isolated and alone. Perhaps that’s why so many of us believe that there’s another world, …

The cities and buildings where tragedy has concentrated over the years always seem to hold stories. Stories of loss, of pain, and of things that …

Popular culture is obsessed with the idea of a lost humanity. Countless films, novels, and television shows all ask the same question: what would …

Folklore has often developed as a response to real-world events, but the opposite has also been true. History has, upon occasion, unintentionally …

Folklore can change and evolve over time. But when we uncover the roots of these stories, we often find that the real events at their core are the …

Maybe it’s human pride, or maybe it’s a tendency toward superstition, but humans are very good at making excuses. When things don’t go our way or when something breaks, there always seems to be a reason for it. And …

We spend every waking moment surrounded by people. People who talk to us, who interact with us, and who are very much alive an breathing. Which is why it’s that much more shocking when we stumble upon those who aren’t. …

When two boys discovered a macabre surprise while playing in a Connecticut gravel pit, they uncovered more than a piece of the past. Their discovery …

Thanks to the writings of Stephen King, the state of Maine has become known as a place of fictional horror and tragedy. But it's at the real-life intersection of Maine's harsh winters and deadly coastline that we find …

Stories leave a mark on us. They can act like scars or decoration, always there, always reminding us of things that happened. But in some cases, those stories leave behind literal, physical marks. Or do they?

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Safety is a basic human need, and we build a lot of our life around achieving it. This is nothing new, really; humans have always sought safety in a dangerous world. And because of that, it’s those moments when safety …

Humans have been obsessed with escaping the grasp of death for thousands of years. It’s impossible, of course, but we dream of it nonetheless. Which makes the events in a small Caribbean village all the more horrifying.

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Over the centuries, all sorts of methods have been used to govern people. And while some have been just and humane — such as most modern legal systems — others have been more unusual. Social fear, religious tyranny, and …

Many family traditions and treasured folktales involve strangers who visit us. What would Christmas be without Santa, after all. But strangers in …

There are places in the world that we rarely see. Our busy lives never take us there, and as a result, they don’t come to mind when we think of …

History is full of examples of moments in time when hysteria and fear ruled common sense. While some of these examples were valid reasons to panic …

Since the dawn of time, humans have pushed themselves to explore. When that adventure took to the seas, however, it was an invitation for tragedy. The ocean, you see, takes much from us. And sometimes it gives it back.

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Home is where the heart is. It’s where we build our lives and celebrate the things we love. But it can also be the center of tragedy and darkness. On many different levels, there’s no place like home.

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Seeing isn’t always a prerequisite for belief. In fact, oftentimes the things we believe in the most strongly are invisible to our naked eyes. But when we experience those invisible things through pain and physical …

For as advanced and civilized as we are, humans are still led by very basic desires. We are drive by a need for safety and shelter. We long for a community to belong to. And we hunger. But not every method of sating our …

We leave our loved ones there after they’ve passed. We treat the space with reverence and solemn deference. Cemeteries are meant to be a final …

At the heart of every horror film is an iconic weapon. Often times they are nondescript and ordinary, but in the hands of a killer they become something more. Something that has the potential to haunt our nightmares. …

People can be a bit possessive. We love our things, and we cling tightly to them. But what happens when the things we own refuse to let go of us?

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Novels by Aaron Mahnke

We don’t like to be alone. We hate it. So we tell stories about others, the things at the edges of society. Things we’re not sure about. But what if those “others” are more real than we first believed? 

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Life is a careful journey down a pathway that we’ve set our hearts on. But every now and then we get pulled off the trail. Sometimes that’s a good …

History is full of people who took things too far. Humans are gifted at turning on one another, a skill we’ve honed over the millennia. But when a …

Humans have a history of making up stories to explain the unexplainable. Sometimes we use those stories to teach our children a moral lesson, or entertain our friends. Sometimes, though, those stories get taken …

The well-worn carpets and imperfect walls of an old hotel can often make guests feel as if they are staying in a little slice of the past. In one …

Few stories have the endurance to last centuries. Fewer still have a proven track record of documented, authoritative eye witness accounts to back them up. Among those rare myths, one stands above most. For nearly 300 …

When the authorities entered a building in Chicago’s south side in 1895, they weren’t prepared for what they found. Above and below the neighborhood pharmacy was a seemingly never-ending maze of doors and rooms. What …

Stepping into the woods is like stepping through a doorway to another world. A world that hides dark secrets from prying eyes, and holds unknown …

Settings are often just as important to a story as the tale itself. The Shining had the Overlook. The Legend of Hell House had the Belasco. We fear cabins in the woods and even our own basements. But the mother of all …

Humans have always loved to build things, but we occasionally have to make adjustments to our plans. City ordinances, building codes, and property disputes all get in the way. Sometimes, though, the reason we change our …

Deep in the forest at the northern tip of a small island near Vancouver Island, there is a stone monument standing amidst the trees. How that structure came to be, and what it meant to those who built it, are both …

In 1582, the German town of Bedburg was ravaged by a violent and mysterious creature. After untold bloodshed, the townsfolk took up arms and hunted …

Over 200 lives were lost during the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel in western Massachusetts. According to countless eye-witnesses across nearly …

On the morning of March 17, 1892, a group of townsfolk in rural Rhode Island dug up the graves of three local women. What they did to their bodies …