Lore 300: Board Stiff

Few objects from popular culture have been as divisive and mysterious as these simple games. But before you dismiss their sensational reputation, it’s worth exploring the wreckage they have left in their wake.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.

PRE-ORDER EXHUMED TODAY: AARONMAHNKE.COM/EXHUMED


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.

  • MeUndies: Slide into game changing comfort and get up to 50% off at MeUndies.com/lore with the promo code LORE.

  • SimpliSafe: Secure your home with 24/7 professional monitoring. Sign up today at SimpliSafe.com/Lore to get 50% off a new SimpliSafe system.

  • HomeServe: Help protect your home systems – and your wallet – against covered repairs. Plans start at just $4.99 a month at HomeServe.com.

Legends 73: For Better or For Worse

We tend to see weddings as the beginning of something grand. A new start with joy and happiness as a destination. But if these popular legends are any indication, that’s not always the tale that’s told.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing and research by Alex Robinson and GennaRose Nethercott.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE, and get on your way to being your best self.

  • Gusto: Online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at Gusto.com/LORE, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll.

  • Quince: Premium European clothing and accessories for 50% to 80% less than similar brands. Visit Quince.com/LORE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

  • CookUnity: Try the freshest, best-tasting meal delivery made by your favorite celebrity chefs. Go to CookUnity.com/LORE or enter code LORE before checkout, for 50% off your first week.

Lore 299: Unsinkable

Some legends spend a bit of time among us and then drift out of popularity. A few, though, stay afloat even when the world they come from slips beneath the waves.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.

PRE-ORDER EXHUMED TODAY: aaronmahnke.com/exhumed


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Chime: Chime is banking done right. Open an account in 2 minutes at chime.com/lore.

  • Tovala: Get a $300 off a Tovala Smart Oven when you order meals 6 or more times by heading to Tovala.com/LORE with offer code LORE.

  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.

  • SimpliSafe: Secure your home with 24/7 professional monitoring. Sign up today at SimpliSafe.com/Lore to get 50% off a new SimpliSafe system.

Legends 72: The Hills

Appalachia might be a vast and varied terrain, but one thing about it is incredibly consistent: the presence of dark legends, hidden in the shadows.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Nick Tecosky and research by Jamie Vargas.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE, and get on your way to being your best self.

  • 1-800-Flowers: To get your Double Blooms offer, buy one dozen to get a total of two dozen roses FREE, at 1800Flowers.com/LORE.

  • Mint Mobile: For a limited time, wireless plans from Mint Mobile are $15 a month when you purchase a 3-month plan with UNLIMITED talk, text and data at MintMobile.com/lore.

Lore 298: Almost Alive

Sometimes the more terrifying creatures we encounter are the ones we created ourselves. Don’t let their antiquity fool you, though; artificial life isn’t always pleasant.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Gusto: Online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at Gusto.com/LORE, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll.

  • MeUndies: Slide into game changing comfort and get up to 50% off at MeUndies.com/lore with the promo code LORE.

  • Warby Parker: Visit one of over 270 stores to find your next pair of glasses, or go to WarbyParker.com/LORE to try on any pair virtually!

  • 1-800-Flowers: To get your Double Blooms offer, buy one dozen to get a total of two dozen roses FREE, at 1800Flowers.com/LORE.

For the curious, here are some links to the various contraptions mentioned in today’s episode. Seeing them in action is truly powerful!

Legends 71: Homewrecker

Home sweet home. We go there for safety, peace, and hopefully love. But for a very long time in some parts of the world, the home was ruled over by something more supernatural than family bonds.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Jamie Vargas.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE, and get on your way to being your best self.

  • Quince: Premium European clothing and accessories for 50% to 80% less than similar brands. Visit Quince.com/LORE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

  • Tovala: Get a $300 off a Tovala Smart Oven when you order meals 6 or more times by heading to Tovala.com/LORE with offer code LORE.

  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.

Lore 297: Bloody

Much of folklore is fun in a creepy sort of way, something that we often revel in here on Lore. But there are darker corners that have used the power of storytelling for dangerous reasons, and they lie closer to the surface that you’ll believe.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Chime: Chime is banking done right. Open an account in 2 minutes at chime.com/lore.

  • Acorns: Acorns helps you automatically save & invest for your future. Head to Acorns.com/LORE to sign up for Acorns to start saving and investing for your future today!

  • Gusto: Online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at Gusto.com/LORE, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll.

Legends 70: Something Lost

We might call them the Great Lakes, but the folklore in and around them is so much greater. And—if the stories are true—much more terrifying as well.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Nick Tecosky and research by Jamie Vargas.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.

  • BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE, and get on your way to being your best self.

  • Mint Mobile: For a limited time, wireless plans from Mint Mobile are $15 a month when you purchase a 3-month plan with UNLIMITED talk, text and data at MintMobile.com/lore.

  • Tovala: Get $300 off a Tovala Smart Oven when you order meals 6+ times by heading to Tovala.com/LORE with offer code LORE.

Revisiting Lore 12: Half-Hanged

This week, as the holidays draw near, the Lore team takes a well-earned break to relax with their loved ones. To give them that break, we’re reissuing a golden oldie from over a decade ago: Episode 12: Half-Hanged.

Researched, written, and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with music by Chad Lawson.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Quince: Premium European clothing and accessories for 50% to 80% less than similar brands. Visit Quince.com/LORE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Legends 69: The Last Frontier

Out beyond the edge of the known, where simply existing comes with risk, you will always find stories of threats that defy rational explanation.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Cassandra de Alba.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Quince: Premium European clothing and accessories for 50% to 80% less than similar brands. Visit Quince.com/LORE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

  • SimpliSafe: Secure your home with 24/7 professional monitoring. Sign up today at SimpliSafe.com/Lore to get 50% off a new SimpliSafe system.

Lore 295: Making Your Luck

It’s all fun and games until someone has a cursed dream. The history behind these risky gambles is almost as fascinating as their eventual outcome.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.

  • Acorns: Acorns helps you automatically save & invest for your future. Head to Acorns.com/LORE to sign up for Acorns to start saving and investing for your future today!

Legends 68: Erupt

Legends often contain clues about our greatest fears. Oftentimes they are small and invisible. But as today’s collection of stories reveals, they can be much bigger than that.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Jamie Vargas.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • MeUndies: Slide into game changing comfort and get up to 50% off at MeUndies.com/lore with the promo code LORE.

  • Goldbelly: Get the most iconic, famous foods from restaurants all across the US, shipped free to your door anywhere in the country. Go to to GoldBelly.com and get free shipping and 20% off your first order with promo code LORE.

Lore 294: Upon Reflection

She’s the most famous name in horror, and the theories behind the legend are more frightening than you’d ever expect.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE, and get on your way to being your best self.

  • Mint Mobile: For a limited time, wireless plans from Mint Mobile are $15 a month when you purchase a 3-month plan with UNLIMITED talk, text and data at MintMobile.com/lore.

  • SimpliSafe: Secure your home with 24/7 professional monitoring. Sign up today at SimpliSafe.com/Lore to get 50% off a new SimpliSafe system.

  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.

Legends 67: Northern Exposure

Some stories are fascinating because they go against our expectations. And among them are a few that are absolutely chilling.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Cassandra de Alba.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • SimpliSafe: Secure your home with 24/7 professional monitoring. Sign up today at SimpliSafe.com/Lore to get 50% off a new SimpliSafe system.

  • Quince: Premium European clothing and accessories for 50% to 80% less than similar brands. Visit Quince.com/LORE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

  • PBS & Ken Burns “The American Revolution”: Go deep into the American Revolution in this brand new documentary from Ken Burns. Stream now on the PBS app.

Lore 293: Mother Knows Best

Figures from folklore are often one-dimensional. But if the popularity of this particular woman tells us anything, it’s that legends can sometimes become more powerful than real life people.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE, and get on your way to being your best self.

  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.

  • Quince: Premium European clothing and accessories for 50% to 80% less than similar brands. Visit Quince.com/LORE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

  • PBS & Ken Burns “The American Revolution”: Go deep into the American Revolution in this brand new documentary from Ken Burns. Stream now on the PBS app.

Legends 66: Devour

The stories of people who cross the line are often the most terrifying. And that fear has turned those tales into weapons of a different kind.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Cassandra de Alba.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • Acorns: Acorns helps you automatically save & invest for your future. Head to Acorns.com/LORE to sign up for Acorns to start saving and investing for your future today!

  • MeUndies: Slide into game changing comfort with MeUndies. Get up to 50% off at MeUndies.com/lore with the promo code LORE.

  • Goldbelly: Get the most iconic, famous foods from restaurants all across the US, shipped free to your door anywhere in the country. Go to to GoldBelly.com and get free shipping and 20% off your first order with promo code LORE.

  • SimpliSafe: Secure your home with 24/7 professional monitoring. Sign up today at SimpliSafe.com/Lore to get 50% off a new SimpliSafe system.

Lore 292: Message in a Bottle

Our world can often feel like an open book, with every secret laid bare. But there are still locations that cling tightly to mystery, and the questions they force us to ask are sometimes terrifying.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Jamie Vargas and Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE, and get on your way to being your best self.

  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.

  • Mint Mobile: For a limited time, wireless plans from Mint Mobile are $15 a month when you purchase a 3-month plan with UNLIMITED talk, text and data at MintMobile.com/lore.

Trick or Treat 5: Drained

For the final Trick or Treat episode of the season, we’re taking a tour through some of the lesser-known vampire folklore around the world. But just because they don’t fit the stereotype we’ve come to know and love does not mean these stories are any less terrifying.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing and research by Alex Robinson, Harry Marks, and Alexandra Steed.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

Legends 65: Twin Spirits

At the heart of their dual history and shared rivalry, this pair of midwestern cities hides a darker common ground, and the stories that live there are more than a little frightening.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Andrew Kelleher and research by Cassandra de Alba.


Subscribe for Free:  Apple Podcasts  •  Spotify  • RSS Feed

SPONSORS

  • BetterHelp: Lore is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/LORE, and get on your way to being your best self.

  • Quince: Premium European clothing and accessories for 50% to 80% less than similar brands. Visit Quince.com/LORE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.