About this season
The world is full of monsters, myths, and legends and Monstrum isn’t afraid to take a closer look. The show, hosted by Emily Zarka, Ph.D., takes us on a journey to discover a new monster for each new episode. Monstrum looks at humans unique drive to create and shape monster mythology through oral storytelling, literature and film.
Episodes (9)
1. Is Yuki-onna the Most Terrifying Snow Monster?
Aired 9 February 2023 • 10 min
Yuki-Onna, the icy snow maiden of Japanese lore, might steal your heart, or your life. This harsh winter monster is beautiful and dangerous, the incarnation of winter storms.
2. How Bloody Mary Turns Fear Into Fun
Aired 9 March 2023 • 10 min
If you are unlucky enough to summon Bloody Mary, there’s no real standard of what you’ll see. By some accounts, she’s hideously mutilated but in others she is beautiful but bloody—more commonly though—every aspect of her appearance is vague. There’s even versions where she was a witch burned at the stake in Salem. In some legends, she’s connected to a cult. But where she comes from and what she looks like is less important than the ritual that summons her.
3. Unicorns: Magical Icons or Violent Beasts?
Aired 11 April 2023 • 13 min
Unicorns are all over the place in popular culture these days - movies, TV shows, toys, clothing and books for children and adults alike. But you might be interested to learn that the majestic, all-white horse with a spiralized horn on its forehead is just one version of the many varieties of unicorn that have appeared in folklore throughout history.
4. Why Do Cyborgs Inspire Special Fear in Humans
Aired 4 May 2023 • 11 min
Advances in technology are always met with some degree of technophobia—and villainization. And cyborgs represent a special kind of fear inherent in losing ourselves in the technologies we create.
5. Hero, Beast, or Both? The Complex Lore of the Centaur
Aired 18 May 2023 • 14 min
Humans have domesticated animals as beasts of burden for thousands of years and the vital role horses play in the evolution of culture in particular has inspired countless equine folklore, but none are quite like the centaur.
6. The Untold Secrets of Pokémon’s Monster Mythology
Aired 8 June 2023 • 13 min
What inspired Pokémon’s Monster Mythology?
7. Beyond the Supernatural Horror of the Nishi Daak Ghost
Aired 6 July 2023 • 12 min
The nocturnal entity called Nishi reflects the complex nature of good vs. evil in Bengali.
8. The Hidden Origins of Nixie, the Scariest Little Mermaid
Aired 19 July 2023 • 9 min
Of all the many terrifying monsters haunting the waters of the world the Nixie stands out.
9. Was Púca the Nightmare Bunny That Inspired Donnie Darko?
Aired 17 August 2023 • 12 min
The trickster Púca is an animal-spirit that was once dreaded across many lands.