Best Thersa Matsuura Podcasts (2024)

1
Exploring Baba Yaga and Her Literary Legacy with Kris Spisak 47:21

1h ago47:21

47:21

Kris Spisak earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William and Mary, her master of liberal arts from the University of Richmond, and did further graduate work in fiction through the University of Iowa. She taught college writing courses at schools including Virginia Commonwealth University before stepping away from the classroo…

1
Jason Ramsey, "Reckoning with Change in Yucatán: Histories of Care and Threat on a Former Hacienda" (Routledge, 2023) 1:32:40

1h ago1:32:40

1:32:40

A perpetual tension exists between history and change, which is an issue long explored by historians and social scientists. Reckoning with Change in Yucatán: Histories of Care and Threat on a Former Hacienda (Routledge, 2023) engages with how best to look upon and respond to change, arguing that this debate is an important arena for negotiating loc…

1
Episode 66: Atlantis 20:13

37m ago20:13

20:13

What if we told you that 10,000 years ago there was a sophisticated society ruled by the children of the sea god Poseidon, with stunning architecture and quality of life similar to our own? What if this society contained a city with unimaginable wealth—and maybe even technology beyond our current understanding—but it was swallowed by the sea in a g…

1
Supernatural Trees Part 1: Bloodthirsty and Cursed (Ep. 156) 16:14

1h ago16:14

16:14

Japanese folklore features various tree spirits, like Kodama protectors and Jubokko bloodsuckers, with camellias shifting from auspicious to ominous. [This description contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.] Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Check …

1
Islay Folklore: Giants, Fairy Changelings, and the Water Bull 17:20

1h ago17:20

17:20

Islay is an island to the west of Scotland, at the entrance to the Firth of Lorn. It's 25 miles north of Northern Ireland. Archaeological evidence shows people lived here from 8000 BCE, with evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age tombs and burial sites. Columba and his missionaries brought Christianity to the island, which Norse raiders also adopted …

1
Campfire Tales: Murder Maggot 32:41

8d ago32:41

32:41

There's a slight chill in the air which means its time for falling leaves and tales of horror! Before there were True Crime Podcasts, there was just a campfire and the desire to scare your friends. So, join Fox and Sparrow as we explore the world of campfire tales, especially in North America! Our story is from Doc Forgey's retelling of the Minneso…

1
Greg Eghigian, "After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon" (Oxford UP, 2024) 1:01:45

2d ago1:01:45

1:01:45

Roswell, 1947. Washington, DC, 1952. Quarouble, 1954. New Hampshire, 1961. Pascagoula, 1973. Petrozavodsk, 1977. Copley Woods, 1983. Explore how sightings of UFOs and aliens seized the world's attention and discover what the fascination with flying saucers and extraterrestrial visitors says about our changing views on science, technology, and the p…

1
Lindisfarne Legends: St Cuthbert, Ghostly Monks and the Petting Stone 15:47

8d ago15:47

15:47

Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, lies some 11.5 miles to the south east of Berwick-upon-Tweed, just off the coast of Northumberland. Only accessible at low tide, the island still possesses a mystical air, no doubt from its time as a Christian pilgrimage site. Probably most famous as the production centre of the Lindisfarne Gospels, or the island that g…

1
David Zeitlyn, "Mambila Divination: Framing Questions, Constructing Answers" (Routledge, 2021) 1:05:12

6d ago1:05:12

1:05:12

Professor David Zeitlyn’s book offers a major contribution to the study and analysis of divination, based on continuing fieldwork with the Mambila in Cameroon. It seeks to return attention to the details of divinatory practice, using the questions asked and life histories to help understand the perspective of the clients rather than that of the div…

1
Julia Kindt, "The Trojan Horse and Other Stories: Ten Ancient Creatures That Make Us Human" (Cambridge UP, 2024) 46:37

9d ago46:37

46:37

What makes us human? What, if anything, sets us apart from all other creatures? Ever since Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, the answer to these questions has pointed to our own intrinsic animal nature. Yet the idea that, in one way or another, our humanity is entangled with the non-human has a much longer and more venerable history. In the Wes…

1
Fabio Rambelli, "Spirits and Animism in Contemporary Japan" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2019) 57:24

11d ago57:24

57:24

In Japan, a country popularly perceived as highly secularized and technologically advanced, ontological assumptions about spirits (tama or tamashii) seem to be quite deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric. From ancestor cults to anime, spirits, ghosts, and other invisible dimensions of reality appear to be pervasive. In Spirits and Animism in Cont…

1
James P. Leary, “Folksongs of Another America: Field Recordings from the Upper Midwest, 1937–1946” (U Wisconsin Press, 2015) 58:07

18d ago58:07

58:07

Folksongs of Another America: Field Recordings from the Upper Midwest, 1937–1946 (University of Wisconsin Press) first appeared in 2015 when it comprised of a hardback book, five CDs, and one DVD. It went on to win the “Best Historical Research in Folk or World Music” award from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, was nominated for a Gr…

1
A Skit and a Caterpillar Cult: Tokoyo no Kami (Ep. 155) 18:02

19d ago18:02

18:02

An old timey audio drama skit/book promo and the strange caterpillar cult called Tokoyo no Kami. [This description contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.] Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Check out her books including The Book of Japanese Folklore…

1
Legends of Mythical Birds: From the Phoenix to the Firebird 17:13

13d ago17:13

17:13

It's easy for mythical birds to capture the imagination, whether it's the phoenix rising from the ashes, or Aethon eternally pecking Prometheus' liver. And let's not forget Odin with his ravens, Huginn and Muninn, or Memory and Thought. In Norse myth, they travelled out into the world and flew back to Odin to report on what was happening. Not all m…

1
Folklore of Ornamental Birds: From Holy Birds to Death Omens 19:08

14d ago19:08

19:08

Humans have found a whole range of uses for birds over the centuries. Hunting with them, keeping them for their song, using them for food or divination - and because some of them are uncommonly pretty. Look at the magnificent peacock with its elaborate tail, or the sweet little goldfinch with its black and red mask. Even the humble dove is both pro…

1
Episode 122 - Dash Kwiatkowski - Comedy, Paranormal Investigation and Phil Gravy 1:05:57

16d ago1:05:57

1:05:57

My guest for this episode is paranormal investigator, writer and podcaster Dash Kwiatkowski. Prior to their paranormal investigation career, Dash spent a decade as a touring stand up comedian, featuring in festivals around the United States. Now based in Providence Rhode Island, their latest project is the paranormal documentary series 'Liminal', i…

1
Debunking Historic Building Myths with James Wright 1:20:48

27d ago1:20:48

1:20:48

James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award winning buildings archaeologist. He has two decades professional experience of ferreting around in people’s cellars, hunting through their attics and digging up their gardens. He hopes to find meaningful truths about how ordinary and extraordinary folk lived their lives in the mediaeval period. James is…

1
Episode 65: Titanic 28:18

26d ago28:18

28:18

More than 100 years after the disaster that sank it, why is our fascination with the RMS Titanic as strong as ever? Who or what was to blame for this tragedy? Was it bad luck, hubris, or simply an iceberg? We'll discuss this and more on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Miden Wood Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music D…

1
The Dragon and the Nguzunguzu 20:08

25d ago20:08

20:08

Nguzunguzu is the traditional figurehead which was formerly affixed to canoes in the Solomon Islands. In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen talks to Rodolfo Maggio, a senior researcher at the University of Helsinki about his book project on the dragon and the nguzunguzu, namely the relationship between China and the Soloman Islands. The dragon and the…

1
The Folklore of Garden Birds: Blackbirds, Sparrows, Wrens & Robins 20:16

27d ago20:16

20:16

It's often easy to overlook what we see every day, or at least regularly. Perhaps that's why we overlook our humble garden birds in favour of majestic eagles or mischievous ravens as our favourite birds. Yet the commonality of these small, yet often noisy, birds explains why there is a comparative dearth of folklore about them. Compared to other bi…

1
Moshi Moshi! You're About to Meet Some Demons! (Ep. 154) 16:13

30d ago16:13

16:13

Two fascinating phrases in Japanese that have very creepy origins. What are you really doing when you answer the phone "moshi moshi" anyway? [This description contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.] Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Check out her b…

1
The Folklore of Birds of Prey: Companions and Competition 20:07

1M ago20:07

20:07

Birds of prey have an interesting relationship to humans, having been both competing predators and avian companions for leisure pursuits. They've provided omens through the practice of augury, or divination by flight pattern. They appear in heraldic badges or become associated with deities in mythology. But they also have links with ordinary people…

1
Yokai and Japanese Folklore with Thersa Matsuura 38:35

1M ago38:35

38:35

Thersa Matsuura, an American author living in Japan, explores lesser-known aspects of Japanese culture, folklore, superstitions, and myths. Fluent in Japanese, she uses her research to write stories and for her podcast Uncanny Japan. She's also the author of The Book of Japanese Folklore, which explores a range of spirits, monsters, and yokai for J…

1
Episode 121 - Amanda Paulson -The Emotional Considerations of Paranormal Investigation 1:14:41

1M ago1:14:41

1:14:41

Joining me as my guest for this episode is paranormal researcher and investigator Amanda Paulson. Amanda has been actively investigating paranormal phenomena since 2008 and since then has visited numerous places with haunted reputations across North America, including locations such as Waverly Hills Sanatorium and the Lizzie Borden house. She speci…

1
Episode 64: Ravens and Crows 22:13

1M ago22:13

22:13

Crows and Ravens are considered to be some of the smartest animals in the world, with intelligence comparable to chimpanzees. But for many, their presence evokes a fear that is hard to put into words. We're on a journey to discover those words and more as we dive into corvids, fact vs. fiction, on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian W…

1
The Folklore of Aquatic Birds of Cliffs, Lakes and Rivers 20:55

1M ago20:55

20:55

Few watery scenes are quite complete without birds in the picture. Ducks drifting across a country pond. Gulls wheeling in the sky above the beach, before they divebomb an unsuspecting tourist for their chips. Kingfishers flashing along a river, a bright dazzle of colour against the water. They're so much a part of the scenery that aquatic birds ha…

1
The Tragic (or not?) Tale of Anchin and Kiyohime (Ep. 153) 17:25

2M ago17:25

17:25

The Tale of Anchin and Kiyohime is an epic story of love, betrayal, and transformation into a serpent dragon, but there are several versions of this classic. [This description contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.] Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura…

1
Sunderland Ghost Stories: Grey Ladies, Serial Killers and Poltergeists 31:55

2M ago31:55

31:55

Sunderland began life as three separate settlements on the River Wear. A fishing village called 'Soender-land', or land that is cut asunder' existed by 1100. By the 18th century, Sunderland had replaced Wearmouth, and that's why we still call it Sunderland now. In the past, Sunderland has exported coal, lime, alum, ropes, glass, and pottery. Sunder…

1
Witches and Witch Trials with Marion Gibson 49:11

2M ago49:11

49:11

Marion Gibson writes accurate, engaging books about witches and magic in history. She’s been interested in witches for over thirty years, since she read the words of women accused of witchcraft in Elizabethan England. Why were they accused of crimes they didn’t commit? And why did they confess? Marion’s books tell the stories of these women and the…

1
Carlisle Legends: Ghosts, Secret Tunnels, and The Cursing Stone 28:56

2M ago28:56

28:56

Carlisle began life as Luguvalium, a Roman settlement that grew out of the fort on the site. It was the capital of an ancient British kingdom. Both Vikings and Saxons captured the city. Over time, it took on strategic importance for its location near the Scottish border. But with so many clashes between the Scots and the English, not to mention the…

1
The Hammer Heist: Norse Tale 12:00

2M ago12:00

12:00

Heists are all fun and games until somebody gets caught. Or was the person getting caught part of the REAL plan? And what happens if you're stealing from Thor the Thunderer himself? Join Sparrow as she explores The Lay of Thrym from the Poetic Edda. Enjoying the Podcast? We want to hear from you! Leave us a review on Podchaser or follow us on Goodp…

1
Episode 120 - Matt Salusbury - Mystery Animals of Suffolk 1:09:16

2M ago1:09:16

1:09:16

My guest for this episode is journalist and author Matt Salusbury, who joined me to talk about his latest book, Mystery Animals of Suffolk. This catalogues a wide range of yet-to-be identified animals reported in the English county, together with folkloric creatures from local tradition in the region. It opens with an examination of the mythical en…

1
Hokkaido Yōkai and Mythical Creatures (Ep. 152) 14:10

2M ago14:10

14:10

The northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido, also has its own brand of yōkai and mythical creatures. Here I talk about seven of them. [This description contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.] Uncanny Japan is author Thersa Matsuura. Check out her books inc…

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Thersa Matsuura Podcasts

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