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The Vanishing Hitchhiker: Sibyls, the Oracle of Delphi and an Urban Legend
Manage episode 396694771 series 3549894
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22.1.24
The Vanishing Hitchhiker | 1
Welcome to the Paranormal Pajama Party! I'm so glad you could join. Get cozy, because we’re kicking off our first-ever party with a campfire standard — the vanishing hitchhiker.
In this classic urban legend, a male driver picks up a seemingly innocent passenger, but the journey upends life — and death — as he knows it.
This episode examines the surprising connection between this modern legend and historical or mythological female figures of old. Where did the story of the vanishing hitchhiker come from? And what's her connection to the Oracle of Delphi, the New Testament, and even to Ancient Egypt's snake-headed goddess Wadjet?
Join the party and uncover the fears that society projects onto women with help from this urban legend.
Key moments:
- Picking up the hitchhiker [00:26]
- A prophetic ghost [04:36]
- Subverting expectations [06:43]
- Sibyls [10:31]
- Back to the backseat [18:03]
Sources from today's episode:
- Snopes Fact Check: The Vanishing Hitchhiker
- Beardsley, R. K., & Hankey, R. (1943). A History of the Vanishing Hitchhiker. California Folklore Quarterly, 2(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.2307/1495651
- Beardsley, R. K., & Hankey, R. (1942). The Vanishing Hitchhiker. California Folklore Quarterly, 1(4), 303–335. https://doi.org/10.2307/1495600
- Sibyl (Wikipedia)
- Sibyls
- Delphic Sibyl (Wikipedia)
- Wadjet (Wikipedia)
- Oracle (Wikipedia)
A transcript of today's episode is available here.
If you’re enjoying the show, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review Paranormal Pajama Party to help others discover it!
View all my sources for each episode and read the episode transcipt here.
Follow @ParanormalPJParty on Instagram.
Chapters
1. The Vanishing Hitchhiker: Sibyls, the Oracle of Delphi and an Urban Legend (00:00:00)
2. Content warning (00:00:01)
3. Picking up the Vanishing Hitchhiker (00:00:26)
4. Welcome to the party! (00:03:13)
5. A prophetic ghost (00:04:36)
6. So about hitchhiking... (00:05:46)
7. Subverting expectations (00:06:43)
8. Cultural context (00:07:59)
9. Oracles (00:09:18)
10. Sibyls (00:10:31)
11. Back to the backseat (00:18:03)
12. Outro (00:19:21)
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