Episode 48
Episode 48 | Ghost Stories!
In the grand finale of our ghost stories series, we delve deeply into the historical and cultural significance of spectral narratives that have pervaded human storytelling for centuries. Amii Bland, our erudite hostess, invites us to embark on an explorative journey, examining the earliest accounts of ghostly encounters that date back to antiquity. The discussion elucidates how these narratives serve a dual purpose: they entertain while simultaneously imparting moral lessons that resonate with the audience's psyche. As we reflect on the evolution of ghost stories, we uncover the shifting perceptions of the supernatural, from the malevolent spirits of yore to the more complex representations found in contemporary literature.
Our conversation pivots to the literary giants who have contributed to the ghost story canon, including the likes of Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson. Their works not only evoke fear but also delve into the human experience of grief, loss, and existential dread. We analyze the core elements that constitute a compelling ghost story, as articulated by Mr. James, advocating for a narrative structure that aligns with the listener's reality while avoiding gratuitous violence. The episode culminates in a solemn reflection on the psychological dimensions of ghost stories, as we recognize their potential to facilitate a safe exploration of fear and the unknown. As we bid farewell to this series, we encourage our audience to continue seeking out these tales, not just for their entertainment value, but for the profound insights they offer into our collective human experience.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- SC HorrorCon
- Big Media
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Transcript
Welcome back my wonderlings.
Speaker A:I hope you've enjoyed almost two full weeks of fun scary stories.
Speaker A:I have enjoyed sharing them with you.
Speaker A:Now on day 13 Halloween, I give you this month's episode.
Speaker A:By now you've probably realized that this year's spooky topic is ghost stories.
Speaker A:If you're new here, but love all things Halloween, be sure to check out our previous Halloween centered episodes.
Speaker A:Episode 9 Halloween, where we learned about the history of Halloween, episode 24 where we talk to folks who run local haunted houses here in South Carolina and episode 37, horror movies, where we discuss scary movies with founder of SC HorrorCon, Jay Moulton.
Speaker A:And this year I give you another Halloween episode to indulge your love for all things spooky and trivia.
Speaker A:So without further ado, join me in this rabbit hole if you dare.
Speaker A:When do you think the first recorded ghost story occurred?
Speaker B:Probably like a year after things started.
Speaker C: Being written down in the: Speaker D:I am gonna say probably even before Homer's Odyssey, but I can't think of anything so I'm gonna say Homer's Odyssey.
Speaker A:85 BC ghost stories have been around for as long as people have been gathering together and telling stories.
Speaker A:Folklore, going back to ancient times in a variety of cultures, recounts tales of spirits who returned from the dead to haunt the living.
Speaker A: m ancient Mesopotamia between: Speaker A:Archaeologists have reportedly found evidence of the belief in ghosts from that period, including written sources on how to protect oneself from ghosts, how to send a ghost back to the underworld or and spells related to necromancy to allow a person to summon a ghost to ask a question before sending it back from whence it came.
Speaker A:The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest and most well known stories to include ghosts.
Speaker A:In some versions, Gilgamesh's companion Enkidu dies during the story and later comes back to describe the dismal afterlife of the dead in the underworld.
Speaker A:Stories of ghosts and things that go bump in the night and have been used for centuries as a way to entertain, but they were also used as cautionary tales.
Speaker A:Stories such as Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol or Washington Irving's the Legend of Sleepy Hollow are popular stories that each serve to elicit a specific behavior out of the audience.
Speaker A:Even simple stories like those you may have grown up with, and scary stories to tell in the dark sometimes serve a lesson.
Speaker A:Decades later, I still sometimes check my backseat at night, you know, just in case the ghost story, which I'm using that term colloquially to mean scary Stories in general has evolved as people have evolved and our environments have changed.
Speaker A:The earliest ghost stories created some of the imagery we still see today.
Speaker A:Pliny the Younger described a house haunted by a ghost bound in chains back in 50 AD.
Speaker A:Centuries later, authors such as Mr. James, Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens all include ghosts in chains in their stories.
Speaker A:But while some things are recurring as time passes, so too did the settings and nature of the scary stories we tell.
Speaker A:Early ghost stories in America that came in with the settlers often included vengeful spirits or creatures like vampires, and often had a religious component to them.
Speaker A:This was fairly different than the take on ghosts that the indigenous people had, who viewed the spiritual world as important to the living and didn't see apparitions as evil.
Speaker A:As the country was settled and people came in contact with new creatures, the story shifted to things like the Jersey Double and other Cryptids.
Speaker A:Yes, if you're interested in cryptids, check out episode four cryptids as well as episode 35 where I speak to James Maxey, author of How We Know They're Real.
Speaker A: Then the late: Speaker A: ollowing the Civil war in the: Speaker A: By the late: Speaker A:At some point, ghost stories transitioned from primarily oral stories to authors embracing the genre and penning entire stories or books that were spooky.
Speaker A:Who are some famous or not famous authors who you are aware of who write ghost stories?
Speaker C:I don't know any Mr. James.
Speaker B:You just told me the same name like nine days in a row.
Speaker B:I can't remember that name though.
Speaker C:Sheridan Le Fanu, Alvin Schwartz is the only one I can think of.
Speaker C:Edgar Allan Poe, Lovecraft, Henry James Poe, Dean Koontz, Stephen King.
Speaker B:Oh, Stephen King.
Speaker B:I forgot about him.
Speaker A:Those are all great storytellers.
Speaker A:Funny story though.
Speaker A:While I was researching this, I accidentally stumbled upon an article that was discussing famous authors who were believed to be ghosts.
Speaker A:I was entertained enough though that I'm going to share that list with you now.
Speaker A:The first on the list was HP Lovecraft.
Speaker A:There are claims that HP Lovecraft appeared as a ghost to a brown student who was renting his former residence, one in which he wrote the Call of the Chulub.
Speaker A:Anne Bronte also makes the list, apparently being seen in ghostly form in Long island after a staircase from a home where she was governess was used in A renovation.
Speaker A:Apparently.
Speaker A:Nathaniel Hawthorne, his son and his cousin all regularly haunt a mansion in Salem, Massachusetts.
Speaker A:And no surprise that Edgar Allan Poe closes this list.
Speaker A:If stories can be believed, he's a ghost about town.
Speaker A:Reportedly haunting catacombs of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Baltimore at a bar in Fells Point called the horse you came in on, as well as wandering through tunnels, through hospitals and a military fort.
Speaker A:Like I said, a ghost about town.
Speaker A:But as far as famous storytellers go who write stories and who may or may not be ghosts, the ones mentioned here are all great.
Speaker A:Mr. James and Edith Wharton both have wonderful collections of ghost stories.
Speaker A:In addition to some of the ones mentioned, I think you can probably include Bram Stoker for Dracula, Henry James, the author of the Turn of the Screw, and Shirley Jackson, who wrote the haunting of Hill House.
Speaker A:They are plenty and all of them are so good.
Speaker A:But what makes a ghost story good if it's real?
Speaker C:I believe in ghost.
Speaker B:Just all the eerie details in the setting.
Speaker B:The creeks and the rustling of a critter and decrepit chains.
Speaker B:And whatever it is, I think how.
Speaker C:It'S told is what makes it good or not.
Speaker C:If the author really or storyteller brings you into the story, I don't think.
Speaker D:The ghost is what actually makes a good ghost story because the ghost in a ghost story is usually a prop.
Speaker D:I think that the.
Speaker D:The best ghost stories are about the people because it's their reaction to the fear or the grief that they have.
Speaker D:So the questioning of like whether a haunt is actually real or if it's something inside.
Speaker D:I think that a good ghost story has.
Speaker D:The best ghost stories are the ones where it is the living that are reacting to the fear.
Speaker A: e remarks on Ghost stories in: Speaker A:Number one, there should be a pretense of truth.
Speaker A:Number two, it should be both pleasing and a terror.
Speaker A:Number three, there should not be gratuitous bloodshed or sex.
Speaker A:There should be no explanation of the machinery.
Speaker A:And number five, it should be set in the reader's own time.
Speaker A:While there are plenty of stories that fall outside of these guidelines, I think that even in modern stories, much of this holds true.
Speaker A:The scariest stories are the ones that could happen to you.
Speaker A:So whether you enjoy scary stories in the dark or telling eerie tales around the campfire, or just love a good haunting, ghost stories are a wonderful way to be entertained.
Speaker A:But also some studies suggest that there's a psychological benefit to hearing ghost stories, which allows people to safely confront and process fears, offering a form of catharsis that can reduce stress and anxiety.
Speaker A:Over the past two weeks, I've shared 12 tales that are fun, scary stories, but there are so many more out there.
Speaker A:What is the scariest tale you've ever heard or read?
Speaker C:I don't know of the scariest tale.
Speaker C:I have a hard time remembering ghost stories when people tell me the moonshiners for real.
Speaker C:What's the scariest story you've ever heard or read?
Speaker C:Hi Stephen King.
Speaker C:Probably about this investigation about a demon called the Elemental.
Speaker D:I think Stephen King's Pet Sematary is probably one of the scariest books that I've read.
Speaker A:Well, my Wonderlings, I hope you have a spooky Halloween.
Speaker A:And until next time, be safe, be kind, and stay curious.
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Speaker A:Thanks for listening.
Speaker A:Or books.
Speaker A:Or books.
Speaker A:Books that were spooks.
Speaker A:Well, my Wonderlings, I hope that you have a spooky that was a weird story like a cow close to the end.
Speaker A:I'm so tired.
