History might not be everyone’s favorite subject, but that’s only because they skip out on all the parts about werewolves, vampires, ghosts and other supernatural events. Essentially, all the things covered by “Lore.”
The “Lore” podcast premiered back in March 2015 and is both written and narrated by Aaron Mahnke. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of history, but with a focus on the darker parts of our shared past. “Lore” dives deep into the scary stories our ancestors have told in the dark since the beginning of time.
Episodes range from the origins of the modern vampire story to the recounting of the, frankly, terrifying events surrounding Key West’s famous Robert the Doll — a story you’d have to hear to believe. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it.
For history buffs, part of what makes each new episode exciting is finding out what major historical events were happening at the same time as Mothman’s most active sightings.
With each episode, Mahnke adds something extra: a partial explanation of why he thinks many of the events of these stories turn out the way they do. He comments on the proclivity of humans toward fear, hope and knowledge that might have pushed them toward the life-altering conclusions they come to.
“Lore” brings something special to the podcast circuit: a cross between the non-fiction story-telling of “This American Life,” the supernatural elements of a Stephen King novel and a historical proclivities of one of the more interesting History Channel specials.
Not everyone finds the idea of a podcast alluring, but just recently, “Lore” has given these people a solution in the form of a mini-series on Amazon Prime. The video series recaps six of the show’s best-loved episodes, including “Robert the Doll,” which gets even creepier in a visual format.
Whether it’s in its audio or visual medium, “Lore” is a riveting story of the darker side of human history and the monsters we’ve created.