It's our classic visit to the Hoosac Tunnel, reputed to be one of New England's most haunted locations. Freshly-recorded, newly produced, and scored with music from Chad Lawson...and don't miss the brand new story after the ads.

Hope is a powerful emotion, and it has driven humans to do great things over the centuries. It’s also a key element of folklore, but the stories it gives rise to there are more than just inspiring—some of them can also be terrifying.

The episode that started it all, freshly narrated, newly produced, and scored with Chad Lawson's haunting music. And don't miss the brand new story after the ads.

Death is one of life’s certainties, and the final chapter in each of our stories. And yet throughout history, there have been reports of those who have broken the rules—and the brave few who rose to the challenge to stop them.

For thousands of years, humans have used a tool of violence to control their enemies, advance their careers, and remove their problems. And the only thing more frightening than the tool itself are the stories about the people who use it.

Some places seem to straddle the boundary between one world and another. It’s a feature than can often generate charm and beauty, but sometimes it creates darker things, as the history of these historic islands demonstrates so well.

While animals have been our constant companions for thousands of years, one chapter of our long history together led to much more terrifying results.

It should come as no surprise that one of humanity’s greatest qualities is also the tool with which it has committed much darker tragedies. Even far from the wilds of the Old World, that legacy was never far behind.

In a world obsessed with fairytale endings, the most iconic type of setting for those stories turns out to also be home to some of the darkest histories around.

Folklore is often born in moments were answers and hope seem lost, and few situations like that have generated more stories than the crucible of human conflict.

One of the oldest beliefs in human history is also the root of countless stories in our collective folklore. But to understand the power of those tales, we need to understand the people who brought them to life.

Whether intentionally or by accident, the past has a way of slipping away, slowly vanishing beneath our feet. That doesn’t mean it’s gone forever, though. But before we seek unearth it, it would be wise to remember that some things are buried for a reason.

Oftentimes, the truth is right in front of us, made as plain as day and easy to access. But sometimes it’s lost, and the only way to track it down is through story. But as one island in the Pacific Northwest demonstrates, digging for the truth often comes at a price.

One of the most common features of our legends and folklore is our dreams. And one of the most common dreams, across all the pages of history, is a desire that has haunted people since the dawn of time—a desire that might just be more attainable that we realize.

Humans are very good at making assumptions. But if we look a little deeper, our preconceived ideas about some of the most common bits of folklore won’t just change—they’ll transform into something terrifying.

Some stories are very familiar to us, but our understanding of them is only the tip of the iceberg. Even one of folklore’s most legendary creatures has roots that are almost forgotten today—roots that are both ancient and terrifying.

Everywhere you go these days, there are superstitions. Many are modern, and not much more than clever word games or rhymes designed to help us remember things. But a few are older, with roots in a past that’s a bit darker than we’d like to admit.

Sometimes the past sticks around because we work hard to make sure it’s never forgotten. Other times, it stays with us because we refused to let it go. But in one American city, the past seems to have stuck around for darker reasons.

Folklore is filled with stories that evolve over time, and while the originals are full of drama and fright, it’s in the evolution that they truly come to life.

For a very long time, people have believed that our world is filled with magic. Secret knowledge and hidden truths that we can use to unlock power and privilege. It’s a belief that’s taken all shapes and forms, but there’s one common thread tying it all together: books.

History can be easy to brush aside or paint over, giving us the illusion of control. But just because we can’t see the past doesn’t mean it’s not there, active and powerful, working behind the scenes to remind us of our tragedy and pain.

History has proven just how good humans are at improving things, from weapons and tools to medicine and education. But some advancements come at a price, while creating some horrifying folklore in the process.

If history has shown us anything, it’s that humans are easily motivated by fear. Just what some of those fears have been, though, is more than a little frightening.

Humans have long practiced the art of building walls and fortresses in an effort to gain control or find safety. But no place is safe from the danger we bring upon ourselves, and sometimes those tragedies stay right where they started.

Humans have spent thousands of years building systems to keep us as safe as possible. But eventually, each of us will have to stop and rest, letting down our guard and opening ourselves up to perhaps our darkest and oldest of enemies.