Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: Finale- Dragons

Hello curious people and welcome to a world of mystery,

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: Dragons.

In ancient Mesopotamia, dark forests spread wide across the hilly landscape, dipped in the moonlit glow from far above. A great warrior roamed the land. Looking for adventure and glory in times of peace. The warrior walked along the edges of the forest,

As he spotted a small gold coin gleaming in the moonlight. He picked it up and looked further into the darkness of the moon-crested forest, spotting an extravagant necklace of gold and jewels. Traveling further in, he followed the trail of misplaced gold, leading to a huge carved-out opening in the side of the mountain.

The warrior had found it! Treasure! Something good for his tribe he could bring back to them.

Soon the warrior noticed something- a ginormous winged beast splayed out on a mountain of gold the warrior thought could encompass the ocean. A dragon. It was sleeping but far less soundly than a few minutes prior, it's breathing was less smooth and slow, becoming jagged like the walls of the cave.

The warrior dropped down and grabbed whatever gold was within grasp, scooping it up and then rushing as quietly as possible back home.

The next morning, the warrior woke up to the sounds of screaming and terror. Outside, people ran for their lives and cried in pain and disbelief as a dragon- the likes of which most had only heard stories- spit tsunamis of flame over the kingdom.

Most were destroyed and many were killed, although some were able to find refuge in the dark lapses of the surrounding forest.

No one had defeated a dragon and learned to tell the tale- not even in legends-

So, the kingdom abandoned their home, fleeing to the woods and other settlements, never to see their home or their lost loved ones again.

• Next, we will discuss the origins of a dragon. Dragons have appeared in mythology throughout every Country. The main theory of Dragons is derived from the discovery of dinosaur bones. The first dragon myths appear with the Sumerian(soo-meh-ree-uhn) legends of the god-mother Tiamat. Dragons appear in Chinese and Indian Legends in about 2700 B.C.
• In 1335, a huge skull was found in...

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: Triple Threat; Cerberus

Hello curious people and welcome to a world of mystery,

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: Cerberus and other multiheaded creatures.

This podcast will be a little special. In this week's episode, we have not one but two special guests. We are here with…

Guests

Seamus- he used to be a big fan of the Percy Jackson series

Zoe-

Segment 1: Q/A

-What do you think Cerberus symbolizes in Greek mythology? Is it just a guardian, or is there a deeper meaning to his role?

He has been a symbol of protection in many stories even to this day including Percy Jackson and Harry Potter.

His name literally means flesh devouring, he is an important part of a system like the cerberus molecules in the human body that build the heart, head, and help create left-right symmetry. He is also often related to the military and war, using its name as a military protocol.

I think it is really important how he prevents the living from entering the underworld and devours those who try to leave. He kind of protects life.

Cerberus is often seen as the complexity of Death. With his multiple heads, he might symbolize the multifaceted nature of death.

I think Cerberus could represent a lot of different things, and it is up to the mind's interpretation that makes him such a unique mythological figure.

-Cerberus is often depicted as a fearsome beast with three heads. What do you think the multiple heads represent? Could they symbolize anything beyond just being intimidating?

I feel like they probably relate to the three parts of the underworld:

Elysium, where the righteous and heroes go

Tartarus, where the evil go, pretty much a dark pit

Asphodel Meadows, where ordinary souls go who did nothing with their lives, their minds were numbed.

I also agree with zoe, I think the three heads could represent the three parts of the underworld. I think the three heads could also represent the past, the present and the future.

Since Cerberus guards the underworld, the heads may represent the different phases of human existence, meaning Cerberus overs those who have died but also the flow of souls and in inevitable passage of time.

-Cerberus guards the gates of the Underworld, preventing souls from leaving. Do you see him as a symbol of the inevitability of death or something more complex?

Some myths describe Cerberus being tamed or subdued by certain heroes, like Heracles or Orpheus. What do these interactions tell us about human nature and our relationship with death or fear?

Death is inescapable in real life for normal people and stories of heroes are used to cope with this idea that people cannot escape death. Heros give people hope and inspiration

Hesiod

-What do you personally find most fascinating about Cerberus? Is it his loyalty to Hades, his terrifying appearance, or something else entirely?

-If you were tasked with designing a modern version of Cerberus for a film or game, how would you change his appearance, abilities, or personality to make him resonate with today's audience?

-If Cerberus had a human counterpart or a voice, what kind of personality do you imagine he would have? Would he be more philosophical, menacing, or indifferent?

Quick overview of Cerberus/ three headed beasts-

Cerberus is known as the watchdog of the underworld and hound of Hades, god of the...

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: Wailing Banshee

Hello curious people and welcome to a world of mystery,

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: Banshees.

On one grassy town hill in Ireland, a family house sat, brick and stone, under the soft sun of the falling afternoon. The wind blew into welcoming windows, infusing the smell of grass and earth into the house. A mother and father began to cook in the kitchen while three kids ran around the house, breaking through the calm noise outside. Unexpectedly, a loud screaming wail, like a mother losing her love, faced with death and despair, rang through the house and hillside. The family was shocked still, with the children running to the kitchen questioning the noise. The mother and father slowly looked at each other, horrified by the meaning of the scream. A banshee. Their children were not yet old enough to have heard of the legends- a haunted woman- an Irish folktale who screams and shrieks to warn families of a coming death. Many see her as a bad omen and curse, while others believe she is trying to protect the family. The mother rushed to check on her children and husband, and they began to get ready to leave the house when a storm began, soon rain and lighting were beating down on their roof, until one lighting strike hit a tree that teetered and crashed into the side of their home. One of the children, a 4-year-old boy was crushed under the tree, breathing his last breath as rain began to cover his face. Is she a curse? Or a protector?

• Banshee, known as “Women of the Fairies”, or the Irish angel of death is a supernatural female spirit in Irish and Scottish folklore.
• Banshees are normally depicted as evil, as they enjoy wailing out to their victims until they either commit suicide or go insane.
• These Banshees were described as frightening old witches who emit howls that shatter glass and torment the living and are filled with such hatred that direct eye contact with one would cause immediate death.
• Not all Banshees need to be feared. In an Irish household, many believed every family had its own Banshee, and this spirit would watch over the family members in life and death.
• The family Banshee has the power to safely pass deceased family members to the other side.
• People assumed Banshees appeared as beautiful young women, and they would sing a mournful song filled with love and concern for their families.

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: The Basilisk

Hello Curious people and welcome to a world of mystery.

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: The Basilisk.

• One day on a farmhouse in ancient times, a farmer was shaken awake by loud screams and croaks from his farm animals. He dashed out of bed and rushed outside.
• Eyes adjusting to the light of morning, he glanced around, spotting an abnormally large chicken egg cracked and broken on the ground. The farmer looked around at all the commotion, roosters running around, feathers and dirt flying in the air. The horses, cows, and other livestock were spooked, breaking fences and crying out.
• He saw dead black grass near where the chicken egg was hatched, and dead livestock littering the ground around it. Then, following this trail of death, he looked up, meeting the gaze of a huge rooster-like creature with the characteristics of a serpent. He gasped, Immediately falling over, face banging against the muddy ground. He was petrified, dead.
• This creature was a basilisk, a Serpent-like creature with the ability to turn things into stone with its glance- even in a reflection, causing immediate death. The basilisk also is extremely venomous. It originates in Ancient Greece and Rome and is often thought of as the King of Serpents. Basilisk is also the name of a genus of small lizards, The Green Basilisk, also called plumed basilisk, is often called the "Jesus lizard" for its ability to run on the surface of water. They are roughly 2.5 feet in length, so relatively small, and kind of cute.
• There are a lot of variations and species that originate with the basilisk. For example, Medusa is a side species of basilisk - a lot of legends of the basilisk involve a mixture of a snake or serpent combined with other animals.
• Medusa is an example of this because she is part snake and part human. Other combinations can often include farm animals like cows, roosters, etc.
• Basilisks have haunted legends and terrorized kings, kingdoms, and people all over the world since ancient times.
• The only two weaknesses of a basilisk ever recorded are hearing the crow of a rooster and seeing its own deadly gaze in a mirror.

SPOILER WARNING!!!

• HARRY POTTER- the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has a basilisk as its main enemy.
• When Harry Potter discovers the chamber of secrets and Voldemort plans to resurrect himself, he goes into the chamber, preparing to destroy a powerful notebook with the basilisk venom.

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: Wicked Werewolves

Hello Curious people and welcome to a world of mystery.

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: werewolves.

Segment 1: Story Time

In 1589 Germany, in the village of Epprath on a simple farm ranch, Peter Stumpp, worked as a successful farmer for many years of his life until one day when mysterious disappearances from nearby towns began to conjure up suspicion.

Neighboring farms and passersby began sensing strange and dark energy as well as hearing occasional unexplainable noises coming from Stump's house.

Soon, Peter was accused of werewolves, witchcraft, and cannibalism.

He was put on trial and confessed after being tortured to killing and eating several of his livestock and villagers including women and children

He confessed further that he had made a pact with the devil to become a werewolf. He was then sentenced to death after they found several half-consumed human remains on his property. He was executed in one of the most horrible and tortuous deaths on record, execution by wheel.

His daughter and mistress were also put to death in fear of further werewolf tendencies spreading through the village.

In Germany at the time, Roman Catholics were attempting to push out Protestantism, of which Stupp was a proud member.

This could have influenced his trial and story into a monstrous devilish horror story in order to create paranoia and switch people to catholicism.

At the same time, werewolf panics and witch hunts were springing up around Germany, causing mass hysteria and paranoia.

He could have been innocent, or he could have been just a serial killer with no other abilities who went crazy and made up a story. There are many different versions of the story that could have been stretched or misinterpreted.

Segment 2: Origin and Facts

Werewolf is a well-known mythological animal and is commonly throughout many stories throughout the world

People can morph into vicious powerful wolves, or can be half- human half-wolf. No matter the form, all of them are bloodthirsty monsters who cannot control themselves when it comes to killing animals and people.

Werewolves did make an early appearance in Greek mythology with the Legend of Lycaon. Lycaon, the son of Pelasgus, made Zeus mad, and as a punishment Zeus turned Lycaon and his sons into wolves.

Back in 1521, in France, people thought that werewolves were the serial killers. Frenchman Pierre Burgot and Michel Verdun allegedly swore to the devil and claimed to have turned them into wolves. After they confessed to brutally murdering several children they were burned to death at the stake.

The Beast of Gévaudan, a man-eating animal killed by the hunter Jean Chastel in 1767, brought the idea of bullets with a coat of silver to kill werewolves.

Silver is known to have antimicrobial properties, and the substance is even used in some forms of medicine. Silver is extremely pure, and effective against impure forces.

In multiple stories of werewolves, we only see werewolves turning into her beast-like form during a full moon. According to a study conducted at Australia;s Calvary Mater Newcastle hospital, a full moon brings out the “beast” in many humans.

At this hospital during a full moon, patients attacked staff, and showed wolf-like behaviors such as biting, scratching, and spitting.

Although most of these patients were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it is unclear why they became intensely violent when the moon was

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: La Llorona

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: La Llorona

Story

In Mexico City, around 1550, a woman gave birth to two children of a man she was arranged to marry.

the woman caught her husband having an affair with someone else.

One day soon after she went with her children by the riverbank near her house.

her children playing in the river reminded her of her husband's betrayal.

she rushed into the river, pushing the small heads in front of her down until they were submerged in water, drowning the happiness of the man who had stabbed out her heart.

she was filled with regret and sorrow

She held their floating bodies in her arms and wept for her lost children.

she then drowned herself in the river.

Today in her regret, the ghost of La Llorona- “the weeping woman”- haunts children, always by the dark of night, looking for children to keep with her forever.

Origin

Now we'll take a short break but stay tuned for what secrets will be revealed about La Llorona and classified information next

PAUSE….

Welcome back, get excited to unravel this ghost spirt.

La Llorona is a mythological woman throughout Mexican and Latin American stories. La Llorona is a popular ghost story that is said to be about a siren-like woman who wails to lure adults and children to their imident deaths.

La Llorona was once a beautiful woman named Maria who had a husband who was unfaithful and abusive towards Maria.

In another retelling they say that her husband left Maria for a wealthier woman, and out of jealousy and anger, she lured her two sons to a nearby river and drowned them.

After realizing what she had done she then drowned herself.

In another version, she neglected sons who drowned accidently while she was talking and distracted talking with gentlemen callers.

Maria’s ghost, now La Llorona, is wandering the Earth searching for her lost sons, and she has a distinct wailing cry, “My sons! My Sons! Where are my Sons?”

The rumor has it that she appears when children misbehave or when lost men are alone by a lake or river. She appears as mothers and steals their children, mistaking them for her two lost sons.

La Llorona is described to have long hair, dressed entirely in black or white or having the bones of her dead children embedded in her backbone. She is normally associated with water. You should avoid encountering La Llorona at all costs. If you even hear her cries you are destined for misfortune or death.

People do not know exactly where her tale originated from. Some say it originated in Mexico and others say it traveled through oral tradition from Spain.

La Llorona also known as the crying women is a mexican legend that is at least 500 years old.

La Llorona possesses great powers, both to create life and to destroy life.

Discussion

How believable is La Llorona on a scale from 1-10? 1 being not believable 10 being super real.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Have you ever seen a ghost?

La Llornoa serves as a symbol of loss, grief, and the consequences of one’s actions.

Did you know that if you see a person with a La Llorona tattoo that is signifies that the person has gotten cheated on.

La Llorona’s narrative is passed down through the centuries as a reminder that our voices are...

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: Loch Ness Monster

Hello Curious people and welcome to a world of mystery.

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: Lock Ness Monster.

• Earliest written record from 565 AD by St. Columba
• St Columb awas an irish abbot, missionary and scholar that helped spread christianity througout Scotland
• Columba helped bring back someone with his staff, that was attcked and killed my the loch ness monster
• Columa scared away the monster, and saved one of his monks in the water that was splashing around
• Columa stood at the side of the shore and bravely spoke out the the monster in a commanding voice “You will go no further! Do not touch the man, Leave at Once!”
• The monster swam away and was rarely seen again until the 1900s

• Loch ness monster nicknamed ness
• This monster originates from Loch Ness, Ireland
• There is the ancient ruins of Urquhart castle standing nearby this river
• This castle is said to have been the home of a Celtic winter queen and goddess Dark Biera.
• With an explosion of rage, she turned her maid Nessa into the Ness River after she was repeatedly late to attend to the Queen.
• As Nessa’s fury and grief for her punishment unleashed, the River Ness grew and she was able to escape the rivers flow and become Loch Ness.
• A loch is a body of water like a lake or sea inlet. The Loch Ness is the largest body or water in the entire UK with a depth of around 755 feet.
• The legend of the monster dates back as far as 565 AD and can be seen on stone and wood carvings from ancient times.
• Many legends and mythology from all around the world result from people long ago and their fears and anxieties regarding the world around them.
• Throughout time, Nesse has appeared as a gigantic serpent or dinosaur like creature with a long neck and tail and huge flippers, but can vary greatly from sighting to sighting.
• The Loch ness waters are also very deep and have low visibility because of their high levels of peat. From 9m and below, visibility is vastly considered to be 0.
• Even today with our advanced technology, there is no conclusive evidence that the monster exists...

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Unraveling the Unknown

Episode Title: Bigfoot Banter

You are listening to Unraveling the Unknown with your hosts Lily and Tessa.

In this episode of Unraveling the Unknown, the Podcast we will discuss: bigfoot.

• In 1958, Ray Wallace would make mastings of alleged Bigfoot Footprints

• Bigfoot or Sasquatch may have originated from Native American legends and the Tsonoqua legend
• But the legend goes beyond recorded history
• most commonly attributed to North American western forests and mountains, originating from increasing sightings throughout history.
• Cryptid - a creature that is suggested to exist but it's existence has not been confirmed by the scientific community.
• 1800s- 1900s bigfoot sightings, footprint evidence, video and photo evidence coming up
• the word Sasq’ets from the north american Salish language. In Salish, Sasq’ets means “hairy man” or “wild man”. Native american tribes which used this dialect were found in present day British Columbia, Canada, and Montana, washington, and Idaho in The U.S.
• Humanoid creature around 8 ft tall, hairy, strong, powerful. Known to give off a foul smell.
• Some say bigfoot is silent and some say it gives off a high pitch cry.
• Many indigenous legends around the world such as, the Yeti of Asia, the Abominable snowman of The Himalayas, the Sasquatch of North America, the Grassman of ohio, the Yeren of China, the Yowie of Australia, and even more.
• Some believe that the sasquatch is a homanid creature that lives in isolation, nearly extinct, while others think that this creature is merely a made up legend or hoax, or a piece of folklore.

• How believable is the bigfoot story?
• Real scale 1-10 (1 being not beviable 10 being super real)

• Missing Persons by Jeremy Blake
• Dead Wrong by Jeremy Blake
• Devil’s Organ by Jimena Contreras
• Frightmare by Jimena Contreras