High in the Carpathian hills, the ruins of Cachtice Castle still whisper her name. In this episode, we descend into the history and legend of Elizabeth Bathory—the Hungarian countess accused of bathing in blood and condemned without a trial. You’ll hear what really happened inside those castle walls, what the records say, and what the folklore invented to fill the gaps.

We’ll trace how a powerful noblewoman became Europe’s most enduring monster, how her story turned from scandal to symbol, and why the image of the “blood countess” still bleeds through pop culture and magical circles today.

Then we’ll talk about the spellwork: blood as a sacred element, mirrors as portals, and what it means when power—especially a woman’s power—gets rewritten as something to fear. If you’ve ever been called too much, too old, too visible, or too dangerous, this one’s for you. Because some legends don’t fade. They get bricked in—and wait to be let out.

Want more from The Feral Folklorist?

Dive deeper into each episode, explore merch, and get all the latest updates at:
https://feralfolklorist.com

Become a patron to unlock Feral Footnotes (our exclusive after-show), get early sneak peeks, weekly folk magic articles, and downloadable spells featured in each episode:
https://patreon.com/papagee

Stock up on your magical supplies from our metaphysical shop that’s been serving the public for over 25 years:
https://aromags.com

Browse Papa Gee’s books, tarot readings, and more at:
https://folkmagicstudio.com

Our digital magazine, Folkloreum, explores herbal recipes, spells and rituals, tales of folklore, and offers a little bit of spooky fiction in the mix. You can find it at: https://folkloreum.com/

Support the show

White-washed and sun-cracked, the tomb of Marie Laveau stands in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 like it’s still waiting for someone to knock. In this episode, we dig into the magic and myth surrounding the most famous Voodoo Queen of New Orleans—and the strange rituals that still cling to her grave. You’ll hear how this Creole healer became a living legend, why her tomb draws thousands each year, and what it means when people mark those triple Xs on the stone. We’ll talk about the real history of Marie Laveau—midwife, rootworker, Catholic, conjure queen—and how folklore turned her into something bigger, stranger, and harder to bury.

Then we’ll get into the spellwork: graveyard etiquette, how to approach a spirit like Marie Laveau, and the do’s and absolutely-don’ts of working with ancestor sites. If you’ve ever felt pulled toward her tomb—or left a candle burning when you didn’t mean to—this one’s for you. Because graves don’t sleep. And magic this old? It remembers who visits.

Want more from The Feral Folklorist?

Dive deeper into each episode, explore merch, and get all the latest updates at:
https://feralfolklorist.com

Become a patron to unlock Feral Footnotes (our exclusive after-show), get early sneak peeks, weekly folk magic articles, and downloadable spells featured in each episode:
https://patreon.com/papagee

Stock up on your magical supplies from our metaphysical shop that’s been serving the public for over 25 years:
https://aromags.com

Browse Papa Gee’s books, tarot readings, and more at:
https://folkmagicstudio.com

Our digital magazine, Folkloreum, explores herbal recipes, spells and rituals, tales of folklore, and offers a little bit of spooky fiction in the mix. You can find it at: https://folkloreum.com/

Support the show

In 1928, a Pennsylvania folk healer named Nelson Rehmeyer was beaten and killed by three men who believed he’d hexed them. They weren’t strangers—they knew him, had sat at his kitchen table, and came armed with folk instructions: steal his spellbook, take a lock of hair, and destroy them to break the curse. When the fire they set didn’t catch, the legend began.

This episode unpacks the true story behind what became known as the Hex Murder of York County—a case where powwow, the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of Bible-based folk healing, was twisted into justification for murder. We’ll dig into how Rehmeyer’s practice and The Long Lost Friend put him at the center of rural magical fear, and how folk systems like powwow and hexerei blurred the line between healing and suspicion.

Want more from The Feral Folklorist?

Dive deeper into each episode, explore merch, and get all the latest updates at:
https://feralfolklorist.com

Become a patron to unlock Feral Footnotes (our exclusive after-show), get early sneak peeks, weekly folk magic articles, and downloadable spells featured in each episode:
https://patreon.com/papagee

Stock up on your magical supplies from our metaphysical shop that’s been serving the public for over 25 years:
https://aromags.com

Browse Papa Gee’s books, tarot readings, and more at:
https://folkmagicstudio.com

Our digital magazine, Folkloreum, explores herbal recipes, spells and rituals, tales of folklore, and offers a little bit of spooky fiction in the mix. You can find it at: https://folkloreum.com/

Support the show