In this eerie episode, we dive into the legend of La Llorona, tracing her origins from ancient Aztec folklore to the chilling stories still told today. From myth to modern sightings, we explore how her story has evolved across generations—and why her haunting cry continues to echo through cultures, rivers, and history.

Sources:

Further Reading & Sources – La Llorona

Core Background

• Britannica – “La Llorona | Legend, Myth, Story, Folklore, History, & Facts”

https://www.britannica.com/topic/La-Llorona

• Library of Congress – “La Llorona: An Introduction to the Weeping Woman”

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/10/la-llorona-an-introduction-to-the-weeping-woman/

Origins & Variants

• Library of Congress – “La Llorona: Roots, Branches, and the Missing Link from Spain”

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/10/la-llorona-roots-branches-and-the-missing-link-from-spain/

• Multo (Ghost) – “The Many Origins of La Llorona”

https://multoghost.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/the-many-origins-of-la-llorona/

• EBSCO Research Starters – “La Llorona (‘The Weeping Woman’)”

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/la-llorona-weeping-woman

Water, Landscape, and Xochimilco

• Wikipedia – “Lake Texcoco”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texcoco

• Wikipedia – “Xochimilco”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xochimilco

• Wikipedia – “Island of the Dolls”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_the_Dolls

Borderlands & Regional Lore

• History in Santa Fe – “La Llorona”

https://historyinsantafe.com/la-llorona-legend/

• KSAT – “South Texas Haunted Folklore: The Tale of La Llorona”

https://www.ksat.com/sa-live/2017/10/23/south-texas-haunted-folklore-the-tale-of-la-llorona/

Interpretation & Scholarship

• Camille Maria Acosta – “La Llorona, Picante Pero Sabroso: The Mexican Horror Legend as a Story of Survival and a Reclamation of the Monster”

https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/3501/

• JARM – “Echoes in the Water: La Llorona, Folklore, and the Sacred”

https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40756

In this episode of Haunted Real Estate, Ashley and Lanie takes you to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, into the fiery domain of Pele — goddess of volcanoes, creator and destroyer of the Big Island. We trace the land’s deep Indigenous history, from ahupuaʻa stewardship and sacred offerings at Halemaʻumaʻu to the Great Māhele and the arrival of western concepts of “ownership.” Along the way, you’ll hear the legend of Pele, the lovers ʻŌhiʻa and Lehua, battlefield footprints frozen in ash, and modern stories of hitchhiking goddesses, a mysterious white dog, and tourists desperate to mail lava rocks back to the island. We’ll walk through what happens when homes are built in lava zones like Royal Gardens, Kalapana, and Leilani Estates — and what it really means to claim a deed on land that many believe still belongs to Pele.

Sources

Pele legends, genealogy, and Halemaʻumaʻu as her home: cultural overviews and retellings of Pele’s moʻolelo and ʻŌhiʻa–Lehua stories.[wikipedia +3]

Indigenous history, ahupuaʻa system, and mālama ʻāina: Native Hawaiian–authored descriptions of traditional land management and the Great Māhele’s impact on land tenure.[rvshare +4]

Kīlauea history, 1790 footprints, and early visitors: USGS and NPS materials on Ellis’s 1823 account, Kapiʻolani’s 1824 visit, and the Keonehelelei footprints.[usgs +6]

Park creation and major eruptions: NPS and USGS histories of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Royal Gardens, Kalapana, and the 2018 lower Puna eruption.[wikipedia +11]

Pele’s Curse and returned lava: discussions of the modern curse legend, origin stories, and apology letters from tourists returning rocks.[wikipedia +3]

Pele sightings, hitchhiker stories, and white dog: Hawaiʻi folklore collections, Mysteries of Hawaiʻi narratives, and local urban‑legend summaries.[mysteries-of-hawaii +3]

Lava zones, real estate risk, and geothermal conflict: analyses of Big Island lava‑zone mapping, property and insurance issues, and Pele Defense Fund materials.[hpahomes +4]

Welcome to Cleveland, Ohio! Who would have known “the most haunted place in America” rest here? Haha, there’s a ton of “most haunted” places or else we wouldn’t have much of a podcast! Today we are talking about the haunted Franklin Mansion.

Sources:

Franklin Castle, The Haunted Ohio House With A Grim Past

Franklin Castle - The Little House of Horrors

In Part Two of our Bridgewater Triangle series, we leave the history books behind and step into the dark. From cult rumors and true crime in the Freetown–Fall River State Forest, to the watching figure on Profile Rock, phantom lights over Hockomock Swamp, Pukwudgies, cryptids, and UFOs, we tour some of the strangest stories tied to this 200‑square‑mile patch of Massachusetts. Is it cursed land, a paranormal “window,” or just a place with way too many legends for one map to hold?

Sources & Further Reading (Part 2)

• “Bridgewater Triangle.” Wikipedia – overview of the region and reported phenomena.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgewater_Triangle[wikipedia]

• “Bridgewater Triangle.” Boston Ghosts – hauntings, cryptids, and UFO activity.

https://bostonghosts.com/bridgewater-triangle/[bostonghosts]

• “The Bridgewater Triangle.” Salem Ghosts – history, curse lore, and major hotspots.

https://salemghosts.com/the-bridgewater-triangle/[salemghosts]

• “Bridgewater Triangle.” US Ghost Adventures – Freetown–Fall River, Profile Rock, Anawan Rock, and forest crime/ritual stories.

https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-places/bridgewater-triangle/[usghostadventures]

• “Mysteries of the Hockomock Swamp.” Lizzie‑Borden.com – Hockomock history and ghost‑light reports.

https://lizzie-borden.com/blog/mysteries-of-the-hockomock-swamp/[lizzie-borden]

• “Creatures of The Bridgewater Triangle – Part 1.” The Yankee Express – Bigfoot‑type beings, Thunderbirds, and big cat sightings.

https://www.theyankeexpress.com/2022/05/10/399962/creatures-of-the-bridgewater-triangle-part-1[theyankeexpress]

• “What Is the Bridgewater Triangle and Why Are People Afraid of It?” Vocal Media – summary of UFOs, orbs, and high strangeness.

https://vocal.media/futurism/what-is-the-bridgewater-triangle-and-why-are-people-afraid-of-it[vocal]

• “The Pukwudgie People of Hockomock Swamp.” Hecate’s Pantry – Pukwudgie and spirit lore around the swamp.

https://hecatespantry.com/2025/11/17/the-pukwudgie-people-of-hockomock-swamp-guardians-of-shadow-and-spirit/[hecatespantry]

This week we are discussing a region where strange things happen. A place where things slip through the cracks. Where the land remembers everything that has happened there, and sometimes, it pushes back.​

They call it the Bridgewater Triangle. **CORRECTION: Ashley said Delaware was part of the Bridgewater Triangle. It's all in Southeastern Massachusetts. We are human. Sorry :)

Sources:

Core background on Hockomock Swamp and the Bridgewater Triangle

• “Hockomock Swamp.” Wikipedia. Overview of the swamp’s size, ecology, and the translation of “Hockomock” as “place where spirits dwell,” plus its role in Wampanoag history and King Philip’s War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hockomock_Swamp
• “Bridgewater Triangle.” Wikipedia. General summary of the region, its boundaries, coined name, and categories of reported phenomena (UFOs, cryptids, hauntings). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgewater_Triangle
• “Into the Hockomock: Where Wildlife and Stories Dwell.” Mass.gov. Short piece blending natural history with local stories, mentioning the swamp’s name and its reputation as a place of spirits and legends. https://www.mass.gov/news/into-the-hockomock-where-wildlife-and-stories-dwell
• “Hockomock Swamp.” Kids Kiddle Encyclopedia. Accessible summary that includes the “place where spirits dwell” meaning and notes that Native Americans considered it spiritually significant.

https://kids.kiddle.co/Hockomock_Swamp

• “Hockomock Swamp.” Atlas Obscura. Article on the swamp’s mysterious reputation, Wampanoag associations with spirits, and its place within the Bridgewater Triangle lore. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hockomock-swamp-massachusetts​
• Please email hauntedrepod@gmail.com for a full list of resources.

Take a step back in time to the Woodruff Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee! A gorgeous French Victorian home built by Amos Woodruff.

In this episode, we dive into the dark history of the Hellfire Clubs of West Wycombe and Dublin—secret societies made up of powerful elites known for secrecy, scandal, and excess.

We explore what’s historically documented, including the clubs’ members, locations, and influence, while also unpacking the rumors and speculation that surround them—ranging from immoral rituals to alleged occult practices. Where does history end, and legend begin?

We also examine reports of possible hauntings, with visitors describing shadow figures, strange sounds, cold spots, and an unsettling sense of being watched—especially within the caves of West Wycombe and the ruins in Dublin.

Join us as we uncover the nefarious truths, lingering mysteries, and paranormal claims tied to two of history’s most infamous secret societies.

Sources:

Haunted Hellfire Caves - The REAL Hellfire Club - Amy's Crypt

The Hell Fire Club: Ireland's Darkest Enigma - Secret Ireland

Supernatural Dublin - The Hellfire Club - Dublin.ie

The Hell Fire Club: One of Ireland's Most Haunted Sites

The Hellfire Club: Six facts about the spooky Dublin sect known for devil worship, black magic and blasphemy | The Irish Pos

The Hellfire Club: British high-society's most exclusive and scandalous group | Sky HISTORY TV Channel

So since we’re headed straight into winter time, we really wanted to focus on an episode that just feels snowy and chilly. So speaking of holiday chills - we’re focusing today on Tromso (Trom-say), Norway – the “Gateway to the Arctic”. Tromso is a vibrant little city above the Arctic Circle, where the sun vanishes for two entire months out of the year! And if Santa’s workshop has a dark side, some might say it could be Tromso, Norway.

Sources:

• Best Arctic – “Halloween in Tromsø, Norway: A Tale of the City’s Ghosts” (Arctic Cathedral priest ghost, Lady in White, ghost ship, phantom hiker)
• Visit Tromsø – “Ghost Walk – Tromsø Budget Tours” (city built on an ancient graveyard, guided ghost walk details)
• Visit Tromsø – “Mystical Halloween in Tromsø” (local myths and legends: ghosts, trolls, huldras, and northern creatures)
• Life in Norway – “The Story of ‘Draugen’, Norway’s Haunting Sea Spirit” (background on the Draugen sea ghost and coastal folklore)
• Austin Ghost Tours – “Norwegian Ghost Folklore” (overview of Norwegian ghost types, including the Draugen)
• Wikipedia – “Draugr” (general context on draugr / draugen in Norse and Nordic folklore)
• Tromsø Budget Tours – official site (company behind the Tromsø ghost walk and local history tours)
• AAA / TripCanvas – “Tromso’s Haunted Walking Tour” (overview of a commercial haunted walking tour experience in Tromsø)
• Visit Tromsø & general tourism content – for setting, geography, and polar-night / northern lights atmosphere around Tromsø and Northern Norway