The Margins - Our scribbles on the edges of the story
Glowing Tombstones: Folklore Under a Texas Moon
Growing up in a small North Texas town in the early ’80s you had to make your own fun, and local urban legends were favorite source materials. One long ago October, our youth group gathered for the annual Halloween party, but this particular y…
The Wyrd Masquerade: Witches, Masks, and the Power of Disguise
When we think of costumes, we often picture a performance of some kind or a Halloween party, but in folklore, costume is rarely just surface decoration. Following a #WyrdWednesday prompt on BlueSky, we step into the world of witches and masquerade, …
What IS Folklore?
Suyash Dwivedi (CC License via Wikimedia)
It’s the end of another long day, and you’re scrolling (doomscrolling?) through social media when you come across another viral post, a life hack, or a story making the round…
Folklore Sunday – September 14, 2025 | Kitchen Witchery
There’s nothing quite like a warm and hearty soup or stew on a chilly day. Soup and stew feel, as Van Dyk (2023) says, “primordial” because they are. In fact, there is evidence of even Neanderthals boiling bones creating soup. From…
Folky Friday – September 12, 2025 | Folklore hits the Friday Night Lights
Folklore has a way of slipping into everyday life in unexpected places. At a Texas high school, the Wampus Cat—once told of as a mysterious half-woman, half-cat figure—has made the leap from shadowy forest stories to the bright stadium l…
Folklore Sunday – September 7, 2025 | Blood Moon
On September 7th, 2025, the night sky gave us a striking sight: a Blood Moon falling on this month's Corn Moon.
In folklore, a red moon has long been read as an omen, change, upheaval, or hidden truths revealed. The Corn Moon, meanwhile, marks the …
Folky Friday – September 5, 2025 | From Circle Dances to Banana Ball
When you hear the words folk dance, you might imagine a circle of villagers or a square dance called out in a community hall. But folk traditions live in unexpected places—like sports stadiums.
The Savannah Bananas baseball team has become fa…
Folklore Sunday – August 24, 2025 | Paul Bunyon
Take a drive through Minnesota and you might stumble upon a statue of a giant lumberjack and his inexplicably blue ox. While not exclusive to Minnesota, Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are celebrated as residents of the north woods.
Despite …
Folky Friday - August 22, 2025 | Buttermilk, Honey, and Eternal Youth
Ozark folklorist Vance Randolph once recorded a curious belief: mountain folk swore that mixing buttermilk and honey could cure skin disease and restore a youthful glow.
Long before the modern beauty industry began selling “miracle serums&rdq…
Folklore Sunday – August 17, 2025 | The Ozark Howler
The Ozark Howler: a terrifying black beast with glowing eyes said to stalk the ridges and hollers of the Ozark Mountains.
Tales of the Howler describe a shaggy, horned creature, part mountain lion, part bear, with a chilling cry that echoes like a …
Folky Friday – August 15, 2025 | Ozark Planting Lore
Ozark Mountain planting lore says: Cut sprouts in the dark of the moon, when the sign is in the heart (Leo).
Farmers in the Ozarks once mapped the zodiac onto the human body to guide their work in the fields: Leo = the heart, Gemini = the arms, Pis…
Welcome to Lexicons Unbound (Audio Intro Companion)
Hi there—and welcome!
This short audio episode is your invitation into the world of Lexicons Unbound, a podcast where folklore meets your algorithm.
We’re your hosts, Melanie and Molly—two educators and longtime storytelling nerd…
What’s WorldCat, and Why We Use It on Lexicons Unbound
What’s WorldCat, and Why We Use It on Lexicons Unbound
Because knowledge shouldn’t hide behind a paywall—that’s why!
If you’ve ever heard us mention a book or article in an episode and thought, “I’d love t…