Urban Legends cover art

Urban Legends

Urban Legends

By: Luke Mordue
Listen for free

About this listen

Luke Mordue examines the historical impact of the stories that haunt our society, tales that have gripped towns and cities worldwide for centuries as actual events - Urban Legends. First, hear the tales retold as short stories before delving into the history of the legend, dissecting its cultural significance, factuality, and origins.

Released Fortnightly.

© 2025 Urban Legends
Science Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • Humans Can Lick Too
    Dec 3 2025

    In this chapter, we trace the evolution of the haunting ‘Humans can lick too’ Urban Legend. From early cautionary tales about young women alone at night through to its modern form shaped by fears of home invasion, serial killers, and the thin line between security and vulnerability in our own homes.

    We examine how this legend blurs folklore and reality, how it has absorbed real crimes and media scares, it's surprisingly long history, and why the simple act of a hand reaching down in the dark continues to haunt listeners long after the story is told.

    Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)

    Support the show

    • If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at luke@lukemordue.com


    • For more information on the show, to find all our social accounts and to ensure you are up to date on all we do, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lukemordue.com/podcast
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • Frozen Hill People [Patreon Teaser]
    Nov 26 2025

    In this chapter, we trace the story of the so called 'Frozen Hill People' from 19th century Vermont newspaper accounts and family scrapbooks to modern retellings in magazines, folklore collections, and online media, asking where it sits between rural desperation, hoax, and horror.

    We separate what can be verified from what was likely invented, and explore why the idea of humans placed into a kind of living hibernation still fascinates us in an age of cryonics and medical hypothermia. To many, the Frozen Hill People are another Urban Legend, but for those who return to the story each winter, they are a reminder of how far people imagine they might go when the cold closes in.

    Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)

    Support the show

    • If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at luke@lukemordue.com


    • For more information on the show, to find all our social accounts and to ensure you are up to date on all we do, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lukemordue.com/podcast
    Show More Show Less
    4 mins
  • Skinwalkers
    Nov 13 2025

    Some stories are kept secret for a reason, and among the Diné, the figures outsiders call 'skinwalkers' is one of them.

    In this chapter, we examine how this subject sits within Diné teachings about witchcraft rather than monsters, why many details are not shared publicly, and how 19th-century accusations, modern reporting, and internet mythmaking reshaped the idea for the rest of the world.

    We separate community perspectives and documented history from hearsay and pop-culture distortion. To many, the Skinwalker is another Urban Legend, but to those who know its secrets, it is far more than that.

    __________________


    This week’s mid-roll ad features 'Out There: A Cryptid Podcast', a show that follows Josh and his team as they dive into the world of cryptids, paranormal encounters, and unexplained phenomena. Each week, Josh takes you on an adventure beyond the edges of reality - uncovering strange stories, exploring eerie legends, and asking the big questions about what might really be... out there.

    Find them by searching 'Out There: A Cryptid Podcast' in your podcast app.

    Text Me (this is 3rd party & I cannot respond, but I see all messages)

    Support the show

    • If you have more information or a correction on something mentioned in this chapter, email us at luke@lukemordue.com.


    • For more information on the show, to find all our social accounts and to ensure you are up to date on all we do, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lukemordue.com/podcast
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.