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Lore

Lore 313: Tall, Tall Tales

Duration
31m
Broadcast on
24 Aug 2026
Audio Format
other

Some folklore thrives in the depths of our world—whether that's across the ocean waves or along the docks of an ancient harbor town. But a few have risen to great heights, giving us a view of history that is downright terrifying.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.

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Lore Resources:

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©2026 Aaron Mahnke. All rights reserved.

This episode is sponsored by Wildwood. From Leica, the studio behind Coraline, comes a new epic fantasy adventure. And at the heart of Wildwood is a simple question. How far would you go for someone you love? Wildwood is a handcrafted epic fantasy adventure that transports audiences into a secret magical and dangerously alive world just beyond their doorstep. At its heart is the story of a courageous girl, Prue McKeel, on a desperate mission to rescue her baby brother from a forbidden forest filled with enchanted creatures, endearing allies, and formidable adversaries. Her journey unfolds in a spectacular high-stakes adventure where the fate of an entire hidden world hangs in the balance. The film features vocal performances from Carrie Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, and Angela Bassett. And I have to tell you folks, I have seen the trailer for this film so many times, and I cannot wait to park my button to seat and experience this adventure. Wildwood is now playing in theaters everywhere, so grab your tickets today. Cheers to fall savings at Whole Foods Market, home of higher ingredient standards. This Halloween shared chocolates and candies made without that spooky high fructose corn syrup. Throwing a party? Make it easy with a berry-shantilly cake, ready to cook pizza, no antibiotics ever chicken wings, and sushi made fresh daily. Fall gatherings never tasted better. Save through November 3rd at Whole Foods Market. [Music] When the crew of Artemis II took their famous trip to the moon a few months back, it got me thinking about the passage of time. Specifically, the idea that astronauts age ever so slightly slower in space. It has to do with Einstein's theory of relativity, basically speed and gravity impact time, so when someone is hurtling through space at crazy high speeds, time slows down a bit for them. Say that you sent one twin into space, while the other stayed on Earth. The astronaut twin would be fractions of a second younger than the one who stayed behind when they returned. Meanwhile, the closer a clock is to a center of gravity, the slower it moves. In fact, believe it or not, the core of the Earth is estimated to be a full 2.5 years younger than the surface. It's called gravitational time dilation, and it's honestly heady stuff, too heady to get deeper into here. But it may be wonder, just how high off the ground do you have to be before time starts to shift? Well, it turns out I wasn't the only one wondering this. In 2023, roughly $2 million was granted to a team of scientists to explore exactly that idea. They wanted to see if a clock atop the towering peak of Mount Blue Sky in Colorado would tick faster than a clock down in Boulder. Well, have to wait until 2027 for the results, but this is what we already know. Time at sea level does move more slowly than it does at high altitudes. Infinitesimally, for sure, but still, there's a difference. In a way, climbing a tall peak isn't just adventurous. It's a form of time travel. Then again, that wouldn't be the strangest thing to occur on a mountaintop. And if the stories are true, there might be one mountain more prone to oddity than all the rest. I'm Aaron Mankey, and this is Lore. It looms over the land like an ancient god. Crowned in snow with a cloak of hardened lava on its massive shoulders, the giant has slumbered there for nearly 600,000 years. In that time, it's become the subject of countless legends, too. Creation myths and conspiracies, ghost stories and religions all have gathered in the great shadow of Mount Shasta. Located in northern California, about 50 miles south of the Oregon border, Mount Shasta is the second tallest mountain in the Cascade Range. But don't be fooled by its silver medal. This Leviathan is a whopping 14,179 feet high. And if that weren't intimidating enough, it also happens to be an active volcano. Now, while scientists believe it last erupted around the year 1250, the US Geological Survey ranks at number five on its list of most hazardous volcanoes in the country. In other words, just because it hasn't erupted in a while, doesn't mean that it won't go off again. The mountain gets its name from the local Shasta tribe, but they're not the only native population living in the mountains foothills. In fact, the area is home to the Shasta, Wintu, Atumawi and Modak people, among others. And unsurprisingly, many of them have legends about the prominent peak. According to the Wintu, the very first members of their tribe emerged from a sacred healing spring right there on Mount Shasta.

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