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Lore

Lore 311: Twice Upon a Time

Duration
35m
Broadcast on
27 Jul 2026
Audio Format
other

Folklore is full of stories about people who seem to have lived more than one life. Which is why these true tales from history are so incredibly bizarre.

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. Hey Denver, the Wayfair Store's grand opening weekend starts November 20th. Come shop, celebrate, and save, with up to 80% off in store all weekend long. Plus, the first hundred customers in line each day get a free $50 gift card, bring the whole family for giveaways, music, entertainment, and surprises. So mark your calendar and head to the Wayfair Store at Avenues at Northfield November 20th through 22nd for our grand opening celebration. Wayfair, every style, every home. Way back before the writer of this show, Jenna Rose, was born, her mother Helen had a strange dream. In the dream, she'd already given birth, but not to a regular baby. Now this was a giant baby. I imagine the kid looking like the one from Spirited Away, basically big enough to fill an entire nursery. Anyway, Jenna Rose's mom addressed the giant baby by her name. Only for the baby to angrily reply, "My name isn't Jenna Rose, my name is Cookie Ann." And then Helen woke up, a little weird for sure, but Helen shook it off. But then, something happened that would make her remember that dream forever. You see, not long after, she was on a walk with her close friend, who Helen had already asked to be her future child's godmother. Chatting away, Helen told her friend about the dream, to which her friend replied, "That's funny, my dead grandmother was called Cookie Ann." Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe our very own Jenna Rose is none other than the reincarnation of a long gone lady named Cookie Ann. Whatever the case, we're glad that Helen went with the name she did. But it does make you wonder, what if we aren't here for the first time? What if, when it comes to life and death, everything old really is. New again. I'm Aaron Mankey, and this is Lore. [MUSIC] What happens when we die? It's a question that's consumed human since the beginning of time. Do we go to heaven or hell? Do we simply stop existing? Or do our souls lather, rinse, and repeat, doing it all over again? Now, I have to wonder if there's something to that last one. Why? Well, because countless cultures around the world have hit on this same idea, that some part of a person survives beyond their bodily death and can return to earth in a different form. In other words, reincarnation. Now, most cultures that believe in reincarnation also believe your actions in this life will determine the form you take in the next. Behave well, that'll earn you a physical upgrade. Think a noble tiger or a soaring eagle. Behave badly though, and you might end up rather unfortunately cockroach shaped the next time. But don't worry, you won't necessarily be stuck in the hamster wheel of birth and death forever. A number of cultures believe that if you complete enough cycles and level up far enough, you can graduate from the process altogether, ascending to a higher plane. Take the Hindu tradition, for example. Hindus believe that the soul, aka the atman, cycles through various physical forms accumulating karma as it goes. By living in accordance with Hindu laws through enough cycles, the atman can eventually achieve a state called moksha, in which we become free of all suffering. In Buddhism, the same release from the cycle is known as nirvana, but unlike Hindus, Buddhists don't believe in the idea of an unchanging soul that hops from body to body. Instead, it's only a person's karma that persists after death, which holds a tiny germ of consciousness with it. And it isn't just the Hindus and the Buddhists. In fact, every single one of the major Indian dharmic religions believes in some form of reincarnation. In Sikhism though, it's not always your actions on earth that determine your next form, but your last thoughts while dying.

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