Lore Podcast — Special Announcement: Exhumed

Host: Aaron Mahnke
Date: January 9, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special announcement episode, Aaron Mahnke reflects on the origins of the Lore podcast and shares an exciting personal milestone: the upcoming release of his new book, Exhumed. The book explores the historical, cultural, and folkloric roots of the Mercy Brown story—the subject of Lore’s very first episode—and promises to shed new light on why such dark events happened in small-town America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Lore and the Mercy Brown Story (00:01–03:00)

Aaron reminisces about the uncertain beginnings of Lore, starting with a set of “weird historical essays” he intended for a different project.
He credits his first essay—about Mercy Brown—as the genesis of Lore:

“The very first one I wrote was also the one I picked for the first episode of Lore. It was the one that grabbed my attention the tightest and had me asking all sorts of questions.” (01:04)
He retells the Mercy Brown legend:
- Mercy, a teenager, died of illness in 1892 in rural Rhode Island, following the deaths of her mother and sister. Her brother was sick, and desperation led the townspeople to suspect supernatural causes.
- Believing one of the deceased was preying on the living, the townsfolk exhumed the Brown family’s graves and, upon finding Mercy’s corpse in a state they deemed suspicious, they burned her heart in an effort to end the "curse".
- Aaron expresses lifelong fascination with folklore, yet this story stands out as particularly haunting and thought-provoking.

2. Unraveling the "Why" Behind the Folklore (03:00–04:20)

Aaron discusses his persistent intrigue surrounding not just what happened, but why such events occurred:

“But mostly because it got my mental gears spinning. Why? Why in the world would people think that this sort of action, this sort of ritual, was acceptable and would work?” (02:24)
Over a decade, he noticed connections between the Mercy Brown story and other topics featured in Lore.
Sensing an untold story behind the Mercy Brown episode, Aaron began to investigate deeper cultural, historical, and social factors.

3. Announcing Exhumed: The Book (04:20–06:30)

After years of research and writing, Aaron announces Exhumed, a book that explores the deeper reasons behind Mercy Brown’s exhumation—going beyond the familiar tale to examine:
- Folklore
- Social norms
- Scientific beliefs
- Cultural trends of the era
He promises the book will be accessible (“easy for anyone, even non historians, to pick up and enjoy”) and filled with “wild, strange and incredible history.”
Aaron emphasizes Exhumed is not just a retelling, but a richer, more connected account:

“It takes a story that a lot of people think they know and unpacks it in a new way, giving it a lot more depth and texture than a simple retelling of her exhumation.” (05:15)
The book is available for pre-order (hardcover, ebook, and audiobook—narrated by Aaron himself).
- Release date: August 4, 2026

4. Closing Reflections & Call to Action (06:30–End)

Aaron expresses gratitude to listeners for supporting his research and creative pursuit:

“Thank you. Thank you for letting me dig and dig for a decade so that I could unearth these answers, these stories, and these connections.” (06:43)
The episode ends on a lighthearted, signature note:

“And it goes without saying, I think you’re gonna dig it.” (07:06)
Strong encouragement for listeners to pre-order the book and “stay spooky.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Lore’s Origins:

“If you’ve enjoyed Lore over the last decade, that’s where it all started. Me at home writing little historical essays about weird and creep[y] moments on the historical record.” (00:28)
On the Mercy Brown Legend:

“Desperate people, as we know, tend to do some pretty weird things…they began to wonder if something more supernatural might be at work.” (01:20)
On Exploring Deeper Truths:

“As far as I can tell, no one has tried to piece together before…what folklore, social norms, scientific beliefs and cultural trends contributed to the actions of that small Rhode Island farming community?” (04:00)
On the New Book:

“It’s written in a way that should be easy for anyone, even non historians, to pick up and enjoy…giving it a lot more depth and texture than a simple retelling of her exhumation.” (05:05)
On Gratitude and Legacy:

“I am incredibly proud of this book and I can’t wait for you to experience it for yourselves.” (06:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:01 – Aaron recounts the beginnings of Lore and introduction to the Mercy Brown story
01:10 – Detailed summary of the Mercy Brown vampire panic
02:24 – Reflection on the deeper questions: “Why did this happen?”
03:30 – Explanation of connections to broader historical and folkloric themes
04:20 – Announcement of Exhumed, new research, and book details
05:15 – Book’s unique approach and accessibility
06:43 – Gratitude to listeners and closing remarks

Summary

This special announcement is both a reflection on Lore’s roots and a teaser for Exhumed, Aaron Mahnke’s upcoming deep-dive into the Mercy Brown legend and its historical context. Fans are invited to join Aaron in uncovering not just the facts, but the tapestry of superstition, folklore, and social fear that led a small community to a dark and desperate act. Both newcomers and long-time listeners will find something to “dig” in this milestone project.

Transcript

A (0:01)

So I have a quick story for you. Eleven years ago, I was in the middle of a crisis. I had written a handful of these weird historical essays, but my reason for making them, to create a cool PDF to give to email subscribers, had started to sound like a really bad idea. Fast forward a couple of months and I figured out what to do with them. I made a podcast. This podcast. So if you've enjoyed Lore over the last decade, that's where it all started. Me at home writing little historical essays about weird and creep moments on the historical record. Obviously, things grew from there, and the fact that I'm still making the show today continues to blow my mind. I'm a lucky guy, for sure. But back to those original essays. The very first one I wrote was also the one I picked for the first episode of Lore. It was the one that grabbed my attention the tightest and had me asking all sorts of questions. And if you've been with the show long enough, you know which one I'm talking about. The story of Mercy Brown. Allow me for a second to give the uninitiated among us a quick overview of her story. Mercy Brown was a teenager from a small Rhode island farming community who died in 1892. But she was the third member of her family to die from the same illness, and her brother was also sick at the same time. So people were starting to get a bit desperate. And desperate people, as we know, tend to do some pretty weird things. In Mercy's case, that meant the townsfolk had begun to wonder if something more supernatural might be at work. One of the dead Browns, either Mercy, her mother, or her older sister, might be feeding on the living from their grave. And they believed evidence of this would be found if they exhumed all the bodies and checked them. So they did. And when Mercy's corpse turned out to have the signs they were looking for, they burned her heart to break the curse. Now, I have loved folklore and superstition my entire life. I revel in weird things. But this story, this real world, true life event, I just couldn't let it go. Partly because it's such a thrilling story on its own, right? But mostly because it got my mental gears spinning. Why? Why in the world would people think that this sort of action, this sort of ritual, was acceptable and would work? In the decade since I published the first episode of Lore about Mercy Brown, I have never stopped thinking about it. And as I've encountered new topics for new episodes over the years as part of making an ongoing podcast on weird history, I've noticed some of them are actually connected. They contribute in big ways and small to her story. So about two years ago, I started writing a book. I wanted to explore something that as far as I can tell, no one has tried to piece together before. And that is, yes, Mercy's story and the events of 1892 are shocking. But why did they happen in the first place? What folklore, social norms, scientific beliefs and cultural trends contributed to the actions of that small Rhode island farming community? And that book is called Exhumed and I am so excited to tell you that it is available for pre order starting today. It arrives on August 4th of this year. But every single pre order between now and then will give Exhumed a chance to be a best seller. And it should be. Because it's wild, strange and incredible history. It's written in a way that should be easy for anyone, even non historians, to pick up and enjoy. And it takes a story that a lot of people think they know and unpacks it in a new way, giving it a lot more depth and texture than a simple retelling of her exhumation. This is a journey I want you to go on with me. Exhumed will be available in a gorgeous hardcover and as well as ebook and audiobook. Narrated of course by me. To pre order your copy today, head over to aaronmanke.comexhumed or click on the link in the description for this episode. And thank you. Thank you for letting me dig and dig for a decade so that I could unearth these answers, these stories and these connections. I am incredibly proud of this book and I can't wait for you to experience it for yourselves. And it goes without saying, I think you're gonna dig it. That's it for today. That's the pitch, that's the post. Go pre order Exhumed right now and stay spooky.