Lore Podcast – Trick or Treat 3: Loved & Lost

Host: Aaron Mahnke
Release Date: October 17, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this special Halloween “Trick or Treat” bonus episode, Aaron Mahnke explores one of the most chilling and enduring subgenres of ghost stories: those shaped by love lost and hearts left yearning beyond death. From Thailand to the Appalachians, royal palaces to haunted theaters, Mahnke examines tales where devotion survives the grave and love itself becomes a haunting.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Thailand’s Devoted Ghost: Mae Nak

• [01:32]
  • The legend of Mae Nak unfolds in 19th-century Bangkok, during a time of upheaval and military conscription.
  • Mae Nak, pregnant and newly married, loses her life (and child) in childbirth while her husband Mak’s away at war.
  • Her love is so powerful, her spirit lingers at home, tending to her “family” as if nothing happened.
  • Neighbors know the truth but Mak refuses to believe until an uncanny moment—a stretching arm to retrieve a fallen lime—forces him to confront the supernatural.
  • Sanctuary at a temple and intervention by monks eventually puts Mae Nak’s spirit to rest, but she remains beloved in Thai culture, honored as a symbol of enduring love.

“Her spirit had been so reluctant to part with her beloved that she just sort of stuck around.”
— Aaron Mahnke ([06:22])

2. Greenbrier Lodge and Lydia: The Jilted Bride of Gatlinburg

• [08:46]
  • The Greenbrier Restaurant near touristy Gatlinburg, Tennessee harbors the tragic ghost of Lydia, a bride-to-be who hung herself after her fiancé disappeared.
  • Locals, refusing her a church burial, interred her in an unmarked grave on the grounds.
  • Staff and visitors report crying, apparitions, cold spots, and poltergeist activity—food flinging off shelves, spectral sightings on the stairs.
  • A psychic suggests Lydia’s unrest is tied to the preservation of the beam she used to end her life.
  • The truth is even more heartbreaking: the groom had not jilted her, but instead died in the wilderness en route to their wedding.

“The saddest part about Lydia’s story isn’t actually that she’s stuck in the restaurant… it’s that she never should have been trapped there in the first place.”
— Aaron Mahnke ([11:50])

“One lodge caretaker even claims to have heard Lydia shout, ‘Mark my grave! Mark my grave!’”
— Aaron Mahnke ([10:59])

3. Serbia’s Doomed Royal Lovers—and a Haunted Yacht

• [12:45]
  • Queen Draga, condemned by society as an unfit match, and King Alexander of Serbia love each other fiercely but are destroyed by assassination in 1903, following political unrest.
  • Public and court disdain for Draga results in her historical erasure—but not so in the afterlife.
  • A yacht she bought shortly before her death develops a reputation as cursed; subsequent crewmen and guests report terrifying phenomena.
  • After a dinner party interrupted by a blood-curdling apparition, no sailor dares work on the ship again. Draga’s ghost claims the vessel as her own.

“They all claimed that it was Draga’s ghost. After that, the yacht owner couldn’t convince anyone to work on board ever again. Absolutely no one was willing to set sail on such a haunted ship.”
— Aaron Mahnke ([15:28])

4. Haunted Stages: Australia’s Theatrical Ghosts

• [17:58]
  • Australia’s theaters are hotbeds of ghost stories, from projectionists to playful poltergeists and tragic deaths.
  • Cinema Nova, Melbourne: Night manager ’Harry’ sees a hanged figure, has his flashlight die, then re-illuminates to find the apparition gone.

    “Like a horror movie, right in that moment, his flashlight snuffed out.” ([19:08])

  • Her Majesty’s, Adelaide: The fly engineer returns every opening night since his 1912 death.
  • Theatre Royal, Hobart: The infamous “Fred” poltergeists, believed to have even saved the theater from fire in 1984.

    “Let’s give him credit… the theater caught fire, and without prompting, the fire curtain fell across the stage, containing the flames and saving the building. The Theatre Royale, Hobart’s protector, is believed to have been… Fred.” ([20:54])

5. The Legend of Frederick Federici: The Opera Ghost of Melbourne

• [22:12]
  • Background: Born Anatoly Frederick Demidoff Baker, he becomes opera star Frederick Federici, famed for his performances in Gilbert & Sullivan and especially as Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust.
  • Tragic Night: In 1887, during Faust’s opening at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, Federici suffers a heart attack as he descends through a trapdoor on stage—unbeknownst to the audience, who believe his curtain call is part of the drama.
  • The paradox: The cast and audience all see him take a bow with the others, though he was already dead.
  • Over the decades, Federici’s ghost is frequently spotted in the audience—dressed impeccably in evening wear—especially on opening nights, sometimes reacting to the quality of the performances.
  • The sighting of Federici is considered good luck in the Melbourne theater community.

“If Frederick Federici was dead, then how did they all see him take his bow right along with all the other actors that night?”
— Aaron Mahnke ([24:34])

“It seems, even in death, the show must go on.”
— Aaron Mahnke ([27:28])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mae Nak’s Reluctance to Leave:
  “Her spirit had been so reluctant to part with her beloved that she just sort of stuck around.” ([06:22])

• Lydia’s Cry for Recognition:
  “One lodge caretaker even claims to have heard Lydia shout, ‘Mark my grave! Mark my grave!’” ([10:59])

• Tragedy Behind Tragedy in Gatlinburg:
  “She never should have been trapped there in the first place because her fiancé never jilted her at the aisle.” ([11:50])

• Haunted Yacht After Draga’s Death:
  “Absolutely no one was willing to set sail on such a haunted ship. And so the yacht finally belonged to Draga once again.” ([15:44])

• Fred the Poltergeist’s Heroics:
  “Let’s give him credit… the theater caught fire, and without prompting, the fire curtain fell across the stage, containing the flames and saving the building. The Theatre Royale, Hobart’s protector, is believed to have been… Fred.” ([20:54])

• The Enigma of Federici’s Bow:
  “If Frederick Federici was dead, then how did they all see him take his bow right along with all the other actors that night?” ([24:34])

• An Epitaph for the Passionate Ghost:
  “It seems, even in death, the show must go on.” ([27:28])

Segment Timestamps

• [01:32] — Mae Nak: Thailand’s famous ghost of lost love
• [08:46] — Lydia: The Greenbrier’s heartbroken bride in Tennessee
• [12:45] — Queen Draga and the haunted Serbian yacht
• [17:58] — Australia’s myriad theater ghosts
• [22:12] — The saga of Federici: Melbourne’s enduring opera specter

Tone & Atmosphere

Aaron Mahnke delivers these tales with his characteristic blend of measured, haunting narration and historical curiosity—a chilling yet thoughtful tone, perfectly in sync with the theme of love lingering beyond the grave.

Conclusion

“Loved & Lost” presents a tapestry of legends where hearts too heavy for the grave echo through history’s haunted halls. Whether love is for a partner or the stage, these stories remind us that some bonds are too strong to break—even by death.