Morbid Podcast Summary
Episode Revisit: Fairy Lights, Witches & Curses OH MY!
Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Release Date: November 27, 2025
Episode Overview
In this lighthearted yet chilling episode of Morbid, Ash and Alaina step away from their usual true crime casework to deliver a Halloween-spirited mix of spooky folklore, creepy legends, and iconic curses. Packed with playful banter, local shoutouts, and just the right touch of autumnal witchiness, the episode is a joyride through the darker tales of fairy lights, malicious spirits, and one legendary Connecticut witch—Hannah Cranna. The pair aim to both entertain and unnerve, blending meticulously-researched legends with their trademark comedic lens.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. A Weekend in Salem & the Salem Night Fair
- [03:13–06:53]
- Ash and Alaina recall their vibrant time at Salem’s Night Fair, organized by "Ryan and Matt from the Black Veil."
- Descriptions of candle shopping, tarot readings, and running into podcast fans.
- The setting: Salem Pioneer Village, adding authentic spookiness.
- Memorable quote:
- “It’s like spooky Etsy come to life.” —Elena [04:18]
2. Introduction to Spooky Legends: 'A Place of Weird'
- [06:57–08:36]
- The hosts segue into the night's theme: a “mish-mosh” of Halloween-adjacent legends, departing from true crime for pure creepy fun.
3. Louisiana’s “Le Foufoulet” – Swamp’s Deadly Fairy Lights
- [07:36–14:28 & 15:44–25:01]
- Origins: Cajun folklore describes “Le Foufoulet” (French for “marsh fire” or “crazy fire”)—floating orbs of light in the Louisiana bayou.
- Interpretations:
- Spirits of unbaptized babies condemned to wander.
- Wicked souls rejected from purgatory, forced to remain on earth.
- Deceptively comforting lights, sometimes believed to be visiting loved ones’ souls.
- Dangers:
- Lights lure travelers deeper into swamps, leading to death—by getting lost, drowning, or being shredded by briars.
- Some variations involve pirates binding spirits to guard treasure, tricking seekers into their doom.
- Defenses:
- Place an iron object between yourself and the light—the Foufoulet cannot cross iron.
- Drive a needle into the ground: the spirit becomes preoccupied with trying to pass through its eye (“like other cultures’ traditions of distracting spirits by making them count scattered objects”).
- Mustard seeds can be scattered to distract Foufoulet from babies at night.
- Notable moments:
- “Their entire thing is to distract you. Like, they're like, ooh, pretty lights. And then you follow them.” —Elena [15:54]
- Piratical aside: Killing a crewmember to bind them as a treasure guardian (“Pirates of the Caribbean shit.” —Ash [17:34])
- Humorous tangent:
- Facebook’s “speak like a pirate” mode and poke fights [17:52–18:35].
4. “Will o’ the Wisps” and Other Global Ghost Lights
- [26:15–34:46]
- Will o’ the Wisps (Scotland):
- Lantern-like fairy lights that seduce travelers into bogs, believed to lead victims to their deaths or to fae-folk/leprechauns/treasure.
- Origin tale: Willem, a ne’er-do-well who is cast out of purgatory and given a piece of brimstone by the Devil to light the way as he lures others to doom.
- Scientific debunk: Possibly swamp gas or bioluminescent organisms (“But you just did, though.” —Ash [34:45])
- Related Legends:
- Denmark’s “Jack o’ Lanterns”: Spirits of unrighteous men, luring travelers into marshes; can only be thwarted by turning your cap inside out (“rally cap”).
- U.S. South’s “Haints”: Ghostly spirits driven away by blue porch ceilings or made to count grains of rice or broom bristles, keeping them too distracted to cause harm.
- Will o’ the Wisps (Scotland):
5. The Legend of Hannah Cranna – The Wicked Witch of Monroe
- [35:02–63:48]
- Background:
- Real woman (late 18th to mid-19th century) from Monroe, Connecticut, rumored to be a witch after her husband died under mysterious circumstances—either bewitched off a cliff or physically tossed.
- The townspeople, guided by the remorse of the Salem Witch Trials, instead isolate and spread rumors rather than prosecute.
- Key Incidents & Curses:
- Neighborly disputes:
- When a neighbor’s cattle destroy Hannah’s tiger lilies, she curses his potato crop, which subsequently fails. Upon apology, she blesses his next harvest.
- “Always remember that as others do to me, even so I do to them. Good for good, evil for evil.” —Hannah (as quoted in Newtown Bee, 1900) [49:41]
- Village encounters:
- Farmers who taunt Hannah are thwarted by failing wheels and runaway oxen; a strange jar of liquid is left behind.
- She trades goodwill (or curses) for pies and firewood from local women.
- Anecdote: A stingy neighbor loses the power to bake pies forever after crossing Hannah.
- Neighborly disputes:
- Hannah’s Death and Last Wishes:
- Foretells her own death when her beloved rooster “Boreas” dies; gives explicit instructions for her burial (to be carried by hand, after sundown).
- The townspeople ignore her wishes, try to use a sled—casket repeatedly falls off until they relent and perform the ritual as directed.
- Her house later burns to the ground; the well runs inexplicably dry.
- Posthumous sightings: Hannah’s alleged ghost, sometimes accompanied by her rooster’s spectral crow, appears at the old well and in the graveyard.
- Local legend claims that seeing Hannah’s ghost on the road can cause drivers to crash.
- Ash and Alaina vow to visit her grave, pay respects, and plant tiger lilies.
- Background:
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Salem Night Fair:
- “It's like spooky Etsy come to life.” —Elena [04:18]
-
On the True Nature of Foufoulet:
- “They appear to be what you want them to be… but they are not your loved ones. They are not anything good. They are masking as such and are, in fact, there to lure you into the swamps to your fucking death.” —Elena [12:42]
-
Pirate Talk Detour:
- “That's some Pirates of the Caribbean shit.” —Ash [17:34]
-
On Distracting Spirits:
- “This works a lot like the legends that include leaving a lot of things outside your door for spirits to count.” —Elena [22:12]
-
On Pie Curses:
- “She was never able to bake another pie again. Hannah, is that you?” —Ash [55:21]
-
On Respecting the Witch’s Wishes:
- “Absolutely. I’m not gonna ever be in one of those, though… If you don’t lift that casket, it’s not going.” —Ash [58:12 (paraphrased)]
-
On Hannah’s Justice:
- “Good for good, evil for evil. Oh, a little law of return for my witch out there.” —Ash [49:41]
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment | Time | |-----------------------------------|--------------| | Salem Night Fair Recap | 03:13–06:53 | | Intro to Legends & Halloween Vibes| 06:57–08:36 | | Le Foufoulet (LA Fairy Lights) | 07:36–14:28, 15:44–25:01 | | Haints & Ghost-Trick Folklore | 21:47–25:01 | | Will o’ the Wisps & Jack o’ Lanterns| 26:15–34:46 | | Hannah Cranna: The Witch Legend | 35:02–63:48 | | Final Thoughts & Tiger Lily Plan | 63:48–64:10 |
Tone & Style
Ash and Alaina maintain their signature blend of dark humor, open curiosity, and heartfelt appreciation for the macabre—engaging in self-deprecating jokes, meta podcast references, pop culture nods (SpongeBob, TikTok), and genuine affection for the weird. They are occasionally irreverent, always relatable, and inviting to the listener.
Closing Thoughts
This episode delivers classic Morbid—offering spooky folklore and witchy history with a generous side of laughs and sisterly warmth. The vivid retellings of fairy fire, ghostly legends, and the cursed-yet-empowered Hannah Cranna leave listeners both entertained and slightly wary of mysterious lights and crotchety witches. And if you’re ever in Monroe, CT, Ash and Alaina might just beat you to the cemetery—tiger lilies in hand.
“But not so weird that you doubt my true queen. Or that you go follow some ghost lights into purgatory. Because that doesn’t really sound like a straight up good time.”
—Ash, closing [64:27]