Spooked Podcast – Episode Summary Merrie Monarch
Air Date: April 3, 2026
Host: Glynn Washington
Storyteller: Leanne Durant

Episode Overview

This episode of Spooked explores the intertwining of culture, ancestry, ritual, and the supernatural through the firsthand account of Leanne Durant—a seasoned hula dancer from Hawaii. The heart of the episode is Leanne’s unsettling experience at the 1986 Merrie Monarch Festival, the world’s premier hula competition, where folklore, ancestral reverence, and uncanny stormy omens converged in a moment of collective intuition and possible divine intervention.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction: Idols, Judgment, and Spiritual Longing

• Host Glynn Washington recounts a childhood experience, paralleling the biblical golden calf with his own rebellious attempt to make an idol from household materials. The theme is clear: the longing for direct connection with the divine and the dangers of tempting fate.
  • "So relax your soul, give me control. Close your eyes, my son...You’ve crossed over to Spooked. Stay." (00:05–00:48)

2. Setting the Stage: Hilo, Hawaii, 1986

• The scene is set at the 23rd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, Hawaii—a celebration of ancient culture attended by people worldwide. The air hums with anticipation, tradition, and the looming threat of a storm. (04:23–07:07)
• "As the sun sets over Hilo...the air tastes rich with the smell of Kahlua pork and ancient drums...dark clouds roll in." — Glynn Washington (04:23)

3. Leanne’s Background: The Renaissance of Hula

• Leanne’s hula journey reflects the awakening of Hawaiian cultural pride in the wake of language and practice bans after U.S. annexation. She describes the 1970s “first renaissance of things Hawaiian,” where ancient hula (Kahiko) and its spiritual connections reemerged.
  • "During the overthrow of our monarchy, we were illegally taken by the United States...And once that happened, as a people, we weren't allowed to speak our language. Ancient hula was underground...When I came home from college in 1977, there were things happening here...It all started with the hula." — Leanne Durant (08:58)

4. The Merrie Monarch Experience

• Leanne recalls the familial, community atmosphere of festival preparations—fundraising, costume making, mutual support—highlighting both camaraderie and the significance of sharing, not just winning. (12:21)
  • "We would support each other...It was like a huge, huge family, but it was a lot of work. We make our own costumes, we make our own lei..." — Leanne Durant (12:21)

5. The Three Windstorms of Hina

• The competition dance for 1986 centers on the goddess Hina, who controls destructive storms as warnings to those who neglect the land.
  • "She had this gourd...if the people wouldn't take care of the land, she would open her gourd a little bit...The rain got stronger, the wind started to pick up...the destruction of man." — Leanne Durant (13:52–15:09)
• Leanne describes a persistent feeling of dread and unease, particularly as rehearsals intensify. Despite her experience, the “Hina” chant and dance seem resistant, as if something is amiss.
  • "I just couldn't get it. I couldn't get the dance...I never had struggles like that learning a hula." — Leanne Durant (16:16)

6. The Day of the Storm

• The day is marked by classic Hilo weather, camaraderie, and nervous anticipation. As Leanne prepares, she seeks solitude to calm herself, noticing an internal tension that won't leave. (17:28–18:09)
• As the first groups dance Hina’s chant, a torrential rainstorm begins, intensifying with each performance. The weather echoes the myth, deepening Leanne’s sense that the hula is summoning real power.
  • "It seemed like every time I heard the chant, the rain got worse and worse and worse...We're dancing about the story, and the story is coming true." — Leanne Durant (20:02)

7. The Critical Moment: Lights Out, Fear, and Collective Decision

• The festival is thrown into chaos as a blackout strikes, “The storm is going crazy. I start to kind of panic because I felt the lights were the warning.” (23:22)
• Backstage, Leanne’s fear is shared by others. She goes to their kumu hula (teacher), Mapuana Da Silva, to voice concern. The group unanimously votes to withdraw, breaking the cycle they sense in the air.
  • "The only way I knew how to break the cycle would be to not dance...I went up to her and I said, 'Mapu, I have to tell you something. We don't feel good about dancing.'...She just said, 'Okay.'" — Leanne Durant (24:00–24:58)

8. Aftermath: A Mother's Care, Community Support, Omens Lifted

• Mapuana Da Silva announces on stage their withdrawal, emphasizing student safety and well-being. The audience erupts in supportive applause.
  • "'We have decided that our girls will not be performing this evening. My concern and care is first for my ladies. Thank you.' Then everybody was clapping..." — Leanne Durant (26:08)
• As they pack up, the storm dissipates—no more rain for the rest of the competition. Leanne is left convinced that not performing “broke the cycle.”
  • "None of that mattered because I feel that we broke the cycle." — Leanne Durant (28:21)

9. Epilogue: The Power of Intuition, Ritual, and Resilience

• Glynn closes by sharing that the group returned the next night to perform successfully, showing perseverance and the importance of following intuition in matters of faith and tradition. (28:29)
• The episode ends with reflections on seeking the divine and the comfort found in unexpected places—tying back to Glynn's intro about searching for the sacred.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ancestral knowledge and intuition:
  "What we would strive for was to share our hula and our interpretation with everyone." — Leanne Durant (13:37)

• On performance and the supernatural:
  "We're dancing about the story, and the story is coming true." — Leanne Durant (20:02)

• Collective decision to withdraw:
  "'We have decided that our girls will not be performing this evening. My concern and care is first for my ladies.'" — Mapuana Da Silva via Leanne Durant (26:08)

• On breaking the cycle:
  "None of that mattered because I feel that we broke the cycle." — Leanne Durant (28:21)

Important Timestamps

• 00:05–01:35: Glynn Washington’s opening reflections on biblical lessons, idols, and longing for the divine
• 07:07: Tension builds as the competition begins, ancient chants echo through the stadium
• 13:52–15:09: Leanne introduces the story and power of the goddess Hina
• 16:16–17:58: Persistent dread as competition nears; Leanne’s inner struggle
• 20:02–21:38: Weather turns supernatural, unease grows backstage
• 23:22–25:30: The blackout; dancers decide not to perform
• 26:08–28:21: Withdrawal announcement, storm dissipates, group senses they broke a supernatural cycle

Episode Tone

• The episode is told in reflective, respectful, and at times anxious tones, mixing reverence for tradition with the vulnerability of confronting the unknown. Leanne’s storytelling is honest, humble, and driven by a sense of duty—to her ancestors, to her halau (dance group), and to herself.

This episode of Spooked masterfully weaves together themes of ancestral wisdom, cultural revival, spiritual intuition, and communal bravery—reminding listeners that the ancient stories we tell may still echo with living power.