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1. Ancient Ghosts

Kirsty Logan uncovers the ghosts that haunted our most ancient ancestors and which became the common ancestor for ghost stories across all eras and all cultures.

Illustration by Seonaid Mackay

'When was the first time a human felt haunted?'

Kirsty Logan travels back to the world鈥檚 earliest civilisations to uncover where tales of ghosts first emerged.

From the earliest evidence of belief in an afterlife, seen in decorated bones in early grave sites, to Ancient Egyptian letters to the dead, and predatory Chindi unleashed to wreak deadly vengeance in the snowy wastes of North America, Kirsty tells the tales of the spirits that haunted our most ancient forebears, and became the common ancestor for ghost stories across all of human history.

Available now

15 minutes

Last on

Fri 10 Sep 2021 14:45

Daniel Ogden - The Most Haunting Tales of Classical Antiquity

Daniel Ogden - The Most Haunting Tales of Classical Antiquity

Our Extra聽Interview today is

Daniel comes from Manchester and took his degrees at Oxford. He is currently Professor of Ancient History at the University Exeter, having previously taught at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY), Oxford and University College, Swansea and the author of many books including, 'Greek and Roman Necromancy', 'Magic, Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds' ,'Night's Black Agents', and the soon to come 'The Werewolf in the Ancient World' and 'The Dragon in the West.'

He tells us about some of his favourite ghost stories from the ancient world, including the聽very first haunted houses,聽and explains why the stories are still able to thrill us even today.


Broadcasts

  • Mon 19 Oct 2020 13:45
  • Fri 10 Sep 2021 14:45