Episode 205 - The History of Witch Bottles
Lunatics Radio Hour: The History of Horror

Episode 205 - The History of Witch Bottles

B2Upper-intermediateAugust 25, 202634 min
  • Conversation
  • History

This week Abby and Alan dig into the strange history of witch bottles, a form of folk magic once used to protect from witchcraft, curses, and supernatural attacks. We explore where the practice came from, how witch bottles were made, why they were hidden in fireplaces, walls, and beneath floors, and what archaeologists have discovered centuries later. From 17th-century England to colonial America, witch bottles reveal a fascinating intersection of folklore, magic, superstition, and everyday life. We’ll also look at the objects and rituals believed to make these bottles work, and how this obscure piece of fo...

Play episode

Opens the player: the full transcript, every word clickable, with translation and flashcards.

Try it: tap any word

Real sentences from the start of this episode. Every word is marked with its level.

Sentence 1 of 12 · 1:24

.

My name is Abby Branker.

Hear this sentence

Tap a word to see its meaning in your language.

Do you know these words?

8 harder words from this episode. Tap one to see what it means, then mark it.

  • B27:55
  • B28:55
  • B210:54
  • C115:31
  • B219:00
  • B227:36
  • C129:05
  • B236:49

Mark a few words and we'll tell you how this episode fits your level.

Is this episode right for you?

B2

B2 · Upper-intermediate

Comfortable if you already follow TV news

A1 44%A2 32%B1 15%B2 8%C1 1%
  • 91% of the words are B1 or easier.
  • 182 words a minute: natural, fairly fast speech.
  • 187 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.

Transcript

The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.

1:24

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast. My name is Abby Branker. I'm sitting here with Alan Kudan. Hello.

1:34

So Alan, if you were traipsing around. How does that do? A 17th century house. And you found like a loose floorboard and you decided to, you know, be a little nosy

1:46

and lift it up. I mean, my first concern is that this is a safety hazard. Right. investigate. Well, yeah, also like am I now looking, is this on the upstairs floor?

That was the opening. The rest of the episode (33 min) is in the player: every word clickable, with translation, saved words and flashcards.

Continue in the player

Automatically generated from the audio. May contain errors. Audio belongs to its publisher and is played from their feed. Rights holders can request removal — copyright & takedown policy