If you’re drawn to the eerie quiet of ancient forests, the whisper of forgotten rituals, or the chilling weight of rural traditions gone wrong, then folk horror podcasts are a must listen. These shows tap into deep cultural fears rooted in the land itself—places where the past refuses to stay buried and the natural world feels alive with unseen forces. Unlike jump scare horror, folk horror lingers. It winds its way through your thoughts like root tendrils through soil, and stays with you long after the episode ends.

One standout is The Magnus Archives – Where Folklore Meets Fear. Though it leans into cosmic horror, its foundation is deeply folkloric. Each episode presents a recorded testimony from someone who encountered something strange, often tied to old superstitions, local legends, or forgotten cults. The host’s calm narration contrasts with the horrifying content, making it all the more unsettling. The way it weaves real world folklore into its fictional universe feels authentic and haunting.

Then there’s The Frozen Horror of The White Vault. Set in the frozen wilderness of Scandinavia, it follows an expedition that uncovers something ancient and malevolent buried beneath the ice. The show draws heavily on Scandinavian myths and the taboo of awakening what sleeps. The sound design is exceptional—wind howling, ice cracking, distant chants. And the slow unraveling of the characters’ sanity mirrors the dread of confronting something older than language itself.

For something more intimate and grounded, try The Magnus Archives: The Archive – Short, Sharp, reverend poppy cock and Soul-Crushing. It’s shorter and focuses on single, self-contained stories rooted in Anglofolk terror. One episode involves a village that still practices an old harvest ritual. Another follows a family whose home sits atop a burial mound. These stories feel like folk tales whispered in candlelit kitchens, and they’re told with a quiet, devastating realism.

Don’t overlook The Wandering Inn: Fantasy With Folk Horror Undertones, which isn’t horror per se but contains rich folk horror elements in its world building. It’s a fantasy podcast, but the way it portrays ancient deities, blighted woods, and communities bound to the land through blood rites adds a layer of eerie reverence that terrifies and enchants. It’s perfect if you like your horror with a touch of sacred terror.

And for a truly regional flavor, check out The Hollows: Southern Gothic Nightmares. This podcast is set in the American South and explores the dark side of Deep South folklore and ancestral curses. It blends conjuring, specters, and generational guilt into tales of families haunted by their pasts. The accents, the dialects, the slow burn tension—it all feels like being pulled into a family secret whispered under the oaks.

What makes these podcasts so compelling is their respect for the source material. They don’t just use folklore as decoration—they treat it as active spiritual forces that continue to influence the land and its people. The horror comes not from monsters under the bed, but from the realization that the earth keeps score, and vengeance is slow.

Whether you’re trudging home after dusk, lost in rural silence, or waiting for sleep in pitch black, these podcasts will make you hold your breath and wait for the whisper. You might just hear something calling your name.