The Mortician's Daughter

In this episode, we uncover the surprisingly dark origins of some favorite fairy tales, where "happily ever after" wasn’t always guaranteed. Stories like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty trace back to creepy fireside fables rather than the technicolor versions most of us are familiar with today... -- Written by Carly Schorman Narrated by Dana Stern Produced and Edited by Syeed Poole Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

Grief is perhaps the most terrible part of the human experience, but death? Well, sometimes death can sometimes be funny. From unfortunate royal ends to courtrooms gone awry, we’ll discuss the gray space between the sorrow of loss and death’s occasional sense of humor.   -- Written by Carly Schorman Narrated by Dana Stern Produced and Edited by Syeed Poole Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

In this episode, we dive into the wild world of the 1980s Satanic Panic, when everyone thought the devil was lurking in their neighborhood. From over-the-top conspiracy theories to the baffling trials, we trace the development of this moral frenzy all the way to some viral conspiracies of the present day.   Written by Carly Schorman Narrated by Dana Stern Produced and Edited by Syeed Poole Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

Join us as we deep dive into the complexities of stalking: examining its prevalence, risk factors, and the chilling stories of infamous cases that have captured the public’s attention. From the Night Stalker to highway serial killers, we’ll explore the space between obsession and violence... -- Written and Narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Syeed Poole Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

Welcome to this episode, where we delve into the mysterious and chilling history of the Hope Diamond. Known for its stunning beauty and enormous value, this gem is equally famous for the curse said to follow its owners, bringing misfortune and tragedy. Join us as we explore the legends, lore, and dark secrets surrounding one of the world's most infamous jewels... -- Written and Narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Syeed Poole Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

On this installment of The Mortician’s Daughter, we’re continuing our Insiders Interview Series with special guest, Dr. Aneesah Nadir, a pioneer in the field of Muslim mental health and a cofounder of the Islamic Social Services Association-USA (ISSA-USA). We’ll be speaking with her about Grief and End of Life Practices within the Islamic community. -- Written and Narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

On Episode 25, Dana will be filling in as host to discuss Cursed Tombs from the mummy’s curse in Ancient Egypt to King Casimir IV in Poland and a caged grave in the Scottish Highlands. Get ready.  -- Written by Carly Schorman Narrated by Dana Stern Produced and edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

Join us for a discussion about Contract Killers and the sometimes frightening, sometimes stupid Murder-for-Hire schemes from American History. From mobsters during the Prohibition to love torn asunder, we’ll be talking about cold-blooded killers and the people who paid them... -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

We have a very special interview to kick off the New Year with the Reverend Elena Rose Vera -- artist, activist, public speaker, ordained minister, and Filipina-Ashkenazi trans woman -- to discuss inclusive deathcare and grief support... -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

Everyone loves a Hallmark Christmas movie castle, but what if that castle was haunted? On this episode, we’re continuing our Hauntings series with another installment, but this time we’re focusing on Haunted Castles and the ghosts (or demon dogs) that roam the hallways and courtyards of these historic estates. -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

Welcome to the launch of our new interview series with other funeral industry professionals about their work and, probably, their work ethics as we delve deeper into deathcare. Rachel Essig, Executive Director of River View Cemetery and Funeral Home kicks off the series with a conversation about this historic space in Portland and the future of funerals. -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

In this episode, we explore the fearsome Goddesses of the Graveyard. These dark goddesses bring forth destruction, offer sanctuary to the dead, or maybe they just have a lot of rage. For this initial installment, we’ll be discussing Persephone, ruler of the Underworld, the Haitian graveyard protector Maman Brigitte, and the fierce demon-slaying Hindu goddess Kali. -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

If you suddenly find yourself floating through a long, dark tunnel toward a bright light, you might have just died. In this episode, we discuss NDEs, or near-death experiences, and some of the theories surrounding this phenomenon. Around the world, people of different cultural and religious backgrounds report similar experiences amongst those who have died and then come back from the brink...  -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and Edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

In this episode, we explore the origin of the classic slumber party game, Bloody Mary, as well as three murderous women from history who just might be the creepy woman in the mirror. From the Blood Countess of Transylvania to British royals, we have the details on these Bloody Marys. Special guest host Dana Stern. -- Written by Carly Schorman Narrated by Dana Stern Produced and Edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.  

The Mortician’s Daughter returns!! In this episode, we talk about Werner Herzog, the dangers of cell phones and selfies, and more. Join us as we normalize conversations about death while having a little fun with some occasionally morbid topics... -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson Theme song by Doug Maxwell Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

In this episode, I’m honoring a special birthday request for more ghost stories, but rather than just running through an assortment of haunted places, I thought it would be fun to focus on the ghosts that surround one historical figure: King Henry VIII of England. Henry the VIII’s romantic life, and his six wives, has held our fascination for centuries so we'll be discussing the lives (ahem, I mean, afterlives) of his many brides... King Henry's ghosts. -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson and Devin Morris Theme song “Of Soil & Sleep” by Travis James Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

 There are so many different festivals and holidays around the end of October that merged together to form what we in the USA call Halloween and today I’d like us to untangle some of those threads together. We’ll walk through some of the history of the holiday from the ancient festival of Samhain to the present-day consumer megabeast we know and love. -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson and Devin Morris Theme song “Of Soil & Sleep” by Travis James Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

For this episode, I discuss some odds and ends I’ve discovered on this podcasting journey. Sometimes my research turns up interesting tidbits that I don’t get to talk about during our brief monthly meditation. So I’ve gathered some favorites here including the paradoxical frog, toxic people, spontaneous combustion, and more... -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson and Devin Morris Theme song “Of Soil & Sleep” by Travis James Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

This episode just so happens to be Lucky Number Thirteen so I thought this would be the perfect time to explore my lucky number and the superstitions surrounding it. We’ll get into some of the history of its unlucky status, its present day impact, Friday the 13th, and more. You can also hear Carly say “paraskevidekatriaphobia” several times... Thank you to this month's sponsor: Spicy Peanut Noodles and all the Coffee I can drink. -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson and Devin Morris Theme song “Of Soil & Sleep” by Travis James Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.

Let’s hit pause on this era of shared despair to try and find some humor amid the misery. A twisted humor, perhaps, but good for a laugh all the same. Even if it’s just a modest chuckle. Join us as we consider the famous last words, the occasionally mixed feelings about human calamities, and the dangers of everyday objects and events, like molasses and atomic wedgies. Thank you to this month's sponsor: Spicy Peanut Noodles and all the Coffee I can drink. -- Written and narrated by Carly Schorman Produced and edited by Mark Anderson and Devin Morris Theme song “Of Soil & Sleep” by Travis James Hear The Mortician’s Daughter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, Goodpods or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out the antics, memes, and more of The Mortician’s Daughter on Instagram and TikTok.