From Navajo skinwalkers to Celtic selkies, explore the global folklore of shapeshifters who 'wear the skin' of animals—and discover what these transformation tales reveal about power, identity, and the queer experience of becoming something other.
Episode Idea Summary
From Navajo skinwalkers to Celtic selkies, explore the global folklore of shapeshifters who ‘wear the skin’ of animals—and discover what these transformation tales reveal about power, identity, and the queer experience of becoming something other.
Key Topics
Navajo Skinwalkers (yee naaldlooshii): Real beliefs vs. pop culture
Wendigo and Algonquin tradition: Greed, hunger, and possession
Selkies and Celtic shapeshifters: Tragic romance and stolen skins
Berserkers and Norse úlfheðnar: Warriors who wore the beast
The deep resonance between shapeshifting and trans/queer experiences
Cultural appropriation concerns and indigenous perspectives
Research Sources
Hunt for the Skinwalker by Colm Kelleher and George Knapp
Queer as Folklore: The Hidden Queer History of Myths and Monsters by Sacha Coward
“Becoming The Monster: Queer Monstrosity and the Reclamation of the Werewolf in Slash Fandom”
Indigenous scholars on skinwalker and wendigo beliefs
Paranormal 
