Lore & Explained
Astaroth Explained: The Demon in the Lesser Key of Solomon
Who is Astaroth? Read the grimoire descriptions, understand his rank and appearance, and separate later demon lore from the ancient goddess Astarte.
Sep 25, 2026Editorial attribution
Daniel Storm — Page 6
Daniel Storm covers demons, monsters and horror lore for Morbid Index — grimoire and folklore figures, cryptids and the fictional universes built around them — with a focus on naming primary sources and keeping documented tradition separate from modern invention.
This is an editorial byline. Read our attribution policy and sourcing standards.
Published articles
150 entries
Lore & Explained
Lamashtu Explained: The Demon Ancient Amulets Tried to Stop
Who was Lamashtu? Ancient amulets reveal a feared Mesopotamian demon, her connection to childbirth, and why Pazuzu could be used against her.
Sep 25, 2026
The Index
Sedlec Ossuary: The Real Story of the Czech Bone Church
Sedlec's bone chapel is a Christian ossuary, not a death cult. Explore its cemetery origins, famous decorations and the history behind the skulls.
Sep 25, 2026
Lore & Explained
Yuki-Onna Explained: Japan's Snow Woman and the Broken Promise
Who is Yuki-Onna? Explore the snow woman through Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan, from a deadly winter encounter to the promise that destroys a family.
Sep 25, 2026
Lore & Explained · Literature
Nyarlathotep Explained: Lovecraft's Crawling Chaos
Who is Nyarlathotep? Follow Lovecraft's changing portrayals, from a disturbing showman to a manipulator in the Dreamlands and a presence in darkness.
Sep 25, 2026
The Index
Paris Catacombs: The Real History Behind the Underground Ossuary
Why are there bones beneath Paris? The Catacombs began as a solution to cemetery overcrowding, not a secret burial cult or an ancient underground city.
Sep 25, 2026
Lore & Explained
Onryo and Yurei Explained: Japan's Ghosts and Vengeful Spirits
What is the difference between yurei and onryo? Japanese ghost stories, theater prints and literary tales show why not every spirit seeks revenge.
Sep 25, 2026
Lore & Explained · Movies
Nosferatu vs. Dracula: How Count Orlok Changed the Vampire
Is Count Orlok the same as Dracula? Compare the 1922 Nosferatu with Bram Stoker's novel, from appearance and plague to the crucial sunlight ending.
Sep 25, 2026
Lore & Explained · Literature
Frankenstein's Monster Explained: What the Novel Actually Says
Mary Shelley's creature can speak, read and argue. Explore his appearance, creation, crimes and ending without confusing the novel with later films.
Sep 25, 2026
Lore & Explained · Literature
Cthulhu Explained: Lovecraft's Sleeping Great Old One
What is Cthulhu, and is he really dead? Understand R'lyeh, the cult, the boat scene and the difference between Lovecraft's story and later lore.
Sep 25, 2026
Lore & Explained · Folklore
Werewolves Explained: The History of Lycanthropy, Wolf Trials, and the Full-Moon Myth
Werewolf traditions range from ancient transformation stories to early-modern trials and modern horror rules. The full moon was not an original universal feature.
Sep 21, 2026
Lore & Explained · Folklore
Vampires Explained: The Real Folklore Behind the Undead Before Dracula
Vampire traditions were never one universal mythology. Balkan revenant beliefs, New England practices and later fiction each have different histories.
Sep 21, 2026
Lore & Explained · Occult History
Aleister Crowley Explained: Thelema, Magick, the 'Great Beast,' and the Myths
Aleister Crowley was an influential and controversial occult writer. His actual work, organizations and self-mythology differ sharply from tabloid legend.
Sep 21, 2026
Lore & Explained · Folklore
The Necronomicon Explained: Lovecraft's Fictional Book and the Simon Edition
The Necronomicon was invented by H. P. Lovecraft. Later published books used the title, but real ancient names do not make their ritual systems ancient.
Sep 21, 2026
Lore & Explained · Modern Folklore
Men in Black Explained: How UFO Witness Stories Became a Modern Paranormal Legend
The Men in Black began as UFO-era stories about Albert Bender and Gray Barker, then became a modern paranormal legend. There is no proven organization behind the myth.
Sep 16, 2026
The Index · Occult History
The Fox Sisters: The Rappings, the Rise of Spiritualism, and the Confession That Changed Everything
Kate and Maggie Fox's 1848 Hydesville raps helped launch modern Spiritualism. Their 1888 confession matters, but it does not reduce a major movement to one neat sentence.
Sep 16, 2026
Lore & Explained · Folklore
The Beast of Gévaudan: The Real History Behind France's 18th-Century Monster Panic
Between 1764 and 1767, a series of deadly animal attacks terrified Gévaudan. Here is what the records say about the Beast, the hunts, Jean Chastel, wolves and later werewolf legend.
Sep 16, 2026
Lore & Explained · Demons & Occult
Leviathan Explained: The Biblical Sea Monster, Chaos Serpent, and Later Demon
Leviathan appears in Job, Psalms, and Isaiah as a chaos-serpent tied to older Near Eastern myth. The 'demon of envy' label and its supposed Ars Goetia listing came from a completely separate, much later tradition.
Sep 13, 2026