The Lore Lodge

Coffee Is Available!

Hey everyone, we are super excited to announce that our coffee blend is available for purchase! There will be a bigger announcement this weekend about it, but you’re getting the news here first. We worked closely with Tablow Roasting Co. to get EXACTLY the profile I wanted as the coffee snob I am, and we’re so excited to share it with you.

Also, the first 150 people to make a purchase will be entered into a drawing to win a Lore Lodge hoodie and a signed canvas print of o...

Something is at the door...

I heard laughter.

Not, however, the gleeful laughter of two friends out for a walk in the woods. There was no joy to this sound, no mirth in that god awful chortle which echoed from every direction at once. It was more like the chattering giggle of a hyena come upon a fresh carcass. And where on earth was it coming from? As each infernal chuckle ended, a new one took its place. It had to be multiple…people? No. That was not a human sound. It was devoid of any emotion.

I reached ...

I'm not alone in this forest.

“Anna’s been gone a while, Todd. I’m getting worried.” Carter wrung his hands as he paced with anxiety about our fire pit. He wasn’t wrong, she’d wandered off to find somewhere private so that she could relieve herself. We’d offered to construct some form of shelter, but she was insistent that it couldn’t wait. Our spot was pretty far off the beaten path, so we figured she wouldn’t need to go far.

“Do you wanna go look for her? I can stay here and get the fire going....

Fascinating Discovery in Israel

Archaeologists working at Mt. Ebal in Israel have discovered a tablet bearing a Hebrew inscription of a curse, which includes "YHWH", one of the Abrahamic God's many names. The find dates to around 1200 BC, making it the earliest example of Jewish religious writing known to man, giving researchers hard evidence that the Jewish people were literate far earlier than was previously proven.

For context, Biblical scholars agree that if the Exodus did occur, it was sometime between 1600 BC an...

Updates

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your patience regarding thank you notes and the audio versions of the podcast. The notes will go in the mail on Monday and the podcasts should be up Saturday and Sunday.

Again, we really appreciate all of you and we’re doing our best to be more on top of things! Also, if you’re owed a canvas print, those have been ordered and will ship this month :)

Suggestion Box

Hey everyone! We're getting ready to shoot videos for the April run of content. What are some things we haven't covered that you'd like to see? Or, is there something we've gone over in the past that you'd like us to revisit? Let us know!

Into the Depths

Sean drank desperately. No regard was present in his mind for contaminants, nor even the sound which his angry lapping created. Surely there would be no reason for the creatures which shared this underground world to follow down with their refuse? And yet, a distinct feeling of unease ate away at his gut. His thoughts began to snowball. What if there was another way in? Or worse, what if there were no way out? Could those…things…come back for him? Had they any reason to? And the stench…...

George Washington on the Illuminati

Offering everyone some light reading prior to tonight's podcast. These three letters, one addressed to George Washington, and two addressed from George Washington to a Rev. Snyder, are some of the most well preserved and best attested mentions of the Illuminati in relation to the Freemasons.

Letter to Washington regarding the Illuminati:

Sir,

You will, I hope, not think it a Presumption in a Stranger, whose Name, perhaps never reached your Ears, to address h...

A Trickle of Water: Part One

Hey everyone! I'm adding a brand new Patron exclusive perk. This is a story I've been working on for a bit, which I'll be adding 3-5 page serial installments to each week. Eventually, it may become a novel or novella, but you'll get to read it here first!

A trickle of water stirred Sean’s consciousness. It did not fall on to him, nor did it pool near him. Rather, it produced a gentle gurgle as it slipped down the cold, stony surface of the cave’s wall. Upon reaching a particularly d...

The Stacks

I don't talk about it much, but back when I was in college I had a very odd experience in the Pattee Stacks at Penn State. I was there very late at night looking for a book for a paper. I usually didn't go to the library unless I was already on campus for classes, but the paper was due too soon for me to wait until morning.

There was a murder there in 1969, and everyone has felt uneasy down there since. A young woman was stabbed through the heart with an ice pick, and the perpetrator wa...

What's something you'd like us to cover?

We're looking to do more Patron specific content. This will be covered on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, with a specific Patron shoutout when the video goes live!

Moving Forward...

Hey everyone! As we get closer to 2022, we're in discussions for how to organize content across the board. As some of our most loyal supporters, we wanted to ask what you'd like to see in terms of Patron exclusive content on this platform? More videos? Ad free videos? Behind the scenes? Let us know!

Evil in Genesis

Been meaning to get back to posting some academic work for those interested. Here's one I wrote for a 400 Level course on Wisdom in the Bible.

Evil in Genesis

In interpreting and discussing the meaning of the word and concept of evil in a biblical context, two things must first be determined. First, the meaning of the word. Second, its root cause. Both of these can be determined from Genesis, and it is reasonable that one would start at the beginning when determi...

Changes to Benefits System

Hey guys, you may have noticed some changes to the benefits system. Unfortunately, sending out individual perks was becoming very difficult as well as very expensive, so we've opted to have Patreon handle that end. We've also added two new, higher tiers, and streamlined the lower ones. If you have questions, feel free to ask! Hope this makes things simpler in the future, and we can't wait to serve you better!

T Shirts

Please respond to this post if you are owed a T Shirt and have not received one! A number are being shipped today!

Legend of the Sword

So, back in college I took an Arthurian Lit course. One assignment was to review a modern retelling of the legend. I picked King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and oh boy did 20 year old me have some thoughts:

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is the latest and largest entry into the world of cinematic adaptations of the Arthurian Legend, and it’s just awful. From awkward, video game-like action sequences to a confusing and discordant plot with no clear point or climax, ...

Shirts

Master Lorespeaker shirts are in and have been washed, should be mailed this week!

The Teutonic Knights

Among the many religious military orders of the High Medieval period was the Teutonic Order, a group of Germanic crusaders who formed in Acre in 1190. Fulfilling a similar mission to that of the Knights Hospitaller, the Teutonic Knights played a limited role in the Holy Land as they devoted more of their strength to hospitals and escorts than to widespread fighting. In the Baltic region, however, the Teutonic Order carved out an independent state on the frontier of Christendom, fighting again...

Benefits

Again, I am so sorry. We’ve been really struggling to keep up with logistics. If you’re owed a shirt, handwritten note, or any other physical benefit, please text me at (610) 306-2234 with your tier, benefits, name, size, and address.

Once again we seriously apologize for the delays!

Tier Benefits

Hey everyone, physical tier benefits for those who pledged in June and July will be ordered next week and shipped as soon as they arrive. So sorry for the wait, took us a bit to design and get things organized. If you have a shirt coming and haven’t let us know your shipping address/sizing, please shoot us a message so we can be sure everything goes over properly!

Hard Ruler

This document contains a paper written about the life of Harald Hardrada of Norway, organized episodically as it should appear if made into a movie or television program.

On a Misty Walk

I've here made an attempt to transcribe a thoroughly confusing 14th century poem by Dafydd ap Gwilym into prose form.

The Original Welsh:

Oed â'm rhiain addfeindeg
a wnaethwn yn dalgrwn deg,
i fyned, wedi 'mgredu,
ymaith, ac oferdaith fu.
Myn'd yn gynnar i'w haros,
egino niwl gan y nos.
Tywyllawdd wybr fantellau
y ffordd, fal pettwn mewn ffau.
Cuddiaw golwybr yr wybren,
codi niwl cau hyd y nen.
Cyn cerdded cam o'm tramwy,
ni welid man o'r wlad mwy...

The Knights Templar and Their Legacy

Been doing a lot of history content lately, and I wanted to provide some academic sources on some of the things I talk about. To that end, Patrons will now have access to some of my academic work from college. This is a copy of a term paper on the Knights Templar from a 400-level history/religious studies course at Penn State, written by me in 2019.

Benefits and Thank You

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone for supporting our work here! It means the world to us and we're very grateful. This first full month or so has been a whirlwind, but we're starting to find a rhythm and we're very excited to produce more content for you.

If your tier includes a physical membership perk, such as a t-shirt or handwritten note, please shoot us an email at thelorelodge@gmail.com with your name, membership tier, and address, and we'll...

Merch Store Online!

Hey everyone, after some hard work, our merch store is finally live. We have a selection of tee shirts, hoodies, phone cases, and mugs, with more sure to come!

https://the-lore-lodge.creator-spring.com/

Digital Copy of "We Went Camping"

We Went Camping is a short story written by Aidan Mattis, the host of The Lore Lodge, when he was in college. The story follows a group of college students on a camping trip into the northern Pennsylvania wilderness, where they meet with an ancient evil.

Welcome to the Lore Lodge!

If you’re here, you probably found our videos on TikTok or YouTube. Sharing stories about history, lore, mythology, and religion. Hope you enjoy the content and we appreciate your support!