The Blindboy Podcast What Bebo chain letters can tell us about Anglo Saxon Pagan tree worship and the role of snakes in the evolution of human anxiety
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Oct 20, 2026 A winding exploration of magical thinking, from touching wood and Anglo-Saxon tree worship to Irish sacred water. Chain letters, Bebo, Roko’s Basilisk and ancient myths reveal how fear travels through stories and technology. The discussion slithers into snakes, cobras, the evil eye, cattle rituals, and the possibility that old basilisk legends preserve memories of real predators.
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The Wet Passport That Caused A Missed Flight
- A wet passport failed Berlin Airport's electronic scanner, forcing Blindboy Boatclub into a long manual queue.
- The mishap made him miss his flight despite arriving early and preparing carefully.
Touching Wood As Socially Acceptable Magical Thinking
- Touching wood functions as socially acceptable magical thinking used to neutralize fears of tempting fate.
- Blindboy Boatclub connects the practice to ancient tree worship rather than Christian symbolism.
Yggdrasil And The Necessary Serpent Of Decay
- Germanic cosmology imagined reality as Yggdrasil, with humans in its trunk, gods in branches, and the dead beneath its roots.
- The serpent Níðhöggr represented necessary decay rather than simple evil.
