Lore: Supply and Demand
This podcast retells the story of the final murder committed by Burke and Hare, presenting the myth that grew out of the real-life true crime narrative. Mahnke's narration is telling, however, at the conclusion. Though Burke and Hare were famed criminals (indeed, Burke's skeleton is still on display) and their punishments arguably moments of public catharsis, Mahnke wishes to humanize Hare at the conclusion of his retelling. This move, strange as it may be, also complicates the history over Burke and Hare's status as hard laborers. I argue that, unlike their contemporaries, modern readers/tellers of the Burke and Hare myth reach to understand, or at least point toward, the economic need to resort to violence and the breaking of social mores.
Taken from Lore's website: "Throughout history, certain individuals have managed to rise to the challenge in the face of difficulty. But in 1827, that attitude was taken to a new—and horrific—level."
