We all make typos. Spelling mistakes range from the harmless to the disastrous, and they are almost impossible to get rid of. But what can typos teach us? What do they reveal about language and the human mind? This episode explores the hidden history of spelling mistakes, delving deep into their demonic past and discovering the forgotten origins of the Demogorgon, an ancient monster brought back to fame by the TV series Stranger Things.

Hosted and written by Sophus Helle. Sound editing by Simone Nystrup-Larsen. Edited by Andreas Lindinger Saxild.

Find out more at sophushelle.com/monkeymind.

Monkey Mind

Combining wit and wisdom, silliness and seriousness, the podcast Monkey Mind by Sophus Helle takes the audience on a weekly jaunt through the jungle of the mind. Each episode throws a new and unusual light on the issues of everyday life—trees, typos, taxes, and much more besides—making the audience look again at a world they thought they knew. It tells stories that are designed to make the listener chuckle, then reflect, drawn from both the host’s own life and from the deep well of history.

Sophus Helle is a writer, translator, and cultural historian. He is an expert in the Babylonian epic Gilgamesh and the ancient poet Enheduana.