Loreplay

In the shadow of colonial Rio de Janeiro, beneath the historic Arco do Teles, lives the legend of Bárbara dos Prazeres—a woman remembered as beautiful, powerful… and possibly monstrous.
Said to have lived between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Bárbara’s story blends documented history with chilling folklore. Some versions claim she murdered her husband and lover, escaped justice through wealth and influence, and later became the center of horrifying rumors involving missing children and blood rituals tied to youth and beauty.
But here’s the truth: very little of this is firmly documented.
What survives is a story shaped by:
  •  colonial power structures 
  •  gender expectations 
  •  religious fear 
  •  and a city built on both wealth and exploitation 
Today, the Arco do Teles remains a real historical site—by day, a bustling corridor; by night, a place many claim still carries echoes of the past.
So was Bárbara a killer… a scapegoat… or something much harder to define?
Let’s step under the arch and find out.

From Lizzie Borden to Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous Blood Countess, Loreplay explores true crime, haunted history, paranormal mysteries, and the people behind the legends. Join host Dayna Pereira for ghost stories, witch trials, urban legends, cryptids, and dark history told with researched storytelling, sharp sarcasm, and absolutely no patience for historical bullshit.
Follow Loreplay wherever you listen to podcasts and find us on Instagram at @loreplaypod.
Come play.


Sources: 
  • Ribeiro, Fernando Barata. Crônicas da Polícia e da Vida do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro: Departamento de Imprensa Nacional, 1958. (the foundational primary source — directly quoted in most modern accounts)
  • Rezzutti, Paulo. Mulheres do Brasil: A história não contada. Rio de Janeiro: Leya, 2018.
  • Flores, Fernanda. "A lenda de Bárbara dos Prazeres, a prostituta que aterrorizou o Rio de Janeiro." Saiba História, February 12, 2020. saibahistoria.blogspot.com
  • "Arco do Teles." Rio Memórias (virtual museum). riomemorias.com.br
  • "A lenda de Bárbara dos Prazeres, a temida 'Bruxa do Arco do Teles.'" Brazilian Times, November 11, 2025. braziliantimes.com
  • Serqueira, Carlos. "A Bruxa do Arco do Teles." Mapas Antigos, Histórias Curiosas. Referenced via diariodorio.com
  • "Roda dos Expostos da Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro." História Hoje. historiahoje.com
  • "Arco do Teles." FreeWalker Tours Rio. freewalkertours.com
  • "Uma história de terror no centro do Rio de Janeiro." Instituto de Longevidade. institutodelongevidade.org
  • "Bárbara dos Prazeres: a bruxa que aterrorizou o Arco do Teles." Iconografia da História, February 1, 2021. iconografiadahistoria.com.br



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Creators and Guests

Host
Dayna Pereira
Show Host of Multiple Chart Hitting Podcasts. French Fry and Wine Enthusiast

What is Loreplay?

Hey there, My Fellow Lore Lovers. Welcome to Loreplay. The show where we dig up haunted history, creepy folklore, and paranormal weirdness and poke it with a stick. I tell you the legend, then I tell you what the actual sources say.. and then we sit together in the gap between the two, because that’s where the good stuff lives. Loreplay is skeptic-meets-believer. I love a ghost story as much as anyone, but I love digging into if we were fed some bullshit, or if the sources check out more. If a “fact” has been passed around for 150 years without a single receipt, we’re going to talk about it. We also don’t pretend history was some charming olde timey costume party. A lot of what gets packaged as spooky folklore was really people in power hurting people with none... women burned as witches, the poor locked away, the “different” made into monsters. Loreplay calls that out. Loudly. With jokes. So, to be clear about where this show stands: we’re pro human rights, pro truth, and deeply anti historical bullshit. If that bothers you, the door’s right there. Bye Girl.. If you love learning about all the fucked up ways history has historied, and you're ready to use that knowledge as your feral superpower, then welcome! We ride at dawn.