This is After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal. The podcast that takes you to the shadiest corners of the past, unpicking history’s spookiest, strangest, and most sinister stories.
Join historians Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, every Monday and Thursday to take a look at the darker side of history. From haunted pubs and Houdini, to witch trials and weird UFO sightings.
After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal - a podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets.
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*Warning: this episode contains discussions of child death* Deep beneath the sunny streets of Palermo Sicily, the Capuchin Catacombs are home to over a thousand people, most of them still standing in their Sunday best. Why did the residents of the catacombs want to be buried standing up? And how have their remains survived centuries? Joining Anthony today as a special guest co-host is Cat Irving, Human Remains Conservator at Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh, to take us back through this fascinating h...
Ancient Britain was occupied by the Romans, and tension was building with local tribes. Their brutal occupation reached a breaking point. So what happened when Queen Boudica stood up to the might of the Roman Empire? Bloody battles followed and Roman occupation in Britain changed forever. Her incredible life and story will shock and surprise you. Taking you back to Iron Age Britain is the incredible historian and author Kate Williams, who joins Anthony to immerse us in Boudica's world. Edited by...
*Warning: this episode contains discussions of puss* Gonorrhea and syphilis are no laughing matter, especially in a time before antibiotics. How were symptoms first recorded and what were the disturbing treatments people endured? Joining Anthony today as a special guest co-host is Cat Irving, Human Remains Conservator at Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh, to take us back through this gruesome history. Edited by Anna Brant and Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Freddy Chic...
Queen Victorian was an icon of Britain at the zenith of its power... but that didn't mean she was invulnerable to attack. In today’s episode, we’ll be exploring some of the many assassination attempts on Victoria's life. We’ll be discussing the massive changes Britain was experiencing during this time and how this might have motivated these attackers… Some of them are pretty wild. Our guest today is Professor Kate Williams, historian and author whose new book ‘ Regina: A New History of Women and...
What did Ancient Egyptians discover while dissecting bodies? What did the first medieval dissecting manual say? Who were the serial killers who supplied 19th century surgeons with bodies in Edinburgh? Joining Anthony today as a special guest co-host is Cat Irving, Human Remains Conservator at Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh, to take us back through this bloody history. Edited by Anna Brant and Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundr...
Today we're delving back to an early episode of After Dark, where Anthony and Maddy explore the goriest murders of Ancient Rome. From flesh-eating fish and humiliating deaths inside sacks, to a deadly re-enactment of the Icarus myth. For a culture that is seen as an emblem of civilisation (whatever that means), the Romans expended a lot of creative energy on inventing new ways to kill people. And our guest today knows them all! Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling are joined by the one and only Emm...
What lurks behind the door of Dr. Kahn's Grand Anatomical Museum in Victorian London? Step inside and find out what shocked the public (and medical establishment) of the 19th century Britain so much, that it was eventually forced to close. To take you there today, Anthony is joined by guest co-host Cat Irving, Human Remains Conservator at Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh. Edited by Anna Brant and Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hun...
For the Ancient Egyptians, death marked the beginning of a new chapter: a journey through a shadowy realm of trials, monsters, and divine judgment, ruled by the God Osiris. What does the Ancient Egyptian Underworld, the Duat, tell us about their culture, their society and morality? Our guest for today is Dr. Campbell Price! Campbell is our go-to Ancient Egypt expert, he is Curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum and honorary research fellow at University of Liverpool. His newest book ‘ B...
This episode explores the extraordinary life and legacy of Artemisia Gentileschi, a 17th-century Baroque painter whose personal traumas, including sexual assault and a brutal public trial, profoundly influenced her art. Despite immense societal and professional barriers, she became a prolific artist, celebrated for her powerful depictions of women. The discussion delves into her early training, her radical interpretations of biblical stories like "Susanna and the Elders" and "Judith Slaying Holofernes," and her journey to becoming a rediscovered feminist icon whose work continues to inspire.
Hear a chapter of Maddy's new book, "Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment". It's out now! It's the story of three women and their hoaxes in the age of Enlightenment. One saw ghosts, the other claimed magic powers, the third was a Princess. Were these hoaxes entirely of their own making? Why were the public transfixed? For more information, click here. After Dark will return to its normal programming on Monday (Sunday for subscribers). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...
When you think of the Aztec Empire, what do you picture? Human sacrifice? In today's episode, Anthony is joined by Aztec expert Dr. Caroline Dodds Pennock, to unpack why we fetishise the Aztecs in this way, why ritualised violence is certainly not limited to this civilisation in this time in history, and who it benefitted to think of them in this way. Edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original ...
Today we are celebrating the upcoming publication of Maddy's new book 'Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment' by sharing one of the stories from it. This is the story of a fake Princess from far-off lands who hoaxed Georgian Britain. What was the truth of her story? Get your copy here: https://profilebooks.com/work/hoax/ Edited by Hannah Feodorov and Anna Brant. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. For tickets to see Anthony and Maddy talking about her new book,...
Today we are celebrating the upcoming publication of Maddy's new book 'Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment' by sharing one of the stories from it. The haunting of Cock Lane is the most iconic ghost story in London's long history, taking place in the year 1762. Was it a hoax? Pre-order your copy of Maddy's book now: https://profilebooks.com/work/hoax/ Maddy tells Anthony Delaney the story today. Edited by Hannah Feodorov. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. For tickets to see Anthony an...
In Ancient Mesopotamia, the boundary between the living and the dead was not always fixed... some even believed it could be crossed. But why would the living seek counsel from the dead? How common were these practices? And what answers did people hope the spirits might reveal? In this episode, Anthony is joined by the brilliant Dr. Irving Finkel! Irving is a returning guest and Curator in the Department of Middle East at the British Museum. Be sure to check out our other episode with Irving, Ear...
Across prehistoric Britain people raised vast stone circles, buried their dead in monumental tombs, and left offerings in rivers and bogs. Archaeologists have uncovered skeletons bearing signs of violence, carefully arranged human bones, and bodies that may have been killed in ritual… Out guest today is fan favourite Ronald Hutton. Ronald is a returning guest, having been on numerous episodes of After Dark including the the Execution of Charles I and the Dark Side of the Celts . Edited by Hannah...
On a summer day in Sarajevo in 1914, a young man fired two rounds of his pistol in the middle of the street, killing a Royal couple... He didn't know it then, but his actions would cause a chain reaction, resulting in the First World War. But who were Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, the Duchess Sofie? What kind of relationship did they have? And how did a single, chaotic day unravel into one of history’s most devastating turning points? Anthony is joined for the final time this month by t...
Is it true that third-class passengers were locked below decks? Or that more lifeboats would have saved more lives? Did the band really play as the Titanic went down? Anthony is joined once again by the marvellous Gareth Russell to debunk the myths around the disaster. Gareth's book is The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era . Research by Phoebe Joyce. Edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. For tickets to s...
On the night of Saturday the 9th of March, 1566, a pregnant Mary Queen of Scots was having a dinner party. It was a night that ended in the brutal murder of one of her closest friends, David Rizzio, led by her husband, Lord Darnley. How did this happen? How did Mary handle this traumatic moment? And did Mary have a Scottish or French accent?! Joining Anthony once more as special guest co-host is author and historian Gareth Russell, to take us back to this disturbing night. You can now watch Afte...
The Victorians are seen as the ultimate guardians of rigid gender boundaries. When Fanny Park and Stella Boulton transgressed those imagined lines, they triggered a scandal that reached the length and breadth of Britain. To tell this story Anthony is joined by HRH Aphrodite , historian, artist and drag queen. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit Edited by Hannah Feodorov and Anna Brant. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. For tickets to see Anthony and Maddy tal...
He's known as one of history's most murderous kings, but was he always a monster? Or was he acting in ways expected of a king during his time. Joining Anthony as special guest co-host is author and historian Gareth Russell, to explore the theories that support the latter. Did the break from Rome set him off on a violent spiral? Did a fall from a horse in a jousting tournament really start his descent into darkness?! Or is there just no justifying what he did? You can now watch After Dark on Yout...
It was one of the most gruesome crimes of the Victorian era... and it ended up in David Attenborough's garden! Kate Webster, a servant, killed and dismembered her mistress, Julia Martha Thomas in 1879. It's a story that show us the everyday life of Victorian Londoners, and how that world can be turned upside down. Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit Produced by Stuart B...
The book and TV series "Outlander" has introduced millions of fans to Scottish history and the story of the Jacobites. One of those fans is Maddy Pelling! Maddy is back (in a pre-recorded episode) to delve into the tragic story of the Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army. Joining her today is Dr. Alexandra Dold, expert and scholar in all things Outlander, to take you back to the 18th century Scottish uprisings. Edited by Hannah Feodorov and Anna Brant. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. You can now watc...
Listener warning: this episode contains a description of cruelty to animals One of the strangest tales to emerge from Napoleonic France was that of Tarrare - the man who ate everything. The stories go that he ate corks, cats, snakes and was even guilty of cannibalism. Is this myth or reality? Anthony is joined by Dr Cat Byers, historian of the Paris Morgue to tell this tale. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistor...
It was the original modern ghost hunt, the one that set the template for all the haunted houses to come. When a wealthy plantation family moves into a crumbling Georgian mansion in the 1760's the haunting begins. By the end even royalty were on tenterhooks. Eleanor Janega joins Anthony Delaney for this episode. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original ...
The Ancient Celts: feared in battle, guided by Druids, and bound together by ritual. Long before Rome pushed north, Celtic peoples ruled forests, hilltops, and river valleys. But in this episode we'll be discussing the darker aspects of this ancient civilisation... We are very lucky to be joined by Professor Ronald Hutton as our guest. Ronald is a returning fan favourite having been on numerous episodes of After Dark, including the Origins of Halloween and the Execution of Charles I . This episo...
It's one of history's greatest mysteries - 'what happened to the Princes in the Tower?' In 1483, young Edward V and his brother Richard were awaiting Edward's coronation. But next thing we know, they vanished and their uncle Richard III has taken the throne. So what happened? Eleanor Janega guides Anthony through this episode, with a special guest appearance by Eleanor's 'Gone Medieval' co-host Matt Lewis! 'Gone Medieval' is History Hit's medieval history podcast. Check it out if you want to fin...
You might think the idea of “celebrity” is a modern invention. In reality, its roots stretch back centuries... perhaps even millennia. People have always been fascinated by the rare individuals who rise above the crowd and capture public attention. Whether admired or despised, the famous have always held a powerful grip on our curiosity. In this episode, we explore the dark origins of 'celebrity': where it began, how it has evolved, and the strange ways it has shaped people's lives. We delve int...
Eyewitness accounts of life during the Black Death are surprising. Sure, there's horror. But there's also d*ck jokes, complicated scientific theories, and buttock-obsessed priests. Taking Anthony through it all is Dr Eleanor Janega, from our sister podcast 'Gone Medieval'. Edited by Hannah Feodorov and Anna Brant. Research by Phoebe Joyce. Produced by Freddy Chick. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of origin...
In 44 BCE, Roman senators assassinated Julius Caesar to stop his ascent towards becoming a king. Dr Jess Venner takes Anthony blow-by-blow through the deadly events of the Ides of March. Dr Jess Venner's new book The Lost Voices of Pompeii: The Final Day in Seven Lives' will be out in April. This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit Sign up to History...
Anthony is joined by the iconic Eleanor Janega from our sister podcast 'Gone Medieval' to tell the story of the most famous murder of the medieval world - Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Cantebury. How did a bromance between Thomas and his king turn into a deadly divide between church and crown? This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick. You can now watch After Dark on Youtube! www.youtube.com/@afterdarkhistoryhit Sign up to Histor...
