This week we have a couple of early tall tales or urban legends from the 18th and 19th century. First up is Tarrare, a French street performer and sometime soldier that was constantly hungry, eating literally anything organic he could get his hands on. The second being Edward Mordrake, a supposed heir to a wealthy family that had a second face on the back of his head that whispered bad things to him at night. Both fascinating, and both most likely tall tales, but certainly worth a listen....
May 21, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 275
This week we discuss Native American origin stories. Just about every culture has a story for how the world was created that tells you something about it's core values and beliefs. Many Native cultures in the Americas share a creation story involving the creation of the land on the back of a turtle. For this reason, North America is sometimes referred to as Turtle Island. Take a listen and learn a bit about the creation of the world.
May 14, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 274
In the late 60s people started reporting seeing the dead rising from Highgate Cemetery in London. General wave of mass hysteria broke out leading mobs of people to flock to the cemetery with stakes to hunt the vampire. It also produced one of the strangest rivalries between two occult "experts" who both claimed to have successfully hunted the vampire.
May 07, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 273
There are legends among the Cherokee and other Native American tribes of a people that existed in North America well before the arrival of Columbus that had very light skin and large "moon eyes". Theories have abounded about who or what these Moon Eyed people were, from Albinos, to decedents of pre-Columbian Welsh explorers, to Aliens (of course). Take a listen and see what you think is behind the stories of the Moon Eyed People
Apr 30, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 272
Mankind has been practicing many forms of body modification for tens of thousands of years. Most are aware of things like piercings and tattoos, but there are some more extreme forms that have been used across the globe at different times by different societies. One of these, is intentional cranial deformation, or skull shaping. Many groups have bound the heads of their children to create a particular skull shape that was considered aesthetically pleasing or a sign of high social standing. Liste...
Apr 23, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 271
One of the most enduring myths from the time of Spanish conquest of the New World is the take of El Dorado, the city of gold. We discuss the actual historical roots of the myth and how the Spanish and other colonial powers began to dream of cities full of gold.
Apr 16, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 270
This week's podcast details two tales of missing persons who were assumed dead in strange circumstances and were eventually found years later. Always good when a disappearance has a happy (ish) ending.
Apr 09, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 269
This week we discuss the Unification Church, more commonly known as The Moonies. The church was founded by Sun Myung Moon and began to grow in the years after World War II. Moon claimed to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, sent to complete his mission on earth and bring about The Kingdom of God. The church is widely considered to by a cult and is mostly known for it's huge mass marriage ceremonies, marrying thousands of couples at once. Interestingly the church has branched in to politics an...
Apr 02, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 268
The fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was the deadliest industrial disaster in US history. 146 workers lost their lives when a fire started in the factory, located on the 8th - 10th floors of the Asch Building near Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. The owners of the building kept the doors of the factory locked during working hours to prevent the workers from taking unauthorized breaks and lead to the great loss of life. Come learn about the fire, and the effect it had on worker...
Mar 26, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 267
Time for a little story about mysterious treasure, tons of gold, land lost to immanent domain, and the whole lot possibly stolen by... LBJ? The treasure of Victorio Peak was found by Doc Noss in 1937, and supposedly dwelled without hidden caverns under the mountain. However, before he could removed it all, the area was taken over as part of White Sands Missile Range. Legal battles raged over who owned the treasure and who could search for it and rumors even persist that Lyndon Johnson himself sh...
Mar 19, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 266
Time for a deep dive into some lesser known mythology. Rather than Greeks, Romans, or Norse, we take a look at a figure from Irish mythology, The Morrigan. The Morrigan is an Irish goddess of war and fate that plays a role in many ancient Gaelic stories. She backs various figures in battle, controls the fate of kingdoms, and often like to hang out as a raven or cow. What's not to like? Tune in and find out more.
Mar 12, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 265
Today's topic is one from the all time annals of unethical experimentation, The Tuskegee Experiment. From 1932-1972 black men who were infected with syphilis were monitored by their doctors without being told of their condition and without being treated long after the disease became easily curable. Since their infected status was kept from them, they unknowingly infected their partners and children were born with congenital syphilis. The experiment was not ended until a whistleblower finally wen...
Mar 05, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 264
This week we continue our discussion of the Terra Nova expedition, Robert Falcon Scott's attempt to become the first human to reach the south pole. This week we discuss the push for the pole and the result of the race between Scott and Amundsen including the tragic aftermath. Take a listen and join us for some time spent in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.
Feb 27, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 263
This week we discuss the Terra Nova expedition, a largely privately funded attempt by Robert Falcon Scott to become the first human to reach the south pole. While history most often centers on the race between Scott and Norwegian Roald Amundsen to reach the pole, the expedition was took part in a great deal of other exploration and scientific discovery. This week we learn about the start of the expedition and the discoveries made in 1910-1911, before the push for the pole.
Feb 20, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 262
This week we discuss the Greek Myth of King Midas and his wish for a golden touch. Learn more about the myth, the truth behind the historic King Midas, and variations on the tale that appear around the world in various forms.
Feb 13, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 261
Most people have heard the story of Lady Godiva's ride au natural through the town of Coventry and possibly Peeping Tom who was disrespectful enough to watch her and ended up going blind. However, did you know that the whole story is about taxes? Take a listen and find out how much, if any, of the story is based on fact and if there ever was indeed a Lady Godiva in 11th century England.
Feb 06, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 260
Over the years, almost half a dozen movies have been made about Bufford Pusser, .Tennessee Sheriff, that fought organized crime and attempted to avenge the death of his wife. We discuss the real story of Buford Pusser and a little bit about the history of Moonshine.
Jan 30, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 259
John Wesley Hardin was the son of a Methodist minister, but it didn't seem to rub off on him. Born in 1853, he became a notorious outlaw of the wild west (or maybe more correctly a serial killer in folk hero disguise). Killing a man when he was 14, he was finally sentenced to jail in 1877 having claimed to have killed 42 men, though only 27 were verified. Somehow he was released from prison and pardoned in 1894, promptly passing the bar exam and gaining the right to practice law before killing a...
Jan 23, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 258
We continue last weeks topic of the crusades. Europe's drunken weekend continues with wave after wave armies sent off to "fight the infidels", be they in the holy land or sometimes the south of France. Richard the Lionheart and Frederic Barbarossa make an appearance, and a pope attempts to lead an army into battle. Nothing goes well.
Jan 16, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 257
Today we delve into history a bit and discuss the crusades and most specifically the First Crusade. We often hear the crusades referenced in western language all the time with various causes and quests being termed a "crusade", but most people don't know much about the actual crusades themselves. Violent, homicidal, ill planned hoards of knights and peasants trying to free the the holy land in search of the salvation promised them for their violent acts... the crusades are not for the faint of h...
Jan 09, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 256
To kick of 2024 we discuss the Great Library of Alexandria. Supposedly created around 300BCE in the Ptolemaic Kindom of Egypt shortly after the breakup of the empire of Alexander the Great, the Great Library is famed for having collected all the written knowledge that the rulers of Alexandria could get their hands on. Any ship passing through the trading port was required to submit any books for copy and installation in the library. However, was this library really as vast and wonderous as was r...
Jan 02, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 255
This week, for Christmas, the podcast looks at the history of Krampus, Santa's much less friendly BFF that punishes children for being bad. From his origins in the myths of the Alps, to Krampus Spinoffs like Frau Perchta, to modern Krampus celebrations in Austria, we have all your Krampus needs covered. Listen up and be good boys and girls or Krampus might have to birch you... or drag you off to hell depending on your take of the legend.
Dec 26, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 254
Ever wonder where some of your favorite Christmas traditions came from? This week's podcast takes a look at the origins of Christmas Trees in the United States, Gingerbread Houses, and the origin of the ugly Christmas Sweater. Kick back, drink some egg nog, and enjoy.
Dec 19, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 253
This week's podcast gets back to our roots in weird cults. The cult du jour is The Family, an Australian group also known as the Santiniketan Park Association and the Great White Brotherhood (yes, they are that racist). The cult started as a new age group led by founder Anne Hamilton-Byrne, that taught a strange amalgamation of Christianity and Eastern Religion with Hamilton-Byrne claiming to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Sadly, the group eventually led down the path of Hamilton-Byrne skim...
Dec 12, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 252
Time for a bit of classical music lore. We discuss the life and times of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, from his days as a child prodigy to his early death and burial in a common grave. What are the most common theories about the cause of his untimely death? Did F. Murray Abraham do him in? Come take a listen.
Dec 05, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 251
Nikola Tesla has gained renown over the years for being a far sighted inventor and engineer that seemed to sense the future potential of electromagnetic waves and induction, helping create the present AC powered world we live in and sensing the usefulness of communication through electromagnetic waves. While we could go into the details of his inventions, this isn't that kind of podcast ;) We offer a glimpse into his life, from dodging the Hungarian Army to falling in love with a Pigeon. Take a ...
Nov 28, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 250
Edgar Cayce was a claimed clairvoyant who though connecting with his "higher self" in a trance like state, spoke of all sorts of subjects both controversial and mundane. These sessions were often recorded and in them he discussed medical practices, the nature of the afterlife, and interestingly enough... a lot about the Lost City of Atlantis. Cayce founded the Association for Research and Enlightenment to record the results of his sessions and attempt to put the advice to use, which still exists...
Nov 21, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 249
Mother Shipton, born Ursula Southeil, was born in Yorkshire, England in the late 1400s. According to legend she was born in Shipton's cave, a site famous for waters that quickly petrify objects left in it. She is purported to have written a great deal of prophesy that predicted such things as the death of Cardinal Wolsey and the eventual use of plumbing to bring water across the Ouse Bridge. While it is hard to determine what, if any, of the writing that are attributed to her are indeed her work...
Nov 14, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 248
Audrey Munson became America's first supermodel shortly after the turn of the 20th century. She became the most desired model for sculptures all over New York and beyond, earning the nickname Miss Manhattan. While her fame initially translated into wealth and a movie career, tragedy soon befell her. She ended up spending the last 65 years of her life committed to a mental institution, eventually dying at age 104 in 1996.
Nov 07, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 247
Ed and Lorraine Warren founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in 1952, making it the oldest ghost hunting group in New England. Over they years many of their cases have inspired the horror movies that have captivated audiences for decades, from the Amityville Horror to Annabelle and the Conjuring series. Take a listen and learn the story behind their relationship and how they became involved with the Annabelle doll that still resides in their museum even after their deaths....
Oct 31, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 246
