Science is a bitch. This week, Hannah and Katy conclude the incredibly complex Kennedy assassination with scientific evidence, diagrams, a whole bunch of sketchy CIA shit, and two very convincing conspiracy theories. Find out why we should probably trust the science, no matter how disappointing it is, why you can’t claim not to have shot anybody when you definitely did shoot someone , and why it’s generally a good rule of thumb not to go around talking about planning to assassinate the president...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 28 min
On November 22, 1963, while the world watched, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX by a “lone” gunman. Two days later, his alleged killer was shot dead on live TV. This week, Hannah and Katy dive into the world of conspiracy theories, starting with one of the biggest mysteries in American history: who killed JFK? This one is full of LOTS of history, tattoo anecdotes, and wild speculations that just might make you a believer. We’re barely scratching the surface, but setting the stage f...
Oct 06, 2021•1 hr 18 min
Don’t you hate it when you’re just trying to clean up your parents’ yard and an evil Mr. Tumnus comes up from the old well and threatens to steal your soul? This week, Hannah tells Katy about the infamous "Devil Made Me Do It" case, in which Arne Johnson murdered his landlord (who was possibly being a belligerent drunk at the time) while allegedly possessed by a demon who may or may not have looked like Narnia'a Mr. Tumnus, but evil. The girls talk exorcisms, water beds, babies, and more! And, h...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Surprise! We're back with another Tell We Tale, and Katy is here to deliver the goods! This time, she is telling Hannah all about the Tangie (aka: a seaweed covered sea spirit that may or may not abduct/kill you), the Tatzelwurm (aka: lizard/cat) and the Tylwyth Teg (aka: Welsh fairies). This is a good time to remind you that all of KATY's Creature Features together are forming a pattern (episodes 41, 71, and 79), so keep your eyes and ears peeled, and let us know if you figure it out! Otherwise...
Sep 22, 2021•35 min
Ahoy mateys! If you've ever wondered about the most famous ghost on the seven seas, this episode is for you! This week, Hannah tells Katy about the infamous Davy Jones and his locker (and his ship), and the girls explore the various real-life inspirations for this ghost of the gales. Expect some boat rocking, several tangents, and a whale of story (and some good puns of course)! This one is fun and refreshing, and also teaches you how to keep malevolent spirits out of your house (hint: stop roas...
Sep 15, 2021•54 min
In 1955, a little girl was born in Tenterfield, New South Wales, who would grow up to be a dysfunctional, violent, woman with a keen interest in butcher knives, a quirky sense of decor, and a fondness of men named David and John. This week, Hannah tells Katy about Katherine Knight, a woman who bullied her way through life, and wreaked havoc on every lover she took. Find out just how far she went to get her way in this gruesome tale. Trigger warnings: domestic abuse, graphic violence. If you or s...
Sep 08, 2021•1 hr 4 min
When the days grow shorter, and the humid evenings turn into cool, crisp nights, an ominous figure lurks in the Virginia woods: the Bunny Man. Since the 1970's tales of this sinister being--some say criminally insane--dressed in bunny costume and wielding and axe, have made their way throughout Fairfax, VA and beyond. But what's the real story? Was there ever a deranged killer who donned big fuzzy ears before going on a killing spree? This week, Hannah and Katy explore the origins of this fright...
Sep 01, 2021•55 min
Welcome to the as-promised lighter topic of the week: corpses in 1911 that didn’t get buried for 60+ years! Join Hannah and Katy as they talk about two surprisingly related stories: Elmer McCurdy and Cancetto Farmica. If you thought it was uncommon for funeral directors in the early 20th century to hold onto dead bodies until they’ve been paid for the embalming, you’d be wrong! Hear all about the failed criminal career of Elmer McCurdy and his unfortunate journey after death throughout the carni...
Aug 25, 2021•51 min
Ready for the astoundingly horrific conclusion to our two-part series on the West murders? This week, Hannah tells Katy the rest of the story, and it only gets worse (unfortunately). Find out what happens when the police search 25 Cromwell, and how one courageous child flipped the whole case on it’s head. There’s nothing good in this one, so make sure your drinks are topped off before starting. Trigger warnings: child abuse, sexual abuse, sexual child abuse, torture, dismemberment. Shoutout to l...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Ready for a super horrible two-parter on two of the UK’s most gruesome serial killers? This week, Hannah tells Katy the beginning of the dark and haunting tale of Fred and Rosemary West, the husband and wife killers who, together, murdered at least 9 young women in the 70’s and 80’s. Find out why you should never accept jobs from people picking up hitch hikers, why social services should not act as your babysitter, and why shitty childhoods often lead to shitty adulthoods. Several trigger warnin...
Aug 11, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Is it a planet? Or a weather balloon? Or perhaps an extravagant hallucination due to toxic pesticides? Judge for yourself, this week when Hannah tells Katy about the abduction of Antonio Villas Boas in 1957: the young Brazilian farmer who claimed to have been taken up into a space craft in the middle of the night by alien beings. The girls make a strong bid to hit every single point on the Tales We Tell Drinking Game, and have a little too much fun discussing their theories and ideas about this ...
Aug 04, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Surprise! It's a Tell We Tale, and Katy is back with another Creature Feature! This week, she covers the Japanese legend of the Akkorokamui AND the horrifying Celtic newt-like parasite, the Alp-Luachra! One shows off its Dread Pirate Robinson skills so that it can keep eating ships (and people), and the other just waits for you to fall asleep with your mouth open and hopes that you don't eat too much salted pork. Both are equally terrifying. Listen carefully for the clues Katy is dropping about ...
Jul 28, 2021•38 min
In Dec of 1993, a young, vibrant teenager named Rose Larner goes missing from her home town of Lansing, MI. It would take thousands of hours of police work, dozens of searches, and 2 1/2 long years before her family would learn what happened to her. This week, Hannah tells Katy a classic true crime story of young love and one sick, sadistic man who almost got away with murder. There's nothing redeeming about this story, and the girls nervous laugh their way through it as best they can. You'll de...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 19 min
It's about time Hannah put her Art History degree from Salem College to good use! So this week, she is combining her love of art with her love of all things spooky, and telling Katy about THREE haunted paintings! From a weird and somewhat off-putting Ebay listing, to a cat/poltergeist-y energy in the home, to a truly malevolent image that even gave Katy chills, these paintings are something else. Whether they truly hold an evil energy, or are just downright creepy to look at, there's no denying ...
Jul 14, 2021•1 hr 7 min
She's often called the world's most prolific serial killer, and pegged as one of the most evil women to ever live. Rumors of her cruelty were both imaginatively graphic, and sadistic. But were they true? This week, Hannah tells Katy about the legend herself: Elizabeth Bathory. Did she really thrive off the torture and murder of young servant girls and bathe in their blood? Or was she a powerful woman who was the victim of a jealous patriarchy? Or a little of both? You decide! Pour the drinks, an...
Jul 07, 2021•57 min
Lizzie Borden took an axe, and gave her mother 40 whacks. And when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41. While not entirely accurate, the schoolyard rhyme still manages to convey the cold horror of what happened in the Borden house one August morning in 1892. This week, Hannah fills Katy in on aaaaaalllll the details, and the girls discuss their own theories as to what really happened (spoiler: Katy thinks a random lunatic totally snuck in the house, brutally chopped up two people, ...
Jun 30, 2021•1 hr 22 min
With COVID restrictions lifting and people getting back into the world, you might be tempted to leave your home and go somewhere fun, like a nightclub, or your job. But before you do, get a healthy dose of paranoia by listening to the stories of four young people, all brutally attacked while out enjoying life (or upon returning home from said enjoyment.) The Houston Stalker silently preyed on young women in the early 90's, and has never been identified. And this week, Hannah takes Katy through t...
Jun 23, 2021•59 min
Have you ever looked a raven in the eye and felt like it could see into your soul? You're not far off! Find out about the raven's astonishing intelligence, and much more on this episode where Hannah and Katy talk about their favorite spooky bird (and curse-word censor)! And, find even more creepy birds in some excellent horror fiction, and join the girls as they talk to Christy Aldridge (horror fiction author) about werewolf romance, lots and lots of cats, and her spooky inspiration for her stor...
Jun 16, 2021•46 min
Remember when we all thought the world was going to end in the year 2000 because computers didn't know how to count that high? Well, the members or a friendly cult known as the MRTC also thought something similar, but more on the level of a Christian apocalypse. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the infamous Ugandan cult that predicted the end of the world twice, and was kind of right once. Pour the drinks and settle in for our first official cult episode! Recipe for the cocktails the girls are...
Jun 09, 2021•53 min•Ep. 64
Droves of people flocked to the beaches last week, many without an inkling of the deadly killer waiting there: the ocean. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the various ways that the Deep Blue is actually a murderous likely-sentient presence that is actively trying to cause your death. From its vastness and incredible depths to the killers floating around in it, the ocean is something to be feared, and Hannah is here to convince you of just that. Don't listen to this one on the beach. And make s...
Jun 02, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 63
Deep in the woods of Staten Island, is the abandoned ruins of what used to be Willowbrook State School, a virtual dumping ground for the mentally ill. And from the depths of the horror that was an understaffed and underfunded nightmare, came the legend of Cropsey. This week, Hannah tells Katy about how the legend of the Staten Island boogeyman became all too real when children began to go missing from the small community. Was Cropsey a convenient scapegoat for an unspeakable horror? Or was there...
May 26, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 62
In 1959 a single bullet to the head killed George Reeves, the first Superman. Officially, the Man of Steel took his own life due to a deep depression (mixed with alcohol and prescription narcotics) caused by his "failed" acting career. But the circumstances surrounding his death suggest that there is much more to the story. This week, Hannah and Katy team up with Justin Rimmel, host of the Mysterious Circumstances podcast, to hash out what really happened that summer night in 1959. Was it George...
May 19, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 61
A podcast about spooky stories, unsolved mysteries, and local lore! Join Hannah and Katy every Wednesday as they explore the darker things in life. And follow us on Instagram at @thetaleswetellpodcast ! Support the show Follow us @thetaleswetellpodcast on Facebook and Instagram, or thetaleswetellpodcast.com Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/thetaleswetellpodcast? Click here for merch!...
May 18, 2021•31 sec
What do you do after both your husbands and a couple of kids "accidentally" die and you find yourself left with a bunch of insurance money and a 48-acre farm? Hit the personal ads of course! This week, Hannah tells Katy about Belle Gunness, a Norwegian gal who came to the states in 1881 to chase the American Dream, and found herself with more suitors than she knew what to do with and a whole lot of land that was good for digging. Pour the drinks, update your Tinder profile, and get ready for the...
May 12, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 60
In 1975, two priests entered the home of 23 year-old Anneliese Michel and started what would become a ten month-long ordeal of freeing her from demonic forces that had taken control of her. Years earlier, Anneliese and her parents had sought the help of medical doctors in their search to find answers (and relief) for her increasingly frightening behavior. How and why her story culminated in 67 grueling exorcisms that would ultimately take a cruel toll on her body is complicated. This week, Hanna...
May 05, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 59
In 1947, the body of a beautiful woman was found horrifically mutilated in the streets on LA. Two days later, the media would dub her The Black Dahlia, and an investigation into her death would begin. 74 years later, and her killer is still unknown. This week, Hannah takes Katy down the wild road that is the story of Elizabeth Short, and her tragic death that captivated the world. Find out why she was so much more than just a beautiful corpse, and what it was about her story that made he front p...
Apr 28, 2021•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 58
Have you ever found yourself driving down a dark road, or wandering through the forest alone, and caught a glimpse of something you couldn't explain? If you were in South Jersey, it might have been the infamous Jersey Devil! Picture a kangaroo with bat wings, horns, and cloven hooves, and you've got the general picture. This week, Hannah and Katy return to normalcy and talk about the elusive beast that haunts the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Find out how the Quakers and Benjamin Franklin might ha...
Apr 21, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 57
Part two of one of the toughest topics we have covered at TTWT. During WW2, as Nazi ideology overtook Germany and her people, millions of Jews were forcibly sent to concentration camps and killed. But their stories (and fates) were far from simple, and the hate and racism that formed the foundation of the Nazi party bred evil, and cruelty that no living being should have to endure. This week, Hannah talks about the human experimentation that happened in concentration camps by order of SS doctors...
Apr 14, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 56
Technically, part one of two: We all know them. We all hate them. But where did it all start? This week, Hannah tells Katy about how Nazi Germany formed, what Nazi's actually believe (spoiler: everything you thought, and worse), and how an entire nation fed into the toxic and racist ideology that would eventually cost MILLIONS of lives. Find out why scientific racism isn't a thing, why you should know even just the basics of genetics before making legislations about it, and why seeing your peers...
Apr 07, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 55
In July 1990, the poorly dismembered body of Beverly McGowan was pulled from the Florida Everglades, her head and hands missing. That same day, Beverly's siblings had received mysterious letters from her stating her intentions to abruptly sell her condo, quit her job, and start over. A few days later, someone in a sloppily styled wig, possibly pretending to be a man pretending to be woman, reserved a rental car at Heathrow International Airport with a stolen credit card. This week, Hannah takes ...
Mar 31, 2021•55 min•Ep. 54
