The Strange and Unusual Podcast

A companion to the Appalachian woods episode: ten strange, eerie, and true things lurking in the forests of New England. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s an old rule in the Appalachian Mountains, if you hear your name called from the woods, don’t answer. This week, we’re delving into the hills to find out why. We cover folklore  from a 200-year-old Tennessee haunting that killed a man, to a 10-foot creature that emerged in West Virginia in 1952, to the thing in the trees that learns your voice. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join Alyson for a work of folk horror fiction she wrote in honor of the new spring season. In this episode, we follow Fiona, who has gone to the village of Eldergrove after the death of her aunt, to claim her inheritance of Aunt Erin's cottage. However, this inheritance came with an obligation that Fiona never saw coming. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1895 Ireland, Bridget Cleary was killed by those who believed she had been replaced by a fairy changeling. In this episode we explore the eerie folklore of the Aos Sí, the fear that fueled her murder, and how superstition turned deadly in modern Ireland. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we examine the haunting true story of the Radium Girls, the young women in the early 20th century hired to paint luminous watch dials with radium-laced paint. Believing their employers' assurances that their work was safe , these dial painters were unknowingly exposed to toxic radiation. We'll go through  their devastating health consequences, including  a condition later called “radium jaw” . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the monstrous Yule Cat of Iceland to the cannibal Wendigo of North America, in this episode I explore seven eerie winter legends from around the world. You’ll meet Japan’s ghostly Yuki-Onna, China’s New Year beast Nian, Greece’s chaotic Kallikantzaroi, the rhyming ghost-horse Mari Lwyd of Wales, and the shape-shifting Ijiraq of the Arctic. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Between garlands of garlic on doorways, wolves finding their voice in the dark, and the undead rising from their graves,  Romania’s celebration of St. Andrew’s Eve (November 29th-30th) blurs the line between the living and the dead. Join Alyson in exploring this magical and uncanny Romanian holiday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On All Hallows’ Eve, the veil thins and the folklore gets...fun. In this episode, I  count down 10 strange superstitions, from turnip jack-o’-lanterns and mirror magic to dumb suppers, bat omens, and haunted crossroads. Light a candle and let's begin! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From whispered charms and buried witch bottles to torture chambers and Salem’s gallows, this episode of The Strange and Unusual Podcast traces the haunting story of the witch as  healer, heretic, and scapegoat. I explore the folklore, the fear, and the witch hunts of Pendle, Würzburg, Bamberg, and Salem. Through historical accounts and chilling firsthand testimonies, in this episode I  go into  how ordinary people became legends, monsters, and martyrs,  including my own ancestor, Elizabeth Howe.       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode we trace the vampire’s long, shadowy journey, from 18th-century graveyard panics and Slavic strigoi to the seductive aristocrats of Gothic fiction and the conflicted immortals of modern pop culture. We also will go into how the  myth evolves on screen, from Nosferatu and Bela Lugosi to Anne Rice, Buffy, and beyond. We explore why the vampire keeps returning to embody everything we fear (and secretly crave): mortality, contagion, seduction, power, and immortality.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we head back to school, but not the way you remember it. From abandoned high schools and haunted classrooms to urban legends whispered in bathrooms and tragedies that linger in lecture halls, autumn brings with it eerie campus lore. We’ll uncover chilling, and often sad, tragic tales from New Jersey, Texas, Africa, Cambodia, and Mexico. These are the stories that blur the line between history and folklore, fact and nightmare. 

For this episode we're exploring harvest folklore throughout the world, and how it connects to the genre of folk horror. From the sunlit dread of Lady Midday stalking the fields of Eastern Europe to the vengeful rice paddy ghosts of Japan, nearly every farming culture told tales of spirits among the grain. We’ll wander those stubbled fields and deserted farms, listening for the whispers of harvest-time spirits: the Harvest Watchers and Field Spirits that people once believed lurked within the furrows.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we'll explore the folklore of the night, from the Sandman to Sleep Paralysis demons, and more. We'll get into the history of the lore, the scientific studies, and how these creatures manifest around the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we dig into the topic of urban legends come to life, These are legends that either others have actually brought to life and urban legends that are surprisingly based on fact. These legends include: The Bunny Man, Cropsey, Hook man, Slender Man, Polybius, The Babysitter Murder, Body in the Bed, Charlie No Face, and Laced Halloween Candy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me on this summer road trip to some of the world's creepiest abandoned amusement parks. Our stops include: Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, Pripyat, Ukraine, Land of Oz, Gulliver’s Kingdom. And Honorable Mentions: Berlin’s Spreepark, Diversiones Grano de Oro, Western Village. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode in the Haunted Waters series, we explore ghost ships from around the world, which include The Carroll A. Deering, The Mary Celeste, The Flying Dutchman, El Caleuche, S.S. Valencia, The Baychimo, Eliza Battle, and MV Joyita Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Haunted Waters series, we explore sea monsters of myth from around the world. These frightening creatures include the Lusca, Umibōzu, Akhlu, Morgawr, and Ningen, as well as the 1734 account of a sea monster off the coast of Greenland by Hans Egede. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode in the Haunted Waters series, I cover lighthouses with haunted reputations, as well as the history of lighthouses. We explore Smalls lighthouse in Wales, Pharos of Alexandria, Tower of Hercules, Big Bay Point in Michigan, South Manitou lighthouse in Michigan, South Solitary lighthouse in Australia, and St. Augustine in Florida. Stirrings: https://www.youtube.com/@StirringsStories Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a new 'Haunted Waters' series. In this first episode I explore lakes, marshes, and ponds and their legendary ghosts. Our stops in this episode include Bell Island in Canada, Haunted Lake in New Hampshire, White Rock Lake in Texas, Deadman's Pond in Canada, Big Moose Lake in New York, and Lake Lanier in Georgia. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, I explore the Nahanni Valley of the Northwest Territories in Canada, which has been given the nickname Valley of the Headless Men. This due to a series of deaths of goldhunters and fur trappers after they entered the valley. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the conclusion to this series on Russian Hill, I delve into the events which affected Pat Montandon and her friends and family at 1000 Lombard Street, as well as the occult resurgence in the 1960s, including the role of Anton LeVay. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the second episode of this series, I tell the story of a young, widowed migrant during California's Gold Rush, and the horror of what she found in her new home on Russian Hill. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode we explore some of the strange goings-on in the earlier days of Russian Hill in San Francisco, including the ill-fated union of a Russian count and Spainish maiden, the first legal execution in California history, seances, the arrival of Fanny Stevenson to the hill, the earthquake of 1906 and more. In part 2, we get into the experimental '60s, Anton LeVay, mysterious deaths, and many more strange goings-on during that time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A short series coming to the strange and unusual podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1991, the New York State Supreme Court decided on a case that would set a legal precedent for house haunting in the state for years. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We reach finally the conclusion of Frankenstein, where we discover the fates of Frankenstein and the Creature Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we follow Victor Frankenstein to his wedding day, which ends in tragedy, and the dominos really begin to fall. Though I thought I could cover the remaining chapters of Frankenstein in this episode, that was before I realized the final chapter was like two chapters in one. So, I will be releasing the final episode in week, instead of the usual two weeks, to finish up this epic tale, before we begin Halloween season spookiness! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we cover chapters 20-21, in which Victor struggles with whether or not he will create a mate for the creature, and is confronted and threatened by the creature as well. Victor is then faced with an unexpected shock. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline comes from The Inter Ocean, published on December 21, 1890. This article covers the "buried alive" convent of nuns in Naples, Italy. The convent is raided when strange rumors spread of this order of nuns, and things are changed for these nuns forever. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode, Alyson explores the phenomenon of being scared to death through real life examples, folklore, pop culture, and medical mysteries. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we cover chapters 17 through 19, when the creature confronts and begs his maker to build him a new companion. Victor then goes on a journey to perform his dreaded task. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's episode we delve into the superstition of the evil eye and a case of witchcraft murder in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1929 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline comes from St. Louis Post Dispatch, published on December 23, 1900 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Barbara Newhall Follett was considered a child prodigy when her first novel "The House Without Windows" was published at age 12 in 1927, and then she had vanished forever when she was 25 in 1939. What happened to Barbara? And what does her disappearance possibly have to do with another woman who vanished in New Hampshire in 1936, Elsie Whittemore? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline was published by Escanaba Morning Press on July 6, 1911. In this episode, we get into Jersey Devil lore, a trolling Benjamin Franklin, a mysterious Irish creature, frozen hoof prints, a Philadelphia Dime Museum, a doctored kangaroo, and more! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beginning in June, 1947, when a news article reached millions about a UFO sighting over Mt Rainier, flying saucer mania began, and lasted through the 1950s. Intensified by an alleged invasion of saucers over Washington DC, nuclear war, and the newly began Cold War, it was a time when the world feared that we may be overtaken by little, green men. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode, listen to learn more about the fascinating female vampires of Southeast Asia Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week I'm away on a birthday trip, so I'm re-releasing one of my favorite headline episodes. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this installment, we cover chapter 12-16, when things really get dark Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode, we explore the history of mirrors, and their place in our superstitions, legends, and folk beliefs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this week's episode, we are exploring the monstrous entities that emerge during the winter holidays. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Doors, thresholds, doorways, portals, and gates have always been powerful symbols throughout all of history and across all cultures. They’ve been used in rituals and religious rites since antiquity. And they have always been part of humanity’s legends, folklore, ghost stories, and superstition. Join me this week, as we explore the psychological and symbolic place doors have always held throughout all humanity. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week I'm down with a cold, so please enjoy this re-release of one of my favorite episodes ever 'A Haunting Winter'. Next week I'll be back with a whole new episode! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline comes from The Toronto Star Weekly, April 5, 1924 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join Alyson for chapters 10-11 of 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley. In this episode, Victor Frankenstein is forced to face his creation, and he, in turn, tells Victor all about the first days of his life. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for part 2 of my ghost story, as Teresa gets settled into Burton Hall Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode, we explore medieval accounts by historians living a the time of the walking dead. Additionally, we look into why people of all times love a good spooky tale. Next time, join me for 'The Shadows of Burton Hall, Pt 2" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode we begin a ghost story written by me called 'The Shadows of Burton Hall'. The story begins with Teresa moving back to a family country estate in the English countryside, after losing the love of her life. Locals begin telling her of the hauntings her home is famous for, and the estate begins to feel like its full of menacing shadows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode, we delve into the history of doppelgängers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline "Mystery of the Talking Mongoose of Cashen's Gap" was printed in The San Francisco Examiner on April 12,1936 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To start of a new series in this podcast 'Frightful Fables From Around the World', we start with Vasilisa The Beautiful from Russia. Join me to learn more about this centuries old tale and about the Slavic witch Baba Yaga. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a look into the morbid case of Elena de Hoyas and the obsession of Carl Tanzler in Key West, Florida in 1940. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's strange and unusual headline was published by The San Francisco Examiner on March 4, 1934 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for the conclusion of the spooky tale of the curse of Winthrop Falls Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for the third part of the New England ghost story Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To kick off the Halloween season, we bring you the totally original, totally re-recorded, remade, remastered 'The Curse of Winthrop Falls', a new installment for three weeks. Let's get the spooky season going! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To kick off the Halloween season, we bring you the totally original, totally re-recorded, remade, remastered 'The Curse of Winthrop Falls', a new installment for the next three weeks. Let's get the spooky season going! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline comes from The Boston Globe, published on January 27, 1896. Join me as I explore 19th century vampires in Rhode Island. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join Alyson as she continues the story into chapters 8-9, when Victor's world begins to really fall apart as his loved ones lose their lives in violent means. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline comes from The Ogden Post on December 11, 1915. Join me for the strange tale of Pearl Curran and her dead companion, Patience Worth. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this edition of Frankenstein, we get into chapter 7. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline "Exposing the Weird Secrets of Mediums and Spirits - by Houdini’s Mysterious Girl Detective" was published in The Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, March 10, 1929 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline "Flesh Descending in A Shower" was published by The New York Times on March 10, 1876 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline "Mysterious Discovery of Human Remains in The Thames" was published by Buckinghamshire Advertiser, Uxbridge and Middlesex Journal on March 15, 1879 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's episode, we cover chapters 5 and 6 of Mary Shelley's masterpiece. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline "A Corpse Explodes" was published by Chattanooga Daily Times on May 18, 1885 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline comes from St. Louis Post Dispatch, published on December 23, 1900 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline, "Straw Hat Smashing Orgy Bares Heads From Battery to Bronx", comes from New York Tribune on Saturday, September, 16, 1922 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The conclusion of this Victorian prowling ghost series. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline, "Ghost House" Mystery Rivals That of Murder was published on September 21, 1922 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

St Patrick's Day Special Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's strange and unusual headline "Bigfoot Invasion Upsetting Life in Reservation Hamlet" was published by The Bismarck Tribune on November 26, 1977 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline "Ghouls Steal Body of Charlie Chaplin" was published by The San Francisco Examiner on March 2, 1978 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's headline "The Paris Morgue" was published in The Sunday Inter Ocean on July 22, 1888 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In today's Strange and Unusual Headlines we'll be digging into a headline from The Long Beach Telegraph on March, 4, 1920 "Constant Use of Ouija Board Drives Seven People Insane Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this new, weekly addition to the podcast, The Strange and Unusual Headlines, we discuss an article from the San Francisco Chronicle in 1921: "Beware of Blue Eyes!” "More Alluring Than Grey or Brown Eyes, Declare the Doctors, Who Would Banish All Blondes, And Hide Blue Eyes Behind Smoked Glasses" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for Chapters 2-4 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every other episode for the next few months, I will be reading Frankenstein for about an hour per episode. One traditional episode a month and one Frankenstein through the late autumn and into the winter. After finishing, there will be an episode on man-made monster, Mary Shelley, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for to learn more about Victorian prowling ghosts, including the infamous Spring Heeled Jack Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a journey into the strange Victorian practice of Ghost Hoaxing. Starting with the death of Thomas Flynn, the mystery of the Hammersmith Ghost and it's origins is explored. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here’s a special preview of the new season of Cautionary Tales from Pushkin Industries. On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford shares stories of human error, natural disasters, and tragic catastrophes from history that teach us important lessons for today. In this preview, you’ll hear about the 1981 Hyatt Regency Hotel collapse, a shocking design failure that resulted in 114 deaths and many more injuries. Hear the full story, and more from Cautionary Tales, at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/ctstrange. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a revisit to Killer Green and some St Patrick's Day facts. Thank you for today's sponsors: Magic Spoon. Visit magicspoon.com and use promo code UNUSUAL Microdose Gummies. Visit microdosegummies and use promo code STRANGE Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To end the year, please take a listen to Episode 18: A Haunting Winter, originally released on January 2, 2019. In this episode I explore the old tradition of telling ghost stories in the winter. The custom of telling winter’s tales is not known to most of us today, but it was custom that stretches back hundreds of years. And more often then not, these winter tales turned to horror.  The popularity of these winter ghost tales peaked to an all time high during the Victorian era and became a celebrated Christmas tradition. And this entanglement of ghosts and Christmas, ultimately lead to a ghost story becoming the most enduring Christmas tale of all, Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol’, a story in which the ghosts of past, present, and future, change a man’s life for the better.  Join The Strange and Unusual Podcast, as I explore the tradition of winter ghost stories and the reasons they meant to so much to our ancestors, and maybe ought to kept alive today. I decided to release this episode again because it's one of my personal favorites, and I am also taking extra time to put together new episodes I'm so excited to release in January and February, 2022. I'm so thankful for my listeners and I look forward to bringing you more strange and unusual stories in the new year! Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor, Talkspace! Visit talkspace.com and use promo code STRANGE for $100 off. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, I discuss the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian trend of ghost hoaxing and its motivations. Join me for part 1 on this old school, ghost cosplay. Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor, Talkspace! Visit talkspace.com and use promo code STRANGE for $100 off. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a preview of an original haunted house ghost story 'The Shadows of Burton Hall' that I wrote for the upcoming episode(s) on haunted houses. Also, I’d love to hear some questions from you, the listeners. I’m now starting to put together my schedule of new episodes for 2022, and I’d love to take into account what makes you curious, what strange events, stories, myths, urban legends, and more have you ever wondered about. If I use your idea in any way, I’ll give you a shout out. Just let me know if you’d like your name told or kept secret. Email me at [email protected] Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsors, Talkspace and Vodacast! Visit talkspace.com and use promo code STRANGE for $100 off. Download the vodacast app in the App Store or visit their website at vodacast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, beliefs and fear surrounding wells is discussed before a reading of the terrifying tale 'The Well' by W.W. Jacobs. Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor Vodacast! Download the app in the App Store or visit their website at vodacast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In anticipation of the next episode of haunted houses, I present you with tales of haunted places and minds with Edwardian author, W.W. Jacobs, best known for his story, 'The Monkey's Paw'. Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor Vodacast! Download the app in the App Store or visit their website at vodacast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tales of women mysteriously wearing ribbons around their necks, and the secret they keep beneath from their husband have been with us for centuries, perhaps most famously with Alvin Schwarz's "The Green Ribbon" from the book, 'In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories'. In this episode we look into the tale, its meaning, and its origins in the 18th century revolutionary days in France.  Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor Vodacast! Download the app in the App Store or visit their website at vodacast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode we take a peek into Halloween true horror, from accidental hangings to mistaken corpses, to kick off the spooky season. Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor Vodacast! Download the app in the App Store or visit their website at vodacast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the concluding episode on this series on the Axeman of New Orleans, we see the axeman returns after a long break.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Taphophobia (tap-oh-phobia), the fear of being buried alive has existed for as long as, well, we’ve existed. In this episode, we touch on the history of this fear and end with Ambrose Bierce's 'One Summer Day', a story of premature burial with a twist. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for 3 Edgar Allan Poe Tales of Obsession and Death - The Oval Portrait, The Premature Burial, and The Tell-Tale Heart. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a bonus horror story reading of 'The Waxwork' by A.M. Burrage. In this tale, madness is brought on by the uncanny valley, a concept discussed in Episode 7, Raising the Dead, Part 2. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a bonus horror story reading of 'The Body-Snatcher' by Robert Louis Stevenson. If you haven't listened to episode 10, 'Grave Matters in Edinburgh', you may want to listen to that first, to hear the real-story of Burke and Hare, that inspired Stevenson's fiction. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In part two we explore Congo Square, the development of jazz, the culture of New Orleans, and finish coverage of the axeman's first attacks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ash and Alaina from 'Morbid: A True Crime Podcast' are joined in a discussion with the wonderful and charming Rachael O'Brien from the podcast 'Seven Deadly Sinners'. Take a listen and fall in love with more of the Morbid Network family! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me as I tell part 1 of the story of New Orlean's history, it's complicated relationship with race and immigration, its soul and joy, and how one masked himself in darkness to terrorize the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode is a collection of haunting winter tales, some new to the podcast and others are old friends from past episodes. So, get cozy and comfortable, get a roaring fire going, and join me as we revive the old Victorian custom of telling scary ghost stories. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this conclusion of our journey through the Victorian cult of death, we delve into the rise of post mortem photography, 19th century viewings and funerals, the rise in desire for corpse preservation, the birth of the garden cemetery, mourning wear and widows weeds, and the annoyance and perils of crepe, especially crepe veils. You'll also hear the tale of Percy Shelley's death, cremation and how his heart ended up in the desk of his widow, Mary Shelley. Additionally, we look into how the medieval cult of saints influenced the Romantics and Victorians. Death relics, hair art will also be explored, as well as an odd story of how one woman's dead husband ended up as parlor decor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this supernatural look at the 19th century Victorian cult of death, as we explore banshees, ominous clocks, death tokens, harbingers, the birth of Victorian gothic literature, and madness brought on by death and body snatchers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Dark Parade," a phrase in a Emily Dickinson’s poem, captures the spirit of the Victorian cult of death, a social movement built on strict mourning rules and funerals, the fetishizing of ephemera of the dead, a movement that was meant to beautify and romanticize the horrific. In this first part of our look into Victorian mourning and death, we explore death by fashion, Queen Victoria's mourning, the Victorian concept of "The Good Death", wakes and vigils gone wrong, and premature burial. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode gets kind of beastly, as we go through the history of the werewolf from prehistoric times. We follow the wolf man through tales written by Bram Stoker, through the medieval werewolf trials, the lunacy of lycanthropy, and so much more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Often we want to sequester ourselves in some pretty, little hamlet, and leave the rest of the world behind. But in this telling of 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', we find that when you do, you may just lose your head.  Join me as I talk of contagion and fear, ghosts and goblins, and of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane during this spooky time of year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me as I tell part three, THE CONCLUSION, of a ghostly tale I wrote about an old, haunted house in the fictional town of Winthrop Falls, Massachusetts. The curse of Winthrop Falls began on Halloween night in 1866, after a mysterious, bloody, accident befell a young woman alone in a dark cellar, but the curse touches everyone in the house up through current day. And so, Jennifer, the current teen resident, must go through all the clues she can find surrounding the home's tragic history, in order to save herself. Can she do it? Find out in the conclusion! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me as I tell part two of a ghostly tale I wrote specifically focused on the Halloween season, though it fits all seasons, if you're macabre enough! The curse of Winthrop Falls, Massachusetts began on Halloween night in 1866 after a mysterious, bloody accident befell a young woman alone in a dark cellar. But was she really alone? In part two, we follow the curse as it touches the young of Winthrop Falls during the 19th century, continuing into the 20th and 21st centuries. Will the curse ever be brought to an end? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me as I tell a ghostly tale I wrote specifically for the late autumn season. The curse of Winthrop Falls, Massachusetts began on Halloween night in 1866 after a mysterious and bloody accident befell a young woman who, at the time, was alone in a dark cellar. But was she really alone? In part one we follow the curse as it winds it way through the 1980s and current day to those unfortunate enough to live in the house at 10 Black Manor Gardens. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Monsters have been with us from the dawn of humankind. The monster's history in our mythology and belief systems speaks to the many hidden needs and fears within the human mind. On this episode, we explore why the human mind has always needed monsters, through combat myths, Beowulf, an Egyptian creation myth, Greek tragedy, and more. And in homage to scary monster stories, it opens with a monster-under-the-bed tale I call 'Silver Eyes'.    'Silver Eyes' written by Alyson Horrocks Research Sources: 'Monsters: Evil Beings, Mythical Beasts, and all Manner of Imaginary Terrors' by David D. Gilmore 'On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears' by Stephen T. Asma   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Clowns, clowns, clowns! This episode starts off with a dramatized clown urban legend, before exploring the long history of clowning that stretches back to ancient times, with a special emphasis on Joseph Grimaldi, the first modern clown. The fear of clowns is also delved into, as the psychological reasons for this fear is explained, as well as the real-life and fictional examples of those who've inspired it, like John Wayne Gacy, Pennywise, and the clown doll from 'Poltergeist'. The role of the clown in society is analyzed as well, from his appearance in Shakespare's plays down to the killer clown panics that began in the 1980s. Send in the clowns! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The custom of telling winter’s tales is not known to most of us today, but it was a custom that stretches back hundreds of years. And more often then not, these winter tales turned to horror.  The popularity of these winter ghost tales peaked to an all time high during the Victorian era and became a celebrated Christmas tradition. And this entanglement of ghosts and Christmas, ultimately led to a ghost story becoming the most enduring Christmas tale of all, Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol’, a story in which the ghosts of past, present, and future, change a man’s life for the better.  Join The Strange and Unusual Podcast, as we explore the tradition of winter ghost stories and the reasons they meant to so much to our ancestors, and maybe ought to be kept alive today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A telling of 'The Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe, as well as the conclusion of A Memento Mori Halloween is in this episode. European witch trials, Macbeth, Irish and Scottish traditions, the evolution of Samhain and Halloween, and the Dance of Death is all a part of this fascinating and spooky story. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Halloween, and its predecessor Samhain, is explored with the telling of the ghost story 'The Pale Man' and a dive into its evolving history, which includes a look at the Gaelic Celts, The Black Death, Danse Macabre, All Saints and Souls Days, the concept of Memento Mori, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On July 3, 1929, Italian immigrant and occult mystic healer, Benny Evangelist, was beheaded with an ax in his home office. The killer than murdered Benny's sleeping wife, Santina, and their four children upstairs. The murders remain a mystery, but what kind of motivation could inspire such a frenzied and brutal attack? In this episode, we delve into occult practices, magic, folk Catholicism, magical healers, a suicide inspired by fear of the ax killer, Italian folklore, as well as a look at the misconceptions about immigrants at the time, and how that may have affected the case, leaving it a perplexing, eternal mystery. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the conclusion of this series about the Affair of the Poisons, the increasing accusations against those in King Louis XIV's royal court become more sinister, shocking investigators and the king. With black magic, human sacrifice, witchcraft, priests admitting demonic practices, orgies, love spells and potions, aphrodisiacs, and black masses, this investigation could not have become stranger. (WARNING: sexual function is discussed in this episode, using the actual stories, taken from documents from the time) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In February of 1677 the 'Affair of the Poisons' was launched in Paris, France. And King Louis XIV, who had named himself the Sun King, after the Greek god, Apollo, was being faced with possible poisoning murder attempts within his own royal court, as well as realizing that those within his own circle may have sought the services of the magical underworld of Paris. Fortune-tellers, alchemists, diviners, conjurers, magicians, and those accused of practicing both white and black magic were rounded up, as well as so many who were now being of accused of murder by poison within the highest ranks of Paris. King Louis would be faced with his childhood fear of betrayal and rebellion, all while building up the grand palace of Versailles. For the next several years those practicing magic and those within the Church said to be holding black masses, as well as sacrificing babies and more to the devil, would become the focus of fascination and horror of those within French society. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1672, mysterious poisons were found in the home of a recently deceased Frenchman. This discovery would eventually lead to a years-long murder scandal that would come to be known as 'The Affair of the Poisons', and before it done even those in the noble class would be accused of devil worship, human sacrifice, treason, murder and more. In this first part, Mme de Brinvilliers' murder of her father and brothers by poison will be explored, as this was the case that started it all. Also, explored in this episode, in relation to the world view and time period, is alchemy, the philosopher's stone, and the lives of Sir Issac Newton and Nicolas Flamel. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1873, three Norwegian women were murdered on the Isles of Shoals, off the coast of New England, by someone they thought they could trust. in this episode, we explore the uncertainty, fear, and the sometimes unfortunate results of trusting real-life wolves in sheep's clothing. Along with an accounting of this murder, the phenomenon is also examined through Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack the Ripper, ax murder, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1836, seventeen tiny coffins were found on the hillside of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland, adding to the mystery and legends of that location. A new theory emerged in the 1990's as to their purpose, and it would center on the infamous 19th century West Port murders, perpetrated by Burke and Hare. Join me as we enter the world of body snatchers, and explore 19th century Edinburgh. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dark tourism is explored in this episode, as my visit and history of the Catacombs of Paris is detailed. I am also joined by Alyssa Conary, historian and resident of Salem, Massachusetts, in a discussion of dark tourism, its history, and a closer look at some of the most popular attractions that fall under this category. The 19th century phenomenon of tourist visits to the Paris Morgue, current day bed and breakfast stays at the Lizzie Borden House, witch tourism both in Salem and Pendle, and more is detailed in this episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" found its inspiration in a real life murder in Salem, Massachusetts in 1830. In this episode, we examine Poe's story of madness, guilt, and paranoia and the shocking murder case of Captain Joseph White, which would inspire it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As we continue exploring the world of necromancy in part 2, we peek into how scientific advances and spectacle factored into the practice during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Frankenstein, Spiritualism, and the Golden Age of Magic created an entertaining, thought-provocating, creepy, and playful atmosphere for raising the dead, which was irresistible for millions. And today it's still irresistible, as we still make use of relics from those exciting and macabre times. ******* Music: Halloween Parade by Sam Haynes                                                                 Source: https://samhaynes1.bandcamp.com/track/halloween-parade                Artist: https://samhaynes1.bandcamp.com Undercover Vampire Policeman by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/uvp/ Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/ Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100783 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Ghost Dance by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100573 Artist: http://incompetech.com/   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen to the tales of L'lnconnue de la Seine, the dead-raising magicians of the medieval clerical underworld, the Monkey's Paw, bells that woke corpses in their graves and more, as we explore necromancy in the first of this 2-part series on raising the dead. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

While we don as much green as possible on St. Patrick's Day now, green gained a deadly reputation in the 19th century. And it was well-earned. Check it out to hear all about a green to die for! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the morning of April 24th, 1891, the body of a mutilated woman is found in a New York hotel room. Immediately, fear that Jack the Ripper was now at work in America hit the headlines, and the newly-formed New York Police Department was under tremendous pressure to find their man and prove their competence.  Join Alyson for the mystery of the murder of Carrie Brown, a victim of Jack the Ripper or a copycat killer in Victorian America. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Curses, or the belief in the them, have been with us for millennia. Join Alyson as she takes you through the world of curses and hexes through history, fiction, and true crime. We will will explore the Black Death, Shakespeare, the witch trials, and more.       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the morning of October 30th, 1928, Elfrieda Knaak was found with her head, hands, and feet burned down to the bone in the furnace room of the Lake Bluff, Illinois police station. She survived her ordeal with fire, but not for long. Before her death she claimed she did it herself, but then made contradicting statements that seemed to implicate others being involved. The evidence in this case is perplexing and it remains a fascinating mystery to this day. Join Alyson as we jump back to the 1920's and look into the revival of the spiritualist movement during that decade. Welcome to our first Murder Mystery Minisode! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Speak of the Devil and the Devil will appear. The power and superstition of the spoken name is explored as we delve in the stories of Bloody Mary, Beetlejuice, real-life exorcism and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.