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 bo…

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.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

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.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

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 …

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…

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 S…

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 …

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, th…

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 Antarc…

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 disco…

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.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

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…

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.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

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 ve…

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.…

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 an…

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 t…

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 Kramp…

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.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

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 Eas…

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.…

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 inve…

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…

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 plu…

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 li…

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 st…

This week we continue the discussion of Jack the Ripper, focusing on the investigation and suspects. While most of the physical evidence from the case was destroyed during the Blitz in WWII, this has not stopped modern sleuths from coming up with their own theories about who the ripper was. We discuss a few, some plausible, so not so much.…

Beginning a two part series on Jack the Ripper, we discuss the victims of the Whitechapel murders, both those attributed to the ripper and those before and after that might be related. Most of the victims have often been dismissed over the years as prostitutes of little interest and we spend some time in this episode discussing the situation they w…

Numerology is the belief that certain numbers and number combination hold mystical significance. Numerological beliefs very greatly across cultures and groups, ranging from things like Angel Numbers, to codes supposedly embedded in spiritual texts, to people noticing numbers that repeat in nature and ascribing significance to them. Take a listen an…

With the advent of photography in the 19th century came the inevitable inclusion of the new process in the spiritualist movement. William Mumler gained fame in the 1860s when he developed a photo that showed the ghostly image of his deceased cousin. He then went to to great fame taking photos of people with their ghostly loved ones appearing in the…

As far back as the 13th century, rumors have existed of a female Pope who originally came to the Rome disguised as a man to be with a lover in the church. She is said to have rose to prominence though her abilities and was eventually elected as Pope John but found out when she gave birth to a child. Is there any truth to the rumor that has persiste…

One of the worst fires in US history occurred on July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus had just arrived in town and set up for their first performance at 2:15. Since it was midday, during the work week the crowd consisted of a large number of women and children, excited to see the circus after their p…

While many names might come to mind when someone mentions pirates, the first name of the list that isn't fictional is typically Blackbeard or Edward Teach. While he has become synonymous with the image of a fearsome pirate, Blackbeard was only truly active as a pirate for about two years (1716-1718) and was known for avoiding violence whenever poss…

Take a listen and learn about the history and formation of the FBI, the US's most famous federal intelligence and law enforcement service.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

In today's episode we discuss three separate cases of prominent citizens from the turn of the 20th Century that suddenly disappeared only to, possibly, reappear years later. The first is William Cantelo, a British inventor and pub owner that vanished while developing a machine gun only to possibly reappear as an American inventor with the same idea…

Most people know the Liberty Bell as a symbol of the American Revolution. However, what is the story behind it? Where did it come from? How did it crack? How did it somehow become associated with the Revolution? All these answers and more this week on the podcast.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

Early in the morning on August 8th, 1963 a Royal Mail train carrying the equivalent of $80 million in modern money was robbed by a band of 15 men. Take a listen and learn about the robbery, how the culprits were eventually found, and what it was like for one family of the run.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

Most know Harry Houdini as a legendary escape artist. What most don't know is that his performances were largely possible though many inventions he developed to aid in his slight of hand. He did not want them to become public knowledge so he refused to patent them, instead keeping them secret. Many of his methods are still unknown to this day.…

Studies show that roughly a quarter of the world's population believes in various forms of psychic powers despite there being no reproducible scientific evidence of their existence. We discuss the history of psychic phenomenon from ancient oracles to Miss Cleo's pay per call line as well as people's attempts at conducting research into parapsycholo…

The term "Moral Panic" is used in sociology to denote a widespread feeling of fear, which is often irrational, that an evil person, thing, or group threatens the interests and well being of society. While you can probably think of several active examples today, we discuss the term and some famous past examples, like the fear of the corruption of yo…

David Hahn spent his teen years attempting to build a breeder reactor in the potting shed behind his house. His work resulted in a crude neutron source, a merit badge, and the unintentional creation of a superfund site and a trip to jail.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman

James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger Jr. was an organized crime leader in Boston from the 1960s through the 1990s. He went into hiding in 1994 and wasn't found and arrested until 2011, resulting in him sitting behind only Osama Bin Laden on the FBI's ten most wanted list. Most astonishingly, Bulger managed to operate as an FBI informant during his career. …

This week we discuss the infamous MKUltra program. The CIA's attempt to identify drugs and procedures to help with interrogation, discredit targets, and perform brainwashing and torture. This program was carried out on human subjects, often without their knowledge and consent. Take a listen and learn the known facts about the program that has often…

We’ve got an episode all about Zeus, leader of the Greek pantheon of Olympic Gods and epic philanderer. Take a listen and learn some Zeus history and some of his greatest hits from Greek mythology.

One of the greatest scientific rivalries in history was that between paleontologists Edward Cope and Othniel Marsh, often referred to as The Bone Wars. The two struggled not just to outdo each other but also to destroy each other, resorting to bribery, theft, violence, and any other means they could think of to ruin the reputation of their rival. T…

Most of us remember the nursery rhyme “Do you know the Muffin Man” from childhood or its appearance in Shrek movies. However, is there truth to the claim that the song references the first documented serial killer in London as opposed to some nice gentleman that made baked goods? We discuss the truth behind the origin of the song and the real first…

On September 16th, 1994, children at the Ariel School in Ruwa, Zimbabwe claim to have seen an alien spacecraft and extraterrestrial visitors while outside playing at morning recess. People have heralded this as proof of Extraterrestrial visitation or contended that it is a classic case of mass hysteria. Take a listen and see what you think.…

We discuss the details of the case of Christopher McCandless who opted into living a nomadic lifestyle and ultimately starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness leading to a somewhat cult following. What led him to do what he did and why do people still risk their lives to emulate his ultimately fatal decision to live unprepared in the wilderness?…

We discuss to urban legends that revolve around female monsters. The first is the Kuchisake-onna, or “slit faced woman”, of Japan. She confronts lone travelers at night and murders those that no longer find her beautiful after revealing her bloody slit open mouth. The second is Baba Yaga, the Slavic grandma living in the woods in her chicken-footed…

One of the great revolutions in the history of the development of humankind is the controlled use of fire. When did we as a species learn to keep and make fire? What changes did it make to humans socially and physically. Jeni, our resident Anthropologist, has the answers.By Jeni McDonald and Will Hageman