The Strange and Unusual Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Cannibal In The Apothecary: 300 Years of Corpse Medicine Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

For 300 years, Europeans ate human beings as medicine, with mummy powder, skull, the fat of the executed, and bought it over the counter from licensed apothecaries. During those same centuries, they were building an empire on the argument that the people they conquered were savages, because savages eat other people

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10 Things in the Pacific Northwest Woods That Shouldn’t Be There Aug 01, 2026

Show notes

This summer's woods tradition continues, in this episode we're heading into the Pacific Northwest. You'll learn about a mountain that grew a monster after it erupted, a lake that gave up its dead, a giant with a basket on her back, and the same rule they have three thousand miles away in Appalachia: if the woods call your name, don’t answer.

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10 Things in the New England Woods That Shouldn’t Be There Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

A companion to the Appalachian woods episode: ten strange, eerie, and true things lurking in the forests of New England.

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10 Things in the Appalachian Woods That Shouldn’t Be There May 31, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Bloom and Rot - A Rural Village Spring Folk-Horror Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Away with the Fairies: The Changeling Murder of Bridget Cleary Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

In 1895 Ireland, Bridget Cleary was killed by those who believed she had been replaced by a fairy changeling.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.

The Radium Girls Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

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” .

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7 Winter Legends That Lurk in the Dark Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

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.

The Night of the Strigoi: St. Andrew’s Eve in Romania Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

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.

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10 Strange and Unusual Halloween Superstitions Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

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!

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