A history podcast for the morbidly curious. From serial killers to ghosts, ancient remains to obscure medical conditions, let us satisfy your curiosity.
(Some episodes may not be appropriate for children. Listener discretion is advised.)
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A history podcast for the morbidly curious. From serial killers to ghosts, ancient remains to obscure medical conditions, let us satisfy your curiosity.
(Some episodes may not be appropriate for children. Listener discretion is advised.)
Copyright: © @ 2016-2019 H. Lloyd
Originally posted on Patreon on Feb 10, 2024 'In this episode, Hallie looks into how technology used by ghost hunters actually works, what its detecting, and how that information is interpreted by investigators.'
The Dybbuk is a malevolent possessing spirit that originates in 16th century Jewish folklore. How does this concept end up part of modern paranormal belief? In this episode, Hallie discusses the origins of dybbuk, how to exorcise one from a human, and if the original being could even possess a box.
Originally published on Patreon on Oct. 11, 2023
'In this episode, we discuss spirit possession from a multitude of angles. What it is, the variations that occur, the history of reports, and the possible scientific explanations for it. We also touch on why its so hard to test any of these theories.'
CW: Death of humans and animals
During the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, Robert Falcon Scott made two attempts to reach the South Pole. His second attempt was his last. In this episode, Hallie tells the story of the 1911 race to the South Pole, the adventure and the tragedy.
Originally posted on Patreon on Jan 11, 2024.
In this episode, Hallie explores the many aspects of Dark Tourism - visiting places with macabre and haunting histories - as well as the types of locations this practice encompasses.
CW: Discussions of enslavement, genocide, incarceration, suicide, and exploitation.
A disease associated with pirates and explorers, scurvy was a constant threat to humans without access to fresh fruit and vegetables. In this episode we discuss the symptoms, the long quest to discover the cause, and tales of disasters and recoveries of those who suffered from scurvy.
Originally posted on Patreon on March 11, 2024.
As we're exploring tools used by ghost hunters and mediums, let's take a look at the Ouija board, a mass produced version of the talking board, which was born out of the impatience of Spiritualists attending seances in the late 1800s.
Happy Halloween! In celebration, Hallie is proud to present Perfect Skin, a short horror story, written exclusively for the MCP by author L.J. Stanton.
This audiobook will be free for everyone for two weeks. After that, it will only be accessible to patrons of the MCP.
CW: Body horror, pregnancy horror, birth horror
In the beginning of 1692, young women in Salem village began experiencing strange symptoms, which were soon blamed on witchcraft. The girls began accusing neighbours of bewitching them, escalating the situation. More and more young women became afflicted and more townsfolk were accused. 19 people were eventually executed.
In this second instalment, Hallie discusses the criminal trials, the executions, and the rise and fall of the power of the afflicted.
In the beginning of 1692, young women in Salem village began experiencing strange symptoms, which were soon blamed on witchcraft. The girls accused three women of bewitching them, but instead of resolving the case, the matter only escalated. More young women were afflicted and more townsfolk were accused, and 19 people were eventually executed.
In this first instalment, Hallie discusses what was going on in Salem when accusations began to fly, who was afflicted, who was accused, and who was hearing the cases.
In this special spooky season episode, Hallie interviews Ryan Matthew Cohn (Oddities) and Regina Marie Rossi (Oddities Flea Market) about their upcoming book The Witch's Door. They talk exploded skulls, provenance, ethical collecting and more! The book is part personal history and part examination of specific objects from their massive oddity and curiosity collection.
MCP host Hallie sites down with John and Rob Donkin, also known as Bad Viking Games, to discuss thier cozy mystery game Strange Horticulture. You are the owner of horticultural shop in the bleak town of Undermere. Many of the plants you stock can heal or harm. When murder strikes, you are dragged into a web of intreague involving witches, cults, and many toxic plants.
CW: Detailed descriptions of execution methods and corpse desecration
Before 1868, executions in England were held in designated public spaces. One of these was famous due to its long history as a place of death and for the large number of criminals that could be executed at once. That place was Tyburn and its infamous execution apparatus was known as the Tyburn Tree.
"Lizzie Borden took an axe
and gave her mother 40 whacks.
When she saw what she had done
she gave her father 41."
Or did she?
In this epic remaster of the MCP's very first episode, we go over the details of the murder case against Lizzie Borden, and discuss what might have happened in Fall River on Aug 4th, 1892.
The original epiosde was released on July 31, 2016 and was titled 'An Axe to Grind.'
Please enjoy this remasterd and updated version!
During the Victorian era, the display of differently abled humans, termed the Freak Show, was a hugely popular form of entertainment. Today this form of entertainment is nearly taboo, but the morbid fascination with disability and physical differences remains. Let's discuss why.
It may come as a surprise, but most plants aren't very friendly. Like most creatures, they survive by defending themselves against predators, parasites, and pathogens. Some have developed quite extreme defence mechanisms, and they are subject of this episode.
CW: animal experimentation, mental illness, suicide, non-consensual surgical procedures, malpractice and abuse in mental health facilities.
One of the most infamous procedures from the era of psychosurgery is the Lobotomy. From the beginning there was criticism that lobotomy was too unpredictable and invasive to treat mental illness. Despite this, the procedure was marketed as a miracle cure and thousands of vulnerable people were subjected to it, with and without their consent.
The 1870s were a rough time in Kansas. Travelers and settlers on the frontier struggled against the odds to make even a modest living. The Bender family had a unique method of survival: murder.
CW: forced relocation, murder of adults and children, suicide
CW: Torture, Rape, Execution, Racism, Self-Harm, and Suicide
Colonial Australia was used by the British to house prisoners in the late 1800s. Pentridge Prison began as a stockade in 1851 and grew into one of the most infamous prisons in Victoria, both for its size and the brutality of the punishments suffered by its inmates.
Have you ever wondered why paranormal investigators use certain devices to detect ghosts? It all has to do with theories about what ghosts are. In this episode, we explore theories about ghosts throughout history. Is there room for the possibility that they exist? Maybe.
Often called the Dyatlov Pass Incident of the 70s, the Chivruay Pass Tragedy has similar elements: 10 students go hiking in the snowy Russian mountains and are later found frozen to death. They also share a cloud of mystery and intrigue that may or may not be true.
For this winter holiday special, Hallie dives into the folklore of Iceland to talk about the terrifying creatures of midwinter. Who are they, what are their origins , and what has become of them in the modern era?
In this 4th instalment of the MCP's plants series, we discuss carnivorous plants: their traps, their habitats, and how to care for your own meat-eating plant.
CW: Processing of dead animals, killing of insects, poaching and killing of bats. In this episode, Hallie talks with Audrey Ko of Odd Taxidermy about how she got her start, the types of taxidermy and the ups and downs of the industry. There is a more chatty version of this episode available on Patreon.
CW: Belief in the supernatural, mental illness, religious doctrine, refute of religious doctrine, ritual abuse, suicide, and religious persecution.
For Halloween this year, Hallie dives into the supernatural world to explore the practice of exorcism. From the early mesopotamian demons of the desert to modern day demons, famous exorcists and infamous exorcisms.
CW: Mass accidental death including women and children, mention of suicide.
In this epiosde, we discuss the sinking of the HMS Titanic, one of the most devastating maritime tragedies of its age. The construction, the safety features, the voyage, the aftermath and the psychological affects of the sinking are all discussed.
In this final part of episode 100, we explore the histories of the women whose lives were ended in 1888 by the Ripper. Each woman lived a different experience, leading them for better or worse to the East End. While the details are incomplete, and in some cases very sparse, we can at least get an idea of what life was like for the women of Whitechapel.
CW: murder, physcial and sexual violence against women, sex work, detailed descriptions of bodily mutilation.
In 1888, a string of brutal murders shocked the residents of London. Just as shocking, the police were unable to find the killer, nicknamed Jack the Ripper.
For the 100th epiosde of the Morbid Curiosity Podcast, we present a 3-part episode on Jack the Ripper. In this, part 1, we go over the details of the murders. In part 2, which is for Patrons of the MCP only, we'll discuss the suspects and the thoeries about who the Ripper was. In Part 3, we'll discuss the women who died, and how they might have been connected.
TW: Discussions of suicide Aokigahara, a dense forest in Japan, is the setting for a surprising number of cases of suicide every year. Why Aokigahara? Some people think that it's due to the high rate of suicide in Japan in general, others believe the forest is host to miserable spirits that draw other unhappy people into its depths. In this episode, we discuss Aokigahara and the history of suicide in Japan.
TW: Ritual violence, Child death The ancient Chimu civilization wasn't known to sacrifice humans, until a mass grave of child sacrifices was unearthed in 2011. In this episode we discuss the Chimu, how to identify human sacrifice in archaeology, and the two mass child grave sites in Huanchaco, Peru. Due to technical issues, the audio quality isn't the best. Our apologies!
During the Golden Age of Piracy, many small islands became havens for pirates, places they went to divide and enjoy thier loot. While some of these are legendary, such as the pirate Utopia Libertatia, others were real places. In this episode, Hallie discusses pirate havens, focusing on those in Madagascar.
TW: Enslaved peoples, Trade in Enslaved Peoples.
TW: Self-harm, Suicide Walking Corpse Syndrome is a psychiatric delusion in which you believe you are dead. You may not remember your own name and might try to prove that you're dead in extreme ways. In this episode, we discuss this delusion, possible causes and treatments.
Canadian residential schools were not regular boarding schools, they were facilities meant to assimilate indigenous peoples into European-based Canadian society. Despite failing in this regard, they caused widespread intergenerational trauma to most people that attended them. TW: Physical/Sexual/Religious Abuse, Racism, Colonialism, Violence, Violence against children.
It's Halloween! Let's celebrate with a creepy ghost story. The MCP presents, 'The Corpse Light,' by D. Donovan, originally published in 1899.
In this episode, we discuss the folklore surrounding the three most popular supernatural creatures: vampires, werewolves and zombies. All three can transmit (or infect) humans with thier condition through a single bite, but what other similarities exists in thier origins and lore, and why are these creatures still popular today?
Happy Halloween!
In the final part of this series, we discuss the tombs of ancient Egypt, from plain burials to monumental pyramids. We also talk about how they changed over time and who built these monuments.
How did mummification begin? Were only the pharaohs mummified? Who made mummies? In part 2 of this 3 part series, we answer all these questions and more as we explore the evolution of mummification in ancient Egypt. In the next part of this series, we'll talk about burials, tombs and pyramids.
We know the ancient Egyptians built tombs and made mummies, but why? In part 1 of this 3 part series, we explore the ideology, religion, and funerary rituals surrounding death in ancient Egypt. In the next episode, we'll dive into the process of making a mummy, and in part three, we'll discuss tombs and pyramids.
TW: Colonialism, Big Game Hunting, Animal Attacks
In 1898, two lions began systematically killing and eating Indian workers building a British train line over the River Tsavo in Kenya. Their stealth and cunning made them incredibly difficult to stop. In this episode, Hallie discusses the 9-month incident, the downfall of the lions at the hands of Lt. Col. Patterson, and why the lions may have gone after humans in the first place.
That's right! The MCP is back! In this third instalment of our toxic plants series, we discuss natural hallucinogens with a focus on those found in Central and South America. Where they come from, how they work and what they're used for. Stay tuned during the break for a special announcement!
Tarrare was 18th century man who could eat almost anything, and did so in large quantities. That included live animals, wooden boxes, and feasts meant for 15 men. In this episode we discuss his life, and what might have been the cause of his condition.
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In 1518, the city of Strasbourg was consumed by a strange epidemic: hundreds were struck by the irresistible urge to dance until they died. This incident of Dancing Mania was not the first, and no one knew the cause of such strange behaviour. In this episode, we discuss several incidents of dancing mania, as well as the theories - past and present - about its origin.
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In this episode, we discuss a biological phenomenon that has been mistaken for a supernatural experience for hundreds of years. People of the past believed demons, witches, or spirits were sitting on their chests while they slept, crushing them, but today this experience is known as sleep paralysis, and it's far more common than previously thought.
TW: Sexual Assault
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Bloodletting is an ancient treatment that persisted until the 18th century. One of the techniques used to let blood were leeches, blood-sucking worms. In this episode, we discuss both the history of bloodletting and these fascinating yet creepy creatures.
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One of the most common types of magic in the ancient Graeco-Roman world were curses. These binding spells were placed on special tablets & figurines that have since been unearthed by archaeologists. In this episode, we discuss these curse tablets, & how they were made & used.
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On March 31, 1922, an entire family and their maid were murdered in their home, an isolated farmstead in Bavaria, Germany, known as Hinterkaifeck. The killer has never been discovered, and a web of mystery has been woven around the incident since it occurred. In this episode we discuss the case, the suspects, and try to separate fact from fiction.
TW: Sexual Abuse, Violence Toward Children
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In the past, tsantsas, or shrunken heads, were made by the Shuar people of Ecuador and Peru. These ritual items were part of a complex system of power among the Shuar, but were later traded to fascinated Westerners for guns and other metal goods. In this episode, we discuss the Shuar, how tsantsas were made, and how trade in tsantsas impacted the Western perception of the Shuar.
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After travelling west by covered wagon in 1846, the Donner Party became marooned in the snows of the Sierra Mountains. Even though a small group had made it out to find help, they were running out of food and strength. In this third part of this episode, we discuss the relief efforts as well as the aftermath of their ordeal.
TW: Cannibalism
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Recommended reading:
The Best Land Under Heaven - https://amzn.to/2YwP3Li
Desperate Passage - https://amzn.to/2EhLYrW
The History of the Donner Party - https://amzn.to/3htCjwt
The Donner Party travelled by covered wagon in 1846 toward California, but became marooned in the snows of Sierra Mountains. In the second part of this episode, we discuss the first half of their winter ordeal, including the struggle to survive and a desperate attempt to strike out in search of help.
TW: Cannibalism
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NEW!
Further Reading: The MCP now has affiliate links to all the books we recommend. When you use these links to buy the books, a small percentage of that purchase goes back to the MCP.
The Best Land Under Heaven - https://amzn.to/2YwP3Li
Desperate Passage - https://amzn.to/2EhLYrW
The History of the Donner Party - https://amzn.to/3htCjwt
The Donner Party left Illinois in April 1846. Hoping to reach California by covered wagon before winter, they decided to take a brand new short cut. This short cut proved disastrous, and led to much hardship and horror when the group was snowed in for the winter in the Sierra mountains. In this first part of the episode, we discuss the journey leading up to that short cut and the trials they faced while taking it.
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South of Egypt lies Nubia, the ancient home of of the Kushite Kingdom. The Kushites built their own pyramids and even rose to rule Egypt at one point. In this episode we discuss the history of Kush and the many pyramid tombs they built in the red sands of Sudan.
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The practice of footbinding - binding the feet tightly in order to change their shape - appeared sometime before the 10th century in Imperial China among noble women. As time passed, it became popular among women of all classes, despite the pain and debility it caused. In this episode, we discuss the process and the reasons why women continued this practice into the 20th century.
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Nine women and two men were tried and executed for witchcraft in 1612 near Pendle in Lancashire. This was an unprecedented death toll for a single witch trial at the time. In this episode, we discuss witchcraft in England, and why these trials may have resulted in so many executions.
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While hundreds of urban legends surround Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky, there is also plenty of documented history. Some of the rumours may hold a grain of truth to them. In this episode, we shine a light on the history of Waverly Hills, a grim history tied to the disease tuberculosis.
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*Information provided by Kentucky Historical Institutions is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Back by popular request, Hallie discusses more toxic plants! Poisonous plants have been used throughout history for many purposes, including hunting, medicine, cosmetics, and of course, murder. In this episode we discuss several of the most poisonous plants with emphasis on those associated with murder and medicine.
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The Doppelgänger, or supernatural double, has been featured in almost every modern media genre, from romance to science fiction. However, the roots of this folkloric creature are ancient, and the concept of the double and what it represents has been the subject of deep professional curiosity since the 19th century.
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1918 saw the end of World War One but also a pandemic that killed more soldiers than the fighting. It wasn't until 1997 that the lethal disease, sometimes called the Spanish Flu, was identified as Influenza. In this episode, we discuss the spread of the pandemic, the effects it caused and the virus itself.
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During the night on June 20th, 1756, a large number of prisoners were crowded into a single cell at Fort William, Calcutta, and died due to suffocation. This incident was later used to legitimize British rule in India, as well as fight against it. In this episode, we discuss the validity of this story and the context in which it occurred.
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In the finale of this three part episode, we discuss the last of the three Great Plague Pandemics, known as the Plague of Bombay and the Third Pandemic, which began in 1855.
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In this now three part episode, we discuss the three Great Plague Pandemics. In Part Two, we discuss the Black Death, Plague Doctors, and the Great Plague of London
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In this two part episode, we discuss the three Great Plague Pandemics. In part one, we discuss the bacterium behind the plague, Yersinia pestis, and the Plague of Justinian, which occurred in the 6th century CE. In part two, we will discuss the Black Death and the Third Pandemic.
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In 1937, Amelia Earhart, a pioneer of aviation, attempted to fly around the world. Near the end of this journey, she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. In this episode we discuss Earhart's rise to fame, her world flight, her mysterious disappearance, and the theories about what might have happened to her.
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During the Victorian era, the practice of capturing photographs of the dead was part of a complicated etiquette surrounding death and mourning. In this episode, we examine that etiquette and how post-mortem photography developed, its processes and how it aided in the mourning process.
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In 1845, Sir John Franklin and 129 men sailed into the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in search of the Northwest Passage. They were never seen again, and what happened on that expedition has remained a mystery. In this episode, we explore the 19th century attempts to find them, and the more recent information gleaned from what's been found, including artifacts and human remains.
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In 1845, Sir John Franklin and 129 men sailed into the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in search of the Northwest Passage. They were never seen again, and what happened on that expedition has remained a mystery. In this episode, we explore the man, the mission, and one of the early attempts at rescue.
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In the year 79 CE, Mt. Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman city of Pompeii. The ruins were only rediscovered in the the late 1700s, and have been under excavation ever since. In this episode we discuss written references and the archaeology of Pompeii, Vesuvius and the day the volcano destroyed the city.
TW Detailed discussion of traumatic death by natural disaster
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Women in White, or White Ladies, are female ghosts, spirits, or apparitions that are dressed in white. They are also one of the most commonly told ghosts stories in the world. In this episode, we discuss the many variations of this legend and its possible origins.
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There is a moment in the history of New Orleans that has lived on in infamy since it occurred. That moment was a raging fire that broke out at 1140 Royal Street on April 10th, 1834, and revealed seven enslaved people who had been brutally tortured. The number one suspect in this crime was Madame Delphine Lalaurie.
TW: Torture, Enslavement
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Rats have a reputation for being disgusting plague carriers, but they're also thought of as integral to the scientific process and loving pets. In this episode we explore the three versions of the rat, their place in human history, and the ways in which they are more like humans than most people think.
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High in the Himalaya Mountains sits a tiny lake surrounded by hundreds of shattered human skeletons. Known as 'Skeleton Lake' in the media, its true name is Roopkund and it seems determined to keep its secrets. In this episode, we try to shed some light on this shroud of mystery.
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Corpse medicine, or medicinal cannibalism, is the practice of eating human flesh as medicine. During the European Renaissance, it became incredibly popular for all kinds of ailments. In this episode we discuss why and which body parts were most often used to treat different medical conditions.
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One of the most baffling Australian cold cases is the 1948 death of an unidentified man at Somerton Beach. To this day, the man’s identity and the cause of his death remains cloaked in mystery, the only clues being a suitcase full of clothing and a scrap of paper with the words ‘Tamam Shud’ typed on it. There are many theories as to who the man was and what may have occurred to cause his death. In this episode, we summarize the details of the Tamam Shud Case and discuss several of the most prevalent theories.
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Claude Tozer was a doctor and a rising Australian cricket star in 1920, but his career was cut short when he was shot by Mrs. Dorothy Mort, a woman with whom he was having an affair and also treating for mental illness. In this episode we discuss this intriguing and very tragic case.
TW: War and Suicide discussed
Poisonous plants have been used throughout history for many purposes, including hunting, medicine, cosmetics, and of course, murder. In this episode we discuss several of the most poisonous and historically significant plants, with emphasis on those associated with medicine and witchcraft.
In this episode, we discuss the amazing discovery of a Neolithic man frozen in the ice of Italian Alps, including what his life could have been like and the mystery of his death.
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In this episode, we discuss the legend of the Golem, which has its origins in Jewish Mythology, but has become ingrained in all forms of entertainment media all over the world.
In this episode, we discuss hysteria as a common psychiatric diagnosis of females from the 16th to the 20th century, including the ideas of Charcot, Freud and the contested diagnosis of male hysteria. NOTE: This episode contains discussions of female anatomy, masturbation, sex, sexual abuse, and misogyny.
In this episode, we discuss the supposed Ancient Greek origins of Hysteria, a common psychiatric diagnosis of females from the 18th to the early 20th century. We also cover how the symptoms of hysteria were interpreted in the Medieval era. NOTE: This episode contains discussions of female anatomy, masturbation, sex, misogyny and religious persecution.
In this episode, arctic ghost ships of the Northwest Passage are discussed, both historic and legendary. The plight of the crews, whether rescued, frozen or mysteriously disappeared is also discussed. The ships covered in this episode include the Octavius, The USS Baychimo, The HMS Investigator, The HMS Resolute, the HMS Terror and the HM Erebus.
Asylums of the past hold our fascination due to their dark histories. In this episode, the asylums of the late 1800s and early 1900s in Victoria, Australia are discussed in detail.
TW: Institutionalization, Suicide, Abuse
Teratomas are a unique type of tumor that are best known for containing human teeth and hair. Let's discuss the history of these tumors, and how those teeth and hair end up inside them.
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In 1864, the British Parliament passed the Contagious Disease Acts, which attempted to regulate prostitution in hopes of protecting their troops from sexually transmitted infections, then known as venereal diseases. However, the public, the medical community, and the military all had different opinions on whether or not these acts were effective, and more importantly, whether or not they were ethical.
Typhoid Mary is a term used to describe someone who spreads disease. Many people know the name refers to a real woman, but not many know the details of her story. In this episode, we discuss Mary Mallon, who was discovered to be spreading typhoid through her cooking in New York City in 1906, despite the fact that she was never sick herself.
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In celebration of our 50th episode, we bring you our longest, most detailed episode yet on one of the most mysterious incidents in history. In January of 1959, 9 hikers mysteriously perished on the frigid slopes of Ural Mountains in Russia. To this day, no one knows what killed them. In part 2, we discuss the the theories put forth over the years as to what happened to the hikers.
Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions of autopsies.
In celebration of our 50th episode, we bring you our longest, most detailed episode yet on one of the most mysterious incidents in history. In January of 1959, 9 hikers mysteriously perished on the frigid slopes of Ural Mountains in Russia. To this day, no one knows what killed them. In part 1, we discuss the hikers, their journey, their disappearance, the search and discovery of their bodies, and the strange circumstances of their deaths.
Warning: This episode contains detailed discussions of autopsies.
Archaeologists have found many unusual graves throughout Eastern Europe, graves in which stakes have been driven through the deceased's body. These burials, and the historical documents from the time, suggest that these individuals were suspected of being vampires by those that buried them. They are known as Vampire Burials, and in this episode, we explore exactly what was at stake.
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Rumors of an experiment that resulted in the invisibility and teleportation of a ship began in 1955 thanks to a set of letters sent by a man named Carlos M. Allende. These letters sparked a conspiracy theory that still exists today. Is there any truth to it? In this episode we dig deep into the mystery of Philadelphia Experiment.
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In 1764, a strange creature began killing people in an isolated region of France known as the Gevaudan. No one could say what it was, so the creature was known only as La Bête, the Beast of Gevaudan, and it seemed unstoppable.
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In the 1800s, there was a surge in the creation of leather objects made from human skin. None of the people making the objects were considered criminals or even particularly disturbed. In this episode we discuss some of these objects, how they were made, and why.
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In the early 1900s, Radium became all the rage due to the luminous green light it gave off. It was used to paint watch dials and instrument panels, making them glow in the darkness. Little did most people know, Radium was highly radioactive. Some precautions were taken but an entire workforce of dial painters was seemingly forgotten and they suffered dearly for their employer's negligence.
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Poveglia is known as the most haunted island in the world, thanks to its supposed history as a plague hospital and later a psychiatric asylum. But is there any truth to this reputation? In short, yes, but not in the way you might expect.
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The myth of Spontaneous Human Combustion, which holds that it is possible for people to spontaneously burst into flames, has been prevalent since the 1600s, but what can modern science reveal about these mysterious deaths by fire? In this episode, we discuss some of the well-known cases, as well as the theories proposed throughout history about how these deaths may have occurred.
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In this episode, the MCP presents an interview with expert Dr. Jenna Dittmar about Corpse Theft in 18th-19th century England. Hallie and Dr. Dittmar discuss the connection between the rise of human anatomical studies and the gruesome rise of corpse theft that came with it.
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To this day, the brutal 1912 axe murder of an entire family in Villisca, Iowa remains unsolved. In this episode we explore the evidence, discuss possible suspects, and wonder if this murder could be tied to any others.
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What is it about dolls that creeps us out? Is it their staring eyes? Their vague smiles? Or is it the fact that they have a history of being used as vessels for supernatural beings? In this episode we discuss the history of dolls, some famously haunted ones, and why they creep us out.
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The Bimini Road has been surrounded by controversy since it was discovered in the 1960s, with some researchers stating it formed naturally, and others believing it to be a remnant of the Lost city of Atlantis. This episode we discuss this rock formation and why it is still controversial today.
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The international media has made Iceland well-known for some of its people's belief in elves, also known as the Huldufolk, which means Hidden People. In this episode we explore the folklore surrounding the Huldufolk, what they represent, and why they are still part of Iceland's cultural heritage.
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Different cultures dispose of their dead in different ways. One of these is excarnation, where the flesh is removed from the bones by exposing the body to the elements or with tools. One of the most famous examples of excarnation is Tibetan Sky Burial, or Jhator. In this episode, we discuss this and many other forms of excarnation.
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There is a place where the bodies of the dead lie exposed for decades, frozen in their moment of death. Hundreds of people pass them every year, and even use them as landmarks. That place is the Rainbow Valley, which lies in the Death Zone on the slopes of Mount Everest.
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This episode uses a soundscape from Ambient Mixer, which is under a creative commons sampling Plus 1.0 license.
Imagine someone close to you, someone you trusted, convinced you that they were being followed. Imagine you became so wrapped up in their paranoia that you followed them into dangerous situations without question, until finally someone got hurt, and it was revealed to you that it was all a delusion caused by mental illness.
This sounds like a nightmare, one that is lived by people affected by Folie a deux.
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