Lost Tales

Season 2 premier starts off with a tour of Japanese Legends and Folklore as told by Legendary author Lafcadio Hearn. Join me as I tell the sometimes creepy, sometimes heartbreaking stories of Japanese ghosts, monsters, and legendary beings.

Comet Nishimura gave us all a once in several lifetimes chance to experience the wonders of space, and for most earthlings it was a wondrous momentous occasion. But to those who may still believe in the Comet's mysteriously ominous place in the annals of doomsday prophesies and catastrophe, perhaps things looked a little different. Come with me this week as I explore the Comet's complicated history and relationship with mankind, then sit back and enjoy a different kind of brush with green tinted extra terrestrial terror as I read When The Moon Turned Green, by Hal K. Wells.A History of Comets - Pt. 1: From Harbingers of Doom to Celestial Wanderers; https://sci.esa.int/s/wRMV4DA; September 14, 2023.A History of Comets - Pt. 2: Testing Gravity: How Comets Helped to Prove Newton Right; https://sci.esa.int/sThe Biblical Flood, Noah's Flood, the Deluge of the Scriptual Genesis Record; www.accuracyingenesis.comNoah Goldman, "Comets in Ancient Cultures." deepimpact.astro.umd.eduJoel Schwarz, "Humans Have Feared Comets, Other Celestial Phenomen Through the Ages." www.jpl.nasa.gov; March 24, 1997.Claire Weintraub, Christina Ng, Acacia Nunez, and Haley Yamada, "Heaven's Gate survivor reflects on the cult's mass suicide 25 yeaers ago."Abigail Beall, "Last chance to see comet Nishimura before it vanishes for 400 years." New Scientist, www.newscientist.com; September 21, 2023.

Join me for a retelling of Algernon Blackwood's Wendigo, his take on the truly terrifying Native American and First Nations folktale/modern day cryptid. The Wendigo's fearsome motivations, its disturbing appearance, and the true stories told by those who have experienced the Wendigo first hand will leave you questioning whether it's safe to go into the Winter Woods.References:J.W. Ocker, "Beware the Wendigo, the Frostbitten Flesheater of North America's Chilly Heartland." atlasobscura.com; October 12, 2022.Wu Mingren, "What is a Wendigo? The beast with an insatiable hunger for human flesh." ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/wendigo; December 28, 2022.Rene Ostberg, "Wendigo, Algonkian mythology." britannica.com/topic/wendigoKathy Alexander, "Wendigo-Flesheater of the Forests." legendsofamerica.comKaitlin SMith, "More than Monsters: the deeper significance of Wendigo stories." facinghistory.org/ideas-week/more-monsters-deeper-significance-wendigo-stories; November 30, 2021.

Join me as I interview a new author in the Cryptid and paranormal horror ficion genre, Tim Moon. We discuss his new book, Tomato Fields, facts and fiction about bigfoot, some personal encounters with the otherworldly, and more! I am not an Amazon affiliate, but I thought I'd provide you a handy link to Tim's book in case you feel inspired to crack open a book spine this weekend...https://www.amazon.com/Tomato-Fields-Tim-Moon-ebook/dp/B0BRNRRS6Y/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7HXKXQLMA6T2&keywords=tim+moon+tomato+fields&qid=1692072898&sprefix=tim+moon+tomato+fie%2Caps%2C647&sr=8-1

Everyone loves Bigfoot, we may not all believe he's real, but we find his story compelling nonetheless. This week I delve into some of the science and psychology of Bigfoot research, then read you a wee little story called "The Thunder Voice, The Story of a Hairy Monster" by F. Walter Wilson, as it appeared in Weird Tales in 1923, long before Bigfoot hysteria really took hold of the United States. Works Cited:Ben Crair, "Why do so many people still want to believe in Bigfoot? The appeal of the mythical, wild man holds strong." Smithsonian Magazine; September 2018.Robbie Mitchell, "7 Legendary Cryptids that Turned Out to Be Real." ancient-origins.net; October 12, 2022.Peter Dendle, "Cryptozoology in the Medieval and Modern Worlds." Folklore; Vol. 117, August 2006.Ashot Margaryan, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Christian Caroe, Vladimir Yamshchikov, Igor Burtsev, and M. Thomas P. Gilbert, "The genomic origin of Zana of Abkhazia." Advanced Genetics; 2021.Brown Lotus, "Zana's story: Did a 19th Century Russian Noble Tame a Female Yeti?" The Mystery Box; September 24, 2020.

Join me as I delve deeper into the Folklore of my Home State. Kentucky is home to so many stories of the supernatural and strange, I mean this is the only state that has a well-documented Meat storm on the record books, as far as I know. Yeah, an actual Meat Storm...meat falling from the sky! Crazy stuff, there. This week we will be talking about the Cryptid population of the Commonwealth, then we go spelunking in Mammoth Cave before it was a National Park in the story, The Cave of Horror, by Captain S.P. Meek!I hope you enjoy your tour...

ware robots: what u to know." IPVanish.com; March 29, 2023.Waken.AI, "CHatGPT's Special Self-Awareness: Insights from Waken.AI's Introspection Framework." Press Release; January 24, 2023.Sara Brown, "Why neural net pioneer Geoffrey Hinton is sounding the alarm of AI." MIT Management Sloan School; May 23, 2023.

Begining in 1977 a series of inexplicable Nightmare induced deaths took the lives of over 100 Hmong live in America. The mystery is still a source of conjecture and wonder in the medical community. I found this story positively intriguing, so I present to you my findings on this terrifying topic. Then, as usual I wind us down with a fictional story...this week we take a magical mystery tour with a tale taken from the pages of Weird Tales; a creepy detective story, sure to leave you shivering.www.nytimes.com/1981/05/10/us/nightmares-suspected-in-bed-deaths-of-18-laotians.html Wayne King, May 10, 1981Eric Young, Se Xioung, Laurel Finn, Terry Young, "Unique sleep disorders profile of a population-based sample of 747 Homg immigrants in Wisconsin," Social Science and Medicine, vol.79, Feb. 2013, pp. 57-65.Shelley R. Adler, "Refugee Stress and Folk Belief: Hmong Sudden Deaths." Social Sience and Medicine, Vol. 40, No. 12, pp. 1623-1629.Katie Spalding, "Can You Really Be Scared To Death?" OCt. 29, 2021, iflscience.comFilip K. Swirski, Jessica L. Ables, Ivan E. de Araujo, Deanna Benson, et al. "Brain-body communication in health and disease," Special adendum to Science Magazine, June 6, 2023, Frontiers of Medical Research: Brain Science.

Breaking News!!! Top US Government Officials say Aliens are Real! Well, sort of. Listen along as I summarize this week's exciting Whistleblower Bombshell: the US and other nations around the world have been collecting ALIEN craft for decades in a clandestine Arms Race! No joke. Then, to add some comfort and solace to these incredible news stories I read you a cozy little story by our favorite Master of Horror, The Colour of Space...maybe not all alien visitors are tall, skinny, and look like they've taken way too many drugs as they cruised the Nevada Desert.https://share.newsbreak.com/43... by Brad Ledbetter, June 6, 2023https://TheDeBrief.org/intelli... by Leslie Keen & Ralph Blumenthal, June 5, 2023http://www.theguardian.com/wor... by Adam Gabbatt, June 6, 2023.http://www.newsnationnow.com/s...https://www.newsnationnow.com/...

The Epic Finale of our weeks long (months long?) exploration of Sabine Baring Gould's Book of the Were-Wolves, probably the most frequently cited reference on all things Werewolf. Come along as we finish our journey through the darkest corners of the human heart, mind, and soul.

We are closing in on the end of our journey with Sabine Baring Gould and his superlative book on Were-Wolf mythology, The Book of Were-Wolves. In this episode Sabine Baring Gould tackles the history and mystery surrounding the Brutal String of Child abductions and murders committed by one of the most illustrious Hero's of French History, and one of the most heinous serial murderers in Human History, the Marechal of France, Gilles De Retz. I covered this topic myself in Episode 12, but it bears hearing again and seeing the story from a different perspective. Come along for a ride through the French Countryside, and see what darkness lurks in the Hearts of Men.

This week is part 5 of our tour of Sabine Baring Gould's Book of the Were-Wolves. This week we will discuss the evils found in the heart of mankind, and learn more about the relationship between homicidal mania and Were-wolf mythology and legend. Portions of these chapters are pretty graphic, so may not be suitable for the more tender-hearted among us.

After a brief bout with COVID-19, I'm back, sharing the lurid tales of Werewolves in European and World Mythology from Sabine Baring Gould's "Book of the Were-Wolves." This week we get an indepth look at one of Europe's youngest serial killer werewolves, then take a tour of werewolf myth and legend throughout the world. I also impart some of the fascinating modern psychology behind lycanthropy, and, yes, it is a legitimate disorder, but a litte less Lon Chaney than most imagine.Come along for the ride!

The continuing exploration of the foremost inquiry into lycanthropy and werewolves produced in the last 300 years, Sabine Baring Gould's "Book of the Were-Wolves" part 3, where we begin the exploration of Medieval Europe's fascination and fear of werewolves. As an introduction I also take you on a little trip through the Russian wilderness as we uncover the gruesome true-crime tale of Russia's own Werewolf Killer, Mikhail Popkov. His crimes are seriously heinous, so if you'd rather skip over that terrible tale the time stamp for the start of the "Book of the Were-Wolves" is below.Begin reading of "Book of the Were-Wolves" at 14:45

This week we discuss a true case of werewolf hysteria taken from recent news headlines, the case of Pankaj Bhasin, a man who believed he was hunting a werewolf to save the galaxy. Then we continue on with our reading of Sabine Baring Gould's Book of the Were-Wolves, chapters 3 and 4 which detail the mythology from a Northern European perspective. We will learn all about the Norse sagas, berserkers, and how poorly I pronounce foreign languages. Please forgive me my trespasses!

A little bonus episode to thank you for putting up with my deep dive into werewolf mythology. This short story is a heartbreaking saga of love, loss, and the genetic betrayal that is our Hero's Legacy. (Yes, I did rip that off from Romy and Michelle, and if you don't know what i am talking about run, don't walk to your Amazon account and get yourself a copy to watch, if for nothing more than this quote, and Ramon...if you know, you know.) Anyway, enjoy this haunting Northern European tale of tragic romance.

Who would have thought an Anglican Priest would be the man behind the definitive book on Were-wolves?! Sabine Baring Gould, best known for writing the song "Onward Christian Soldiers," is probably the most often referenced authority on the Mythology and Reported incidences of Lycanthropy. Taking a departure from our perusal of fictional short stories, I am taking you on the trail of the elusive man-beasts with the honorable priest as our guide. Come along for the most thorough education in all things were-wolves you will ever encounter in a podcast.

This is the story of the Beast of Gevaudan as recorded by historians and eyewitnesses, designed to further your obsession with all things historical and supernatural while demonstrating just how close James Grant came to the factual events in his fictional short story, "The Wild Beast of Gevaudan." I retell the legend from beginning to end, recount the heroics and the foibles of the important players, and comment on Police Activity in Albuquerque, because every good story should have taken a left at Albuquerque.

This week I delve into the legend of the Beast of Gevaudan, the terror of 18th century France. The Beast would kill over 100 and attack many more over the span of 3 years, but what exactly was the Beast? Come along with me this week as we explore the story from the perspective of a 19th century author, James Grant, as he writes a fictional account that reads like nonfiction. It's a terrifying tale told and retold over the years, growing in it's retelling as only a true Legend can. Is it a wolf, is it a werewolf, is it some hybrid creature, is it a trained lion sent to murder on behalf of some psychotic serial killer of a master? Follow along with me to see what the sensationalists and the sceptics have to say.

Victorian Europe, especially Britain, was obsessed with all things Egypt, but late in their history with Egypt and their attempted occupation there arose a haunting and threatening presence in the stories of Egypt, the Mummy. Not the curiously interesting shrouded corpses lying docilely in their gilder tombs, but vengeful beasts with incredible strength and determination of purpose. Join me this week for what is considered the very first short story regarding what would become an entire genre of mummy horror, "Lot No. 249" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

We return this week to our good friend Algernon Blackwood's paranormal realm. I'm sorry, i would surely fan-girl if I'd been alive in the early 1900's! His prose is just so poetic! Sigh...Anyway, this week we look at the Victorian's fascination with the mystical realm of Egypt, a quick peek into past lives, and the power of love, in Blackwood's short story, "Egyptian Sorcery."

A bonus episode to celebrate all things scientific! LOL. Well, at least a celebration of Episode 16's foray into the science of reanimation. I found a short story by the King of American Horror, Edgar Allan Poe, in which he takes a unique view of the early 19th Century's obsession with Galvanic reanimation and all things Egypt in his tale, "Some Words With a Mummy." Enjoy!

Man has sought an end to Death for as long as we have walked this Earth, but in the late 1700's science began to replace mysticism in this pursuit. Galvanism was the first major breakthrough in understanding the forces behind our existence, but even today the search continues for immortality, or at least an extension on our lease on life.In this week's episode I discuss some of the science behind reanimation, and then share the short story, "The Man Who Was Dead," by Thomas H. Knight, yet another cautionary tale about why it might not be such a great idea to bring the dead back to life.

This week we read The Isle of the Undead, by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, prefaced with a not so brief history of the Zombie. This is one action packed high seas adventure that takes our hero on a journey to a ghostly deserted island where nightmares dwell. And, of course, there's a hot chick to rescue!So come along for a little ocean voyage into terror!Be sure to watch Dr. Christopher Moreman's Ted Talk, The Dark History of Zombieshttps://youtu.be/I7EOTLpDSzs

A look at the darker side of resurrection and rebirth for the Month of March and the onset of Spring. Spend a little time with some lovesick Americans exploring the dark secrets of Transylvania. I daresay things go as you might guess. But, wait, there are cats too! So maybe not entirely as you would guess. Join me for this retelling of a classic tale of bloodthirst and love/lust.

For my 13th official Episode, we will explore the mythology surrounding the Western aversion to the Number 13, and finish off the episode with a rousing tale of a haunted hotel in Viborg, where the Nordic aversion to 13 also holds sway.

The legend of Blue Beard, found in many a Fairy Tale story collection, is said to be based upon the story of the infamous Gilles De Rais, one time Hero of the French turned necromantic serial killer. This is a little bonus episode, just because I love my listeners! Enjoy this eery fairy tale, with some moral (and mysogynistic) messages. Just enjoy the descriptions of oppulence, the suspense, and the gratifying fairy tale ending.

History is filled with evildoers and Serial Killers, but only one can be considered the first. In this episode I share the story of Gilles de Rais (Retz), the fallen Hero of France, onetime companion to Joan of Arc, turned alchemist, necromancer, and is said to be the world's first Serial Killer. His tale shows how even the mightiest among us can Fall into the darkest pits of depravity. Perhaps money truly is the root of all evil.

Join me for a brief discussion of ghost hunting in the dark and another exciting and truly chilling adventure with Algernon Blackwood's Jim Shorthouse. This time, Jim has lured an eager assistant into a barn where demonic influences give them a night to remember!

The next in our series of short stories by Algernon Blackwood titilates us with dark Oaths and "A Promise Kept," when a young medical student, exhausted from studying for an important exam, receives an unexpected visit from an old friend.

A break from the usual story, we visit a haunted house in California where the old boarding house's previous owner was the infamous serial killer, Dorothea Puente! She and her victims now haunt the grounds. Just taking a trip back to reality as a change of pace!

Jim shorthouse stumbles into another haunting when he checks into an American boarding house with a murderous past!

A solitary outdoorsman in Canada is haunted by spirits of angry Natives who have a bone to pick...I mean, can you blame them?

A young man and his intrepid Aunt do a little ghost hunting in a murder house in a quiet seaside town.

The final story from Rhoda Broughton's short story collection, Tales For Christmas Eve, in which we learn it has never been safe for a woman to accept a drink from a strange man...

An old woman tells her young companion of her great Lost Love and a haunting visitation.

Prophetic dreams or nightmares, escaped fate or bloody murder? Another perfectly chilling tale for Christmas Eve!

The second of Rhoda Broughtons Tales For Christmas Eve, the Man With the Nose tells the tale of a newlywed couple haunted by a dark and sinister man who seems to have an otherworldly hold on the young bride!

The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth. A semi-dramatic reading of the first story from Tales for Christmas Eve, an anthology of ghost stories by Rhoda Broughton.