Mania

This the first episode in the two part series of The Vampire of Dusseldorf. We find ourselves in early 20th century Germany to pursue a killer whose entire life and crimes were instrumental in helping the psychologist Carl Berg define the term 'sadism'.His early crimes and upbringing, however, are just as haunting.Support the showThank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.

After the Bender family settles in the Osage township in 1871, bodies begin popping up in nearby creeks. As suspicions mount amongst the neighbours, the truth starts rearing its head, but it will be more shocking than anybody could have imagined.Music by Luella Gren.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

As nuns go missing in a late 17th century Benedictine convent, Abbess Agatha must root out the evil lurking in her priory. With one particular sister's behaviour becoming terribly erratic, she suspects the Devil himself is at work. The aftermath will leave a cypher so inhumanly complex—it wouldn't be deciphered for nearly four centuries.In Italy, that letter is still safeguarded today.Thank you to Luella Gren for providing the delightful main and outro theme, Old Time Circus.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Lives held by single threads. Beating hearts clutched in hands. For this Halloween finale to the second season, we pursue three remarkable procedures catalogued from the 19th century. Surgeries so groundbreaking that they were published, discussed, (and sometimes scorned), amidst scores of Victorian medical professionals.In the previous episode, we discussed dubious and downright comical remedies, but today's narrative attests to the bold courage of Victorian surgeons, anatomists, and patients, willing to spare blood and pain in the feverish pursuit of advancing medical practices.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

We've all heard of bloodletting and leeches, but what of tobacco smoke enemas, crow vomit ointments, and magic pigeons? In this surprisingly educational excursion, we explore three curious remedies from the annals of 19th and 18th century medicine. This topic was voted for by patrons of the show!Research for this episode would not have been possible without "The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth & Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine". An excellent read for any history buffs.Music featured in this episode:Luella Gren, Intro: "Why Is She Crying?" Dated: "Autopsy Romance" and "Midnight Visitors" Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Appearing after the wake of Lavinia Fisher is one of America's deadliest serial killers from the mid 19th century. Arising from the tragic demise of her mother and subsequent abandonment by her father, Honora Kelley, (more infamously regarded as Jane Toppan), entered the world of medicine only to use her training to exact ruthless destruction upon innocent lives. Though grand, Jane's aspirations were simple: "to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever lived."Use Harlequin's affiliate link to start your own podcast with Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=349300Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Lavinia and her Six Mile Wayfarer House were a match made in Hell. Hers is a vital, bloody piece of American history that showcases the dangers of oral tradition, and how truth becomes twisted with fiction. Follow this femme fatale down a path of wanton destruction where no regret or shame follows. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

A mother in rural Ireland carries the burden of a curse that she may not survive.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

A family of eight in Wattisham, England is plagued with a deadly disease with no solution, but the real illness is paranoia.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Uncovering the sudden murder rampage of Charles Whitman. Beneath this dumbfounding act of terror are poignant questions concerning free will, the justice system, and the complex moral discussions sparked by murderers like Whitman.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Some demons do their most gruesome work in churches.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Painter Richard Dadd is the embodiment of a tragic tale, containing a bright future dashed too soon and an irreconcilable event which darkens his fate forevermore.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Rumours of a werewolf are spreading in a rural town in France. Gilles Garnier, a hermit on the outskirts, becomes closer to the drama than he'd like.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

The city of Edinburgh undergoes a rash of killings in 1828, though the killers aren't men of passion, but enterprise.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

The soulless killings of Elizabeth Dyer, the "Ogress of Reading".Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

The tragedy of a servant working for a very bloody establishment.Musicians FeaturedIntro: Jenny RoosStory: Fabien Tell, Wahneta MeixellOutro: Jules Gaia Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

A professor and spiritualist conducts a harrowing experiment.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

A small, forgettable village in 1665 England makes an unforgettable sacrifice.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

The full killing career of H.H. Holmes, summarised and dissected. The infamous Chicago serial murderer who confessed to twenty-seven homicides is nothing sort of mysterious, diabolical, and depraved to a comical degree. On the outside, a well-to-do 1800's entrepreneur with an eye for investment opportunity, as long as he can take a shortcut: murder.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

After his precious trunk is discovered by local authorities, H.H. Holmes' story only gets more strange. This episode features the unbelievably true recount of a serial killer's chase with a detective, all the while carting around a ticking time bomb of a decomposing corpse worth a fortune.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

The second episode in pursuit of the serial killer H. H. Holmes. Holmes undertakes the elaborate job of faking his own demise. As it so happens, the task of smuggling a corpse onto a public train is not the least bit unsuspicious. In this segment we explore the motives, mindset, and details behind an entrepreneur whose products are largely human remains, and Holmes' dark misadventure with life insurance fraud. MusicIntro: The Forgotten Memories, Luella GrenInner: Bagatelle En Mineur, Franz GordonOutro: Oh What a Whirl, Jules Gaia Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

One of America's most notorious serial killers is given a fresh light. The con artist and murderer is revived so that more lifelike tales previously overlooked in his autobiography can be resurfaced amongst the overly fabricated string of tall stories about his 'Murder Hotel'.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

In 1874, a Parisian socialite by the name of Blanche Monnier must face the wrath of her family's punishment against her. Blanche's story encapsulates themes of unendurable torture, familial betrayal, and the wastage of human potential on frivolous ideals or principles.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Not houses nor mansions, but mines and kitchens. Ghosts come in countless forms. This episode demonstrates some truly bizarre recounts from trusted voices within their time. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Thank you for an amazing first year of Mania! I am thrilled to present something to commemorate my wonderful listeners and the first stepping year of this dark journey. A CARNIVAL OF GALLOWS is an episode that we filmed in London while we investigated the details behind the story. It follows a young highwaymen and his fatal journey to Tyburn. Although the audio is available here, I encourage you to go find the full experience on YouTube! Here is the link: https://youtu.be/kxlbs6uq3JoSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

What does witchcraft, rats, and missing children have in common? More than you might think, actually, but usually very little. That is, until a bizarre individual with cloven feet and horns visits the sleepy town of Hamelin in 1384. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

A phenomena which perfectly encapsulates the madness and storm of assumptions spawned by demonic possession. In this final instalment of DEMON, we explore the theme of mass hysteria and political manipulation via public exorcisms. Though demons are eternally the villain in these tales, what they bring out in their 'victims' seems to be a much more complex and very real evil.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

A widow in 17th century France may find her soul in the clutches of a demon.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

A plague and the possession of a single nun will bring utter chaos to an otherwise peaceful Loudun in 1626, France.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Discover another side of the famous writer Victor Hugo and the abominable source of inspiration for one of his crowning pieces: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

The Siege of Paris in 1590 uncovers harrowing details of a city populace when pushed beyond starvation. (This episode contains historically inaccurate information and will be revised soon.)Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

One evening in 1853 of Galway, Ireland, the pleasant aroma of light rain on soil is tainted by something foul. A scent which burns the senses and forebodes of a presence far more sinister than death itself.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Will you take a stroll with me into the Čachtice Castle? I hear that Countess Báthory lives here. I wouldn’t take off your coat … it wouldn’t be safe to stay here for too long, what with the rumours and all.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

Beginning with Luigi Galvani himself, this episode of Mania treads down a winding corridor that explores the same events which inspired Mary Shelley’s The Modern Prometheus, also known as Frankenstein, and digs at the heart of the dark realities behind the gory moments of Galvanic reanimation.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

A sickly reverend in 1770 and an assassinated king in 1437 reveal uncomfortable truths about death, one of its particular messengers, and why their presence is found throughout history.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

An unsuspecting monk in the Dark Ages, Rint, struggles with his sanity as his small abbey becomes the most sought-after burial sight during a time when there seems to be more dead than living.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)

In 1838 London, the death of a woman named Eliza Grimwood reveals a strange and unlikely murderer, and more importantly, a glaring trait of human nature.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)