Nighttide

Taphophobia is a severe form of claustrophobia that is triggered by the fear of being buried alive. It's a psychological phenomenon that is as old as human history itself. A fear that has been encoded in us since ancient times, when the possibility of premature burial was very real. These are some legends of those from history who suffered this fate, and whose spirits attempted to contact those closest to them for help.

In honor of St. Patty's day, travel with me to the misty forests of the Emerald Isle and hear some tales of the resident fairy folk.

All around the world, there are a plethora of legends and folktales surrounding the monstrous undead. Every culture has some sort of tale about the dead coming back, often being the harbingers of death themselves.  It's been the center of many of our superstitions and even some of our holidays.  The fear of the undead and the horrors they bring about on the living was a very real thing for many people throughout history.  Let's delve into the history of zombies and other variations of the undead.

For this week's Monster Monday, we're delving into the story of one of my all-time favorite monsters/cryptids - Mothman.  Throughout history, there have been many stories of monsters and spirits that appear to warn mankind of impending tragedies.  These creatures and spirits are said to come about days before a tragedy, seemingly haunting the area and the people living near it, in attempts to provide a warning about the impending disaster.  Sometimes they might make a strange noise that serves as the warning, while other times is the sight of them that is said to be the warning.  Other times, these warnings come via the dream world, where the creature or spirit appears to people in their dreams, either showing them or telling them of the impending disastrous events.

We've all had them, and probably all have our theories on why they occur.  Nightmares have been with humans since the very beginning.  Throughout history, their origins have been attributed to all manners of the paranormal - from the vengeful spirits of the dead to mischievous otherworldly beings.  Let's take a little romp through time and learn a little bit of the history behind nightmares. 

We're starting something new this week - Monster Mondays!  Each Monday we'll delve into tales of cryptids, monsters, and other strange beasts.  This Monday we're diving into the murky realm of swamp monsters. There are some places that are just naturally spooky, even in the daylight.  Swamps and bogs are just such places, there's an air of mystery about them.  The secretive dark waters (and what lives just beneath) fill us with a shuddersome sense of foreboding.  Swamp water is often stagnant, and the stench of decay that often wafts from them, makes us associate swamps with sickness, misfortune, and even death.  It's a feeling that has remained a constant throughout history and is something that has inspired countless stories of ghosts, curses, and mysterious creatures. It doesn't matter what country you live in, if there is a swamp, bog, or any type of wetland near you, odds are, if you dig deep enough, you'll uncover some spooky legends about it.

We know it today as a popular sleep-over game, and as an overused horror trope. However, how did this talking board actually get its start? Was its original intention truly for spirit communication, or was it always intended as a game?

What do Charles Dickens, W.B. Yeats, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have in common?  They were all members of one of the first established ghost-hunter groups, The Ghost Club!  While the original intention of the club was to debunk fraudulent mediums, by the time Doye joined the group, it was more about proving than disproving.  This is the story of the Ghost Club, and how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle went from being known as a man of logic, to someone whose desperate need to believe left him gullible and easily taken advantage of.

Many out there have claimed to have captured photographs of spirits.  Believe it or not, spirit photography has been around as long as photography itself. In fact, during the Victorian era, photographs of spirits were not only oddly common, but for some years it was quite the craze.  While there were many photographers during this time producing such photos, it all began with one man in particular, and this is his story.

The devil is a creature, which throughout most of history, has been deeply rooted in the folklore and belief systems of much of the Western world.  It is commonly seen as the adversarial type, one which is the antithesis of morality.  It often represents the desire for power, wealth, and the pleasures of the material world, which many spiritual leaders hypocritically say is a horrid sin.  But, what is the history behind the devil we know today?  Where did this imagery come from, and has it always been around?

Electronic Voice Phenomena, known more commonly by the acronym – EVP, is a sound found on an electronic recording, that is believed to be the voice of a spirit.  These voices can be intentionally captured - but most often are captured by complete accident.   If you like watching ghost hunting shows, you're probably more than familiar with the phenomenon - but have you ever wondered about the first EVP?  Who recorded it and how it happened?  Today we delve into the history behind the humble EVP.

For centuries the area of Loch Ness has been home to a wide array of supernatural phenomena.  Throughout its deep history, the land itself has been home to ancient sacrificial rituals, necromancy, occult summoning rituals, UFO sightings,  and most notably home to a strange creature.  Loch Ness is most well known for its famous monster, the alleged long-necked water serpent-like creature, the Loch Ness Monster, or as it's affectionately known, Nessie.  The story of the Loch Ness Monster is one that has resided within Scottish folklore for centuries. Just how far back these sightings go may surprise you.  

.Throughout most of ancient history, magic was seen as an important part of daily life.  For the Egyptians, was not only an integral part of their religious practices but also an important part of daily life.  For the Greeks and Romans, magic was used for every purpose under the sun – from ensuring a good harvest to making sure one looked their best.  In fact, every single ancient society out there employed some sort of magical belief system – magic is just something that goes hand-in-hand with animism and connection to the natural world. So how did magic take the turn in history from being a benign part of daily life to something to be feared and combated?  In this episode, we dive into a brief history of witchcraft.

Many castles of old still have a strong presence about them. When looked upon they seem to resonate with an energy all of their own, and stir within us a mixture of wonder, reverence, and melancholy.  Though many like to romanticize what life was like behind those seemingly impenetrable stone walls, castle life was often a lonely and dangerous affair.  It was a place where ambition prevailed over loyalty, where jealousy triggered rage, and where power (and the unquenchable thirst for more it created) led to bloodshed.

Many of our attitudes, superstitions, and uneasiness concerning mirrors date back to ancient times.  The first mirrors were made of polished stone, copper, and silver.  Because these materials were often difficult to smooth and polish, the reflections in these mirrors were often dark and distorted, giving an almost unsettling appearance.  It probably would have been a little eerie to gaze into, and no doubt had another worldly and spooky feel to it.

There are some places that seem to have a mystery about them.  The air feels heavier, the energy more electric, and the mindset it creates within us allows us to be more open and accepting of the stranger things in life.  These places are where ghosts come out to play, mysterious creatures lurk about, and strange objects dart through the skies.  One of these such places is a rather unassuming ranchland that resides in Utah.  It's known by many as the Skin Walker Ranch. 

We're all familiar in some shape or form with tales of the blood-sucking undead stalking about during the night, but what do you know about the history behind these tales?  In this episode, we'll explore the history of vampires and some of the stories from history that inspired them. 

The finality of death is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the act. The idea that once it's over – it's indeed truly over. Nothingness is a frightening thought, a thought which can be so daunting and truly terrifying that we will look for any glimmer of hope that it's something we don't need to even consider.  False hope can come in many forms – a faulty religion, being deluded by a personality's false claims of power or allowing one to push aside disbelief, toss aside gut instincts, and allow oneself to be soothed by trickery.  From the late 1800's to the early 1900's many found their way to fortune by preying on such fears and claiming to prove the existence of the afterlife.  They were known as mediums, and one of the most renowned (and dubious) of his time was a man named Daniel Dunglas Hume.  

How can a simple deck of cards supposedly give someone insight into a person's life?  How do these cards have such a reputation for accuracy, and where exactly did these cards and their strange pictures come from?  How did Tarot cards become such a staple for psychics and followers of the occult?  In this episode, we explore the history of the Tarot.

How far back do the legends of werewolves go?  Where did they originate from, and are they the same as our modern-day depictions?  In this episode, we explore the history of werewolves. It seems, that the tales we know of today come to us from an event that dates back to the 16th century.  In 16th century France,  communities were being plagued by a series of bizarre disappearances and brutal murders – the corpses often being horrifically mutilated as though they had been ripped apart by some sort of monstrous animal.  Whatever it was that seemed to be tormenting the villages seemed to prefer the cover of night for its attacks. 

In the Western world, Friday the 13th is supposedly one of the unluckiest days you can happen upon. Love of superstitions aside, have you ever wondered why and how the day became considered so unlucky?  Why does 13 get such a bad rep? In this short episode, explore the history of the unlucky 13.  As a side note, please excuse the lackluster sound quality. I accidentally used the wrong mic and simply was just too lazy to rerecord. Just blame the 13th and think of it adding to the unlucky feel of the topic.

So much of what we celebrate today – whether Halloween, Solstice-based wintertime celebrations, birthdays, or weddings, many of the traditions associated with these served the purpose of protection and banishing evil spirits from this realm. However, what if the unwanted spirit which you sought to protect yourself from and drive away was yourself?  What if the thing which haunted you, which caused you to spend your nights frozen in fear was none other than you?  

Who speaks for the dead?  Who helps solve murders long since forgotten, or avenges a death that has gone undiscovered?  Sometimes when life is so suddenly taken, it prevents a spirit from moving on – until they can find ghostly justice.

While the curse of the Pharaoh's tomb may be the curse we associate with Tutankhamun, there are others out there as well. One such curse involves the Pharaoh's royal trumpet, known by many as the Instrument of War.

When you hear the word, “fairy”, probably the first thing that comes to mind are cutesy, dainty, little winged things, painting flowers and annoying their animal neighbors with their relentless happy songs and jingly bells. That, however, is not what a true fairy is. That is the modern story-book variety. The fairies of old, the real fairies, are something quite different. They are often dark in nature, with a fondness for tormenting humans.

They were known as the necromancers of Bavaria, and were said to be members of the sparse elite. These were, before the war, the members of society who were not only literate, but literate in Latin. Something which was only reserved for the upper crust of Medieval society, and interestingly enough, most who had this knowledge were clerics as well.

The legend of the black-eyed children, though delightfully spooky, is a fairly modern American legend, fueled over the years by various call-ins to late night radio shows and of course, numerous creepypastas. The legend supposedly first began making rounds in the 1980’s, but the story that kicked off the legend and captivated the imaginations of many, dates back to January of 1998.

She is often known as the weeping woman or the lady in white, and has been associated with child disappearances and whose presence is said to be an omen of one sort or another. In modern day versions of this story, La Llorona is slightly similar to the Baba Yaga in the fact that she is a tale told to children in order to coerce them into good behavior. Children who are not mindful of their parent’s rules can be stolen away by the La Llorona. La Llorona is a ghostly legend, that like most legends of female spirits, revolves around a tragic love affair which ends in disaster.

There’s something fun and thrilling about a good spooky tale. Whether you are a child or an adult, those are the ones that your mind (whether you wish it to or not) will revisit over and over. Fairy tales are a good example of this, as most are quite dark in origin. They are full of wicked things lurking in the shadows, things which stalk about waiting for the right moment to seize and often feed upon those who unwittingly cross their path. The reason these stories are so delightfully dark is twofold. They capture the imagination and entertain, but they also serve the primary purpose of scaring children into submission.

The one thing universal thing about humanity’s relationship with the future is that we all wish we had some insight into it. Some precognition which allowed us to make more informed decisions and avoid certain catastrophes. While the future remains an incomprehensible void for most of us, throughout history there have been many who have claimed the ability to see into it and catch glimpses into what she may bring.

Vampire legends have their origin in the fear of death and of people’s misunderstandings of the natural process of decomposition.The fear of death and what those who have fallen into her clutches can bring forth upon the living, is a fear which has driven and dictated funerary customs throughout the centuries. Underneath the spectacle of ornate showings of last respects and tokens of remembrance, are ancient precautions, means of ensuring that the dead remain as such, and that their spirits are kept at bay. It ensures that the body, now defiled by death, is safely disposed of, unable to spread more of its morbid affliction to the living by means of its uncleanliness.

When it comes to modern story-telling, it’s quite the over-used trope – the ‘who did it to me’ mystery, where the departed influences an investigation in order to reveal the details of their murder – bringing to justice the unsuspected killer. However, when it comes to folk lore and legends involving ghost stories, it is a theme which appears time and time again, a theme which is essentially as old as time. In fact, when it comes to such stories, it is almost unavoidable. It seems that often, justice is the only thing that will finally allow the dead to be at rest.

The stories of werewolves which we know today, mostly date back to the 15th and 16th centuries, however stories of humans transforming into wolves, goes much further back. It is a theme which pops up in ancient stories, mythologies, and legends time and time again – and is almost as old as history itself.

Since time beginning, humans have always had an interesting relationship with the night. On one hand it can be a time of peace and slumber – but on the other hand it can be a time when all matter of strange and frightening events occur.

For all of history, magic has often been employed by those in power, in attempts to secure political positions, admonish enemies, fuel war and its desired outcomes, and alter the state of countries and even entire civilizations. In some way or another, magic and the occult has been a force quietly at play in the shadows, used by those in power, and it always seems to play a role in the wars they so often try to bring about.

Daniel Dunglas Home is still considered one of the most renowned psychics not only of the Spiritualist movement, but in history altogether. During his time he was never publicly proven to be fraudulent, and it was said there was simply not a person who could prove beyond a doubt that his abilities were anything other than legitimate.

Throughout history there have been an overwhelming number of people who have met the fate of being buried alive. It’s no surprise that taphophobia, the fear of being buried alive, is still something that creeps into our collective consciousness. It skates about in the shadows, a nightmare scenario that still even to this day has some merit. An entrapment that there is often no escape from.

There is no shortage of tales of haunted waters, of small patches, where the waters seem to be in a constant state of unrest, waters which seem eager to swallow up any vessel which crosses over. Its appetite unsated. Waters so tumultuous where even their sunken collections seem to be at unrest, where spirits haunt and ghostly ships set sail. Waters which many swear to be cursed.

What if the thing which haunted you, which caused you to spend your nights frozen in fear was none other than you? History is full of strange tales of those who encountered and were even seemingly haunted by themselves, a phenomena known, as the doppelganger.

For many cultures around the world, winter is a time when special creatures come out to play. It is a time when the snowfall brings about a special magic with it. The first snow fall of the winter is known to awaken cryptids, and other magical creatures.

While the winter solstice was often a time of feasts and celebration, many of these celebrations were in part to counter the negativity which lurked about during these long dark nights. It was a time for magic and ritual, a time to balance out negative forces at play, and a time when protection was needed. In Western culture, many of our winter holiday traditions have origins in these magical solstice celebrations – especially those celebrated by the Celts and Vikings.

A sigil is the symbolic representation of a person’s intentions which they wish to bring about. Its purpose, simply, is to seal the intention one is looking to manifest, or bring into their lives. While this type of symbolic magic is almost as old as time itself, sigil magic really began to take shape and come into its own during the 17th century.

There are some places which seem to have a mystery about them. It’s these places that weave their way into our legends and folklore and make us want to believe that the world is far more magical and mysterious than we are led to believe. One of these such places is a rather unassuming ranchland that resides in Utah. It’s known by many as the Skin Walker Ranch.

It was called The London Ghost Club, and it was the very first paranormal investigation and research group known on record. Formed in 1862, it was a club for some of London’s most elite, and included politicians, inventors, physicians, authors, and more. Journey back to the Spiritualist movement and hear about one very famous author who was a member of the Ghost Club and how their search for the paranormal shaped their life.

The devil is an interesting character, one who has often been portrayed as the artist’s muse. However, the devil has quite a fascinating history, and the way this character has evolved throughout time and how our attitudes towards it have changed makes for quite an interesting tale in of itself. It certainly didn’t start out as the way we know it today. Like the beast itself, the origin of the devil is quite a tricky one to pursue. It is full of twists, deceit, and often provides no better example of the folly of man.

Join me for a little jaunt through history as we learn about some of the origins behind Halloween and the traditions we associate with it.

There are many out there who have claimed to have captured a spirit in a photograph. In most cases the occurrence was completely unintended – while in other cases the person behind the camera has done so for that specific reason. Today, whenever we see a supposed spirit photograph, the spirit is either an orb, a wispy mist-like substance, or a light colored blob that is vaguely in a human like shape. The ghost photos we have today are entirely different than the spirit photos of the eighteen and nineteen hundreds.

Many castles of old still have a strong presence about them. When looked upon they seem to resonate with an energy all of their own, and stir within us a mixture of wonder, reverence, and melancholy. Though many like to romanticize what life was like behind those seemingly impenetrable stone walls, castle life was often a lonely and dangerous affair.

The story behind the hauntings of the Crescent Hotel read like a riveting crime novel. It just goes to show you that often, behind every good ghost story, there is an even creepier history lurking behind it.

Almost everyone has some sort of superstition they believe in - and one of the biggest superstitions in western culture has to do with Friday the 13th. There are some people out there who legitimately fear this day and the bad luck it brings. Have you ever wondered why? When did this fear of the 13th begin?

There are some places that are just naturally spooky, even in the daylight. Swamps and bogs are just such places, there’s an air of mystery about them. The secretive dark waters (and what lives just beneath) fill us with a shuddersome sense of foreboding. It’s a feeling that has remained a constant throughout history, and is something that has inspired countless stories of ghosts, curses, and mysterious creatures.