Unexplained

In the 15th century, in a citadel perched high above a cliff, there lived a bloodthirsty ruler, considered by some to have been among the most feared and brutal in history. His name was Vlad Dracul III... Written by Diane Hope and produced by Richard MacLean Smith Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons in Cymru, in the shadow of the Pen y Fan peak, sits a large stone house. Named Heol Fanog, or Road to the Peaks, for one couple who moved there in 1989 the house was everything they had ever dreamed of. Little did they know that, in truth, it would soon become the place of their worst nightmares. Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, on Bluesky @unexplained.bsky.social, on X at @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In April 1991, music executive Christopher Case told his friend that he'd been cursed by a woman he met while on a night out.  The woman apparently told him that he'd be dead within a week. Then Chris stopped answering his calls.  Written by James Conor Patterson and produced by Richard MacLean Smith.  Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, on Bluesky @unexplained.bsky.social, on X at @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a story told over centuries, by local Congolese and explorers alike – a story that calls into question what we truly know about our world, and what may lurk still in the parts of the map that have yet to be fully filled in… It's name is mokele-mbembe. Written by Neil McRobert and produced by Richard MacLean Smith.  Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, on Bluesky @unexplained.bsky.social, on X at @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In October 1929, Bessie and Glen Hyde set out to become the fastest people ever to traverse the Grand Canyon by boat. For a landscape so saturated in mystery, the story of the Hydes might be one of its greatest...  Written by Neil McRobert and produced by Richard MacLean Smith.  Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In July 1692 strange things are afoot in Massachusetts, America. In Salem village, 11 women and one man are languishing in jail as they await trial, accused of witchcraft.  Meanwhile, 20 miles away in the county of Gloucester, something perhaps even stranger is about to occur... Written by James Conor Patterson and produced by Richard MacLean Smith Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In December 1975, on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, pilot Norman Peter Gibbs took off for a recreational flight around the island. He was never heard from again in circumstances so strange that people have been trying to unravel the mystery ever since.  Written by Diane Hope and produced by Richard MacLean Smith Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will the idea of travelling purposefully through time always be nothing more than an imaginative device through which to convey longing, nostalgia and regret? Or might it actually be possible? Perhaps the answer lies in one of the UK's great cities, Liverpool and its enigmatic Bold Street... Written by James Conor Patterson and produced by Richard MacLean Smith Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two of Season 08 Episode 5: Islands of Fear Back to where it all began... It's August 1995 in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico and according to one local resident, something very strange is about to go down.... Written by Diane Hope and produced by Richard MacLean Smith Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in the early 1990s, a series of strange reports began emanating from Latin and Central America regarding a spate of farm animal massacres.  And there was only one word on the lips of concerned citizens... Chupacabra.    Written by Diane Hope and produced by Richard MacLean Smith Find us at youtube.com/@unexplainedpod, tiktok.com/@unexplainedpodcast, twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 1980s and early 90s, 14 women vanished within a 100km radius of Ireland's capital, Dublin.  Former crime correspondent Geraldine Niland dubbed it the Vanishing Triangle...  Written by James Conor Patterson and Richard MacLean Smith Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On November 18th 2020 a small group of biologists spotted something strange while flying over a remote part of southeastern Utah; a bizarre reflective monolith that had gone unnoticed for years...  Written by Diane Hope and produced by Richard MacLean Smith Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you think the novels of Philip K. Dick are strange, you should hear what happened to him in real life. It all began, one uncanny day in 1974... Written by James Conor Patterson and produced by Richard MacLean Smith Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sandworm from Frank Herbert's Dune, is a monstrous gigantic creature with a thirst for blood. But did you know it was possibly based on another terrifying creature that is said to stalk the darkest corners of Mongolia's Gobi desert... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unexplained returns for Season 08 on Friday, September 6th. Sometimes eerie, sometimes strange, always Unexplained... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The otherworld of Welsh mythology, known as Annwn, is said to be populated with a vast array of creatures including fairies and mottled ridged serpents.  It is also said that there is one place more than any other where the bridge between our world and theirs is at its thinnest. That place, is the Berwyn Mountains... Go to twitter@unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1990 in Gulf Breeze, Florida, in the early hours of Saturday, July 14th, a young man is pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Little could anyone have predicted it would begin the unravelling of one of the most bizarre cases of desertion in the United States Military's entire history. Go to twitter@unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For any regular listener of this show, as you may have gathered, Unexplained is rather fond of a good old haunted house story.   The story of the Cooneen ghost house of Ireland is just one such tale,  often regarded as one of the most compelling supposed true-life hauntings of all time...  Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On December 4th 1872, the crew of the cargo ship Dei Gratia, came across a ghost ship set adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, 400 miles to the east of the Azores. The fate of the vessel, Mary Celeste, and that of its crew has since become known as perhaps the greatest maritime mystery of all time. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It could be said that all stories are ultimately about one thing – death. None more so than the stories we tell each other concerning what awaits us after life. It is a theme that can be found in stories told across every community and culture, from as far back as we can remember. But what might our dreams have to do with it? Featuring the unsettling story of The Pollock Twins. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unexplained Season 7 has now finished but we'll be back on Friday September 6th to begin Season 8. In the meantime, I'm going to be replaying some of my favourite episodes from the archives. This week we're heading back to Sussex in the south of England to explore the dark mysteries of Chanctonbury Ring and its bucolic surrounds.  Long thought to be a hotbed of strange and peculiar activity, In the 1970s, one local resident set out to dig a little deeper into the mystery only to find a little more than he bargained for... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One chilly morning in a small village in Romania, in February 1925, 11-year-old Eleonore Zugun found a coin on the way to her grandmother's house.  Eleonore's cousin warned her not to pick it up; that it was the devil's money and would only bring her bad luck.  But Eleonore ignored the warning... This episode was written by Emma Dibdin and produced by Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third and final part of Season 07 Episode 25: The City Upon a Hill  As accusations of witchcraft mount up soon the fear spreads beyond Salem and out into the wider Puritan community. With over 100 people accused of being in league with the devil, it's time to begin the official trials. The shit gets real, as they say...  This episode was written by Richard MacLean Smith and Ella Mcleod Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two of Season 07 Episode 25: The City Upon a Hill  It's March 1692 in Salem. Three women - Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba - stand accused of witchcraft. All three have so far denied the accusation. But all that is about to change... This episode was written by Ella Mcleod and Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 1630, 700 puritans arrived from England at a place in New England, America, known to many local communities as Naumkeag. To those new arrivals however, it was known as something different. Inspired by the Hebrew for peace, they called it Salem.   This episode was written by Ella Mcleod and Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The volcanic landscape of Iceland exerts a strong pull on the psyche. So it's no wonder the nation's folklore is so rich with stories of the supernatural, of ghosts and trolls, but most of all, elves...  Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Third and final part of Season 07 Episode 23: The Box  Jason continues his quest to get to the bottom of how the dibbuk box came into being.  What he uncovers is more wild than he could possibly have imagined... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two of Season 07 Episode 23: The Box  Despite the disturbing nature of Kevin's eBay listing attracts, his 'dibbuk' box attracts the interest of hundreds of potential buyers. Before long, it's heading for Kirksville, Missouri, with disastrous consequences... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June 2003, something unusual popped up for sale on eBay. The listing was posted by used furniture dealer Kevin Mannis and concerned a strange Jewish artefact he'd apparently purchased a few years before. He called it a dybbuk box. He said he wanted to sell it because, according to him, it was haunted... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Second and final part of Season 07 Episode 22: Jumping into Legend In the hunt for the true identity of the so-called Dan Cooper, the FBI and police interview over 800 suspects. Could one of them be him? This episode was written by Emma Dibdin and produced by Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On November 24th 1971 at Portland International airport, a man turned up at the ticket desk requesting a one-way ticket to Seattle. The rest is strange and mystifying history... This episode was written by Emma Dibdin and produced by Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's long been thought that people can be driven to madness by the wind.  In 1969, episcopalian bishop James Pike and his wife Diane became stranded in the Judean desert while on a research trip. Then the wind started to blow...  This episode was written by Diane Hope and Richard MacLean Smith.  Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second and final part of Season 07 Episode 20: The Haunting of Hannath Hall The team from the Cambridge University Society of Psychical Research are ready to begin their investigation of Hannath Hall. Starting with a good old fashioned séance... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It always fills me with a particular sense of caution, and no little excitement when I learn of new alleged poltergeist events, particularly ones that invoke the work of Nigel Kneale involving learned men and women on the hunt for ghosts…  And so I present to you, the haunting of Hannath Hall...  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1999, a house went on the market in the tiny village of Upper Mayfield near the Derbyshire Peak District. It was bought by Tim Chilton for what he thought was a steal. It turned out to be far more than that... This episode was written by Diane Hope. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fourth and final part of Season 07 Episode 18: A Dance with Mr. Dee (Pt.4 of 4) Fearing for his life, John Dee flees with his family to Europe along with his trusty scryer Edward Kelly.  Together they continue to commune with angels in pursuit of Dee's dream to unlock the secrets of the universe. All seems to be going well until Kelly makes an outrageous proposition... This episode was written by Diane Hope and Richard MacLean Smith Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part Three of Season 07 Episode 18: A Dance with Mr. Dee  Late one afternoon in March 1582, John Dee is introduced to one Edward Talbot, a self-proclaimed medium and scryer.  And, Dee hopes, the gateway to his wildest dreams...  His life will never be the same again.  This episode was written by Diane Hope and Richard MacLean Smith Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the death of Queen Mary 1st, John Dee does what he can to ingratiate himself with the new Queen, Elizabeth 1st.   In the secrecy of his home, he embarks on an ambitious new experiment, to uncover nothing less than the secrets of the universe... This episode was written by Diane Hope and Richard MacLean Smith Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Dee. Mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and some say, the most influential occult magician in British history...  This episode was written by Diane Hope and Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unexplained will return next week. In place of this week's episode, this is one from the vaults... When 3 year Shanti Devi becomes convinced she has lived another life before, her parents assume it's just a childish game. Today many consider her story to be nothing less than absolute proof of reincarnation… Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two of Season 07 Episode 17: What Lies in the Long Grass.  As news begins to spread about the bizarre events at Ruwa school, the children find an unlikely champion for their version of events.  Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One evening in September 1994, strange lights are seen in the skies over Zimbabwe.  Two days later, 60 pupils of a rural primary school make the astonishing claim, that a UFO landed in their playground. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 1960s, there were few better places to enjoy a night out in Glasgow than the Barrowland Ballroom.  At weekends, as many as 2000 would cram into the venue to dance away the night.  Among them, was one of the UK's most notorious mysoginistic murderers, whose true identity remains to this day, Unexplained.  This episode was written by Emma Dibdin and Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two of Season 07 Episode 15: In His Eyes a Flaming Glow As Gregori Rasputin's influence over the Tsar and Tsarina grows ever stronger, so too does the determination of his enemies to put a stop to it. By any means necessary. But how do you kill the man who cannot die? This episode was written by Emma Dibdin and Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early 1900s, a strange enigmatic mystic ingratiated himself with the Russian royal family. It was the beginning of a new life for him – and for the royals.  Unknown to them then, it was also the beginning of the end... The man's name... Grigori Rasputin.  This episode was written by Emma Dibdin and Richard MacLean Smith. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third and final part of Season 07 Episode 14: If These Walls Could Scream. Elisa Lam has been missing for over two weeks when guests staying at the Cecil building begin to notice that the water coming out of their tabs has gone putrid… Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two of Season 07 Episode 14: If These Walls Could Scream. Detectives Tennelle and Stearns begin their investigation into Elisa Lam's disappearance.  Clues are thin on the ground until the emergence of some bizarre CCTV footage recorded the day Elisa went missing, which completely upends the investigation...  Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world of horror is littered with unnerving locations, with the hotel perhaps the most unsettling of them all. Hotels constitute a vast clash of psychical intersections, moving through time and all held together in one singular place. In 2013, one such place, became host to one of the most disturbing and tragic deaths of recent times. Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early one chilly morning in March of 1977, Mary Gillespie checked her postbox and found a strange, threatening letter inside - addressed to her.  And so began one of the most bizarre incidences ever to befall the town of Circleville... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unexplained rerun: Chanctonbury Ring, an ancient and unusual landmark located in Sussex, England, and the surrounding countryside has long been considered by some to be a hotbed of strange and peculiar activity. In the 1970s, one local resident set out to dig a little deeper into the mystery only to find a little more than he bargained for... Go to @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or www.unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unexplained Rerun   In July 2009, at the height of war in Afghanistan, US and British forces struggle to get to grips with fighting a mostly invisible enemy, while simultaneously trying to win the hearts and minds of the people whose land they have invaded.   As part of Operation Khanjar, the US government's latest roll of the dice in their efforts to beat back the influence of the Taliban in Helmand Province, 4000 marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment have been deployed to the region.  Among them are eight Marines, tasked with occupying a strange and isolated observation post, known simply as The Rock.  Their war is about to get far stranger than they could ever have imagined.   Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.