Horrifying History

A Lady in White is a type of female ghost who typically dresses in a white gown or dress, and is seen in usually areas that are associated with tragedy. These legends are found in many areas of the world, and the common themes seem to be accidental death, murder, suicide, unrequited love, and betrayal by a husband or fiancé. Today you are going to hear some of these heartbreaking stories. Our webs...

Between the years of 1482 and 1782; thousands of people were accused of witchcraft and were executed. People believed that witches were everywhere plotting with the devil to cause harm. They started appearing in local lore and in fairytales as a versatile symbol for evil and transgression, and by the late 16th and 17th centuries people of all classes believed that witches were everywhere. They wer...

The Palace of Versailles has a special place in my heart. My nine times great grandfather managed the farms at this location that was the royal seat of power for over 100 years. When you walk towards the Palace of Versailles there are a few things you will realize right away…that this was the location for opulence, and political intrigue. But for Eleanor Jourdain and Charlotte Moberly who were hop...

Some people believe that the afterlife can only be accessed by a spiritual means, and others currently and throughout history believe that you can reach the underworld using portals on Earth. Some of these gateways involve Christian concepts of hell while others are said to lead to some very unpleasant afterlives alternatives. Today we are going to talk about some of these locations, and what you...

In the novella “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, Leo Tolstoy writes about a man who is shocked to discover that his death is inevitable. This is what we all realize sometime in our lives, and we hope that while here we live great lives and will be remembered fondly in death. For most this happens, but for some their legacy is overshadowed by how they died. Our website is the one stop spot for everything...

As people get older, it is natural that they think about their mortality. Many plan for their end by writing a will, and planing their funeral. But no one normally plans for their body to be stolen. Our website is the one stop spot for everything spooky!   Go to https://horrifying-history-shop.fourthwall.com to watch our history videos, find our social media links, read our spooky blog, get yourse...

One of our lovely listeners reached out to me to ask about my thoughts on Countess Elizabeth Bathory. In the spooky world, Elizabeth is one of the most famous people there is, or should I say infamous. I first heard the tale of Elizabeth when I was a teen, and instantly wanted to hear more. Could it be true that a noblewoman was actually a vampire like some of the stories say, or was she actually...

For well over a century, some have made claims that a person can suddenly, and without explanation explode into a ball of fire. The phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion or SHC has been talked about in countless books and television shows concerning unexplained mysteries. I remember as a kid, I read stories about SHC in what my grandma called her newspapers which were the National Enquirer, a...

Christmas is a time of celebration, and joy. To me, it’s not about getting presents. The best gift is the gift of spending time with the ones I love, and making new memories. .But we wouldn’t be Horrifying History if we spoke about that. In our very first Christmas special you will hear about the Christmas traditions and legends that will send chills down your spine. Christmas is all about jinglin...

When you walk down the streets of New Orleans, you will hear the sounds of jazz music wherever you go. It normally is calming and soothing, but on March 19, 1919 it only brought fear. Why? If you were not playing that music you were going to die. Our website is the one stop spot for everything spooky!   Go to https://horrifying-history-shop.fourthwall.com to watch our history videos, find our soci...

If there is one thing that Disney is known for is their re-telling of fairy tales. They take a fairy tale, and Disney it up for the big screen. All the women are beautiful, but oppressed in some way. All the men are strong and valiant. Somehow facing insurmountable odds they are always victorious against the bad guy, take their thrones, and live happily ever after wearing uniforms or hoop skirts w...

An Angel of Death is a type of criminal offender that often becomes a serial killer. They are usually employed as a caregiver or as someone who is supposed to protect the most vulnerable, but decides that their victims would be much better off if they no longer suffered and they end up killing them. Many times it is said that this behaviour starts with the vulnerable, but soon escalates to encompa...

The act of deliberately inflicting severe physical or mental suffering on people as a form or punishment, fulfilling a twisted desire, or to force action from the victim has been done from the beginning of time, and it still occurs today. It has been carried out by or sanctioned by individuals, groups, and states for many reasons like punishment or revenge, extortion or persuasion, political actio...

Statistics are collected for everything, including death. Mortality data answers questions like how long can we expect to live, or are we gaining any ground against our most life threatening public health crises. This data is relied on by researchers, physicians, policy makers, and many others to identify problems, find solutions, and save lives. Sometimes though, these statistics show us things t...

The word “Occult” is difficult to define, and because of this many have different understandings to what it means. To some it is a fascinating world of paranormal and mystery. To others it represents sorcery and darkness. Historically, the ideology of Occultism has been thought of with fear, bias, or that people use it for unscrupulous reasons. But historically, this was not necessarily the case....

In late 1922; British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the King Tutankhamun who died at the age of approximately 18 years old in 1323 BC. This discovery created folklore that flew around the world about curses that befall anyone who intruded on a sealed Egyptian tomb. The press further sensationalized this by releasing stories like The Times in London and New York World Magazine...

One of my favourite quotes about prophecies was said by a man named Peter Drucker who stated; “Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window. But according to some, this is about as far from the truth than you can get. In Episode eight, we heard all about the life and times of Edgar Cayce who was one of the most f...

Every year, countless people are reported missing. It is estimated that world wide eight million children go missing, and if you were to add the number of adults - the total tally is staggering. Of those who go missing most are eventually found, but for some, they simply vanish without a trace. Sadly, many of these cases are forgotten about, but some are just so unusual that they are remembered fo...

When I was a kid, my mom told me about something she experienced as a young child. She grew up in a French Canadian Catholic family, and attended a school where she was taught by nuns. As you can imagine, religion was an important part of my mother’s childhood. When she was in grade one, she was assigned a part in her school’s play due to she was the youngest in the school. She was to partake in o...

A Lady in White or White Lady is a type of female ghost that is usually seen in rural areas, and are usually associated with local legends of tragedy. They are typically wearing a white dress or gown, and are commonly part of legends concerning accidental death, murder, and suicide. These ladies are part of lore from around the world, and are usually connected to unrequited love. They are deeply e...

About 30 miles or about 43 kilometres outside New York City is the Long Island town called Amityville. In this town there is one house that is known around the world. It is said that this house was the location of multiple deaths which were caused by the actions of evil. In fact, this house is said to be the epicentre of evil, but is it? What actually happened in Amityville? Is it what everyone sa...

References to mental illness and disabilities can be found throughout history. In current times, people see the connection between mental health and overall well-being, but it wasn’t always this way. In fact, many individuals of disability were abused, or believed to be possessed, a witch, or that their condition was payback from god. Now imagine if you were in a well known family. Imagine if you...

In episode 6, you came with me on a world tour of cryptids. Some of these evolved from very real fears, while others just seem a bit silly. The thing is as much as we want to say cryptids are a joke, some of them have been proven to really exist. Our website is the one stop spot for everything spooky!   Go to https://horrifying-history-shop.fourthwall.com to watch our history videos, find our soci...

In politics - power is everything. But as Sir John Dalberg-Acton once said “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Some politicians are willing to do anything to gain or keep their power, and don’t care about the destruction that they leave in their wake. Our website is the one stop spot for everything spooky!   Go to https://horrifying-history-shop.fourthwall.com to watc...

One day Elizabeth Fritzl’s father asked her for some help with a project he was working on. For months he was building a cellar underneath the family home, and he needed Elizabeth’s help to lift a door on a frame. Elisabeth climbed down the stairs, and helped him put the door up. When she turned to leave, her father Josef grabbed her and forced a piece of cloth soaked in ether over her mouth and n...