Horrifying History

A lonely hearts killer, which is otherwise known as a want-ad killer, is someone who finds their victims historically through classified or personal ads, or match making organizations. With the evolution of the internet, this has evolved to include dating apps, and looking for love chat rooms. The motivation of these type of killers vary with some planning to rob their victims, or some wanting to...

For many people their reputation is everything. For some it determines their status in society, and for others it is a measure of their influence. A person’s reputation is a sum of all actions that is reflected by the people around us, in the way they treat or interact with us. It is an indirect result of anything and everything we do, and even though it takes years to build one - it can take minu...

In Episode 10, we discuss famous hauntings in two plantations. Lore developed around these plantations for several reasons. One of these was to help bring in tourists, but the other was that historically lore that surrounds plantations is many times altered to emphasize the horrors of slavery. In the story you will hear today, these don’t apply. The case you will hear actually happened the way it...

By the dawn of the 19th century, consumption which is now known as tuberculosis had killed one in seven people. Throughout much of the 1800s, tuberculosis patients looked for a cure in sanatoriums where it was believed that resting in a healthy environment would result in a cure. But for many it wasn’t, and they never left. For most patients, time spent in a sanatorium resulted in death in a time...

Genetics can be a funny thing sometimes. In my case for example, I look like my mom but when I had my DNA tested I was genetically more my dad. In the case of my niece and nephew, they both have the most beautiful shade of red hair. Apparently my sister-in-laws grandfather had a red beard, but no one is positive why these two won the genetic lottery with their hair colour. Sometimes genetics can l...

I love to travel. I love experiencing other cultures, eating new foods, and seeing new locations. I enjoy traveling to places with a lot of history. I love to learn about the people and events that came before me, and how this changed the world I live in today. Sometimes history isn’t just history though. Sometimes that history is still alive in some form, and sometimes you may end up seeing that...

History is full of great tales about interesting events and people. But sometimes history can be dark...sometimes it can be creepy. It is these stories that I find the most interesting, and crazy. It is these types of stories that I live for. 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 m...

The legend of the Bell Witch is one of the most famous in American lore. It is story about a spirit who tormented a family in Tennessee over 200 years ago, and this story has been the inspiration of multiple books, tv shows, and movies. What makes this story stand out is that unlike other paranormal lore, this story is supported by eyewitness accounts, court affidavits, and documentation that was...

Imagine for a moment that one night you hear a knock on your door. You open it to find several young children on your front step. They seem like they need your help. The kids do not look threatening right away, but soon they ask to come inside your home. They quickly become persistent…let us inside! That is when you notice that something isn’t quite right here. That is when you will notice their e...

There are places in the world where people should feel safe. One of these places is Vatican City which is a city state that is surrounded by Rome. This is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, home to the Pope, and is a location filled with iconic art and architecture. But for Emanuella Orlandi, this place was not safe. It was from here that the young girl vanished, and never came home ag...

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....