Oddity Poddity: A Paranormal Podcast

Today the Pope is seen as the holiest man in the Catholic world, and Francis seems like a good dude. But when it comes to popes, goodness wasn't always the case. Throughout history, the papacy has been riddled with scandal, murder, thievery, sexual abuse and immense hypocrisy.  In today's episode we cover 5 of the most evil Popes ever, as well as some honorable mentions. Trigger warning:...

Would you eat human brains to cure yourself of a tummy ache? I didn't think so. But there was a time, centuries ago, when this was the  script for what ailed you! Venture back into the dark ages with me to a time when corpse medicine - the practice of eating human body parts and fluids - was the standard of care. Warning:  Nauseating content  Mummies, Cannibals and Vampires: The History of Co...

For 113 years, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary housed some of the country's most violent criminals and claimed more than 10,000 souls. Many believe that their ghosts still linger there. In this episode we look at Brushy's deadly history, profiles of some of its most infamous inmates and evidence of the hauntings that are still happening there today. Sources: https://tourbrushy.com/his...

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It's hot as a murphistopholes today, but we shouldn't complain! Not when there are hundreds of unfortunate souls who've gone up in smoke due to a phenomenon known as spontaneous human combustion. For centuries there have been countless reports of people who've caught fire without warning and without explanation. All of them share eerie similarities: nothing is left of the victi...

If you love the great outdoors, you might change your mind after you hear these 5 tales of haunted hiking trails that you can explore in the South. In this episode we cover Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee! There's nothing spooky in the woods, right? RIGHT??? Sources: Haunted Hikes: Real Life Stories of Paranormal Activity in the Woods , by Maren Horjus Secrets of Tallulah: Historie...

It's Memorial Day, so let's remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. Today we place flowers on the graves of those who fought for our country. Memorials are not exclusive to the United States, though. Today we take a look at some morbidly curious memorials that I visited on my tour of Italy: The Capuchin crypts with its chapels made of bones and miraculous incorruptible corps...

If Indiana Jones taught us anything, it's that you should never steal anything from a sacred temple! Too bad Indy wasn't around to school Jean-Baptist Tavernier on that, otherwise a beautiful blue terror might not have been unleashed into the world. Some believe that the curse of the Hope Diamond is just hooey, but after you hear all its been through over the last 350+ years, I think you...

Y'all know we're all obsessed with what happens after we die, no matter what your faith. Followers of New Orleans Voodoo are in for a special treat, because when they die, they must pass through the 7 Gates of Guinee. There's a guard at each gate, and you better make them happy if you want to get through all 7 and onward to heaven! In this episode we discuss the personalities of eac...

On April 10, 1834, a fire broke out at the lavish French Quarter mansion of Delphine and Dr. Louis LaLaurie. What rescuers found behind the locked doors of the upstairs servant's wing shocked and enraged the people of New Orleans. What drove a spoiled socialite and a mild-mannered physician to such depravity? In this episode, we cover the background of the two, the events leading up to the tr...

You guys, I did that thing I said I'd never do! I spent a night in the Lemp Mansion! And man, was it an experience. Ya'll know I'm a skeptic but something happened that even I (and my no-nonsense Auntie) could not explain. Listen and tell me what you think! Discount Storytime Proud winner of the Nobel "I Tried" Ribbon in Literature. Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support t...

Music is magic and these stories prove that sometimes that magic is of the black variety. Listen to these tales about some of the most famous rock stars in history and their experiences with fatal premonitions, curses, deals with the devil, magical powers and aliens. From  The 27 Club to  the Curse of the Grunge Singers, we cover it all in this episode. Everyone wants to be a rock star but fame an...

Breakups hurt. Sometimes it feels like the pain will never end and for some, it doesn’t. Here are the tales of six unlucky souls who took their breakup drama into the afterlife. Journey into Darkness, Ghosts and Vampires of New Orleans , Kalila Katherina Smith https://glasgow-grinning-blog.tumblr.com/kuchisake-onna https://www.seisen.com/student-life/seisen-post/features/~board/seisen-post/post/ur...

Looking for a new vacation destination? How about Hades? I hear you can visit your favorite dead celeb and get all your questions about the future answered down there, as long as you bring a vial of your own blood as a snack. Listen and learn about 13 places on Earth that contain portals to Hell. Sources: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/11-hidden-spots-to-enter-the-underworld https://www.tri...

RASSLIN'! It was the sport of choice in my home in the 80s, despite the fact that we had no health insurance. What does professional wrestling have to do with the paranormal? Well, the family that ruled the wrestling ring back then was also the most cursed. In this episode we cover the Von Erich clan, whose patriarch made a series of choices that may have cost him his entire family, save for...

A lot of places claim to be America's Most Haunted house but the Myrtles Plantation is the queen of them all. She needs no introduction, but let me do it anyway: this 226 year old homestead houses a dozen or so ghosts, all with their own unique and terrifying backstories. Last week I spent the night there, and let me tell you, it was an experience to remember!  Listen as I tell you the histor...

What could be better than a random appendicitis attack? How about an undead nun to nurse you back to health! Listen to a collection of bone-chilling stories of hospital hauntings from the healthcare workers who lived to tell the tales. Then we top this horror sundae off with a review of one of the most haunted hospitals in America -  Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Sanatorium! https://www.therealwaverl...

They say money can't buy happiness (I disagree), but winning a multi-million dollar jackpot could, right? You'd think! Listen to  these true stories of seven lotto winners who flushed their money - and sometimes their lives - down the drain. Tell me - do you think the lottery is cursed? https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/tragic-stories-lottery-winners-article-1.2492941 https://en.wik...

You'll never hear a story quite as bizarre as that of Bobby Mackey's Music World, a haunted honky tonk in Wilder, Kentucky. It's true crime meets demonic possession! Within its walls is a long history of murder, mob activity and Satanic cults, all set to the tune of a steel guitar.   Bring your vial of holy water to this one, guys! Sources: Ghost Hunters, Season 1, Ep. 1, 2008 , The...

Elevators. Escalators. Turtles falling from the sky. We all have a phobia about the things that could kill us. In this episode we explore the probability of you getting killed by what you fear most, as well as some of the most bizarre, improbable and downright dumb ways people have bit the dust. WARNING: Graphic content, death and dismemberment. Please use discretion and skip this one if you'...

Happy President's Day, Ya'll! In this episode we explore the family who would stop at nothing to get one of their own into the White House and the nonstop tragedy that pummeled them every step of the way. The Kennedy saga has been the subject of countless books, movies and documentaries and that's because their story is fascinatin'! Are they really cursed or just really bad at...

In their heyday, Earnestine Mitchell and Hazel Jones rubbed elbows with some of the biggest names in rock and soul history. Their juke joint was the go-to hangout for the after-show party crowd. After decades of decadence, 13 souls remain at the bar to party for eternity. From a haunted jukebox to a fire-haired phantom to a cheeseburger that'll make you wanna slap your, mama, Earnestine and H...

In 1918,  the SS Princess Sophia sank in a freak accident off the coast of Juneau, Alaska. All 353 passengers aboard her perished. But some of them found their way out of their watery graves and still reside in the basements of Juneau businesses.   Sources:   Haunted Inside Passage, by Bjorn Dihle “The Alaskan Titanic”, S1, E6, of The Alaska Triangle https://www.westmarginpress.com/blog/a-spooky-a...

In 1871, the city of Memphis, Tennessee was paralyzed with fear.  Pink Lizzie had returned from the grave looking for a buried treasure...and revenge on the man who wronged her family. Get ready to hear Memphis' oldest ghost story and to really hear my accent at it's absolute worst! https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/exhibits/myth/ghosts.htm https://books.google.com/books?id=_MyHZxeQ...

Beer and baseball, it's what St Louis is made of! But there's a dark side to the city, and in it a haunted mansion that was once home to a German beer baron who made it all possible. In this episode we cover the history of the Lemp family,  the tragic circumstances that led to six of their deaths (four of which happened inside the mansion) and the hauntings that have been going on ever s...