Category Archives: Urban Legend

The Legend of Vampires, Ep. 458

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Vampire-like creatures have been a part of folklore for centuries. Much of what we believe about vampires has come from fictional works, but is it possible that undead entities that subsist on blood are real? There are several historical figures that either have connections to vampire lore or are cited as possible vampires. Could anyone who consumes blood be considered a vampire? Join us as we explore the origins of vampire lore and examine stories of reputed vampires! The Moment in Oddity features a large floating violin and This Month in History features the completion of Mount Rushmore.

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Legends of Werewolves, Ep. 408

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Werewolf lore has been a part of human history for centuries and some of the best horror movies feature werewolves. We’ve covered the hysteria that surrounded the witch hunts and trials in Europe and America. Not many people realize that there was a similar hysteria when it came to reports of werewolves. It is possible that 100,000 people were executed for being suspected werewolves in Europe from the 14th to the 17th centuries. On this episode, we are going to explore some of the legends of werewolves throughout the world. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by John Michaels and features death By giant umbrellas and This Month in History features the opening of the Sydney Opera House. Our topic was suggested by Wes Hawkins.

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The Legend of the Count of St. Germain, Ep. 374

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One legendary person in history that has been fascinating to us is the Count of St. Germain. This was a man who not only claimed to be hundreds of years old, seemingly finding the secret to eternal youth via alchemy, but sightings and stories about him throughout the centuries seem to indicate that he may have been telling the truth. Who was this man? Was he even a Count? Could he have been a time traveler? Was he a vampire and that is why he never seemed to age? Join us as we explore the legend of the Count of St. Germain. The Moment in Oddity features The Iceman Curse and This Month in History features Mary, Queen of Scots beheaded.

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The Legend of Screaming Skulls, Ep. 354

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Creepy people like us love skulls. Many of us include them in our home decor. The Bone Daddy, Jack Skellington, is one of our favorite characters. Skulls are pretty special. Screaming skulls are supposed to be even more special. And while many people have relegated these craniums to legend and lore, there are several that are believed to have really existed and may still be around. Perhaps even a few still have their spirits connected to them. Join us as we share the legend of screaming skulls. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Mindy Hull and features Juliane Koepcke, Sole Survivor, and This Month in History features the Los Angeles Times bombed.

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Haunted Music, Ep. 344

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We’ve covered quite a few music related topics on the podcast. HGB has featured Ernestine and Hazel’s Juke Joint, Bobby Mackey’s Music World and the Cincinnati Music Hall and we’ve talked about the life and afterlife of Patsy Cline, John Lennon and Elvis Presley. Bonus episodes have featured haunted instruments, Gram Parsons and the Devil’s Chord. We thought it would be interesting to do an episode on haunted music as a whole. This obviously won’t be exhaustive, but we are going to delve into haunted radio stations, recording studios, buses and jukeboxes. We’ll also look at the elements of music that lead to hauntings and curses. And wow, does music have some curses! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Darren Koch and features Paris’ open-air urinals helping to defeat the Nazis and This Month in History features the birth of Chris Cornell.

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Legend of Elementals, Ep. 317

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Our lives are touched nearly everyday by the four elements. We breathe air, drink water, eat things fed by the Earth and cook or warm ourselves with fire. There are stories of ancient creatures that are one with these elements and we have come to know them as Elementals. Elementals show up in a variety of places from books to comics to legends of old. Is there any possibility that these mythic beings did actually or could actually exist? On this episode, we explore the history, stories and possibilities of Elementals. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Jenny Raines and features Crown Shyness and This Month in History features Cicero beheaded.

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The Legend of the Hitchhiking Ghost, Ep. 280

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Roadside apparitions have been witnessed by thousands of motorists and there seems to be a legend of a hitchhiking ghost in every state in America. Many countries around the world have these hitchhiking ghost tales as well. These tales are haunting and tragic. They usually involve a young woman standing on the side of the road, appearing to be in distress or in need of a ride and after being noticed or picked up in a vehicle, she disappears. There is a level of trust and intimacy in giving someone a ride in your car, particularly a stranger. In our modern era, it just isn’t save to be either the driver or the hitchhiker. And maybe that is why these types of tales are so prevalent. There already is a basic level of fear involved in the act of hitchhiking. This episode can’t possibly cover every single legend out there involving hitchhiking ghosts, but we will touch on several that include tales from across America and from several countries. Join me on the roadside as we search out the legend of the hitchhiking ghost. Moment in Oddity features Pumpkin Races and This Month in History features the calliope is patented.

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Legends of Malaysia, Ep.230

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Sabah is one​ ​of​ ​two​ ​Malaysian​ ​states​ ​located​ at the northern tip ​of​ ​Borneo. The​ ​island​ ​is​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​Brunei,​ ​ Indonesia​ ​(Kalimantan),​ ​and​ ​the​ ​second Malaysian​ ​state,​ ​ Sarawak. This is ​home​ ​to​ ​over​ ​forty​ ​different​ ​ethnic​ ​ groups​. Beaufort is a town located in Sabah and this is where our guests join us from. They attend SMKBeaufort and it is one of the oldest in town. There are many legends of ghouls, ghosts and creatures in Malaysia. Some of these are similar to ones discussed in our Legends of Indonesia episode. We are joined on this episode by our listener Courtney Weaver and her students Siti Nur Waheedah Binti Mat Lazim, Ainur Nadiah Binti Jaafar, Ila Afirah Binti Rozland and Ifi Aleeya Binti Rozland. These ladies will share these legends and some of their own paranormal experiences. The Moment in Oddity features the Flathead Lake Monster and This Month in History was suggested by listener Lori Gunter in honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month and features the invention of Insulin.

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Legend of Lilith, Ep. 226

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Lilith is an enigma. Did she ever actually exist? And if she just was a mythological character, which description of her is accurate? Was she just the shunned first wife of Adam? Was she a demon hellbent on killing babies? Was she a demon in the form of a succubus? Was she a vampire? Or is she simply a model of feminist power worthy of worship in goddess religious practices? On this episode, we are joined by listener Jaime Burcham to explore the different theories on Lilith and get to the heart of the legend of Lilith! The Moment in Oddity features how Whitstable came to be and This Month in History features the premiere of The Twilight Zone.

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Legends of the Balkans, Ep. 214

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The Balkans historically has been a place of violence and for this reason, its borders are very fluid. The main countries that generally are accepted as a part of the Balkans are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Serbia, Kosovo, Romania, Macedonia and parts of Greece, Turkey, Italy and Hungary. This Peninsula of land is named for the Balkan Mountains, which in Turkish means “a chain of wooded mountains.” The superstitions and legends of the region are rich. The legends that people are most familiar with from this region are those regarding vampires, but there is so much more here. Our listener Chris Klimovitz, who has been living in Albania, returns to the podcast to share his first-hand accounts of the legends surrounding cemeteries, witches and ghost in the Balkans. The Moment in Oddity features the mysterious sinkholes of Mt. Baldy and This Month in History features the eviction of the Bonus Marchers and their shanty town burned.

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