Tag Archives: legends

Himeji Castle, Ep. 250

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The country of Japan does not usually cross the mind when castles are mentioned. But Japan does have castles and Himeji Castle is the largest castle in Japan. The magnificent structure sits at the top of Himeyama, which is a point 150 feet above sea level. The castle is made up of 83 buildings and referred to as White Heron Castle because of its coloring, which is a brilliant white and the curved roofs resemble a bird in flight. Today, the castle is the most visited castle in Japan and is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is also considered to be one of the most haunted locations in Japan with stories of Okiku’s Well, the Old Widow’s Stone and the death of Sakurai Genbei. Join us as we explore the history, legends and hauntings of Himeji Castle. The Moment in Oddity features Pope Gregory IX declaring cats are of Satan and This Month in History features Tolpuddle Martyrs banished to Australia. Our location was suggested by listener Jenni Watt.

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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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Devil’s Tramping Grounds, Ep. 159

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Study a map of the world with a focus on name places that carry the word “devil” in the name or some derivative thereof, and you will literally find hundreds of them. What is the fascination with using the devil’s name? There are some who believe these places have been named this way because they harbor some kind of evil. Some of them are located at places thought to be crossroads. And it would seem that some of these places do have strange legends or supernatural activity connected to them. These places could be considered the Devil’s Tramping Grounds. On this episode, we are going to focus on a handful of these locations that have some very strange or nefarious happenings connected to them. Join us as we explore the Devil’s Tramping Grounds! The Moment in Oddity features the Dover Demon and This Day in History features Constantine’s vision of the cross Locations were suggested by listeners Konda from Germany, McKenna Wilson, Steven Pappas, Bob Sherfield and Whitney Land.

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Witches in America, Ep. 158

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Many people are aware of the Salem Witch Trials in America. And while these trials and these alledged witches get most of the attention, these were not the only people accused of witchcraft. It is generally understood that these people were not really practicing witchcraft, but that does not mean that there were not really witches in America. Witchcraft has long been practiced in America and Wicca is an accepted religious practice in our modern era. On this episode, we are going to explore other witch hunts and discuss some possible real witches, including the Bell Witch of Tennessee and Pat Fitzhugh joins us to discuss that entity. Join us as we explore witches in America. The Moment in Oddity features a suggestion from listener Zoe Zimmerman about a crewless blimp falling from the sky and This Day in History features Japanese Kamikazes being used for first time. Our topic was suggested by listener Molly Farquhar and we had research help from Kristen Calderon.

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Ghost Lights: Bragg Light Road and Paulding Light, Ep. 149

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There are desolate roads in America that inspire sweaty palms, goosebumps and fuel the imagination with images straight out of a horror flick. These are roads where no sane person would want to have a breakdown in a car occur. Some of these roads have inspired tales of ghost lights. These are lights that seem to move of their own accord, always staying just out of reach. Legends have spawned about headless ghosts swinging lanterns as they search for their heads. Some people believe that these lights could be attributed to UFO activity. The Bragg Light in Texas and the Paulding Light in Michigan, are two of these ghost lights. The roads where they are seen are walled by thick forests. Both have haunting tales that claim that a ghost or possibly something worse, are responsible for the lights. And both have had skeptics claim that it is nothing more than swamp gas or light reflecting from something else. Are these natural phenomenon or is something supernatural going on here? Join us and our special guest, listener Summer White, as we explore the history and haunting of these ghost lights! The Moment in Oddity was suggested by Bob Sherfield and features the Ma’nene Festival in Indonesia and This Day in History features the Okeechobee Hurricane in Florida. Our show topic was suggested by listener Summer White.

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Vicary Mansion and Legends of Beaver County

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Freedom, Pennsylvania has the Ohio River flowing next to it and on a hill above the river stands a mansion built by Captain William Vicary. The mansion was built in a unique style and has stood on this spot since 1826. The home remained in the family for nearly one hundred years and was saved from demolition by the Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation. Today, it is a museum that can be toured. The Foundation claims there are no ghosts at this location, but rumors and legends claim there is some kind of activity that is unexplained happening at the mansion. And Beaver County, where the mansion is located has many legends of its own. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Vicary Mansion and explore the legends of Beaver County! The Moment in Oddity features Herophilus vivisecting live humans and This Day in History features the Massacre at Drogheda. Our location was suggested by listener Heather Marie!

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Fort Edmonton, Ep. 99

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Fort Edmonton is a settlement that dates back to the true beginnings of Canada becoming an official country and to Alberta becoming a province. It moved many times and witnessed much history. It played a key role in history with both European settlers and the natives that lived on the land. Is this why its current location at Fort Edmonton Park seems to have unexplained activity? Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of Fort Edmonton. Moment in Oddity features Legos washing up in Cornwall and This Day in History features Nellie Bly’s historic trip around the world! Also included is a brief interview with Julie Rathsack of Ghosts of Grand Rapids about her personal true ghost experiences and more information on the Ada Witch. We announce our Design Contest as well and share listener mail and comments!

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St. Cecilia Music Center and Ada Witch

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Ep. 98 features St. Cecilia Music Center and the Legend of the Ada Witch with research help from Sharon Spungen! Grand Rapids, Michigan has been known as Furniture City because of the industry upon which the city was built. People might be surprised to find that this city is considered the world leader in the production of office furniture. Grand Rapids is a city awash in history, murder, mayhem and urban legends. And these factors tend to lend themselves to tales of hauntings. There are a couple of fairly well-known “urban legends” concerning Grand Rapids and its haunted history. The first comes from the St. Cecilia Music Center and the second is known as the legend of the”Ada Witch.” Come with us as we explore the history and hauntings of these. Moment in Oddity features a court declaring a house haunted and This Day in History features the beginning of Prohibition.

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