After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

<p>Do you dare try? The Ouija board was invented in 1890. It was an idea lifted from Spiritualist devices for communicating with the dead. Find out the spooky origin story of the Ouija board and our attempts to pierce the veil between the worlds.</p><br><p>Today's guest is Brandon Hodge - leading expert and collector of talking boards. <a href="https://www.mysteriousplanchette.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.mysteriousplanchette.com/</a></p><br><p>(And here's his candy store! <a href="https://www.bigtopcandyshop.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.bigtopcandyshop.com/</a>)</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up for 50% for 3 months using code AFTERDARK at <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/</a></p><br><p>After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What if a leisurely visit to the Palace of Versailles transported you back to the court of Marie Antoinette — would you believe it or question your sanity?</p><br><p>This is the story of two English women from St Hugh's College, Oxford University, who in 1901 believed that they slipped back in time to the 1790s and came face-to-face with one of the most famous figures of history.</p><br><p>Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling the story this week.</p><br><p>Written by Anthony Delaney</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>This is the dark history of the last people to be executed for witchcraft in England. In 1682, Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards, from the town of Bideford in the South-West of England, were tried and hanged as witches. They were convicted on the flimsiest of evidence under the cynical eye of uncaring authorities. Their fates encapsulates the turmoil of the seventeenth century and its deadly consequences.</p><br><p>Our guest today is John Callow, author of "The Last Witches of England" and friend of the podcast - check out John's previous appearance on our episode about the Pendle Witches.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The so-called 'Genius' Killer was a murderer who seemed to be both philosopher and psychopath, whose brain was one of the largest ever recorded. But was Edward Rulloff really as smart as all that?</p><br><p>Maddy tells Anthony the story of a husband who murdered his wife and child, killed an innocent shop clerk in a petty theft, and still somehow managed to convince the world he was a 'genius'.</p><br><p>Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Convicts, illegal dissections, disease, all taking place on ships described as "Wicked Noah's Arks" where conditions were even worse than in notorious prisons like Newgate. Transportation to Australia awaited those who survived, and they counted themselves the lucky ones. Today it's the dark history of the Prison Hulks.</p><br><p>Our guest is Dr Anna McKay from the University of Liverpool who researches the lives and experiences of prisoners across the British maritime world. Her essay <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14780038.2021.1893917#:~:text=Hulk%20surgeons%20tampered%20with%20convict,to%20confirm%20causes%20of%20death" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">'Allowed to die?'</a> won the Royal Historical Society's Alexander Prize and her latest book proposal is shortlisted for the 2023 Ideas Prize. <a href="https://www.anna-mckay.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.anna-mckay.com/</a> </p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The Enfield Poltergeist is Britain's most infamous haunting - set in the late 1970s on the outskirts of London, it continues to be told and retold. Most famously in the film <em>The Conjuring 2</em>.</p><br><p>But this is a real piece of history about a real family and a young girl, Janet, who became the focus of newspapers, paranormal investigators and - if we believe what we're told - a malevolent poltergeist.</p><br><p>Written by Anthony Delaney.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>On Christmas night 1843 a mother and child were found murdered inside their burned out home. Suspicion fell on one Polly Bodine. Over the next three years, Polly became the most infamous person in America in a blockbuster series of murder trials that gave birth to a monster - tabloid justice.</p><br><p>Our guest today is author Alex Hortis whose book <em>The Witch of New York: The Trials of Polly Bodine and the Cursed Birth of Tabloid Justice </em>is out now.</p><br><p>Edited by Freddy Chick, Produced by Charlotte Long & Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Mutineers, manhunts, uninhabited tropical islands and...SHIPWRECKS! The second part of the story of the Mutiny of the Bounty is even wilder than the first. This time we follow <em>HMS Pandora</em> as it hunts down the mutineers, and uncover the incredible story of how a group of mutineers and Polynesians escaped to the uninhabited island of Pitcairn.</p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling.</p><br><p>Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Why are the Knights Templar surrounded by myths and legends? Is there any truth to the tales of the Holy Grail or that the Knights survived? Why does this medieval order, which disappeared in the 14th century, continue to enthral us today?</p><br><p>To uncover the real history of the Knights Templar we are joined by Dan Jones - historian, author, podcaster and host of <em>This Is History, </em>whose new series <em>The Iron King </em>is all about man who destroyed the Templars - King Philip the Fair.</p><br><p>Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>At exactly the same time as Jack the Ripper, another serial killer terrorised London. Just like Jack the Ripper, all their victims were women - their dismembered bodies left floating in the Thames. This is the dark history of the Thames Torso Murders, a case which asks questions about what crimes we choose the remember and what ones we try our hardest to forget.</p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Peter Dennis. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Garden gnomes have a secret life all of their own. If you don't believe us, then go ask Paris Hilton.</p><br><p>Today we discover the hidden history of garden gnomes and meet the eccentric aristocrat - Sir Charles Isham - who firmly believed that the mountains of the world really filled with little folk with pointy red hats and pickaxes.</p><br><p>Our guest is Twigs Way author of <em>Garden Gnomes: A History.</em></p><br><p>Edited by Tomos Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit.com/subscription/</u></a> </p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>1847 was the darkest year in the spiralling horror of the Great Irish Famine. It is known in Ireland as 'Black '47'. The British Government withdrew its support, leaving famine and disease to stalk the land. Those who could leave Ireland did, sailing on board 'Coffin Ships'.</p><br><p>Today Anthony concludes his two-part history of the Great Irish Famine with the help of special guest Professor Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland's Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long and Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/ </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>***Warning: today's episode contains graphic description of violence***</p><br><p>In 1661 Oliver Cromwell was hung and beheaded...the only problem was he'd been dead two years already. Charles II had returned and revenge was in the air. It took many strange and gruesome forms.</p><br><p>Anthony and Maddy are joined again today by Ronald Hutton - one of Britain's foremost historians who is working on a three volume biography of Oliver Cromwell. They hear about the strange after life of Cromwell's head and the incredible story of the execution of regicide Thomas Harrison.</p><br><p>Produced and edited by Freddy Chick. Senior producer is Charlotte Long.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>One million people died. Two million emigrated. The Great Irish Famine was the world turned upside down. The darkest chapter in Ireland's past.</p><br><p>It is not solely Ireland's history to bear. This is a piece of British history as well, one which needs to be faced. What really happened in the Great Irish Famine?</p><br><p>Written by Anthony Delaney with special guest Professor Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland's Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long and Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>***Spoiler Alert: this episode contains spoilers for the Harry Potter books and films***</p><br><p>Giant snakes, winged horses and hooded demons. The world of Harry Potter is full of bizarre and terrifying beasts... but what are the origins of these mythical creatures? To discuss this, Anthony and Maddy met with Ceri Houlbrook, folklorist and lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire.</p><br><p>Produced and edited by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Violence, sex, betrayal, death and ... SHIPS! This is the story of how a voyage that began with scientific aims and a regimented daily routine ended in all this drama. This is the story of mutiny on the <em>Bounty</em> in 1789. </p><br><p>Maddy tells Anthony the story this week.</p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://historyhit/subscription/</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In 1649, Charles I had his head chopped off for treason. It's a unique, divisive moment in English history. Was Charles a tyrant or a martyr? Was his trial justice or a kangaroo court? Did he deserve to die?</p><br><p>Our guest to help tell this truly incredible piece of history is Ronald Hutton - one of Britain's foremost historians who is working on a three volume biography of Oliver Cromwell.</p><br><p>Ronald will be returning next week to help us tell the other half of this story — the Revenge meted out on those responsible after the Restoration of the monarchy eleven years later.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Horror struck the East End of London twice in December 1811. Two brutal sets of murders within a few days of each other. It became ground zero for True Crime as for the first time ever the press helped turn this murder case into a nationwide sensation. The whole country was hysterical and hooked, who was the killer? Would they strike again?</p><br><p>Maddy tells Anthony the story this week.</p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>According to legend, Sawney Bean and Agnes "Black" Douglas raised a clan of cannibals in a remote Scottish cave. They killed and ate unlucky travellers on lonely roads. This went on for decades with more than a thousand perishing. Who invented this gruesome story? Why? And why has Sawney Bean become a kind of cult hero in Scotland itself?</p><br><p>Cat Byers is our guest today, a writer and historian based in Paris currently finishing a PhD on the Paris Morgue.</p><br><p>Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Did you know legendary mountaineer Edmund Hillary found evidence of the Yeti? Or that David Attenborough is on board with the idea it exists? Today we explore the history of the hunt for the Yeti.</p><br><p>We're delighted to be joined by Pranaya Rana, a writer based in Kathmandu whose blog is at <a href="https://recordnepal.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://recordnepal.substack.com/</a></p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Charles Hamilton allegedly had fourteen wives according to the newspapers, but the headline was that Charles used to be called Mary. In the 18th century newspaper stories about 'female husbands' were not uncommon; people assigned female at birth who assumed the legal, social and economic position reserved for men.</p><br><p>Today we explore two stories with Jen Manion, author of <em>Female Husbands: A Trans History.</em></p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Our second episode examining the very real history of Bigfoot. This time we're looking at ancient Native American rock art and meeting the extinct (or is it?) giant ape Gigantopithecus.</p><br><p>Our returning guest is the wonderful Dan Schreiber - host of <em>We Can Be Weirdos</em> and co-host of <em>No Such Thing As a Fish</em>.</p><br><p>Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>When people think of Medieval diseases, hysterical dancing is not usually what first comes to mind. Yet in 14th and 15th century Germany, dozens of ordinary people claimed to be infected by the ‘dancing plague’. What was this mysterious phenomenon? What caused it? And was it even a real disease?</p><br><p>Anthony and Maddy are joined by Dr. Eleanor Janega, co-host of History Hit podcast 'Gone Medieval'.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Does Bigfoot really walk among us? Today we start a three-part mini-series exploring the very real histories of Bigfoot and the Yeti.</p><br><p>We begin with Bigfoot and the 1967 home-movie that lit the spark. Maddy & Anthony are joined by the one-and-only Dan Schreiber - host of podcast 'We Can Be Weirdos' and of co-host of 'No Such Thing As A Fish'. There can be no better guide into the world of weirdness.</p><br><p>Edited and Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What is it about this case that holds the imagination after all these years? When did that fascination with it begin? How early on did the myths of Jack the Ripper evolve?</p><br><p>Anthony and Maddy look at how the newspapers and showmen were quick to pounce on this case, turning these tragic murders into the most infamous true crime story of all.</p><br><p>Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire was an institution of national significance from the late seventh century until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. It was home to eminent writers and had strong royal connections. It housed the tomb of Æthelstan, first king of all England, and Queen Matilda, wife of Henry I, took a close interest in its affairs. But it was also home to arguably the most immoral abbot of the Middle Ages, the mass-murdering monk John of Tintern. </p><br><p>Today we're bringing you an episode of our sister podcast <em>Gone Medieval</em>, where host Matt Lewis finds out more from guest Tony McAleavy, author of the first full-length study of the history of Malmesbury Abbey - ' Malmesbury Abbey 670-1539' - which brings to life its colourful cast of characters.</p><br><p>This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>‘If only walls could talk’ is a phrase which feels particularly relevant to mysterious murder cases throughout history. And in today’s episode, walls <em>do</em> have a story to tell. To celebrate Maddy’s book about Eighteenth-Century graffiti coming out this week, she’s sharing two intriguing murder cases where graffiti played an integral role. First case is a murderous midwife in London, followed by the mystery of the body discovered floating in a Bristol estuary.</p><br><p>To find out more about Maddy’s new book, Writing on the Wall: Graffiti, Rebellion and the Making of Eighteenth-Century Britain, <a href="https://profilebooks.com/contributor/madeleine-pelling/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here.</a></p><br><p>Please be aware there is discussion of murder and suicide in this episode</p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Producer is Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>This is the incredible history of Dracula, from medieval ruler Vlad the Impaler, to Bram Stoker and the Victorian theatre world. Get ready for a very bloody history indeed!</p><br><p>Anthony tells Maddy the story this week.</p><br><p>Written by Anthony Delargy. Edited by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Inside the heavy walls of Lancaster Castle, the darkest & deadliest of English witch trials played out in 1612 - the Pendle Witch Trials. By the end ten people would be executed and many more lives ruined. At their heart was a little girl, Jennet Device, and a book, <em>Daemonologie</em> by King James VI & I.</p><br><p>Maddy and Anthony's guest today is John Callow, historian and author of <em>The Last Witches of England</em> and <em>Witchcraft in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Europe.</em></p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>He wasn't Irish. He didn't wear green. There were no snakes. So who was the real St Patrick? How did his myth grow? And how did he invent the goatee?</p><br><p>Podcaster and comedian Alison Spittle joins Maddy and Anthony today as we head back to 4th/5th century Ireland. Alison's tour dates (including Leake!) are here: <a href="http://alisonspittle.com/gigs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://alisonspittle.com/gigs/</a></p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>This episode contains descriptions of execution and torture.</p><br><p>To be Hanged, Drawn & Quartered. Put on the Rack. Impaled on a spike. This list paints a very dark picture. What was the reality of execution and torture in the Medieval world? Was it as bad as we think? Worse?</p><br><p>Guiding us through this very grim history is Matt Lewis host of the History Hit podcast 'Gone Medieval'.</p><br><p>Produced by Annie Coloe. Edited by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Mary Ann Cotton is known as the first British female serial killer. A trail of bodies, many her own children, followed her through life. Bodies she happened to have insurance policies out on. Arsenic appears to have been her poison. How very Victorian.</p><br><p>But Mary Ann Cotton was only proved to be guilty of killing one of her alleged victims. So was she really a serial killer? How hard could life be for working class women in Victorian society?</p><br><p>Maddy tells Anthony the story.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Mary Read and Anne Bonny are legendary female pirates from the golden age of piracy. Raised as boys, they sailed with captain Calico Jack and fought their enemies bare-breasted, if legends are to be believed. How much of it is true? How much piracy did they actually accomplish? And why do their breasts feature quite so often in this history?</p><br><p>Anthony and Maddy are joined by Francesca de Tores author of a new book <em>Saltblood</em> which tells the story from Mary Read's perspective and is published by Bloomsbury in April.</p><br><p>Edited by Ella Blaxill. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In 1961 Betty and Barney Hill became the first people ever to be abducted by aliens. Their story of being taken and examined by extraterrestrials on board a spaceship became the blueprint that others would follow. Whether you believe it or not, their account would go on to change our world...</p><br><p>Maddy tells Anthony the story this week.</p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Citizens of Paris in the 19th century could stroll down to the Morgue to try to identify the unknown dead or to gawp at celebrity murder victims. Though its most famous resident of all was perhaps not dead at all...</p><br><p>Our guest today is the marvellous Cat Byers, who is a writer, photographer and historian based in Paris. She’s currently finishing a PhD on the nineteenth-century morgues of Paris and New York. Get ready for a story full of poignant humour, Donald Trump, and party hats. </p><br><p>Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Did you know Benjamin Franklin began his career reporting mermaid sightings? Or that there's a mermaid on every cup of Starbucks coffee?</p><br><p>Join us as we search the oceans for history's greatest mermaid stories. Anthony tells Maddy this story with special help from children from year 5 of Harris Primary Academy Coleraine Park.</p><br><p>Written by Anthony Delaney. Edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The earliest evidence of human belief in ghosts comes from 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Who were these first ghosts? What was the underworld they lived in like? What do these most ancient ghosts tell us about today?</p><br><p>Maddy and Anthony's guest today, Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper of Ancient Mesopotamian script, languages and cultures in the Department of the Middle East in the British Museum and author of <em>'The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies'</em></p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long and Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>At the tender age of 23, Thomas Harris, author of <em>The Silence of the Lambs</em>, was sent to interview a convicted murderer inside a Mexican prison. What happened that day lived rent free in his mind for the rest of his life.</p><br><p>Anthony tells Maddy this story of murder and of love that blurs the lines between truth and fiction.</p><br><p>Written by Anthony Delaney. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In a world before police, what happened when someone was murdered? How were murderers caught? How did the wheels of justice turn?</p><br><p>We talk to Steven Veerapen, author of <em>Of Blood Descended</em>, about murder under the bloodiest King of all, Henry VIII.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>https://historyhit/subscription/</u></a> </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Two green children walked into the village of Woolpit in Suffolk, England, sometime in the 12th century. They said they were from a magic land where everything was as green as they were. What on earth was going on?</p><br><p>Maddy tells Anthony this story that has drawn in curious minds for hundreds of years.</p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK - sign up at <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.</p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Take dinosaur bones, snake poison, volcanic lava, fear of the unknown. Mix it all together and you have a dragon!</p><br><p>Today we're finding out about the ancient origins of dragons and why there used to be a much wider variety of dragon types than we see today. Our guide is dragon expert Jasmine Elmer. Jasmine's new documentary "Dragons: Myth & Reality" is out now on <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">History Hit.</a></p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK - sign up at <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In 1920 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published a story more explosive than any adventure of Sherlock Holmes. He claimed that photographic evidence had emerged that proved the existence of fairies.</p><br><p>The photos were taken by two young girls, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, in Cottingley, North Yorkshire. How did their charming art project end up fooling the creator of the greatest detective that ever lived?</p><br><p>Maddy tells Anthony the story.</p><br><p>Special thanks to James Carter as the voice of Conan Doyle.</p><br><p>Written by Maddy Pelling. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AFTERDARK sign up at <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe </a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Who was the American Ripper? How many people died at his hands? What on earth is a 'murder castle'? Anthony and Maddy head down a rabbit hole on the hunt for a man who is as much myth as real life monster.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Stuart Beckwith, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</u></a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We are the stories we tell. In Alaska the Inupiaq people tell the story of Sedna the goddess of the sea. They understand that the land they live on is a complex web of physical and spiritual beings.</p><br><p>But the colonisers of Alaska tell a different set of stories about the same landscape. They tell stories of Wilderness and of the Last Frontier.</p><br><p>Our guest today is Tia Tidwell (@tiaannamarie) professor of Alaska Native Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She belongs to the Nunamiut people of Anaktuvuk Pass. </p><br><p>Tia’s recommendations:</p><p>Alaska is the Center of the Universe (Audible exclusive podcast)</p><p>The Alaska Myth <a href="https://www.thealaskamyth.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.thealaskamyth.com/</a></p><br><p>Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial</em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em> </em>http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</a></p><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The British Isles were once thought of as the edge of the Ancient World, a land of giants and other mysteries. According to these myths, survivors of the Trojan War set sail to establish a kingdom here which was destined to rule one day rule the world...</p><br><p>In today's episode Anthony and Maddy are joined by Dr. Amy Jeffs author of Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain" to explore the mythological origins of the British Isles...</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</u></a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>"Your money or your life!"</p><br><p>Those are the immortal words ascribed to this famous outlaw. Terror of the rich. Hero to the poor. Charmer of ladies. The galloping figure on Black Bess. The imagery surrounding him is iconic... but who was the real Dick Turpin? Anthony and Maddy discuss his story in today's episode.</p><br><p>Edited and produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Alexander the Great - conqueror, legend, <em>murderer</em>. After ascending to the throne at aged 20 in 336BCE, his rule started with mass executions and political assassinations - themes that would follow throughout his tumultuous reign. But why was Alexander's reign so bloody, and what does it tell us about Hellenistic society at the time?</p><br><p>In today's episode Anthony and Maddy are joined by Tristan Hughes, host of History Hit's 'The Ancients'. Together they delve into the violent rule of Alexander the Great, discussing funerals riddled with assassinations, murderous brawls, and asking whether Alexander was truly dead when they started the embalming process...</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>here</u></a>.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In 1872 the ghost ship <em>Mary Celeste </em>is found sailing across the Atlantic without a single crew member left on board. Theories over what happened on the <em>Mary Celeste</em> range from insurance fraud to a violent mutiny... this week, Maddy and Anthony discuss what they think happened to the ship's crew.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>King Arthur. Merlin. The Knights of the Round Table and the Sword in the Stone. We think we know these stories but they've changed a lot since they were first told... In this episode, Maddy and Anthony are joined by History Hit's very own Dr. Eleanor Janega, host of the Gone Medieval podcast, to tell us about the rather creepy origins of the Arthurian legend.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>One summer night in 1882 the Maamtrasna Valley in the West of Ireland became forever notorious when three generations of the Seoige (Joyce) family were brutally murdered.</p><br><p>What followed was a trial so full of colonial injustice that it turned a story of gory murder into something of national significance. From all the blood and cruelty, a man called Maolra Seoighe (Myles Joyce in English) emerges as a figure embodying the tensions and injustices of Ireland in this time.</p><br><p>Anthony tells Maddy the story this week.</p><br><p>Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.</p><br><p><em>Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code </em>AFTERDARK<em> sign up now for your 14-day free trial </em><a href="http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=afterdark&plan=monthly</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>