Bone and Sickle

Our understanding of hypnotism, once known as “mesmerism,” has radically evolved over the centuries. This episode looks at where it all began, examining the fascinating (and rather weird) story of the 18th-century German doctor, Franz Anton Mesmer, after whom “mesmerism” is named. We begin, with a look at the mesmerist’s sinister reputation in the 19th century, … Read More Read More The post The Mesmerist appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

Banshees are spirits of Irish folklore, who warn of impending deaths. Originally considered fairies, their Irish name, bean sídhe, means “woman of the mounds,” those mounds (sídhe) being the ancient burial mounds believed in Ireland to be the home of fairies. The banshee’s wailing, which betokens imminent death of a blood relative, is probably based upon the wailing of … Read More Read More The post Banshees (Rebroadcast) appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

The story of Snow White, as told by the Brothers Grimm, is only one of many narratives involving girls who have fallen into a deathlike state and are displayed in a glass coffins. In this episode, we examine the sordid details of the Grimm’s original 1812 version of the tale and compare it with analogous … Read More Read More The post Glass-Coffin Girls appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

A few listeners commented that Mrs. Karswell’s dialogue was muffled at points in “Sorcery Schools of Spain.” That episode is now updated with a corrected version. Thanks for letting us know. The post Audio Fix on Episode 125 appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

For centuries, Spain was said to be the home of secret, underground sorcery schools, Toledo being the first city with this reputation and later Salamanca. The notoriety of the latter was more enduring, and when the legend passed to Spanish colonies of the New World, the word, “Salamanca” was embraced as a generic term for … Read More Read More The post Sorcery Schools of Spain appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

Tonight we bring you our sixth annual Christmas ghost story, a tradition particularly beloved in Victorian and Edwardian Britain. First published in 1908, and set in the days before Christmas, the tale is by British writer Algernon Blackwood (from whom we earlier heard “Ancient Lights“) and whom many listeners will know through his other works, particularly, … Read More Read More The post A Christmas Ghost Story VI appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

The Christmas season is rich in superstitions. The whole period from the beginning of Advent, through the day itself, and especially throughout the twelve days (and nights!) between Christmas and January 6 or Epiphany are, in a sense haunted, a time when spirits are afoot and behavior is hemmed in by restrictions upon normal activities. Recently … Read More Read More The post Christmas Superstitions appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

The Monster of Glamis was a Victorian legend involving a Scottish castle, a secret chamber, and a monstrous aristocrat hidden from the world–a perfect story for Bone and Sickle’s return to its old format, a 45-minute deep-dive into the castle’s lore, including its association with Macbeth, a legend of a cursed Earl’s card game with … Read More Read More The post The Monster of Glamis appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

Tonight we recreate for you elements of an old-fashioned Halloween party as experienced in the 1920s or ’30s. Foods, games, spooky stories and poems in an extra-long Halloween episode. For more retro delights of the era, listen to Episode 35 “Vintage Halloween.” The post An Old-Fashioned Halloween Party appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

We present the horror story “Ringing the Changes,” by Robert Aickman. A British couple taking a seaside holiday encounter a strange seasonal celebration, which changes them forever. Our slightly abridged version is based on Aickman’s 1964 story from the collection, Dark Entries, Curious and Macabre Ghost Stories. The post Ringing the Changes appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

“The Spook House,” an 1899 short story by Ambrose Bierce is suitably spooky for the season, but not in the way you expect.It was a favorite of H. P. Lovecraft, who praised its “terrible hints of a shocking mystery.” Also, a macabre bit of poetic whimsy from A.E. Houseman, and an intruder is welcomed in … Read More Read More The post The Spook House appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

The lore of graveyard-haunting ghouls is unexpectedly best explained in a seminal work on the subject of werewolves. We hear in this episode from the 1865 volume, The Book of Were-Wolves, by Sabine Baring-Gould, an Anglican priest known for his voluminous writings on folklore, local curiosities, and church history. While our episode is called “Ghouls,” and ghouls … Read More Read More The post Ghouls appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

A special short announcement regarding Trick-or-treat by mail option for listeners joining Patreon. Find out how you can receive a hand-packed candy bag from the home of Bone and Sickle Podcast. Each goody bag is guaranteed to include sinister extra as described in Halloween urban legends. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/boneandsickle Only while supplies last! The post Announcement: Listener Trick-or-Treat appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

Six historical witchcraft cases as related in the 1880 volume by James Grant, The Mysteries of All Nations, Rise and Progress of Superstition, Laws Against and Trials of Witches, Ancient and Modern Delusions Together with Strange Customs, Fables, and Tales. Mr. Ridenour and Mrs. Karswell also share listener comments on the Halloween season as well … Read More Read More The post Six Witches appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

Marvel and cringe at this collection of curious cases presented from a favorite Victorian volume. Tonight’s episode includes a bit of proto-Forteana, namely the anomolies left in the wake of a particular lightning strike that fell on a small town in Hertfordshire in 1777. We also have brief look at the wicked deeds of those popes … Read More Read More The post A House Struck by Lightning and Other Curiosities appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

Scenes of fiery Viking funerals have been woven into any number of literary and cinematic tales, but sources on the topic are limited. In this episode, we hear from what’s probably the definitive source, a firsthand account written in the 10th-century by an Arab traveler and diplomat, Ahmad ibn Fadlan, who was visiting what would … Read More Read More The post A Viking Funeral appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

Why not enjoy a reading of Algernon Blackwood’s “Ancient Lights” before wandering off into those summery woods — a classic work of Weird Fiction read and dramatized with sound and music from your imaginary friends at Bone and Sickle. The post “Ancient Lights” by Algernon Blackwood appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

The folklore of Russian vampires describes a creature slightly different than what we’re accustomed. In tonight’s show we share a number of traditional tales from the 1873 volume Russian Folk-Tales by W. R. S. Ralston, a leading light of the Imperial Geographical Society of Russia and author of The Songs of the Russian People. The post Russian Vampire Tales appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

Explore some curious British Customs with us, including those of Midsummer, swan-upping, egg-hopping, St. Bartholomew’s knives, and the violent tradition of St. Michaelmas “ganging.” Our source for this episode is the 1911 volume by T. F. Thistelton Dyer, British Popular Customs Present and Past. Illustrating the Social and Domestic Manners of the People. Arranged according to the Calendar … Read More Read More The post Swan-Upping and Other Curious British Customs appeared first on Bone and Sickle.

A malignant vapor, weird plagues and punishments, a Polish dwarf, and a perilous journey into the lightless depths of a pyramid — all included in this pleasantly macabre collection of short tales from a favorite Victorian compendium of curiosities: The Terrific Register, or, Record of Crimes, Judgments, Providences, and Calamities (London, 1825) The post Malignant Vapor appeared first on Bone and Sickle.