Horrifying History

References to mental illness and disabilities can be found throughout history.  In current times, people see the connection between mental health and overall well-being, but it wasn’t always this way.  In fact, many individuals of disability were abused, or believed to be possessed, a witch, or that their condition was payback from god.  

Now imagine if you were in a well known family.  Imagine if you were royalty…with ultimate power up for grabs.

Welcome to Episode 33…Royal Mental Illness, Madness, and Abnormalities.

Horrifying History would like to thank Envirogrip for sponsoring this episode.  If sweaty hands are limiting your work out, go to www.envirogrip.com where you will find a liquid chalk that will take the limitations off your performance.

We would also like to thank the podcast Sword and Scale for sponsoring this episode.  Find them at www.swordandscale.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In episode 6, you came with me on a world tour of cryptids.  Some of these evolved from very real fears, while others just seem a bit silly.  The thing is as much as we want to say cryptids are a joke, some of them have been proven to really exist.

Welcome to Bonus Episode 7…Cryptids that are Actually Real.

Horrifying History would like to thank Envirogrip for sponsoring this episode.  If sweaty hands are limiting your work out, go to www.envirogrip.com where you will find a liquid chalk that will take the limitations off your performance.

We would also like to thank the podcast Sword and Scale for sponsoring this episode.  Find them at www.swordandscale.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In politics - power is everything.  But as Sir John Dalberg-Acton once said “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Some politicians are willing to do anything to gain or keep their power, and don’t care about the destruction that they leave in their wake.  

Welcome to Episode 32…Victims of Politics - Death, Abuse, and Cover-Ups.

Horrifying History would like to thank Envirogrip for sponsoring this episode.  If sweaty hands are limiting your work out, go to www.envirogrip.com where you will find a liquid chalk that will take the limitations off your performance.

We would also like to thank the podcast Sword and Scale for sponsoring this episode.  Find them at www.swordandscale.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

One day Elizabeth Fritzl’s father asked her for some help with a project he was working on.  For months he was building a cellar underneath the family home, and he needed Elizabeth’s help to lift a door on a frame.  Elisabeth climbed down the stairs, and helped him put the door up.  When she turned to leave, her father Josef grabbed her and forced a piece of cloth soaked in ether over her mouth and nose.  Everything went dark, and she then stayed in the dark for a very long time.

I need to warn you all that this episode will be discussing captivity, child abuse, and sexual assault.  Listener discretion is advised.

Welcome to episode 31…Locked Down For Years in Your Parents Prison.

Horrifying History would like to thank Envirogrip for sponsoring this episode.  If sweaty hands are limiting your work out, go to www.envirogrip.com where you will find a liquid chalk that will take the limitations off your performance.

Horrifying History would also like to thank Mystified Podcast for sponsoring this episode.  Find Mystified on any major podcast provider, and join them in their discussion group by searching Mystified Podcast Discussion Group on Facebook.

In Episode 2, you heard stories about people that were buried alive.  Many of these tales are from long ago, but that doesn’t mean that this still doesn’t happen today.  If the circumstances are just right, you too may find yourself buried alive – just like the people in our next tales did.

Welcome to Bonus Episode 6…Buried Alive, Part 2

Horrifying History would like to thank Envirogrip for sponsoring this episode.  If sweaty hands are limiting your work out, go to www.envirogrip.com where you will find a liquid chalk that will take the limitations off your performance.

We would also like to thank Made to Order Podcast for also sponsoring this episode.  If you want to give what will likely be the most unique gift you will ever give - go to www.madetoorderpodcast.com and start your audio gift today.

Did you ever wonder about the origin of something?  I do…like potatoes.  How did people decide that potatoes were delicious?  Thousands of years ago, was a cave man just walking along and saying to himself, “ I am so hungry, but I had sabertooth tiger last night.  Hmmm (caveman looks to the ground) that plant looks interesting…(caveman then pulls leaf on what will be known as a potato plant, and takes a bite).  YUCK!  This is nasty! (caveman then decides to look to the ground)  What are those things attached to the plant poking out of the ground (caveman pulls out what will be known as a potato, and dusts it off).  I’m sure this will be way better (caveman takes bite).  GROSS!  But if I bake it over my newly invented fire for about half an hour or so, add sour cream, butter, and chives this will be awesome!!!

Now I am pretty sure it did not happen like that, but one has to wonder how did people come up with the ideas that resulted in what we commonly use or consume today.  Sometimes people invent items with a purpose in mind, and they fulfill that purpose.  Other times things are discovered by accident, or when invented people realize that the item is better used in another way.  In the stories you will today, you will be shocked on how commonly used items came into being.

Welcome to Episode 30…Unbelievable Origin Stories of Commonly Used Household Items.

Horrifying History would like to thank Envirogrip for sponsoring this episode.  If sweaty hands are limiting your work out, go to www.envirogrip.com where you will find a liquid chalk that will take the limitations off your performance.

We would also like to thank Made to Order Podcast for also sponsoring this episode.  If you want to give what will likely be the most unique gift you will ever give - go to www.madetoorderpodcast.com and start your audio story today.

Saying goodbye is never easy.  When it comes to TV icons or movie stars it doesn’t seem real, because they are now immortal in film.  Even though many of the people that we will take about today died years ago, conspiracy theorists still talk about these people today in hopes they will find what they think is the truth.  Although scores of celebrities have died throughout the years, there are some deaths that are so murky that they are still shocking today.

Welcome to Episode 29 and the first show of Season 3…Haunting Hollywood Deaths.

Horrifying History would like to thank the following for sponsoring this episode:

Envirogrip - If sweaty hands are limiting your work out, go to www.envirogrip.com where you will find a liquid chalk that will take the limitations off your performance.

Made to Order Podcast - If you want to give what will likely be the most unique gift you will ever give - go to www.madetoorderpodcast.com and start your audio story today.

Time Turner: Harry Potter In Depth Podcast - If you want to take a deep dive into the Harry Potter books, this is the podcast for you.  You can find Time Turner: Harry Potter In Depth wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Everyone is born or moves to their country as an accident of birth, or as fate.  When one ages and starts to travel they may visit a country that they feel a sudden kinship with, and that may turn into love.  When I travelled to Spain, I felt at home.  It is absolutely breathtaking, is full of sunshine, and has some of the best beaches in the world.  The cuisine is fantastic, and the wine is delicious and cheap.  History is everywhere, and their monuments, buildings, and artistic heritage is second to none.

What makes this place even better is their dark side.  Spain has some of the best urban legends and scary history in the world.

Welcome to Episode 28 and the last show for Season 2…The Spooky Side of Spain.

Horrifying History would like to thank Thousand Fell for sponsoring this episode.  For my American friends - if you want fashion forward and environmentally forward sneakers go to www.thousandfell.com, and use promo code FSHISTORY at checkout to get free shipping.

Charismatic, sophisticated, beautiful, and full of angst…this is the image that we have of vampires.  Whether they sparkle in the sun, or live in the shadows…vampires are firmly seated in folklore around the world.  But this isn’t how everyone sees them.

Welcome to Bonus Episode 5…History of the Vampire.

Horrifying History would like to thank TruBrain for sponsoring this episode.  Boost your mental performance and be the best you can be by going to www.trubrain.com and use promo code HISTORY to get 20% off your first variety pack at check out.

In the late 1970s, Wes Craven was a struggling filmmaker who created his first horror movie which is now the classic The Last House on the Left.  He did want to branch out, but could only find financing for horror films.  He soon realized that he was really, really good at scaring people, and soon became the best known horror filmmaker of all time.  Forty years ago, he produced another film on a very tight budget…The Hills Have Eyes.  Even in todays standards, this movie is brutal. 

It starts with Bob Carter, his wife Ethel, and five other family members driving in their camper vans going towards San Diego.  An accident occurs, and the group gets stranded in the desert.  Two of the men decide to go for help, and the rest of the group decides to stay put and wait.  What they do not know is that where they are stranded is where nuclear testing occurred decades earlier, and it mutated a group of people who now have developed the taste for human flesh.  The scary thing is, that this movie is based on a true story.

A little heads up here…since we are talking cannibalism - listener discretion is advised.

Welcome to Episode 27…The Hills Have Eyes - The True Story of Sawney Bean

Horrifying History would like to thank TruBrain for sponsoring this episode.  Boost your mental performance and be the best you can be by going to www.trubrain.com and use promo code HISTORY to get 20% off your first variety pack at check out.