History Obscura

Happy Halloween! Here's an oldie but a goody, a scary Halloween story by Robert Louis Stevenson: The Body Snatcher... Music from Fesliyan Studios This episode is brought to you by The Podcasting University - Podcasting Tips to Start a Podcast

More from our favourite historical fiction this week! It's one divorce, one wedding and a funeral.  This week's sponsors are the History's Trainwrecks podcast, and the Just Forget About It podcast! We're also sponsored by Endless Ink Books, currently hosting an exciting horror-comedy writing competition! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/historyobscura  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

With the passing of QEII, many questions are at the forefront of our minds. What now? How much are we paying the monarchy, as British citizens or members of the Commonwealth? What is the meaning of all this pomp? And, just what is the delightfully controversial past of the first two King Charles? This week's sponsor is Endless Ink Books, who is hosting an exciting competition! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/historyobscura  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

NDEs are not a new phenomenon, it seems! Spying a light at the end of a tunnel, masses of dead headed for heaven and hell, and floating above your own dead body has been documented for thousands of years in the stories of philosphers, artists, and doctors. This week's sponsors are Endless Ink Books and the podcast Coffee Time Again! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/historyobscura  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

Taken from the fine work of Rosemary Neering in "The Canadian Housewife, An Affectionate History," this episode of History Obscura delves into the depression, physical illnesses and endless cleaning of infestations that plagued the early settler women of Canada. This week's sponsors are the podcasts Strange Year and Frightday! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

The new Christian religion clashes with ancient Norse gods during Leif Ericson's expedition to Vinland. This week's sponsors are Athletic Greens and Somebody Write This! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

Thor and Odin's world are on the precipice of Ragnarok as the Viking ship inches its way closer to Greenland. This week's sponsors are Just Cheesy: A Podcast and Lunatics Radio Hour! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

This week's sponsors are Athletic Greens and ReviewParty.com! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

Contemporary stories from 18th-century London, straight from John O'London's Stories of London!  This week's sponsor is Go Ask Alice! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

Our adventure through the 19th-century NYC Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum has come to an end, dear friends. Please enjoy the final chapters! This week's sponsors are Endless Ink Books and Technically a Conversation! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support Thank you!

You'll remember Christopher Columbus' glowing letter to the Spanish monarchs in 1493, bragging of his discoveries. Would it shock you to learn his legacy and the exploits of those who came afterwards were more evil than good? No? Well, just in case, here's Bartolomeo de las Casas to convince you. This episode contains some gruesome scenes. This week's sponsors are Endless Ink Books, Athletic Greens and Once Upon a Rewatch! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

Nellie Bly's 12th-14th chapters of 10 Days in a Mad House describe bitter cold and brutal treatment at the hands of the asylum's sorely underqualified nurses.  This week's sponsors are Endless Ink Books, Athletic Greens, Technically a Conversation, and No Bad Reviews: A Coffee Podcast! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

Brain surgery is not the modern miracle you may think it is! Tune in for all kinds of evidence to the contrary, including plenty of ancient trepanation.  This week's sponsors are Endless Ink Books, Athletic Greens and Based on a True Story! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

Is the Panacea Society really holding the true Southcott Box, or was that disappointing container opened by Harry Price in the 1920s the real thing? And why didn't the world end in 2004? This week's sponsors are Athletic Greens and Ghost Town Podcast! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

More from our dear 19th-century gentlewoman, Nellie Bly, as she spies within the inner workings of New York City's Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island. This week's sponsors are Athletic Greens and EndlessInk Books! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

Hear ye hear ye, as one boasts of his triumphant life in service of the great Pharoah! These tales are straight from the ancient Egyptian papyri and stone. Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

Haunted dolls, masks, detailed Greek sculpture, medieval paintings and corpses all play large roles in the history of the Uncanny Valley. This episode covers Lilly from Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum, Springheel'd Jack, Moskvin's Russian Dolls, and more. Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

In 1880s New York, the last thing any woman wanted was to be committed to the infamous lunatic asylum at Blackwell's Island. Except for Nelly Bly, investigative reporter for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. In this episode, we continue Bly's personal account of her time as an inmate within those walls.  Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura,  www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or  anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

The Falcon Lake Incident and the Shag Harbour UFO are two unforgettable stories from another historical year full of unidentifiable craft sightings. The UFOs of 1967 came thick and fast, and left good evidence in their wake. Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at Patreon, BuyMeACoffee, or Anchor!

Witness the ducking of a witch from the front row of the assembled villagers! This episode is all witch, all the time. Dive in (but try not to float.) Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at Patreon, BuyMeACoffee, or Anchor!

Checking in again on the utter Filth of the Victorians...turns out things weren't any better in the rest of Europe. A feud between medical surgeons actually led to an effective boycotting of clinical sanitary codes.  Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at Patreon, BuyMeACoffee, or Anchor!

The two famous friends, Houdini and Conan Doyle, had a bad falling out over a seance gone wrong. Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at Patreon, BuyMeACoffee, or Anchor!

Did a bunch of meddling kids really fool the great Harry Price, ghost hunter? Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at Patreon, BuyMeACoffee, or Anchor

I'm back at the Jack the Ripper case for a fresh, modern spin on things! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

Hoaxer? Innocent victim? Nobody knows for sure who the mysterious Kaspar Hauser really was, but his story of neglect and intrigue still fascinates all who hear it.  Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the show at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura, www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt  or anchor.fm/historyobscura/support

In lieu of donning a robot voice to overcome the power outage and microphone problems of this Christmas, here's a heartwarming fantasy story I recorded some time ago. Best to you this season! May your belly be full and your dear ones near. Seasons greetings from Mandy and the coven! We present: Home is a House that Loves You

Happy Halloween, All Souls Day, and Day of the Dead! To support the show, please donate via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee. Thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios.

Anatoly Moskvin was a Russian historian and cemetery expert with a very unique collection of dolls... Video Footage, not for the faint of heart! To support the show, please donate via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee. Thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios.

The Victorians are fascinating for many reasons, not least their fascination with death.  To support the show, please donate via www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura or https://www.buymeacoffee.com. Thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios

Whether or not you've been looking forward to a bountiful meal this weekend, join me for a few of the finer points on Canadian Thanksgiving.  To support the show, please donate via www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura or https://www.buymeacoffee.com. Thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios www.HistoryObscuraPodcast.com 

The Victorians were so keen on a good ghost story that they peppered their newspapers thoroughly with them!  Please support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios Claim your HelloFresh savings! https://hellofresh-ca.o5kg.net/c/2544961/791027/7893 Code: HFAFF80 Offer: $80 Discount ($50 - $20 - $10) Including Free Shipping on First Box! END DATE: October 7th

This week's bedtime story spans a fantastic two centuries of extraterrestrial history in Japan.  Please support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios Click here for $80 off your Hello Fresh order! https://bit.ly/3mZkUS1 END DATE: October 2nd

More than 2300 years ago, a man named Kalanos poured fuel over his body, stood voluntarily upon a pyre, and set himself aflame. The last words he spoke to his grief-stricken companion were, "We shall meet in Babylon." In conclusion, rumours of Alexander the Great's death may have been exaggerated.  Please support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Edgar Cayce could solve any mystery, so long as he could sleep on it.  Please support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Edgar Mitchell had an off-planet epiphany that changed his life. Please support the podcast at BuyMeACoffee, or via www.patreon.com/historyobscura. Music from Fesliyan Studios Visit HelloFresh Canada to redeem your coupon: https://hellofresh-ca.o5kg.net/c/2544961/791027/7893 Coupon Code: HFAFF80 This code gets you an $80 discount, including free shipping on your first box! END DATE: October 7th

Anyone fancy a meat pie? Please support the podcast at BuyMeACoffee, or via www.patreon.com/historyobscura. Music from Fesliyan Studios Visit HelloFresh Canada to redeem your coupon: https://hellofresh-ca.o5kg.net/c/2544961/791027/7893 Coupon Code: HFAFF80 This code gets you an $80 discount, including free shipping on your first box! END DATE: October 7th

A lot can happen when gold-rush Australians go exploring. Please support the podcast at BuyMeACoffee, or via www.patreon.com/historyobscura. Music from Fesliyan Studios Visit HelloFresh Canada to redeem your coupon: https://hellofresh-ca.o5kg.net/c/2544961/791027/7893 Coupon Code: HFAFF80 This code gets you an $80 discount, including free shipping on your first box! END DATE: October 7th

Can you guess the extra-special ingredient? No, it's not love... Please support the podcast at BuyMeACoffee, or support the show via www.patreon.com/historyobscura. Every dollar is very much appreciated and it keeps the show moving forward. Thank you! Music from Fesliyan Studios

There's plague about in the estate. Whilst I avoid the deadly miasma, here's a lovely prerecorded chapter of The Utmost Island.  I don't suppose you'd spot your favourite host a cup of tea, by any chance? One needs to keep up their strength in times like these.  Thank you! You can donate at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt to support the show.  Music from Fesliyan Studios

Would you believe reports of so-called "little animals" living in your drinking water? Please buy me a cup of tea, or support the show via www.patreon.com/historyobscura. Every dollar is very much appreciated and keeps the show moving forward. Music from Fesliyan Studios

This is the story of a very lucky, very intelligent, and sometimes quite foolish Renaissance Man. Please buy me a cup of tea! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Everyone knows about his hard-headed, serial-marrying son, but what of the founder of the dynasty himself? Please buy me a cup of tea

Here are a few brief kitty tales to soothe us all to sleep. Subscribe or support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

The War of the Roses and the Step-Tudor who was a Mad King. Subscribe or support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

This epic tale begins in Wales, some 800 years ago... Subscribe or support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

This is the story of our dearly departed mutual cousin...or, aunt? Subscribe or support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Doctor Jules Cotard was the first physician to research and describe a specific type of psychosis in which patients believe they do not exist, or, that they are dead. These are collected stories of various patients from the last 200 years. Subscribe or support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

RIP Prince Philip, consort of Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, once 6th in line to the throne of Greece and Denmark! Subscribe or support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Once upon a time, one Patrick Maude was executed for murder. But first, he had no end of blame to throw about with his final speech. This episode features an execution and is rife with the word "Damned!" Find us and subscribe or support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Canadian soldier Ralph Niessen and his brother were captured by  German soldiers in occupied Holland near the end of the war and imprisoned together. Find us and subscribe or support the show at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

A zip-zoop-zabulous announcement followed by further tales of the lost world of the Vikings! Find us and subscribe at: www.patreon.com/historyobscura www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

William Herschel discovered something bright, shiny and exciting two centuries ago in the night sky. Please buy me a cup of tea!  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Today's forgotten history comes from the West African Kingdom of Dahomey, where female warriors were very much in vogue. Please buy me a cup of tea!  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Nellie is on her way to the final destination! Please buy me a cup of tea!  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Alexei Leonov took the first spacewalk in orbit around the Earth in  1965. In case things went terribly wrong, he had an emergency plan... Please buy me a cup of tea!  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Malin Matsdotter was a principle defendant of the Swedish Witch Trials of the late 17th century. Please buy me a cup of tea! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Thank you ever so much! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Declared insane! Please spot us a cuppa, dear listener!  buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Does what it says on the tin! Please donate a cup of tea! (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt) Thanks, dears Music from Fesliyan Studios

In which Nelly Bly is taken to the police for apparent lunacy. Please consider buying us a nice cup of tea! buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

The second part of Nellie Bly's story of her intentional commitment to a New York insane asylum in the 1860s. Please buy me a cup of tea, gentle listener!  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt

"Ten Days in a Mad House" is the true account of one Nellie Bly, a  19th-century reporter for a New York newspaper. What was it really like inside those walls? Please support the podcast with a cup of tea! Cheers! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt

Here concludes the tale of Scrooge. Do consider supporting the  podcast with a wee cup o' tea? Thank you ever so much! Merry Christmas! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Meet the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come! And, perhaps buy me a tea for Christmas? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Part Three of Charles Dickens' best-known Christmas story. Support the podcast with a cup of tea or two! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Part Two of Charles Dickens' tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. Enjoying the show? You can show your support with a cup of tea! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Twas the night before the night before Christmas, and all through the house verily every strange creature stirred! We like it that way. Make way for a classic Victorian holiday ghost story, written by Charles  Dickens. Do drop by and spot me a cup of tea, if the spirit of the season takes you! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Music from Fesliyan Studios

Happy Halloween! As a special treat, I've decided to share Robert  Louis Stevenson's "The Body Snatcher," published in 1884. Though perhaps  this story is not quite true, it IS based upon the very real  Ressurectionist industry that plagued Scotland during the Victorian era. Music from Fesliyan Studios. Thunder provided by Lord Samhain, in conjunction with our own trickster-cryptid, Colonel Butler. Please support the podcast at Patreon or Buy Me a Tea!

Ever wondered if there are really bones in your fancy bone china set? Please support the podcast at Patreon or Buy Me a Tea! Music from Fesliyan Studios

London's famous New Scotland Yard details its investigation of the missing woman, Mrs. Durand-Deacon, in 1954. Please support the podcast at Patreon or Buy Me a Tea! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Suffolk's green children have remained in local folklore for nearly 1,000 years--two little figures even adorn the village sign. Please support the podcast at Patreon or Buy Me a Tea! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Who knows what treasures are to be found in the folds of a pretty Victorian-era letter? Well, not usually these. Please sponsor the podcast at Patreon! Or, buy me a cup of tea by clicking here ;)  Music from Fesliyan Studios

Once upon a time, the Florentine Academy put its resources together to locate Hell and determine its exact dimensions. Yes, really. Please sponsor the podcast at Patreon! Or, buy me a cup of tea by clicking here ;) 

Like the show? Why not show your appreciation with a cup of tea?

The British were obsessed with finding a seaway from Canada's east coast to its west coast, and by the mid-19th-century they had begun exploring the Arctic Ocean for that purpose. Things got a bit too chilly for many unlucky people who found themselves in Arctic waters, never to return home. Please buy me a cup of tea! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bXdjrqt Thank you ever so much! Music from Fesliyan Studios

This rather judgemental ghost encounter comes from Normandy in the year 1091... Become a patron of this podcast for just $2 and gain immediate access to some rather odd bedtime stories! Music from Fesliiyan Studios and effects from Free to Use Sound

While conducting mysterious experiments with electricity in Colorado and his New York laboratory, electrical scientist Nikola Tesla received some exciting unearthly signals. Become a patron of this podcast for just $2 and gain immediate access to more stories! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Once upon a time, in a little Hungarian village, there was a merry widow who wanted to help her fellow womenfolk be free from their abusive husbands... Credit for this great piece of history goes to Ash Woods of The Crime Historian. Read the rest of her story--and others--at this link! Visit Tea Time Thoughts at this link to follow up on Caylyn Sheldon's show :) Music from Feslilyan Studios Become a Patron of the podcast!

Continuing the reading from Henry Myers' amazing Norse historical fiction. Music from Fesliyan Studios

Twinkle, twinkle, little star...like a tea tray, in the sky...It's the summer of 1947 and the skies of Washington are packed! Become a Patron to Support the Podcast! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Just a quick announcement, friends, and the chance to download my novel, "Letters to Earth," for half price :)   Get Your Copy Here!

....A Learned Woman is thought to be a Comet, that bodes Mischief, whenever it appears. Please support the podcast on Patreon! Check out today's promoted podcast, The Bloodlust! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Do you know how Margaret Mitchell died? Does anyone, really? Support the podcast & get more content! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Nazis didn't simply murder millions of people--some of their victims were tortured and experimented on before facing death, or in some cases, liberation.  Not for the faint-hearted. Donate to our Patreon, please

The last true ruler of the Kingdom of Egypt--one Farouk bin Fuad--had a bit of an indulgence problem.  Please, we beg you to become a Patron of the show! Check out our Patreon :) Music from Fesliyan Studios

What more can a great emperor ask than to have dominion over the entire known world? Well, eternal life, for one... Please check out our Patreon! Get an extra bedtime story every month for just $5 :D Music from Fesliyan Studios

Once upon a time, an Egyptian queen became KIng--pharaonic beard and all.  Please check out our Patreon! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Continuing on with Henry Myers' novel of 11th-century Icelandic explorer, Leif Erickson.  Support the podcast via Patreon! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Everyone wants to be associated with the runs! Right? Visit our Patreon page! Music by Fesliyan Studios

Only a Victorian could write such a story with the perfect mixture of awe and tasteless xenophobia all at once. This is a partial retelling of the stories of Roman Emperors Antonine Pius, Marcus Aurelius, and Commodore.  Listen for a promo from Find Me in the Dark podcast! https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/find-me-in-the-dark-podcast  Please support the podcast at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura - thank you! Music from Fesliyan Studios

A young Pliny (nephew to Pliny the Elder) witnessed the eruption of Vesuvius--which buried the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD--and compiled the reports his uncle made during those chaotic days under a black cloud.  Please support the podcast via Anchor or www.patreon.com/historyobscura -- thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios

Moving right along with the second chapter of Henry Myers' fictionalized recounting of Leif Erickson's life, "The Utmost Island!" Please support the podcast at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura Music from Fesliyan Studios

In 1951, Henry Myers published "The Utmost Island," a beautiful tale of Leif Erickson's life and voyage to Newfoundland, Canada.  This is the first chapter.  Please support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura --thank you! Music from Fesliyan Studios

You probably don't think of da Vinci as one of the great war-mongers of history, but wait until you hear what he had to promise his employer in order to get a job where--one day, hopefully--he'd be able to build beautiful pieces of art.  Please support the podcast by becoming a patron at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura--thank! Music by Fesliyan Studios

John Schmidt, or Johann Otto Hoch--or any number of this German man's pseudonyms throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries--was a male version of the classic Black Widow. He hunted for brides through the classifieds and made off with their worldly savings as soon as the arsenic had done its work.  Please support the podcast on Anchor.fm or through Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios

Having claimed some 25 million lives in England alone, the Black Death is the most infamous pestilence in history. It sparked a million "cures," generations of religious fanatics and eventually, modern scientific germ theory.  Music by Fesliyan Studios Support the podcast on Anchor or Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- Thank you!

"On the fourth day, the patient is either as well as he ever was, or pneumonia and other complications assert their dangerous presence. A harsh cough is a frequently encountered symptom. The patient thus hacks and sprays forth lots of the microbes which spread the infection quickly unless handled with the greatest precaution." Please support the podcast on Anchor or through Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios Sneeze by Mike Koenig

When European explorers discovered the Polynesian island of Rapa Nui in the 18th century, the island's once-flourishing ecosystem had been ravaged nearly to the point of no return. So too had the tiny remaining population of a mysterious tribe.  Please support the podcast (and our rescued kitty Tito during his cancer treatments!) at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- Thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios

Hey listeners, I wrote a book! Tune in to hear the first chapter of my science fiction novel :) If you like, you can buy a full copy at Endless Ink Books!  Here are links: Paperback     Digital copy You can also support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/History Obscura Music by Fesliyan Studios

With the world seemingly crumbling at our feet, here's a reminder of the times humanity saw it all before--and kept right on kicking and screaming for equality.

The papacy was not the well-oiled machine you might expect it was in the early Medieval period--in fact, poisonings, wars, coups and in this case, all those things plus a corpse trial could characterize one's rule over the Roman Catholic Church. Please support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura, or become a donor through our Anchor page. Thank you so much! Music by Fesliyan Studios End sound effects by "Striderjapan"

Sure, there are probably more theories as to the identity of Jack the Ripper than there were victims--but here's a good one! Please donate to the podcast via Patreon.com/HistoryObscura--thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios

A tale of adventure, sign-language, colonialism and "negroes." 

On several occasions, NASA astronaut Gordon Cooper witnessed UFO activity that he claims was subsequently overlooked or covered up by Project Blue Book. Please donate to the podcast via www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- thank you so much! Music by Fesliyan Studios

In 1959, Sweden artist Friedrich Jurgenson was trying to record birdsong on tape. Upon playback, however, he heard something very strange. That was the beginning of EVP research as we know it today, which is used by ghost hunters, reincarnationists and other people hunting for an unseen truth. Please support the podcast at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura--thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios

In 1547, Hans Staden set out on an adventure that very nearly got him eaten by the Tupinambá people of Brazil.  Please support the podcast (and its dear contributor, Tito, who needs a tumour removed ASAP!) at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura --our sincere thanks! Music by Fesliyan Studios.

Christopher Columbus was certain he had discovered a short route between Spain and India in 1492. This is his letter to the King and Queen of Spain upon returning to Europe, in which he tells of all the marvels he has found in the "Indian islands." Please support the podcast at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- Thank you! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Countess Elizabeth Bathory is the first documented female serial killer, with a penchant for horrific homemade youth serums.  Please support the podcast via Patreon.com/HistoryObscura--Thank you! Music by Fesliyan Studios

UFOs and supernatural phenomenon in three accounts, from the 10th century to the 17th! Please support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura Music by FesliyanStudios

When Great Britain industrialized, its population boomed--as did cases of disease and piles of garbage. Several commissions had to be arranged to assess the filth of the nation and figure out how to deal with it. Please support us at www.Patreon.com/History Obscura -- thank you so much! Music by Fesliyan Studios

The Heaven's Gate cult members referred to themselves as The Class, and believed that following their deaths, their souls would be transported to a spaceship following the Hale-Bopp comet in 1997.  This is one of the public "Earth Exit Statements" published by a member of the Class just prior to the group's mass suicide.  Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- Thank you so much!

It all started with the fundamental Buddhist belief in minimalism and meditation. After 10 years of eating wood, Zhang Liuquan mummified himself in salt to become a rare Living Buddha. Music by Fesliyan Studios Please support us at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura Thank you so much!

As a child, this Austrian archduchess bore little resemblance to her elder self; it took a team of 2 French stylists and 1 persistent tutor to transform her into a princess "worthy" of the French court. Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support us at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura

Painted in 1434 by the famous Jan Van Eyke, the Arnolfini Portrait is both extremely strange and extremely cryptic. Just who were the people in the double portrait, and what was the biggest secret concealed in Van Eyke's brush strokes? Music by Fesliyan Studios Support the podcast at Patreon.com/HistoryObscura Visit us at www.HistoryObscuraPodcast.com and on Twitter @HistObscuraPodcast

All hail the almighty and ancient Cat! Did you realize that Egyptians were not actually the first people to welcome kitties into their homes? Welcome to a very special episode of History Obscura! Please support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- thank you! Music from Fesliyan Studios Tea pouring sound from Cori Samuel Purring from Jim Mowatt and Mike Koenig Meowing by our very own Dorian Grey

You've probably heard of his famous theorem, but did you know Pythagoras had his own vegetarian cult? Please support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- thank you! Music from Fesliyan Studios

Achille and Gian Battista Judica-Cordiglia built their own radio tower in Turin, Italy, intent on listening in on Soviet space missions. The recordings they produced seem to have been the horrifying last moments of many unnamed cosmonauts whose existence the Soviet Union strictly denied.  The first 2 audio clips (played before the episode intro) are allegedly the breathing and heartbeat of a dying Russian Cosmonaut.  The recording at the very end of the episode is allegedly the final message of a female Russian cosmonaut as her craft goes out of control.  Want to support the podcast? Your donation helps provide street cats with food and medical care. They appreciate it very much, and so do we! You  can get some fun rewards while helping out at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura

In 16th-century Italy, being astoundingly intelligent could really take you places--like a hot bonfire, with you as the entertainment. Giordano Bruno is a man we should all know! Music from Fesliyan Studios Please support the podcast at www.patreon.com/HistoryObscura --Thank you!

Today I'd like to share the story of Robert Fortune, a 19th-century Scottish botanist who has almost certainly affected your life. That is, unless you prefer coffee ;) Royalty-free music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Please support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- thank you!

It's a monster that at first glance looks like a tall, distinguished Victorian gentleman...but Spring-heel'd Jack is anything but!  Background Track: "Dark Fog" by David Fesliyan Please support the podcast at www.Patreon.com/HistoryObscura -- thank you!