Astonishing Legends

American Bloodfalls with Tom Maxwell Part 1


Listen Later

Bloodfalls and meat showers - phenomena that sound more like biblical plagues than historical events. Yet, reports of these bizarre occurrences peppered the American landscape for over a century. From Alabama to Massachusetts, Tennessee to California, eyewitnesses sometimes described small red clouds followed by downpours of blood, flesh, and viscera. Some were subjected to the red rain on entirely cloudless days. While many saw divine judgment, skeptics suspected elaborate hoaxes. Scientists proposed numerous theories ranging from vomiting vultures to atmospheric anomalies, while newspapers spread the stories far and wide. But what really happened during these grisly events? Were they connected or separate phenomena with similar descriptions? And why did they seem to stop abruptly at the turn of the 20th century? Join us as we delve into this bloody chapter of American history with our special guest, Tom Maxwell, former frontman of the Squirrel Nut Zippers and bloodfall expert, for Part 1 of this 2-part series. Together, we'll examine not just what fell from the sky, but what these incidents reveal about 19th-century America - its people, its science, and its struggle to make sense of a rapidly changing world. From the fringes of meteorology to the depths of human nature, this is the strange, gruesome, and utterly captivating story of America's reign of blood and meat.

Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Astonishing LegendsBy Astonishing Legends Productions

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

10 ratings


More shows like Astonishing Legends

View all
The Paranormal Podcast by Jim Harold

The Paranormal Podcast

4,709 Listeners

Astonishing Legends by Astonishing Legends Productions

Astonishing Legends

147 Listeners

Unexplained by iHeartPodcasts

Unexplained

7,522 Listeners

And That's Why We Drink by Christine Schiefer, Em Schulz

And That's Why We Drink

23,336 Listeners

Spooked by KQED and Snap Studios

Spooked

16,185 Listeners

Belief Hole | Paranormal, Mysteries and Other Tasty Thought Snacks by Belief Hole | Paranormal, Mysteries and Other Tasty Thought Snacks

Belief Hole | Paranormal, Mysteries and Other Tasty Thought Snacks

884 Listeners

Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World by Jimmy Akin

Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World

2,784 Listeners

Noble Blood by iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Noble Blood

13,477 Listeners

So Supernatural by audiochuck | Crime House

So Supernatural

22,549 Listeners

Sasquatch Odyssey by Sasquatch Odyssey-Bigfoot Encounters

Sasquatch Odyssey

961 Listeners

The Paranormal Report with Jim and Dar Harold by Dar and Jim Harold

The Paranormal Report with Jim and Dar Harold

396 Listeners

MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories by Ballen Studios

MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

27,327 Listeners

Haunted Cosmos by Ben Garrett & Brian Sauvé

Haunted Cosmos

3,188 Listeners

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal by History Hit

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

768 Listeners

Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch by Rachel Dratch | QCODE

Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch

820 Listeners