Cryptid Hauntings

Episode Summary

Appalachia is said to be one of the most haunted places in america. Come with us and explore a Cryptid so Terrifying that it will kill you and take your place just for fun.

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Send your own ghost story for a Listener Tale

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Michael Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

Episode Summary

An old hospital in Tooele Utah, that has turned into a haunted attraction, the catch, its really haunted. Come with us as we explore the old Tooele Hospital and Asylum 49.

References

Haunted Places To Go — Old Tooele Hospital

Covers the history of the building (from private home to poor house to hospital), the morgue situation, the creation of Asylum 49, paranormal investigations, EVPs, shadows and spirit portal mentions, as well as some ghost names like Wes and Thomas. Haunted Places To Go

Website: https://www.haunted-places-to-go.com/old-tooele-hospital.html

HauntedPlaces.org — The Old Tooele Hospital

Confirms the construction by Samuel F. Lee, the conversion to elderly care (County Poor House), and lists several reported spirits (Wes, Ned, Peter, Richard, James, Jessica, Samuel and Thomas Lee). Haunted Places

Website: https://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/the-old-tooele-hospital/

History of Asylum 49 (Blog)

Describes the building’s evolution (home → poorhouse → hospital → partial nursing home), the fact it lacked a morgue, and how it became the modern haunted attraction Asylum 49 in 2006. Asylum 49

Website: https://smannionitsligo.wordpress.com/2015/11/24/history-of-asylum-49/

Tooele County Historical Attractions Guide (historical context)

Provides local tourism/historical listing information on the Old Hospital as a historical attraction in Tooele County. (may include dates and basic history on construction/use—good for factual detail)

Website: https://tooeleco.org/recreation-and-tourism/tooele-county-guide-to-historical-attractions/old-hospital/

Join the Community

Send your own ghost story for a Listener Tale

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Michael Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

SHOW NOTES

Episode Title: Krampus

Podcast: Cryptid Hauntings

Episode Length:

Host: Michael Gardner

Episode Summary

Tonight's episode is a quick look at the origins and tradition behind Krampus. Who he is, what he's about and the traditions behind him.

References

Austrian National Library — Krampus Postcard Archive, 1890–1914.

Barber, Paul. “Winter Demons in European Folklore.” Western Folklore 51, no. 4 (1992).

BBC Travel — “In Search of Europe’s Scariest Christmas Tradition.”

Billock, Jennifer. “The Origin of Krampus, Europe’s Evil Twist on Santa.” Smithsonian Magazine, December 4, 2015.

De Caro, L. F. “Saint Nicholas and the Demonic: Dual Figures in Christianized Ritual.” Ethnology 39, no. 2 (2000).

Lecouteux, Claude. Demons and Spirits of the Land. Inner Traditions, 2015.

Ridenour, Al. The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil. Feral House, 2016.

Salzburg Museum — Perchten & Krampus Traditions Overview.

Simpson, Jacqueline & Steve Roud. A Dictionary of English Folklore. Oxford University Press, 2000.

Smithsonian Magazine — “The Truth About Krampus, Europe’s Evil Christmas Monster.”National Geographic — “Meet Krampus, the Christmas Devil.”

The Guardian — “Krampus: The Dark Shadow of Christmas Returns.”

Tyrolean Folk Art Museum — Krampus Masks & Alpine Winter Rituals.

Join the Community

Send your own holiday ghost story for a Listener Tales: Winter Edition!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Michael Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

Tonight's episode is a simple overview of the Yule Lads from Iceland, a brief history and a brief description of each of the Yule Lads.

He

Ármann Jakobsson. “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Bárðar Saga and Its Giants.” Scandinavian Studies 79, no. 1 (2007): 1–24.

(Explores Icelandic troll lore, including Gryla’s origins.)

Terry Gunnell. The Origins of Icelandic Folk Legends. University of Iceland Press, 2012.

(Strong academic work on Icelandic supernatural beings, Christmas folklore, and oral tradition.)

Jóhannes úr Kötlum. Jólin Koma. Reykjavík: Helgafell, 1932.

(Original poem collection that standardized the 13 modern Yule Lads.)

Hélène Adeline Guerber. Myths of the Norsemen. Dover Publications, 1992.

(General Norse mythology background, including giants and troll origins relevant to Gryla.)

Jack Santino (ed.). Holiday Folklore, Phantoms, and Festivals. University of Tennessee Press, 1994.

(Contextualizes holiday monsters and their cultural roles.)

Icelandic Museum of Ghosts, Sorcery & Witchcraft (Strandagaldur).

Exhibits on Gryla, the Yule Lads, and the Yule Cat.

https://galdrasyning.is

National Museum of Iceland – Christmas Traditions Archive.

Historical displays and documents of Icelandic Christmas folklore.

https://www.thjodminjasafn.is

Reykjavík City Museum – Árbær Open Air Museum.

Folklore interpretations and historic reenactments of Yule Lad traditions.

https://borgarsogusafn.is

The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

Manuscripts referencing Gryla dating back to the 13th century.

https://www.arnastofnun.is

Gunnell, Terry. “How Elvish Were the Álfar?” Folklore 111, no. 1 (2000): 79–94.

(Insight into Icelandic supernatural categories.)

Hallberg, Peter. “The Icelandic Christmas System: A Study in Calendar Customs.” Arv: Nordic Yearbook of Folklore, 1969.

(Detailed analysis of holiday beings including Yule Lads.)

Hafstein, Valdimar Tr. “The Elves’ Point of View: Cultural Identity in Icelandic Folklore.” Fabula 43 (2002): 87–104.

(Cultural meaning of Icelandic supernatural traditions.)

Icelandic Tourist Board — Official Yule Lad Profiles & Traditions.

https://www.visiticeland.com

City of Reykjavík Official Yule Lads Guide.

https://visitreykjavik.is/yule-lads

Guide to Iceland — “The 13 Yule Lads: Iceland’s Mischievous Christmas Visitors.”

https://guidetoiceland.is

Iceland Review Magazine — Articles on Gryla, Yule Cat, and Yule Lads history.

https://www.icelandreview.com

Íslenzk Ævintýri (Icelandic Folktales Collection). Collected by Jón Árnason, 1862–1864.

(Contains some of the earliest written references to Gryla and her sons.)

Gryla References in Snorri Sturluson’s Manuscripts (13th century).

(Early textual descriptions of troll-women in Icelandic tradition.)

RÚV Icelandic Broadcasting Service – Christmas Specials Featuring the Yule Lads.

https://www.ruv.is

The Icelandic Christmas Book Flood (Jólabókaflóðið) — cultural context for Iceland’s holiday storytelling tradition.

Ragnheidur. “The Icelandic Yule Lads.” Arctic Adventures (adventures.is), November 20, 2023. https://adventures.is/blog/the-icelandic-yule-lads/?srsltid=AfmBOorEtEXbKQa62Qyt-NQVOMfP7mr9Iy_hObVVDqz0HXgNL70jIOuC Arctic Adventures

Join the Community

Send your own holiday ghost story for a Listener Tales: Winter Edition!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Michael Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home

SHOW NOTES

Episode Title: Christmas elves

Podcast: Cryptid Hauntings

Episode Length: 25 minutes

Host: Michael Gardner

Episode Summary

Tonight’s episode is the history and story of Christmas elves.

Join the Community

Send your own holiday ghost story for a Listener Tales: Winter Edition!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Michael Gardner

Editor: Pam Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

Explore chupacabra’s with Mike Mark Pam and Chris

In tonight’s extended holiday special, we revive the old Victorian (and much older) tradition of Christmas ghost storytelling. Across 13 chilling tales, we explore hauntings, folklore, winter monsters, tragic apparitions, and ancient midwinter legends from England, Iceland, Germany, and the American South and Appalachia.

Discover the tragic fate of the Mistletoe Bride, the phantom bell ringer who returns every Christmas Eve, Iceland’s monstrous Yule Cat, the ghostly choir of Roan Mountain, and the phantom sleigh that still delivers letters long after its driver died.

This episode blends folklore, historical accounts, regional legends, and winter mythology into one eerie holiday journey.

Perfect for listeners who want a darker, cozier side of Christmas.

Join the Community

Send your own holiday ghost story for a Listener Tales: Winter Edition!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: cryptidhauntings

TikTok: @cryptid.hauntings

Credits

Host: Michael, Chris, Mark, and Pam Gardner

Writer: Pamela Gardner

Editor: Michael Gardner

Special Thanks: Thank you Tonya for letting us take over the basement of your home.

Haunted tunnel in the Cascades Washington. Learn about the tragic story that caused the haunting.

Come explore Isabella the bear lake monster. and where she belongs in the world with us.

Let’s go back to 1590’s and solve a mistrust of a settlement that just vanished into thin air.