Don't Look Now

The Shroud of Turin is a mysterious cloth kept in the city of Turin/Torino, Italy that is purported to be the burial shroud of Jesus.  The shroud contains an image of a man baring the marks of crucifixion as if he had burned an image into it while laying on one half with the other half folded over him.  The whereabouts of the are first reported in the 1300s when it was ruled a fake.  However, over the years its claim to be the true burial shroud of Jesus has gained traction.  Now, many people flock to see it when it is displayed whether is truly ancient or not.

In the 8th Century an exorcism was performed on a 16 year old girl.  The girl began to speak in Latin, which she did not know, claiming to be a demon named Wiggo.  The demon claimed to have been roaming the countryside doing terrible things because the lack of piousness and Christian behavior of the people and their leaders allowed his presence.  Was this a case of demonic possession or a cover for the priest and chronicler to publish a critique of the powers that be under cover of claiming it was spoken by a demon.  Take a listen and see what you think.

On the 13th of July, 1955, Ruth Ellis became the last person to be executed in the United Kingdom.  Her story is a tragic one, beginning with childhood abuse and ending with the public shooting of her lover outside a London Pub possibly at the behest of another.  While she felt no remorse and didn't seek to appeal her conviction, her family is still working to clear her name to this day.

The Nazca lines have become famous over the years for their mysterious origins and purpose.  Residing in the high desert in Southern Peru, the lines were created by removing the top layer of desert rocks, exposing the different colored clay beneath.  Some of the lines appear to be an astronomical calendar, some are drawings of birds and beasts, and some seem to have no known purpose. The mystery of their purpose has led to them becoming a favorite topic of the pseudoscience community in recent decades as evidence of ancient aliens.  Take a listen and see what we do know about them, when they were made, and what their purpose might be.

If you were to think of the quintessential family feud that first thought for most Americans is the Hatfields and McCoys.  Two families whose fame is solely based on hating each other.  While their feud is famous, the actual details of it are not.  Most of us only know that McCoys hate Hatfields and Hatfields hate McCoys, not why that might be the case.  The podcast this week dives into the feud, what started it, what happed during its height, and what eventually became of it. Spoiler alert... they get along ok these days.

Today's episode is dedicated to a gem that is probably more famous for the rumors and often false history surrounding it then its own beauty... The Hope Diamond.  The Hope Diamond is now known to have been cut from a gem owned by the Royal Family of France and looted during the early days of the revolution.  A lore of the cure of the Hope Diamond made it famous and it now resides in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. where it can be visited by the public.  Take a listen to our podcast and learn a bit about the history of the stone and the rumors of the curse that is supposed to follow it.

This week's topic is the Lore of Thor.  Legends and religions involving Thor come from ancient Northern European roots and have spread around the world, most notably in recent years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Ever wonder how a random god in the Norse pantheon became universally known today in the form of film and Thursdays?  If so, take a listen, our topic this week is for you.

The English countryside is often associated with many things, rivers, lakes, moors, hedgehogs, but not large predators. The largest official remaining predator in the UK is the badger.  While you might not want to back one into a corner, they're not about to go on a wild killing spree.  However, several locations in the UK report continued sightings of big cats.  Is there a hidden native cat roaming the moors of Cornwall?  Many people think they have spotted them, though the film footage is often as grainy and unreliable as people claiming to have filmed bigfoot.  Take a listen and see what you think is behind all of the big cat reports in the UK.

When you think about it, the human reaction to tickling is quite odd.  Why do we laugh when someone grazes your feet with a feather or digs their fingers into your unsuspecting ribs?  While a little tickling can be fun, it has been used as a device of torture in different societies throughout history.  Take a listen this week and find out all about tickle torture.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!  This Christmas Eve we are coming to you with a podcast full of the history of several Christmas traditions.  If you've ever wondered why we have Christmas Tree ornaments, why the colors of Christmas are Red and Green, or why some of the figures in the Nativity scene always seem to be wearing the same color clothes we've got the answers (maybe...).