She was clever, headstrong, and quick with a needle. A woman of her time, and somehow, ahead of it. Bridget Cleary had her own sewing machine, a prized possession in rural Ireland. She wore stylish boots, sold eggs, and kept a fine house.

But in March of 1895, the people of Ballyvadlea watched smoke rise from the Cleary home. They said she’d gone missing. That she was sick. That she wasn’t herself. And then came the whispers… about fairies, about changelings, about the hollow hills.

By the time authorities arrived, Bridget’s body was already ash. What remained was a tangle of folklore and fear, a quiet village exposed under the harsh light of a trial. And still, more than a century later, the question lingers: What does it take for a husband, a family, a community, to believe a woman is no longer who she says she is?

Quick Note on Pronunciation:
Hi guys! I do my best to get pronunciations right—especially for names and places with cultural or historical roots—but sometimes regional habits sneak in. Like Bourke: in Ireland, it’s usually pronounced “Berk,” but here in North America, you’ll often hear “Bork” (guilty!). Just a heads-up in case you notice any little differences. Appreciate you listening with curiosity and kindness.

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Show Notes & Further Reading

The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story – Angela Bourke
The Cooper’s Wife is Missing – Joan Hoff and Marian Yeates

Strange Death Near Clonmel – Freeman’s Journal
Not Witches, But Fairies – The New York Times
Burning Bridget – The Irish Times

The Haunting True Story of Bridget Cleary’s ‘Changeling’ Murder
Behind the Scenes: The Murder of Bridget Cleary
Bridget Cleary Burned to Death
The Horrific Murder of Bridget Cleary, the Irish ‘Fairy Wife’
The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story – Review
The Story of the Last ‘Witch’ Burned Alive in Ireland

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The story of Monte Cristo Homestead traces the history of a Victorian manor in Junee, New South Wales, from its construction in 1885 to its closure in 2025. It begins with the arrival of the Great Southern Railway in 1878, which sparks the rise of a family who builds the grand homestead, establishing it as a social hub.

A series of tragic events mark the house, including deaths and misfortunes that fuel its haunted reputation. Decades later, in 1963, a new family purchases the dilapidated manor, restoring it into a museum and tourist attraction while encountering eerie phenomena. 

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

Monte Cristo Homestead - Wikipedia

History - The Monte Cristo Documentary

The Wiradjuri People - The Monte Cristo Documentary

Paranormal - The Monte Cristo Documentary

Australia’s Most Haunted House – Monte Cristo Homestead | Traces Magazine

Monte Cristo Homestead in Junee, New South Wales, Australia | Into Horror History

Riverina Rewind: Remembering Junee’s Olive Ryan and Life in Australia’s ‘Most Haunted House’

Monte Cristo Homestead - The Little House of Horrors

Growing up in Junee’s Monte Cristo Homestead Owner Lawrence Ryan

Episode 105: The Monte Cristo Homestead and the Hat Man

Strange but True: The Mystery of Monte Cristo Homestead | BBC Science Focus

People Don’t Make It Through the Night: Inside Monte Cristo | Mamamia

Bed and Breakfast and Boos? A Night at Monte Cristo | HerCanberra

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On a fog-soaked evening in March 1879, the quiet streets of Richmond hid a secret. A lone woman stepped out of church and vanished into the mist. Days later, her ivy-draped cottage stirred with odd signs—a stranger wearing her clothes, selling her belongings, and tending a fire that burned far too long. Acrid smoke curled into the sky as whispers spread and the river yielded a grim discovery. Something terrible had happened behind those walls, and the truth was just beginning to surface.

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

Old Bailey Proceedings Online: Kate Webster

British Newspaper Archive: The Illustrated Police News

The Guardian: Human Skull Found in David Attenborough’s Garden

Murderpedia: Kate Webster

The Richmond Murderess: The True Story of Kate Webster, Leonard Low

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In the late 1960s, Point Pleasant, West Virginia, becomes the epicenter of a chilling mystery when residents report sightings of a winged, red-eyed creature dubbed the Mothman.

Beginning with a terrifying encounter by two young couples in the abandoned TNT Area, the phenomenon sparks widespread fear and fascination, drawing in journalist John Keel, whose investigation shapes a seminal book. The narrative weaves through the town’s economic struggles, the era’s paranormal craze, and global mythological parallels, while scientific skepticism challenges the creature’s existence.

Through festivals and museums, Point Pleasant transforms the Mothman into a cultural icon, exploring themes of belief, fear, and human storytelling in a modern myth that endures.

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

Chronicling America - The Point Pleasant Register (1966–1967)

Newspapers.com - The Point Pleasant Register (1966–1967)

Chronicling America - The Athens Messenger (1966–1968)

Newspapers.com - The Athens Messenger (1966–1968)

National Transportation Safety Board - Silver Bridge Collapse Report (1970)

West Virginia Department of Natural Resources - Wildlife Records (1960s)

Environmental Protection Agency - TNT Area Assessment (1972)

Mothman Museum - Official Site

Mothman Festival - Official Site

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She was young. Beautiful. Familiar to the city’s restless men and sharp-eyed journalists. By day, she sold cigars in a little shop on Broadway—just a girl behind the counter. But when her body surfaced near Hoboken, facedown and bruised, she became something else entirely: a cautionary tale, a public spectacle, a mystery.

Mary Rogers was given many names. The Beautiful Cigar Girl. The Muse of Broadway. A siren lured to ruin. And long before we had podcasts or detective dramas, her story captivated a nation hungry for scandal. It drew in reporters, moral crusaders—and one very famous writer who believed he could solve her case from the page.

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

The Mysterious Death of Mary Rogers: Sex and Culture in Nineteenth-Century New York – Amy Gilman SrebnickEdgar Allan Poe Tried and Failed to Crack the Mysterious Murder of Mary Rogers
The Mysterious Death of Mary Rogers
The Life of Mary Rogers
The Mysterious Murder of “Cigar Girl” Mary Rogers, 1841
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt

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In the heart of Banff National Park, where the Canadian Rockies rise in jagged splendor, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel stands as a monument to both grandeur and mystery. Known as the "Castle of the Rockies," this Scottish baronial masterpiece, with its limestone turrets and oak-paneled halls, has welcomed travelers since 1888. For Sam McCauley, a bellman whose warm smile and lilting Scottish accent have greeted guests for decades, the hotel is more than a workplace—it’s a home, a sanctuary, and a keeper of secrets. Yet, beneath its opulent surface lies a darker history, one woven with tales of tragedy that have left spectral imprints on its stones. From a bride’s fatal fall to a child’s lost laughter, the hotel’s hauntings are as iconic as its architecture, and Sam’s journey through these events binds him to the Castle’s eternal soul.

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

Banff Haunted Hotel - Mystery at the Banff Springs

The Haunted History of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

The Haunted Banff Springs Hotel, Canada

Ghostly Tales of the Banff Springs Hotel

The Ghosts of Fairmont Banff Springs

Haunting Legends of Fairmont’s Banff Springs Hotel

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Is the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Actually Haunted?

Banff Springs Hotel, Canada’s Famous Resort

Banff Springs Hotel | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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In the spring of 1967, amateur prospector Stefan Michalak emerged from the woods near Falcon Lake—burned, disoriented, and terrified. What he claimed he saw deep in the Manitoba wilderness would spark one of Canada’s most famous UFO investigations. A strange craft. A searing light. And a silence that felt like it was watching him.

What happened in those woods remains unexplained. But the scars it left were very real.

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

Stefan Michalak’s Story: No Aliens Required by The Iron Skeptic 

Falcon Lake incident is Canada's 'best-documented UFO case,' even 50 years later by Darren Bernhardt

The Falcon Lake Incident by Lyndon Froese

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It's a different episode of Lore & Legends today - one that factually explores Aokigahara Forest, Japan’s “Suicide Forest,” tracing its evolution from a natural wonder at the base of Mount Fuji to a global symbol of tragedy. Spanning its geological origins from the 864 CE eruption, 19th-century emergence as a suicide site, and peak suicide rates in the early 2000s, this episode examines economic crises, cultural attitudes, and media influences like Seichō Matsumoto’s Kuroi Jukai that amplified its notoriety. Learn about Japan’s suicide prevention efforts, including national policies and Aokigahara-specific measures like drone patrols, alongside the forest’s role as a tourist destination attracting both nature enthusiasts and “dark tourists.”

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

Aokigahara Forest - Wikipedia

CNN: Suicide in Japan's Aokigahara Forest (2009)

Aokigahara: Suicide Forest - IMDb

Aokigahara: Suicide Forest - WatchDocumentaries

Suicide Prevention in Japan - WHO

Aokigahara Forest - National Geographic

Inside Japan’s ‘Suicide Forest’ - CNN (2018)

Japan's Suicide Forest: 33 Creepy Facts - Best Life

National Suicide Prevention Policy in Japan - Injury Prevention

The General Principles of Suicide Prevention Policy - PubMed

The Creepy Confines of Aokigahara - All That’s Interesting

Real Stories From the Japanese Suicide Forest - Bustle

Sea of Trees: Poetic Gateways to Aokigahara - Tokyo Poetry Journal

Aokigahara Forest - Japan National Tourism Organization

Suicide Data and Trends in Japan - Tokyo Mental Health

Excess Suicides in Japan Post-Pandemic - ScienceDirect

Drones Deployed to Aokigahara for Patrol - The Asahi Shimbun

From Tragedy to Tourism - Life360

Aokigahara: A Dark Tourism Spot - Travel Tomorrow

Macabre Tourism in Japan - ResearchGate

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Spring, 1943. In the quiet woods of Hagley, four boys stumble upon something no child should ever find—a skull, staring out from the hollow of a wych elm. Her hand is missing. Her name is unknown. But soon, questions begin to bleed through the brickwork of Birmingham and beyond: Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?

In this bonus episode of Macabrium, we unravel one of England’s most eerie and enduring mysteries. Was Bella a spy tangled in wartime secrecy, a victim of dark ritual, or something else?

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

Who Put Bella In the Wych Elm? - CrimeReads

Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? | Tales of History and Imagination

A Digital Reconstruction Reveals the Face of Famed Murder Victim 'Bella in the Wych Elm'

Revealed after 75 years: The face of Bella in the Wych Elm - Birmingham Live

The Unsolved Mystery of Bella in the Wych Elm - Historic Mysteries

Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? The Unsolved Murder That Still Haunts Britain - The Guardian

Bella in the Wych Elm: A Midlands Murder Mystery - BBC News

The Strange Case of Bella in the Wych Elm - Strange Remains

Who Put Bella In the Wych Elm? - Stuff You Should Know | iHeart

‘Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?’: Espionage, Witchcraft, and other Theories - Curious Archive

BBC investigator asks museums for help tracing remains of murder victim

‘Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?’: Espionage, Witchcraft, and other Theories

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It began with a sound—low, then rising. A groan like steel bending under a terrible weight. Then came the rush. Not of water, but something thicker. Darker. A wall of molasses, fifteen feet high, traveling at the speed of a freight train. It shattered buildings, snapped beams like twigs, and swept horses, wagons, and people into its syrupy current. In mere moments, a neighborhood was drowned in sweetness… and death.

They called it the Great Molasses Flood. Some said on hot summer days, the scent still lingers in the air, clinging to the city like a ghost. But what really caused a tank to explode with such fury? Was it poor engineering—or a corporate cover-up? And why does this sticky disaster still seep into Boston’s memory more than a century later?

* This episode's audio has been updated to reflect the correct timeline of the Cold War and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thank you for your understanding as we strive for historical accuracy!

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown. 

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Episode Reference Material

The Great Molasses Flood by Susan Donnelly 

Without Warning, Molasses in January Surged Over Boston by Edwards Park 

12 Killed When Tank of Molasses Explodes by The New York Times

Anarchists, Horses, Heroes: 12 Things You Didn’t Know about the Great Boston Molasses Flood by Spencer Bull

The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 killed 21 After 2 million gallon tank exploded by Ben Kesslen

100 Years Ago Today: Molasses Crashes Through Boston’sNorth End by Archives and Records Management of the City of Boston

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