Nighttide

How far back do the legends of werewolves go?  Where did they originate from, and are they the same as our modern-day depictions?  In this episode, we explore the history of werewolves. It seems, that the tales we know of today come to us from an event that dates back to the 16th century.  In 16th century France,  communities were being plagued by a series of bizarre disappearances and brutal murders – the corpses often being horrifically mutilated as though they had been ripped apart by some sort of monstrous animal.  Whatever it was that seemed to be tormenting the villages seemed to prefer the cover of night for its attacks.

In the Western world, Friday the 13th is supposedly one of the unluckiest days you can happen upon. Love of superstitions aside, have you ever wondered why and how the day became considered so unlucky?  Why does 13 get such a bad rep? In this short episode, explore the history of the unlucky 13.  

As a side note, please excuse the lackluster sound quality. I accidentally used the wrong mic and simply was just too lazy to rerecord. Just blame the 13th and think of it adding to the unlucky feel of the topic.

So much of what we celebrate today – whether Halloween, Solstice-based wintertime celebrations, birthdays, or weddings, many of the traditions associated with these served the purpose of protection and banishing evil spirits from this realm. However, what if the unwanted spirit which you sought to protect yourself from and drive away was yourself?  What if the thing which haunted you, which caused you to spend your nights frozen in fear was none other than you?

Who speaks for the dead?  Who helps solve murders long since forgotten, or avenges a death that has gone undiscovered?  Sometimes when life is so suddenly taken, it prevents a spirit from moving on – until they can find ghostly justice.

While the curse of the Pharaoh’s tomb may be the curse we associate with Tutankhamun, there are others out there as well. One such curse involves the Pharaoh’s royal trumpet, known by many as the Instrument of War.

When you hear the word, “fairy”, probably the first thing that comes to mind are cutesy, dainty, little winged things, painting flowers and annoying their animal neighbors with their relentless happy songs and jingly bells. That, however, is not what a true fairy is. That is the modern story-book variety. The fairies of old, the real fairies, are something quite different. They are often dark in nature, with a fondness for tormenting humans.

They were known as the necromancers of Bavaria, and were said to be members of the sparse elite. These were, before the war, the members of society who were not only literate, but literate in Latin. Something which was only reserved for the upper crust of Medieval society, and interestingly enough, most who had this knowledge were clerics as well.

The legend of the black-eyed children, though delightfully spooky, is a fairly modern American legend, fueled over the years by various call-ins to late night radio shows and of course, numerous creepypastas. The legend supposedly first began making rounds in the 1980’s, but the story that kicked off the legend and captivated the imaginations of many, dates back to January of 1998.

She is often known as the weeping woman or the lady in white, and has been associated with child disappearances and whose presence is said to be an omen of one sort or another. In modern day versions of this story, La Llorona is slightly similar to the Baba Yaga in the fact that she is a tale told to children in order to coerce them into good behavior. Children who are not mindful of their parent’s rules can be stolen away by the La Llorona. La Llorona is a ghostly legend, that like most legends of female spirits, revolves around a tragic love affair which ends in disaster.

There’s something fun and thrilling about a good spooky tale. Whether you are a child or an adult, those are the ones that your mind (whether you wish it to or not) will revisit over and over. Fairy tales are a good example of this, as most are quite dark in origin. They are full of wicked things lurking in the shadows, things which stalk about waiting for the right moment to seize and often feed upon those who unwittingly cross their path. The reason these stories are so delightfully dark is twofold. They capture the imagination and entertain, but they also serve the primary purpose of scaring children into submission.