Serpents of Bienville Podcast

Could a debutante from Mobile Alabama, swept off her feet by a charming British businessman, have taken down the savage killer known as Jack the Ripper... on purpose? 

Thank you to Wes Kennison (weskennison.com) for the wonderful music behind our odd tales!

For more Alabama Oddities, creepy folktales and southern lore, visit serpentsofbienville.com.

Sean Herman sits down with the incredibly creative mind behind Tommy the Tomato Eating Elephant, Rufus Ducote. The way these two carry a conversation, you would think that they've known each other forever (it's no secret: they have). Tommy the Tomato Eating Elephant is the first book to be published through Serpents of Bienville, and we couldn't be more proud of all of the hard work and heart that Rufus has poured into this beloved character. To check out the book and share Tommy with the people you love, go here. To keep up with Tommy's adventures, follow him on Facebook!

Thanks to Wes Kennison (weskennison.com) for all our beautiful tunes throughout the podcast!

To celebrate the Halloween season, Sean is exploring the seventh installment of the horror franchise, Friday the 13th, filmed here at Byrnes Lake in Baldwin County, Alabama. It turns out that as events in Sean's life unfolded, years after receiving this movie as a gift at a young age, he realized he had more personal ties to the film than he could have ever anticipated. This podcast confronts themes of depression, suicide, and mental health.

For more Alabama Oddities, local legends, and southern lore, be sure to visit serpentsofbienville.com.

Addicted to the romance magazine's idea of the perfect mate, Nannie Doss, known as the Giggling Granny, merely disposed of the men she married that failed to meet her standards. Though, is that really where her serial killer tendencies began? Listen to learn more about this crazed Alabama woman and her lifelong murder spree. For more stories of Alabama Oddities, creepy locations, and eerie history from all over Alabama, head to our website, serpentsofbienville.com.

These are the monsters in the woods, the creatures in the lake. Sean Herman sits down to tell you about some of the most feared and revered cryptids in Alabama. To read more Alabama Oddities, be sure to visit serpentsofbienville.com.

We talk with Christian Mott (christianbaxtermott.com) about the wonderful work he does with Ant Farm Journal. The discussion, of course, turns into a folklore journey into theories on ghosts, creatures, vampires, serial killers, and exorcisms. You know, the usual light chat around here. Read Christian's story, "Farragut's Monster" and all the other stories we discuss from serpentsofbienville.com:

Nannie Doss

Bienville's Sacred Oath

Florence Maybrick vs. Jack the Ripper

Exorcism in Memphis

These poor, unfortunate souls. From being struck by a meteorite, having your life's work stripped from your hands, to actually vanishing off the face of the earth, these Alabama folks are truly unlucky. Alabama Oddities is a short story series at serpentsofbienville.com on odd history, old folklore, and eerie legends from across the state. To read more, just head to our website, or check out our Alabama Oddities Map, a charting of stories by location, available in our webstore. 

Sean Herman sat down with Duane Knight of Flux Studio and Gallery to talk about his journey into making art his life, turning his passion into a career. Duane is a phenomenal artist and cofounder of Flux: a working studio, a curated gallery for local and regional contemporary art, an incubator for creative entrepreneurship, an educational facility and a vital resource for art on the Gulf Coast. Flux is also the new home of Serpents of Bienville Gallery at 754 Government Street in Mobile, Alabama. 

At the age of thirteen, Bienville set off from France to father North America's Gulf Coast, including every main port from Pensacola, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana. If something could go wrong for him, he would have assured you that it did. In tattooing his entire body with the figures of serpents, did he tap into an ancient curse of this new land? In allowing himself to be marked by the natives of this coast, did he agree to an oath unspoken, aligning his fate with their own? Sean Herman takes you into the history and lore of this lesser known tale of Mobile, Alabama's founder. To read more tales like this, and to see the hand stippled art pieces created by Sean that correlate with the Sacred Oath Series, visit serpentsofbienville.com. Huge thank you to Wes Kennison, weskennison.com, for our amazing intro and soundtrack.

Bridges harbor so much legend and lore, and Alabama holds some of the most eerie tales of paranormal passageways. Here, I am sharing the history and folk stories of the cursed Mary Daniel Bridge of Crenshaw County, The tragic haunting of Bayview Bridge in Birmingham, the Wild Woman of Pea River who died trying to reunite with her abducted child, the paranormal portal of Hell's Gate Bridge in Oxford, and the tale of lovers torn apart at Cry Baby Bridge in Saraland. To read more on Cry Baby Bridge, find more Alabama Oddities collections, and to learn more about the artwork mentioned in this podcast, visit serpentsofbienville.com. Cross over into the first Alabama Oddities Podcast Collection, written and read by Amanda Herman. Huge thanks to Wes Kennison, weskennison.com for our wonderful soundtrack!