Aloha Tide Riders, and welcome to the first installment of our Colonial Curiosities Saga. In this Short Board Session of Strange Tides, we're heading to New York City in the tense summer of 1776, where General George Washington and the Continental Army prepared to face the largest British invasion force ever assembled. But the greatest threat to the Revolution might not've been sailing into the harbor—it might've already been guarding Washington's headquarters.

Today we're talking about the Hickey Plot, the alleged Loyalist conspiracy involving Thomas Hickey, a member of Washington's elite Life Guard accused of plotting with British agents to betray the Patriot cause. Was there truly a plan to assassinate or kidnap Washington before the Battle of New York, or did Patriot leaders exaggerate the threat to unite the colonies and justify a crackdown on Loyalists?

We'll sift through the evidence surrounding counterfeit money, secret meetings, double agents, and America's earliest counterintelligence efforts before crossing into Speculation Nation, where the theories get even stranger. Was Hickey merely the face of a massive Loyalist fifth column? Did Freemasons or other secret societies manipulate events behind the scenes? Or was America's birth part of a far greater struggle involving occult rituals, ancient bloodlines, extraterrestrial influence, and humanity's spiritual evolution?

Grab your board and paddle out with us as we separate documented history from Revolutionary legend and explore one of America's earliest—and most mysterious—conspiracies.

SOURCES:

McCullough, David. 1776. 2005.

https://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McCullough/dp/0743226720

Fischer, David Hackett. Washington's Crossing. 2004.

https://www.amazon.com/Washingtons-Crossing-Pivotal-Moments-American/dp/019518159X

Fleming, Thomas. The Strategy of Victory: How General George Washington Won the American Revolution. 2017.

https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Victory-General-Washington-Revolution/dp/0306824965

Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency: George Washington. 2004.

https://www.amazon.com/His-Excellency-Washington-Joseph-Ellis/dp/1400032539

Chernow, Ron. Washington: A Life. 2010.

https://www.amazon.com/Washington-Life-Ron-Chernow/dp/1594202664

Lengel, Edward G. General George Washington: A Military Life. Random House, 2005.

https://www.amazon.com/General-George-Washington-Military-Life/dp/0812969502

Wikipedia - Thomas Hickey (soldier)

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hickey_(soldier)

Britannica - The Plot to Assassinate George Washington

  https://www.britannica.com/story/the-plot-to-assassinate-george-washington

Smithsonian Magazine - The Plot to Kill George Washington

  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/plot-kill-george-washington-180970729/

History.com - Did George Washington's Bodyguard Plot to Kill Him?  

  https://www.history.com/articles/george-washington-bodyguard-assassination-plot

George Washington’s Mount Vernon - This Week in History posts

  https://www.mountvernon.org/ (search for Hickey or 1776 conspiracy)

Encyclopedia.com - Mutiny of Hickey

  https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mutiny-hickey

Wethersfield History - Thomas Hickey article

  https://www.wethersfieldhistory.org/articles/thomas-hickey-george-washingtons-wethersfield-kidnapper/

Ephemeral New York - A Revolutionary War hanging near the Bowery.  

  https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2017/11/20/a-revolutionary-war-hanging-near-the-bowery/

Commander-in-Chief's Guard (Wikipedia)  

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander-in-Chief%27s_Guard

NPR coverage of The First Conspiracy:  

  https://www.npr.org/2019/01/09/682924810/the-first-conspiracy-details-foiled-hickey-plot-to-assassinate-george-washington

For Washington’s general orders and primary documents, check the Founders Online archive (National Archives):  

https://founders.archives.gov/ (search “Hickey” or “mutiny” June 1776).

🎢👻 Theme Park Terrors comes to a chilling close at one of America's most infamous haunted amusement parks.

This week on Strange Tides, we're making our final stop in the Theme Park Terrors saga at the legendary Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in West Virginia—a place where history, heartbreak, and the paranormal seem permanently intertwined.

Long before roller coasters and carnival lights, the land was the site of frontier conflict and the tragic Cotton Bottom Massacre. Decades later, Lake Shawnee became a beloved family amusement park... until a string of devastating accidents cast a shadow that never truly lifted. Today, abandoned rides stand silent as ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, and curious thrill-seekers report encounters with shadow figures, mysterious voices, the Swing Girl, the Drowned Boy, and spirits that refuse to leave.

But are these hauntings real? Or is something even stranger happening?

When we enter the Tinfoil Teepee, we'll dive into theories ranging from psychological priming and environmental anomalies to cursed land, ley lines, genius loci, interdimensional rifts, and why West Virginia seems to be a hotspot for everything from cryptids to high strangeness.

So wax up your board, keep your EVP recorder rolling, and don't wander too far after sunset... because the tide is about to get very strange.

SOURCES

- Mercer County CVB / Visit Mercer County (Lake Shawnee History & Archaeology): https://visitmercercounty.com/lake-shawnee/

- David Emmons Johnston – A History of Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory (1906): https://books.google.com/books/about/A_History_of_Middle_New_River_Settlement.html?id=HT4VAAAAYAAJ

- West Virginia Division of Culture and History / Historical Marker Database (Clay Monument): https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=117993

- Clay Memorial Park (Mercer County): https://visitmercercounty.com/company/clay-memorial-park/

- Lake Shawnee Archaeology (The Clio): https://theclio.com/entry/20080

- Bluefield Daily Telegraph – Lake Shawnee Article: https://www.bdtonline.com/news/the-haunting-of-lake-shawnee-fateful-forlorn-history-of-amusement-park-draws-paranormal-enthusiasts/article_212d1b00-79ae-11e5-8941-679fefb075c8.html

- Ronald L. Lewis – Black Coal Miners in America (1987): https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_labor_history/2/

- Ronald L. Lewis – Black Coal Miners in America (University Press of Kentucky): https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813192741/black-coal-miners-in-america/

- Official Lake Shawnee Website: https://www.wvlakeshawnee.com/

- Visit Mercer County – Lake Shawnee Page: https://visitmercercounty.com/lake-shawnee/

- The Haunted History of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park (Road Unraveled): https://www.roadunraveled.com/blog/lake-shawnee-amusement-park/

- Wikipedia – Lake Shawnee Amusement Park: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Shawnee_Amusement_Park

- Philly Ghosts – Hauntings of Lake Shawnee: https://phillyghosts.com/hauntings-of-lake-shawnees-abandoned-amusement-park/

- Clay Family Society – Shawnee Indians Clay Family Massacre: https://clayfamilysociety.net/shawnee-indians-clay-family-massacre/

- Lost Amusement Parks – Lake Shawnee: http://lostamusementparks.napha.org/Articles/WestVirginia/Lake%20Shawne%20Amusement%20Park.html

- WBoy – The Eerie History Surrounding WV’s Lake Shawnee: https://www.wboy.com/news/west-virginia/the-eerie-history-surrounding-west-virginias-lake-shawnee-amusement-park/

- Atlas Obscura – Lake Shawnee Amusement Park: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-shawnee-amusement-park

Aloha, Tide Riders, and welcome to the third installment of our Theme Park Terrors saga. This week on Strange Tides, we're crossing the pond to explore one of Britain's most iconic—and allegedly most haunted—theme parks: Alton Towers. Behind the record-breaking roller coasters and family attractions lies a landscape steeped in nearly 2,000 years of history, from Iron Age settlements and medieval intrigue to aristocratic curses, wartime secrets, and modern tragedy.

We'll trace the fascinating evolution of the estate before diving into chilling reports of ghostly children in Haunted Hollow, the mysterious Lady in Grey, unexplained voices, shadow figures, and the wave of paranormal claims that followed the 2015 Smiler roller coaster crash. Along the way, we'll examine eyewitness encounters, investigate the park's most enduring legends, and ask whether the hauntings stem from psychology, the Stone Tape Theory, lingering Talbot family spirits, ancient curses, dimensional rifts, technological "ghosts," or something even stranger when we enter the Tinfoil Teepee.

So grab your flashlight, keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, and paddle out with us as we uncover the eerie history and supernatural mysteries hiding behind the thrills of Alton Towers.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia – History of Alton Towers -   

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Alton_Towers

Victorian Web – A.W.N. Pugin at Alton Towers -   

  https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/pugin/24.html

Alton Towers Official Heritage Page -   

  https://www.altontowers.com/about-alton-towers/heritage/

Towers Times / TowersStreet Historical Articles -   

  https://www.towerstimes.co.uk/history/the-history-of-alton-towers/

Official Alton Towers Website – About Section -  

  https://www.altontowers.com/about-alton-towers/

Staffordshire Live – Alton Towers History -   

  https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids/alton-towers-theme-park-history-1221060

Harry Tomkinson Links:

Alton Towers: From Iron Age Fort to Worldwide Fame

- eBay Listing (primary purchase option):  

  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227262664092

Background on the Author:  

  https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/former-alton-towers-worker-turned-644421

Richard Felix Links:

Official Website:  

  https://richardfelix.co.uk/

YouTube Channel (extensive ghost tours & Alton Towers content):  

  https://www.youtube.com/@RichardFelixChannel

Ghost Walks / Tours Booking:  

  https://richardfelix.co.uk/ghost-walks/

Books by Richard Felix:  

  https://localvideo.co.uk/product-category/books/ 

Welcome back, Tide Riders, to another eerie installment of our Theme Park Terrors saga.

This time, we're traveling across the Pacific to explore the mysterious history and haunting legends surrounding Nara Dreamland, Japan's long-abandoned amusement park that has become one of the most infamous urban exploration sites in the world.

Originally opened in 1961 and heavily inspired by early American theme parks, Nara Dreamland was once a place of laughter, excitement, and childhood wonder. But after decades of declining attendance, the park closed its gates in 2006, leaving behind rusting roller coasters, silent midway games, and crumbling attractions slowly being reclaimed by nature.

As the years passed, stories began to emerge from explorers, photographers, and thrill-seekers who ventured inside the abandoned park. Reports of shadowy figures moving between decaying rides, unexplained voices echoing through empty attractions, strange feelings of being watched, and other unsettling encounters transformed Nara Dreamland from a forgotten amusement park into a hotspot of paranormal speculation.

In this episode, we'll dive into the park's fascinating history, examine firsthand accounts of alleged supernatural activity, and explore the many theories that attempt to explain why so many visitors have reported strange experiences within its abandoned grounds. Are these encounters the result of lingering spirits, psychological effects triggered by a decaying environment, echoes of the park's emotional past, or something even stranger?

Grab your flashlight, watch your step around the rusted tracks, and join the Tide Riders as we venture into one of Japan's most haunting abandoned locations. The rides may have stopped long ago, but according to some visitors, Nara Dreamland's story is far from over.

Sources:

Wikipedia – Nara Dreamland - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_Dreamland

Abandoned Kansai – Special: Nara Dreamland -  

  https://abandonedkansai.com/special-nara-dreamland/

Time Travel Turtle – Nara Dreamland  - https://www.timetravelturtle.com/japan/nara-dreamland/

Offbeat Japan – Nara Dreamland articles - 

  https://offbeatjapan.com/nara-dreamland-abandoned-amusement-park/  

  https://offbeatjapan.com/nara-dreamland-abandoned-rollercoasters/

Simone Armer – Inside Abandoned Nara Dreamland -  https://www.simonearmer.com/inside-abandoned-nara-dreamland/

Abandoned Kansai – Nara Dreamland Demolition -  https://abandonedkansai.com/2016/11/08/nara-dreamland-demolition/

Atlas Obscura – Nara Dreamland - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nara-dreamland

28DaysLater Forum Thread (2013) -  https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/nara-dreamland-japan-august-2013.85499/

Finding Midnight – Urbex in Japan: Nara Dreamland - 

  http://www.findingmidnight.com/urbex-nara-dreamland-japan/

Exploring Disney's Abandoned Theme Park (Nara Dreamland) – YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E8NX9F9oZo

Travel Caffeine – Nara Dreamland: Bizarro Disneyland - https://www.travelcaffeine.com/nara-dreamland-abandoned-theme-park/

PBS / Reginald Van de Velde photos & interview -

  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/what-i-found-while-photographing-japans-abandoned-amusement-parks

Aloha Tide Riders! Welcome to the first episode of our brand-new Theme Park Terrors saga, where we'll explore the eerie legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters said to lurk behind the happiest places on Earth.

For this inaugural voyage, we're heading to the legendary Disneyland Resort, a place known for magic, imagination, and childhood wonder—but also a location surrounded by decades of paranormal rumors and unsettling tales. From phantom footsteps in empty attractions and mysterious figures seen after closing time to unexplained voices echoing through deserted corridors, Disneyland has developed a haunted reputation that few guests ever see.

Joining us is Annie Rosenthal, a Disneyland cast member with an incredible 25 years of experience inside the park. Drawing from decades spent behind the scenes, Annie shares her own firsthand encounters with unexplained phenomena, along with stories passed between cast members who have witnessed strange activity in some of the resort's most iconic locations.

Together, we'll venture beyond the attractions and into the hidden corners of the park, discussing mysterious apparitions, strange sensations, unexplained sounds, and the legends that continue to circulate among those who know Disneyland best.

So grab your flashlight, keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times, and join us as we uncover the ghosts, mysteries, and high strangeness that may be hiding behind the magic.

The gates are open, the crowds have gone home, and the real adventure is just beginning.

Aloha Tide Riders! The Historical Hybrids saga reaches its grand finale as Strange Tides takes flight into the strange and mysterious world of Bird-men. From the falcon-headed gods of Ancient Egypt and the winged Apkallu of Mesopotamia to the harpies and sirens of Greece, the tengu of Japan, the kinnari of Southeast Asia, and countless feathered beings from folklore around the globe, stories of human-bird hybrids have appeared across cultures for thousands of years.

But are these legends simply symbolic tales, or could they preserve distorted memories of something far stranger?

Along the way, we'll explore reports of modern-day bird-man encounters—from remote mountain ranges and dense forests to eerie sightings reported by soldiers, hikers, and everyday witnesses. We'll examine the folklore, the sightings, and the surprising similarities that connect these winged beings across continents and centuries.

Then it's time for one final session in the Tinfoil Teepee, where we explore a flock of theories ranging from misidentifications and hoaxes to surviving unknown species, extraterrestrial visitors, ultraterrestrial entities, interdimensional travelers, and the possibility that ancient myths were inspired by encounters with something very real.

So grab your board, paddle beyond the breakers, and join us as we soar into the final chapter of Historical Hybrids—where mythology, mystery, and the unknown ride the same strange tide.

Sources:

General Mythology Reference Sources

Encyclopaedia Britannica – Mythology

Theoi Greek Mythology Library

Internet Sacred Text Archive

World History Encyclopedia

Perseus Digital Library

Ancient Egypt

Encyclopaedia Britannica – Ancient Egyptian Religion

The British Museum – Ancient Egypt Collection

The Met – Ancient Egypt Essays

Mesopotamia

The British Museum – Mesopotamia Resources

World History Encyclopedia – Mesopotamian Religion

Greek Mythology

Theoi – Harpies

Theoi – Sirens

Perseus Digital Library – The Odyssey

South Asian Traditions

Encyclopaedia Britannica – Garuda

World History Encyclopedia – Hindu Mythology

Japanese Folklore

Encyclopaedia Britannica – Tengu

Yokai.com – Tengu

Celtic and Slavic Traditions

Sacred Texts – Celtic Folklore Resources

Encyclopaedia Britannica – Slavic Religion

Mesopotamian Sources & Scholars

• Toby Wilkinson, Early Dynastic Egypt (1999): Amazon | PDF/Archive preview.
• Richard H. Wilkinson, The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt (2003): Amazon | Full text scan.
• E.A. Wallis Budge, The Gods of the Egyptians (1904): Archive.org Vol. 1 | Vol. 2.
• Geraldine Pinch, Egyptian Mythology: A Guide...: Amazon | Archive.org.
• Erik Hornung, The One and the Many (1982): Amazon | Archive.org.
• Louis V. Žabkar, A Study of the Ba Concept... (1968): University of Chicago | Archive.org.
• Barbara S. Lesko, The Great Goddesses of Egypt (1999): Archive.org | Amazon.
• Donald B. Redford (ed.), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt (2001): Oxford University Press.

• Hesiod’s Theogony: Public domain; many editions. Perseus Digital Library (standard reference).
• H.J. Rose, A Handbook of Greek Mythology (1928): Archive.org | Amazon.
• Karl Kerényi, The Gods of the Greeks (1951): Archive.org | Amazon.
• Jane Ellen Harrison, Myths of the Odyssey in Art and Literature (1882): Archive.org.
• Walter Burkert, Greek Religion (1977/Eng. trans.): Amazon | Archive.org.
• Timothy Gantz, Early Greek Myth (1993): Johns Hopkins | Archive.org.
• Emily Vermeule, Aspects of Death in Early Greek Art and Poetry (1979): Archive.org | Amazon.

• Heinrich Zimmer, Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization (1946): Bollingen series editions.

• Arthur Anthony Macdonell, Vedic Mythology (1897): Public domain. Archive.org (typical link for similar works).
• Linda J. Ivanits, Russian Folk Belief (1989): Academic editions via publishers like Routledge.
• Jacob Grimm, Teutonic Mythology: Public domain translations. Archive.org 

Aloha Tide Riders! This took a bit to get out but here we are with the third installment of our Historical Hybrids saga! In this episode of Strange Tides, we venture deep into the wild places of mythology to explore two of the most iconic hybrid beings ever imagined: satyrs and the Minotaur. From the wine-soaked forests of ancient Greece to the dark corridors of the Labyrinth, we trace the history, folklore, and cultural evolution of these legendary creatures, uncovering how their stories have endured for thousands of years.

But the tale doesn't end in antiquity.

We'll examine modern-day reports of goat-men, horned humanoids, and Minotaur-like entities allegedly encountered in forests, deserts, and back roads across the globe. Are these sightings simply folklore refusing to die, cases of misidentification, elaborate hoaxes, or something stranger?

Then it's time for Speculation Nation, where we dive headfirst into the possibilities. Could satyrs and Minotaurs be undiscovered relic species hiding beyond the edges of civilization? The result of ancient extraterrestrial genetic experiments? Magical beings crossing over from another realm? Demonic entities masquerading as creatures from myth? Advanced holographic projections, thought forms, or even bio-engineered probes sent backward through time?

Grab your torch and follow the thread into the labyrinth as Strange Tides explores the enduring mystery of satyrs, the Minotaur, and the question that refuses to go away: what if these creatures were never just stories?

SOURCES:

Theoi Project - https://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Satyroi.html

Euripides, Cyclops -  https://scaife.perseus.org/library/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg001.perseus-eng2/

Ovid & Virgil - http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/

World History Encyclopedia – Satyr - https://www.worldhistory.org/satyr/

Wikipedia – Satyr - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyr

Ancient World Magazine – “Satyrs, sileni, and fauns: Lustful Graeco-Roman spirits of nature” - 2018 - https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/satyrs-sileni-fauns-lustful-graeco-roman-spirits-of-nature/

Britannica – Satyr and Silenus - https://www.britannica.com/topic/Satyr

Theoi Project – Minotaur - https://www.theoi.com/Ther/Minotauros.html

Britannica – Minotaur - https://www.britannica.com/topic/Minotaur

Wikipedia – Minotaur - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minotaur

Ashmolean Museum – Myths of the Labyrinth - https://www.ashmolean.org/article/myths-of-the-labyrinth

Hellenic Society – Theseus and the Minotaur: The Man, the Myth and the Science - https://www.hellenic.org.au/post/theseus-and-the-minotaur-the-man-the-myth-and-the-science

Classical Wisdom – The Myth of the Minotaur - https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-the-minotaur

World History Encyclopedia – Minotaur - https://www.worldhistory.org/Minotaur/

Mythopedia – Minotaur - https://mythopedia.com/topics/minotaur

Ancient Origins – Myth of the Minotaur: The Making of a Monster - https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/myth-minotaur-00205

EBSCO Research Starters – Minotaur - https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/minotaur

JSTOR – Method and Minotaur - https://www.jstor.org/stable/1254683

Cambridge University Press – The Minotaur and Other Hybrids in Ancient Greece - https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/reproduction/minotaur-and-other-hybrids-in-ancient-greece/FD8439F2F9F64BC6307742E07481F11D

Madeline Miller – Myth of the Week: The Minotaur - https://madelinemiller.com/myth-of-the-week-the-minotaur/

PMC Article – Europe, the Bull and the Minotaur - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7163551/

Greek Legends and Myths – The Minotaur - https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/minotaur.html

Study.com – Minotaur from Greek Mythology - https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-minotaur-definiton-myth.html

Heritage History – The Minotaur - https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=hawthorne&book=tanglewood&story=minotaur

More sources also available, just ask!

Aloha Tide Riders! This week, the Historical Hybrids saga continues on Strange Tides as we slither deeper into myth, mystery, and high strangeness with one of humanity’s oldest and weirdest recurring legends: serpent folk. From ancient stories of divine snake-beings and shape-shifting reptilian entities to half-human, half-serpent creatures found across cultures around the world, we’re diving headfirst into the winding trail these legends have left behind.

We’ll explore serpent beings from global folklore, including the Nāga traditions of Asia, snake spirits and deities from Africa and the Americas, Japanese serpent legends, ancient Mediterranean monsters, and the strange ways these stories seem to repeat across civilizations separated by oceans and thousands of years. Why does humanity keep returning to the image of the serpent-human hybrid? Is it symbolism, shared psychology, cultural crossover... or something stranger lurking beneath the surface?

Of course, this is Strange Tides, so we’re not stopping in the ancient world. We’ll also cruise through modern-day reports of snake-human and reptilian encounters from around the globe — strange sightings from jungles, caves, forests, lonely roads, and places where reality itself starts feeling a little wobbly.

Then we head into Speculation Nation, where the tinfoil starts catching some wind. We’ll explore theories ranging from Carl Jung and collective archetypes, to underground civilizations and lost worlds, ancient genetic engineering stories, interdimensional entities, Kundalini symbolism, and some truly cosmic ideas that get way out past the breakers.

Grab your flashlight, keep your eyes out in the tall grass, and ride the wave with Strange Tides as Historical Hybrids continues its descent into the strange. Something may be watching from the shadows... and this time, it might be shedding its skin.

Sources:

Britannica – Naga - https://www.britannica.com/topic/naga-Hindu-mythology

Britannica – Lamia -  https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lamia-Greek-mythology

Britannica – Echidna - https://www.britannica.com/topic/Echidna-Greek-mythology

Theoi Project – Lamia - https://www.theoi.com/Ther/Lamia.html

Theoi Project – Empousa & Lamia - https://www.theoi.com/Phasma/Empousai.html

Theoi Project – Echidna - https://www.theoi.com/Ther/DrakainaEkhidna1.html

Wikipedia – Nāga - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C4%81ga

Wikipedia – Echidna (mythology) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna_(mythology)

Wikipedia – Nüwa - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCwa

Wikipedia – Nure-onna -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nure-onna

Wikipedia – Bai Suzhen -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bai_Suzhen

Wikipedia – Mamlambo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamlambo

Mythopedia – Echidna - https://mythopedia.com/topics/echidna

Mythopedia – Nuwa -  https://mythopedia.com/topics/nuwa

ChinaKnowledge – Nü Wa - http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Myth/personsnvwa.html

Yokai.com – Nure-onna - https://yokai.com/nureonna/

UCSD – Tale of the White Snake - https://pages.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/chin/chtales/story010.html

TED-Ed – The Chinese Myth of the Immortal White Snake - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEeeClBoqK0

Monsters Among Us Official Site - https://www.monstersamonguspodcast.com/episodes

Expanded Perspectives Official Site - https://www.expandedperspectives.com/

Mooney, James (1900) - Myths of the Cherokee - https://archive.org/details/mythsofcherokee00moon/page/n5/mode/2up

Hodge, Frederick Webb (ed.) (1907) - Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico - https://archive.org/details/handbookofameric00hodg ; https://archive.org/details/handbookofameric02hodg

Campbell, Joseph (1988) - The Power of Myth - https://archive.org/details/powerofmyth0000camp

Warburg, Aby (1939) - The Ritual of the Serpent.” Journal of the Warburg Institute, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 277–292 - https://www.jstor.org/stable/750041

Reddit - My experience with a Naga - https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/1kx61n/my_experience_with_a_naga/

Aloha Tide Riders! Welcome to the Mash-up Month of May here on Strange Tides, where we're launching a brand-new Historical Hybrids saga. We're kicking things off by charging headfirst into the wild world of centaurs — the legendary half-man, half-horse beings that have thundered through mythology, folklore, art, and human imagination for thousands of years. From the savage chaos of the Centauromachy to the wisdom and mentorship of Chiron, this episode explores how centaurs became one of the most iconic hybrid creatures in history.

We’ll dive deep into the ancient Greek origins of the Kentauroi, break down the mysterious etymology behind their name, and explore theories suggesting that the very first centaur myths may have been inspired by early cultures encountering horseback riders for the first time. Along the way, we’ll look at ancient artifacts like the famous Centaur of Lefkandi, the influence of Mesopotamian hybrid beings, and how cultures across the world developed their own versions of human-animal fusion myths.

But this isn’t just a history lesson carved into marble. We’re also exploring famous stories involving centaurs like Pholus and Nessus, the deeper symbolism behind their dual nature, and why these beings continue showing up in fantasy, gaming, and modern storytelling — from The Legend of Zelda to modern paranormal encounters.

And of course, once we head into the Tinfoil Teepee, things get extra weird. We’ll investigate modern-day centaur sightings, alleged encounters with horse-human cryptids, theories about interdimensional beings and hollow Earth denizens, and whether hybrid myths could represent distorted depictions from another time. Could the centaur legend be rooted in misunderstood history, a legitimate flesh-and-blood creature, or something even stranger?

So saddle up on Mount Pelion and join Strange Tides for the first chapter of Historical Hybrids — where mythology, history, folklore, and high strangeness collide at full gallop.

Sources:

Ancient Origins: Centaurs in Greek Mythology - https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/centaurs-0017093

Mythopedia: Centaurs - https://mythopedia.com/topics/centaurs

Theoi.com: Chiron (Kheiron) - https://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentaurosKheiron.html

The Collector: Where Did The Centaurs Come From? - https://www.thecollector.com/centaur-in-greek-art/

Wikipedia: Centaur - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History (Book 4) - https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/4B*.html

Eclectic Light: Changing Stories – Ovid's Metamorphoses on the Lapiths and Centaurs - https://eclecticlight.co/2017/12/11/changing-stories-ovids-metamorphoses-on-canvas-64-the-lapiths-and-the-centaurs/

The Princeton Art Museum: The Centaur's Smile - https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/art/stories-perspectives/collection-publications-centaurs-smile-centaurs-greek-mythology

Mythopedia: Chiron - https://mythopedia.com/topics/chiron

ThoughtCo: The Centaur - https://www.thoughtco.com/centaur-4767962

Dante Worlds (University of Texas) - http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/textpopup/inf1201.html

Medievalists.net: Centaurs vs. Sirens - https://www.medievalists.net/2024/11/centaurs-sirens-medieval/

Bestiary.ca: Onocentaur - https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast550.htm

The Collector / History Hit: Botticelli's Pallas and the Centaur - https://www.historyhit.com/culture/pallas-and-the-centaur-by-sandro-botticelli/

CUNY Academic Works: The Evolution of the Centaur in Italian Renaissance Art - https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3227/

Encyclopædia Britannica / Pantheon.org

Old World Gods: Girtablilu Myth - https://oldworldgods.com/mesopotamian/girtablilu-myth/

Wikipedia: Kinnara - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinnara

Wikipedia: Anggitay - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anggitay

Non-Alien Creatures Wiki / Alamat Book Series - https://blog.alamatbookseries.com/posts/2025-08-28-the-anggitay-the-filipino-female-centaurs

Aloha and welcome to a brand-new experimental series from Strange Tides—Beyond the Waves. This is a trial run, a fresh format where we paddle out past our usual shoreline of hauntings and cryptids and dive deep into the media, stories, and theories that shape the world of high strangeness.

In this debut episode, we crack open The Time Machine by H. G. Wells—a sci-fi classic that doesn’t just explore time travel, but the evolution (and possible downfall) of humanity itself. We’ll break down the story, its themes, and how it still ripples through modern ideas about the future, technology, and the unknown.

But we’re not stopping at fiction.

We’ll also take a quick detour into the stranger side of time travel lore, looking at the internet-famous case of John Titor and the wild story of Andrew Carlssin—two figures who allegedly slipped through time and left behind trails of speculation, conspiracy, and unanswered questions.

This is Beyond the Waves—a new kind of Strange Tides session where books, movies, and high strangeness collide. If this one rides right, there’s plenty more out there waiting beyond the break.