Welcome to What The Heck's Creature Feature! These episodes release on Saturdays and look at folklore and cryptids from around the world! The same academic style is applied to these episodes, but they look at history and eyewitness reports before describing the creature of the week! A lot of the time, theories are a bit more scarce than the main episodes, but the content is still just as interesting.

This week we're looking at Wolpertingers. Found in the forests off Bavaria, these German creatures are the stuff of legend. Caused by the union of different species, they all look different. They appear as taxidermies in the area, and there's an exhibit in a German museum. What are the legends? How do you find or catch one? What are they like? Listen in to find out!

Links to other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod

References:-

Carter, Abi. “German Folklore: The Wolpertinger.” IamExpat, 12 May 2020, https://www.iamexpat.de/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/german-folklore-wolpertinger. 

Mouriquand, David. “Countdown to Halloween: The Mythical Creatures of Europe - Wolpertinger.” Euro News, 30 Oct. 2022, https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/10/30/countdown-to-halloween-the-mythical-creatures-of-europe-wolpertinger. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address.

Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

All the sounds from this episode were mixed by Glen, using Soundtrap. Enjoy them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck season 4! This podcast explores unexplained phenomena using stories gathered from various sources, then applies an academic research method to find theories and solutions for each one. So far, we've been unsuccessful in finding any concrete answers, but a few of the stories we've covered have been solved. Today, we're looking at the murder of Ken Rex McElroy. After dropping out of the 8th Grade, Ken became a criminal, terrorising the town of Skidmore, Missouri. His list of crimes was long, but he served almost no jail time over the years, and forced a teenage girl to marry him to avoid consequences. In 1981 though, the town of Skidmore took matters into their own hands and Ken ended up dead. Attempts to find out who the culprit was failed. What did Ken McElroy do? Why did the town of Skidmore hate him so much? How did Ken die? Listen in to find out!

Links for other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod 

References for the episode:

Harvey, Austin. “Ken McElroy, The Town Bully Who Was Killed By His Victims.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, 1 Oct. 2023, https://allthatsinteresting.com/ken-mcelroy. 

Held, Kevin. “Bully’s Murder Remains a Secret in Missouri Town for 40 Years.” Fox 2 Now, Fox, 13 July 2021, https://fox2now.com/news/true-crime/missouri-town-keeps-bullys-murder-a-secret-for-40-years/. 

“Town Mute for 30 Years About a Bully’s Killing.” New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/us/16bully.html . Accessed 28 Apr. 2025. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address. Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck's Creature Feature! These episodes release on Saturdays and look at folklore and cryptids from around the world! The same academic style is applied to these episodes, but they look at history and eyewitness reports before describing the creature of the week! A lot of the time, theories are a bit more scarce than the main episodes, but the content is still just as interesting.

This week we're looking at Wyverns. These symbols of heroism and power were once symbols of war, famine, and disease. They're cousins to the dragon in some folklore, but in others it's a little less clear what they are. Time has changed the idea of these creatures. What is a Wyvern exactly? What do dragons have to do with it? Why is it so confusing? Listen in to find out!

Links to other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod

References:-

“Folklore Fact – Wyverns – Maegan A. Stebbins – Maverick-Werewolf’s Den.” Maegan A. Stebbins – Maverick-Werewolf’s Den – Werewolves, Folklore, Character-Driven Fiction, and More, https://maverickwerewolf.com/folklore-facts/folklore-fact-wyverns/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025. 

“Wyvern - Legendary Creature with Dragon Power | Mythology.Net.” Mythology.Net, 22 Dec. 2016, https://mythology.net/mythical-creatures/wyvern/. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address.

Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

All the sounds from this episode were mixed by Glen, using Soundtrap. Enjoy them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck season 4! This podcast explores unexplained phenomena using stories gathered from various sources, then applies an academic research method to find theories and solutions for each one. So far, we've been unsuccessful in finding any concrete answers, but a few of the stories we've covered have been solved. Today, we're looking at the Cagots. First appearing in French documents around 1000 CE, these people were discriminated against for almost 1000 years. The problem is that nobody knows why, or even how they were different from any other French person. There were multiple opportunities to stop the persecution, but each time almost caused an uprising in rural communities. They were even referenced in the early 20th Century. Who were the Cagots? What made them different to the French? What reasons were given for the discrimination? Listen in to find out!

Links for other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod 

References for the episode:

Elsewhere, Finding Home. “Hidden Histories of France: The Cagots.” Finding Home Elsewhere | Substack, Finding Home Elsewhere, 18 Dec. 2024, https://keithchristiansen.substack.com/p/hidden-histories-of-france-the-cagots. 

Scheutz, Staffan. “La Piccioletta Barca | Beyond Thought - the Cagots of France - by Staffan Scheutz.” La Piccioletta Barca - Homepage, https://www.picciolettabarca.com/posts/beyond-thought-the-cagots-of-france. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025. 

Vanessa. “French History Mysteries #1: Les Cagots.” Life on La Lune, 29 Jan. 2025, https://lifeonlalune.com/2025/01/29/french-history-mysteries-1-les-cagots/. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address. Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck's Creature Feature! These episodes release on Saturdays and look at folklore and cryptids from around the world! The same academic style is applied to these episodes, but they look at history and eyewitness reports before describing the creature of the week! A lot of the time, theories are a bit more scarce than the main episodes, but the content is still just as interesting.

This week we're looking at the Tatzelwurm. First appearing in the 17th Century, these creatures are a menace. They exist in the Alps, especially areas in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This episode even has a photograph! What his the Tatzelwurm? What special powers do they have? Who took the photograph? Listen in to find out!

Links to other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod

References:-

Luke. “The Cat-Wyrm Tatzelwurm - by A.C. Luke - Mythoi.” Mythoi | A.C. Luke | Substack, Mythoi, 15 Sept. 2022, https://mythoi.substack.com/p/the-cat-wyrm-tatzelwurm. 

Pfeifle, Tess. “Tatzelwurm — Astonishing Legends.” Astonishing Legends, Astonishing Legends, 24 Sept. 2018, https://astonishinglegends.com/astonishing-legends/2018/9/24/tatzelwurm. 

Sharma, Vedant. “The Myth of the Tatzelwurm by Vedant Sharma on Prezi.” Prezi.Com, 21 Nov. 2024, https://prezi.com/p/ftcpai2hj4ak/the-myth-of-the-tatzelwurm/. 

“Tatzelwurm - Mythical Creatures & Beasts.” Mythical Creatures & Beasts, 21 July 2024, https://mythicalcreaturesandbeasts.com/tatzelwurm/. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address.

Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

All the sounds from this episode were mixed by Glen, using Soundtrap. Enjoy them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck season 4! This podcast explores unexplained phenomena using stories gathered from various sources, then applies an academic research method to find theories and solutions for each one. So far, we've been unsuccessful in finding any concrete answers, but a few of the stories we've covered have been solved. Today, we're looking at Feral Children. This episode is a bit different to usual, because the mystery isn't about how or why they exist. Instead, it's about how they affect the things we already think about human development. Multiple cases are looked over, and several of them speak of the abuse and neglect of children, so there is a warning in effect here. Join me as I talk about these cases and then look at the debates and hypotheses surrounding feral children and their place in our knowledge of child development.

Links for other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod 

References for the episode:

“Feral Children.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/feral-children. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025. 

“Feral Children | Definition, Problems & Documented Cases.” Study, https://study.com/academy/lesson/feral-children-definition-stories-cases.html#:~:text=the%20mentally%20disabled.-,Lesson%20Summary,a%20result%20of%20their%20isolation. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025. 

Fullerton-Batten, Julia. “Feral Children.” PhMuseum, 2015, https://phmuseum.com/projects/feral-children. 

Margaritoff, Marco. “9 Tragic Cases Of Feral Children Who Were Found In The Wild.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, 17 Dec. 2021, https://allthatsinteresting.com/feral-children. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address. Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck's Creature Feature! These episodes release on Saturdays and look at folklore and cryptids from around the world! The same academic style is applied to these episodes, but they look at history and eyewitness reports before describing the creature of the week! A lot of the time, theories are a bit more scarce than the main episodes, but the content is still just as interesting.

This week we're looking at Black Stick Men. Another short Creature Feature episode, due to the way I set up my seasons. Black Stick Men are a relatively new cryptid, but none of the eyewitness accounts are dated properly. The general idea is that they appeared in 2008, but we can't be sure about that. As it stands, there isn't a huge amount of information about this creature. What have people seen? Is there anything they do? Are they just shadow people? Listen in to find out!

Links to other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod

References:-

Carter, Jake. “Unsolved Mystery: Real Encounters With Stickmen.” Anomalien.Com, 16 Nov. 2019, https://anomalien.com/unsolved-mystery-real-encounters-with-stickmen/. 

Contributors to Villains Wiki. “Black Stick Men | Villains Wiki | Fandom.” Villains Wiki, Fandom, Inc., https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Stick_Men. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025. 

“Mysterious Encounters with Black Stick Men.” Fact Republic, https://factrepublic.com/facts/49677/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address.

Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

All the sounds from this episode were mixed by Glen, using Soundtrap. Enjoy them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck season 4! This podcast explores unexplained phenomena using stories gathered from various sources, then applies an academic research method to find theories and solutions for each one. So far, we've been unsuccessful in finding any concrete answers, but a few of the stories we've covered have been solved. Today, we're looking at Havana Syndrome. As early as 2016 officially, maybe even 2007, US officials have been affected with a debilitating illness. This illness starts with a piercing sound in their heads, but the symptoms progress and can be life changing. The healthcare for this isn't great, leaving many with symptoms and no care. Even the theories are at opposite ends of the spectrum. What is Havana Syndrome? Why is it named that? What causes it? Listen in to find out!

Links for other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod 

References for the episode:

Cursino, Malu. “‘Very Unlikely’ Foreign Actor Linked to Havana Syndrome, US Intelligence Says - BBC News.” BBC News, BBC News, 10 Jan. 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y6dqz017qo. 

FitzGerald, James. “Havana Syndrome: Report Links Mystery Illness to Russian Intelligence Unit - BBC News.” BBC News, BBC News, 1 Apr. 2024, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68706317. 

Mello-Klein, Cody. “What Is the Real Cause of Havana Syndrome?” Northeastern Global News, 13 June 2023, https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/06/13/havana-syndrome-cause-historys-greatest-mysteries/. 

Office, Government Accountability. “Havana Syndrome—Americans Affected by Mysterious Symptoms May Struggle to Get Care | U.S. GAO.” U.S. Government Accountability Office (U.S. GAO), https://www.gao.gov/blog/havana-syndrome-americans-affected-mysterious-symptoms-may-struggle-get-care. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025. 

Osborne, Samuel. “What Is Havana Syndrome? New US Report Says ‘foreign Adversary’ Could Be behind Mystery Illness | US News | Sky News.” Sky News, Sky, 6 Dec. 2024, https://news.sky.com/story/what-is-havana-syndrome-new-us-report-says-foreign-adversary-could-be-behind-mystery-illness-13268061. 

Regenstein, Lewis. “Havana Syndrome: The History Behind the Mystery.” Foreign Policy Research Institute, 1 Apr. 2024, https://www.fpri.org/article/2024/04/havana-syndrome-the-history-behind-the-mystery/. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address. Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck's Creature Feature! These episodes release on Saturdays and look at folklore and cryptids from around the world! The same academic style is applied to these episodes, but they look at history and eyewitness reports before describing the creature of the week! A lot of the time, theories are a bit more scarce than the main episodes, but the content is still just as interesting.

This week we're looking at the Missouri Momo. Appearing during the Summer of 1972, it plagued the town of Louisiana, Missouri. After being spotted by 3 children, the town kept hearing strange noises and smelling foul odours. Over the course of 3 or 4 weeks, the mysterious creature whipped the town into a frenzy. One man and his friends set up explorations into Marzolf Hill to locate the creature, but found nothing. Who actually saw the creature? What did it smell like? Why is this creature such an obscure part of history? Listen in to find out!

Links to other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod

References:-

“Momo – The Missouri Monster – Legends of America.” Legends of America – Traveling through American History, Destinations & Legends since 2003., https://www.legendsofamerica.com/momo-monster/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025. 

“MOMO THE MONSTER — American Hauntings.” American Hauntings, https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/momo. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address.

Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

All the sounds from this episode were mixed by Glen, using Soundtrap. Enjoy them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to What The Heck season 4! This podcast explores unexplained phenomena using stories gathered from various sources, then applies an academic research method to find theories and solutions for each one. So far, we've been unsuccessful in finding any concrete answers, but a few of the stories we've covered have been solved. Today, we're looking at why we sleep. It's always fun to look at something we think we know. Sleep is one of those. There is a long list of things that happen while we sleep, but we don't know why we need to be asleep for those things to happen. Research is constantly being conducted to find the answers. What is a Circadian Rhythm? What actually happens when we sleep? Why would we need to be asleep for these things to happen? Listen in to find out!

Links for other ways to listen are found here: https://linktr.ee/whattheheckpod 

References for the episode:

“Circadian Rhythms.” NIGMS Home - National Institute of General Medical Sciences, https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms#:~:text=Study%20Circadian%20Rhythms-,What%20Are%20Circadian%20Rhythms%3F,and%20temperature%20also%20affect%20them. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025. 

Ghosh, Pallab. “Why Do We Sleep? - BBC News.” BBC News, BBC News, 14 May 2015, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32606341. 

“How Sleep Works - Why Is Sleep Important?” NHLBI, NIH, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important#:~:text=During%20sleep%2C%20your%20body%20is,long%2Dterm)%20health%20problems. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025. 

Nunez, Kirsten, and Karen Lamoreux. “Why Do We Sleep? What Happens During Sleep?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 20 July 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-we-sleep#why-sleep. 

You can email Glen at [email protected] with any of your spooky stories, unexplained events, mysteries that you want him to look at, or anything you'd like him to correct or address. Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the podcast and think you know others who will like it, share it with them!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.