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 Beldam. Appearing in at least 2 different folklores, this one is a bit odd. In 1819, a poem about the Belle Dame, a beautiful woman, appeared. It spoke of a woman who enchants a knight to steal his desire. Earlier than that, in Romanian folklore, an old hag lived in the forest to protect it. What is the difference between these two women? How is this episode an odd one? Why did she appear in a 2009 movie? What real life woman is involved? Listen in to find out!

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

References:-

Contributors to Coraline Wiki. “The Beldam (Other Mother) | Coraline Wiki | Fandom.” Coraline Wiki, Fandom, Inc., https://coraline.fandom.com/wiki/The_Beldam_(Other_Mother)#:~:text=The%20Beldam%20(also%20known%20as,movie%20of%20the%20same%20name. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025. 

“Eunice ‘Goody’ Cole.” Hampton Historical Society, https://www.hamptonhistoricalsociety.org/gcole.htm. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025. 

Evans, Erin. “‘Coraline’ Manifests a Fear of Solitude and Simulations.” The Michigan Daily, 31 Oct. 2022, https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/coralines-other-mother-holds-isolation-in-those-spidery-fingers/. 

“The Legend of Goody Cole – Historic Ipswich.” Historic Ipswich , 15 Apr. 2021, https://historicipswich.net/2021/04/15/goody-cole/. 

Vaux, Robert. “What Is Coraline’s Other Mother?” CBR, CBR, 10 Oct. 2021, https://www.cbr.com/coraline-other-mother-explained/. 

“What’s a Beldame? — Camille DeAngelis.” Camille DeAngelis, Camille DeAngelis, 27 May 2010, https://www.cometparty.com/blog/2010/05/whats-beldame. 

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 Dancing Forest. Found in Russia, it was a forest that had been planted to protect a bay from the wind that had been destroying it. There is something odd about the trees though- They don't grow straight up like regular trees. It's also not the only one in Europe. Some people say that it's not science, but magic that causes the strange trees. What are these trees like? Where else do they occur? What could have caused the strange shapes? Listen in to find out!

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

References for the episode:

“Dancing Forest of Russia - Atlas Obscura.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 27 Apr. 2017, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dancing-forest. 

“The Mystery of the Dancing Forest: Exploring Unusual Natural Wonders in Russia and Poland | Earth.” Earth, https://vocal.media/earth/the-mystery-of-the-dancing-forest-exploring-unusual-natural-wonders-in-russia-and-poland. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025. 

“This Bizarre ‘Dancing’ Forest Continues to Baffle Experts .” Gateway to Russia, 7 May 2022, https://www.gw2ru.com/travel/1365-bizarre-dancing-forest-photos. 

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 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 ghosts that can appear in photographs. We're going through the history of photography beforehand too. The first ghost photographs appeared in the 1860s. Since then, they've appeared over and over again. Even in the modern day, we still capture ghosts in photographs. Why are the ghosts appearing in photos? How has that changed? Who have we seen before and why is he investigating this? Listen in to find out!

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

References for the episode:

Contributors to Wikimedia projects. “Spirit Photography - Wikipedia.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 23 Feb. 2006, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_photography. 

“Spirit Photography and the Occult: Making the Invisible Visible.” Science and Media Museum, 10 Feb. 2022, https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/spirit-photography-occult-images. 

Tange, Andrea Kaston. “Victorian Ghost Photographs Amused Viewers with Spooky Thrills.” The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024, https://theconversation.com/victorian-ghost-photographs-amused-viewers-with-spooky-thrills-240776. 

“The History of Photography | LUMAS Photo Art.” LUMAS, https://uk.lumas.com/history-photography/?srsltid=AfmBOor9NsLvYAi5ZyUolEHppNem7dYC85-Yo4ExzeZI9qLaiBwKcl3U. Accessed 26 Feb. 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 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, in the last episode before a mid-season break, we're looking at the Watcher House. In 2014, the Broaddus family purchased 657 Boulevard. Soon afterwards, they began to receive mysterious letters from a person calling themselves 'The Watcher'. Police were informed and honed in on a specific man. Doing this, they missed evidence and the case went cold with no suspects formally charged. What did the letters from The Watcher say? Why did the police focus on one man? Who else could have been a suspect? Listen in to find out!

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

References for the episode:

Kim, Allen. “‘The Watcher’ House Sold Years after Family Was Terrorized with Creepy Letters | CNN.” CNN, CNN, 12 Aug. 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/12/us/the-watcher-house-stalker-trnd/index.html. 

Lealos, Shawn S., et al. “The Watcher True Story: What Really Happened At 657 Boulevard.” ScreenRant, Screen Rant, 19 Oct. 2022, https://screenrant.com/watcher-netflix-true-story-657-boulevard-changes/. 

Walsh, Savannah. “The Watcher’s Real-Life Unsolved Mystery, Explained | British GQ.” British GQ, British GQ, 17 Oct. 2022, https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/the-watcher-netflix-real-life-mystery-explained. 

Wiedeman, Reeves. “The Watcher: The True Story of the Haunting of 657 Boulevard.” The Cut, The Cut, 13 Nov. 2018, https://www.thecut.com/article/the-haunting-of-657-boulevard-in-westfield-new-jersey.html. 

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 Gef the Mongoose. Gef lived in a farmhouse on the Isle of Man. Way back in 1931, he began to terrorise, and eventually became friends with, the people who lived in the house. Eventually the press got wind of it, followed by spiritualists, and they all came to the house to meet a talking mongoose. Gef refused to talk to all of them. Where was Gef from? Who visited him? How did he cause a court case? Listen in to find out!

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

References:-

Blakemore, Erin. “The Strange Story of Gef, the Isle of Man’s Talking Mongoose.” History, 19 Sept. 2023, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/gef-talking-mongoose-isle-of-man. 

Tucker, Steven. “The Bizarre, True Story of Gef the Talking Mongoose - Atlas Obscura.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 31 Aug. 2023, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gef-the-talking-mongoose-true-story-nandor-fodor.   

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 Skid Row Stabber. In the 1970s, a killer was on the loose. They stabbed 13 men, killing 11 of them in the area of Los Angeles known as Skid Row. LAPD focused on a single suspect, imprisoning him. The verdict was overturned 40 years later. Who were the victims of the Skid Row Stabber? Why did the LAPD focus on one man? Why was the conviction overturned? Listen in to find out!

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

References for the episode:

“9th Victim of Skid Row Stabber.” Washington Post, 18 Nov. 1978, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/national/1978/11/19/9th-victim-of-skid-row-stabber/6e62066f-4c46-496c-b835-3fee3960b52e/. 

Contributors to Serial Killer Database Wiki. “Skid Row Stabber | Serial Killer Database Wiki | Fandom.” Serial Killer Database Wiki, Fandom, Inc., https://skdb.fandom.com/wiki/Skid_Row_Stabber. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025. 

Miller, Jax. “Bobby Joe Maxwell Wrongfully Convicted As Skid Row Stabber | Crime News.” Oxygen Official Site, Oxygen, 24 Nov. 2021, https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/bobby-joe-maxwell-wrongfully-convicted-as-skid-row-stabber. 

“Skid Row Stabber Takes 10th Victim.” Washington Post, 23 Nov. 1978, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/national/1978/11/24/skid-row-stabber-takes-10th-victim/6f79a4e2-e9e4-415a-88ac-c9cf6224a6e7/. 

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 Barghest. Way back in Creature Feature 3, I covered Black Shuck. This creature wasn't the only one of its kind, if we look at northern English folklore. They appear all over the place, and are seen as an omen of death. What is a Barghest? Why are they so feared? How can we escape them? Listen in to find out!

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

References:-

Contributors to Myth and Folklore Wiki. “Barghest | Myth and Folklore Wiki | Fandom.” Myth and Folklore Wiki, Fandom, Inc., https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Barghest#:~:text=History,rabbit%2C%20cat%20or%20other%20animals. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025. 

Evan. “A Not So Familiar Tail: The Barghest | by Evan O. | Medium.” Medium, Medium, 1 Oct. 2023, https://medium.com/@ejo5225/a-not-so-familiar-tail-the-barghest-289638df9300. 

Ibrahim, Nur. “What Is the Legend of the Barghest? | Snopes.Com.” Snopes, Snopes.com, 11 Dec. 2021, https://www.snopes.com/articles/384007/legend-of-the-barghest/. 

Vuuren, Ronel Janse. “Barguest: The Spectral Dog #folklore - Ronel the Mythmaker.” Ronel the Mythmaker, 4 Nov. 2022, https://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/barguest-the-spectral-dog-folklore/. 

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 mysterious death of Netta Fornario. Her body was discovered in 1929 after a search that took place overnight. In the days leading up to her disappearance, she had been acting erratically on the island of Iona.She had been there for only a few months. Who was Netta Fornario? What was she doing on Iona? Is this the episode where we discover that magic is real? Does it even make sense? Listen in to find out!

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

References for the episode:

Melville, Elizabeth. “The Strange Death of Netta Fornario | by Elizabeth Melville | Medium.” Medium, Medium, 20 Feb. 2020, https://medium.com/@anncarney51/the-strange-death-of-netta-fornario-b4d6817d7e6f. 

“Netta Fornario: Iona’s Occult Mystery – Mysterious Britain & Ireland.” Mysterious Britain & Ireland – A Gazetteer of Folklore, Myths & Legends and the Paranormal, 6 Aug. 2008, https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/occult/netta-fornario-ionas-occult-mystery/. 

“The Mysterious Death of Netta Fornario - Coast That Shaped the World.” Coast That Shaped the World, https://coast.scot/stories/the-mysterious-death-of-netta-fornario/. Accessed 9 Jan. 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 the Hat Man. Waking up in the middle of the night to the feeling of being watched is always terrifying. But what if you can't move? Who's that guy looming over the bed? It's the Hat Man, a terrifying sleep paralysis entity, coming to keep you company. Who is the Hat Man? Why does he appear? What does he do while he's there? Listen in to find out!

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

References:-

Anderson, Kristen. “The Hat Man: What’s This Shadow Person Got Under His Cap?” Medium, 20 July 2019, https://chillinkristen.medium.com/the-hat-man-whats-this-shadow-person-got-under-his-cap-863c0a12f95c. 

Team HAK. “The Hat Man Is a Shadow Person Who Will Keep You up at Night  — Hunt A Killer.” Hunt A Killer, Hunt A Killer, 20 Dec. 2020, https://members.huntakiller.com/blog-articles/2020/12/20/the-hat-man-is-a-shadow-person-who-will-keep-you-up-at-night. 

“The Hat Man | Here Lies a Story.” Here Lies a Story | West Coast Gothic, 24 Feb. 2023, https://hereliesastory.com/the-hat-man/. 

The Week Staff. “What Is the Hat Man? ‘Shadow People’ and Sleep Paralysis | The Week.” Theweek, The Week, 31 Oct. 2018, https://theweek.com/97457/who-is-the-hat-man-the-nightmare-shared-by-dreamers-across-the-world. 

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 listening for echoes in radio transmissions. Sometimes, when sending messages out over the radio, we hear ourselves repeated back after a couple of seconds. Nobody quite knows why this happens. People have conducted studies into it, and there are hypotheses. In a very scientific episode that fried my brain, we look at how it might work. What are the echoes called? What are the leading hypotheses? Are aliens involved somehow? Does it even make sense? Listen in to find out!

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

References for the episode:

Goodacre, A. “An Unusual Long Delay Echo.” Nature, 13 Sept. 1990. https://www.nature.com/articles/347131a0.pdf 

“Long Delayed Echoes.” RadCom, 31 Aug. 2007. https://rsgb.org/main/files/2021/03/Long_Delay_Echoes_radcom_oct07.pdf 

“Long Delayed Radio Echoes.” Nature, 27 July 1929, https://www.nature.com/articles/124164a0. 

“The Five Most Likely Explanations for Long Delayed Echoes.” University of Oslo, https://www.mn.uio.no/fysikk/english/people/aca/sverre/articles/lde.html. Accessed 7 Jan. 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.