“HISTORY’S MOST VIOLENT GHOSTS” and More Terrifying True Stories! #WeirdDarkness

25 September 2024 - 1 hour 23 mins
Podcast Series Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

Weird Darkness is narrated by professional full-time voice actor Darren Marlar. No A.I. voices are ever used in the show. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version with all artwork created for the YouTube and podcast thumbnails: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3a67n5y5

IN THIS EPISODE: Many ghost stories are frightening but leave the person encountering them shaken, but no more worse for wear. Perhaps a light touch on the shoulder, the moving of an object, a whisper in the ear, or a cold chill for the more intense cases. But then there are those hauntings that leave the person hysterical… or physically hurt… or even dead. We’ll look at some of the most violent ghosts and hauntings of...

1 hour 23 mins

Series Episodes

THE SUPER OPENER: The Can Opener Punched A Hole In The Universe | #MidnightInTheMacabre Playing

THE SUPER OPENER: The Can Opener Punched A Hole In The Universe | #MidnightInTheMacabre

The Pilton Super Opener opens a can in no time at all, and nobody at the company, least of all the man who designed it, can say where the can disappears to in the process. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/mitm-superopener SOURCES and RESOURCES: “The Super Opener” by Michael Zuroy (“Worlds of If” Science Fiction magazine from August, 1958) WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. Midnight In The Macabre (MITM), originally aired: September 14, 2026 LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL

30 mins

14 September Finished

CHRONICLES OF THE BLACK DEATH: Pus, Pee, and Plague Doctors #WDRadio Playing

CHRONICLES OF THE BLACK DEATH: Pus, Pee, and Plague Doctors #WDRadio

During the Black Death, medieval Europeans bathed in vinegar, slept on rotting straw, dumped waste in the streets — and still couldn’t figure out why everyone was dying. ========== HOUR ONE: During the bubonic plague in the early Middle-Ages, those who became sick and were even suspected of having the plague, were forced to relocate to a quarantined island – Poveglia Island. The gruesomeness that took place there still continues today, with the island being illegal to visit – and reportedly, very haunted. (Inside Black Plague Island) *** We look at some of the bathing – and lack thereof – that took place during the bubonic plague, as well as some of the beliefs they had about diet and how it might protect from contagion. Some of the ideas of what people thought could protect them from the disease are nothing short of shocking. (Living With The Black Death) ========== HOUR TWO: About 80 years after the black plague began, a different plague came upon England – a fatal one that would cause you to almost instantly perspire to death. (Death By Sweat) *** Most everyone is familiar with the plague in Europe in the early 1400s – but in the early 1900s it struck again. This time in San Francisco. If you’ve not heard that before, it could be because the U.S. government tried to cover it up. (The Plague of San Francisco) *** Of all the imagery that comes to mind when hearing the words “bubonic plague” the most prevalent is most certainly that of the doctors – and the odd, bird-like masks they would wear. Why they dressed that way is interesting – but what the doctors did while wearing those suits and in their labs as they tried to battle the illness is absolutely horrifying. (Plague Doctors) *** And it probably comes as no surprise that something so deadly and horrific as the black plague would leave behind some residual paranormal energy – and boy is there a lot of it. (A Plague of Ghosts) ========== SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: We look at some of the bathing – and lack thereof – that took place during the bubonic plague, as well as some of the beliefs they had about diet and how it might protect from contagion. Some of the ideas of what people thought could protect them from the disease are nothing short of shocking. (Living With The Black Death – CONTINUED) *** Europe just could not escape plagues of any kind – for example, the plague that made you, against your will, keep dancing until you dropped dead. (The Dance of Death) ========== SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW: “Inside Black Plague Island” by Cheryl Adams Richkoff for Graveyard Shift: https://tinyurl.com/v85y7k6 “Plague Doctors” by Melissa Sartore for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/rmap5d8 “Death By Sweat” by Melissa Sartore for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/vqpvgrz “The Dance of Death” by Melissa Satore for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/u6kdwgp “The Plague of San Francisco” by Melissa Brinks for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/sbaht69 “Living With The Black Death” by Genevieve Carlton for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/tcbo9af,https://tinyurl.com/sfkjhrg; and Kellen Perry for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/u4bxkuf “A Plague of Ghosts” by Erin Wisti for Graveyard Shift:

1 hour 46 mins

14 September Finished

The Immortal Vampire of Royal Street Playing

The Immortal Vampire of Royal Street

New Orleans high society adored the charming Jacques St. Germain, right up until they started asking why a man who claimed to be forty could describe the 1700s like he'd lived them. Now more than a century later people are still arguing over whether Jacques St. Germain was a con man, an immortal, or a true-life vampire. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/ImmortalVampire READ or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9xjvjy FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Was a New Orleans neighborhood home to an immortal vampire in the early 1900s? (Vampire in New Orleans) *** A young girl disappeared in Yosemite National Park back in 1981. To this day no one knows where she is, and some say a paranormal cause is to blame. (A Supernatural Disappearance in Yosemite) *** After Lori Erica Ruff's death, her husband discovered he had been married to a complete stranger. Because Lori Erica Ruff never existed. (The Woman Without an Identity) *** Was there a plot to murder Marconi scientists in the 1980s? (The Marconi Murders) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00.00.000 = The Foreboding 00:00:41.374 = Show Open 00:02:10.004 = The Immortal Vampire of New Orleans 00:18:58.982 = A Supernatural Disappearance In Yosemite *** 00:29:58.328 = The Woman Without An Identity 00:36:55.918 = The Marconi Murders *** 00:51:45.221 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break LISTEN ON PODCAST APPS:  Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* SOURCES and RESOURCES: “Vampire In New Orleans” by Brent Swancer: http://bit.ly/2IrlOTU “A Supernatural Disappearance in Yosemite” by Beth Elias: http://bit.ly/2v94zOB “The Woman Without an Identity” by Stephanie Webber: http://bit.ly/2UBMIyO ‘The Marconi Murders” posted at The Unredacted: http://bit.ly/2VR1PRC (Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. Originally aired: June 16, 2020 LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL This episode of Weird Darkness moves from a...

53 mins

13 September Finished

THE BEHEADING: An Actress Trusts A Surgeon To Take Her Head Off | #RetroRadio Playing

THE BEHEADING: An Actress Trusts A Surgeon To Take Her Head Off | #RetroRadio

A movie actress worn down by a lifetime of asthma puts her hand in a bald doctor's and agrees to let him remove her head, on his promise that a prettier one is on the way. Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/OTR CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Beheading” (September 20, 1978) ***WD 00:46:46.654 = CBC Nightfall, “Willoughby Obsession” (September 05, 1980) 01:14:40.820 = Nightmare, “The Leech” (April 07, 1954) 01:37:20.592 = Song, “The Leech” (based on the Nightmare episode) by Static Wax 01:40:07.933 = Obsession, “Cry Vengeance” (May 05, 1952) ***WD 02:10:24.576 = Origin of Superstition, “Two Walker” (1935) ***WD 02:23:04.029 = Pat Novak For Hire, “Rita Malloy” (April 23, 1949) 02:52:43.186 = Peril, “Squeeze Play” (1953) ***WD 03:16:26.722 = Mystery Playhouse, “Lady In Morgue” (May 15, 1945) ***WD 03:40:09.104 = Philip Morris Playhouse, “Night Has A Thousand Eyes” (August 19, 1953) ***WD 04:04:47.576 = Price of Fear, “William And Mary” (September 08, 1973) ***WD 04:32:19.384 = Quiet Please, “The Other Side Of The Stars” (May 08, 1949) 05:01:42.559 = Show Close (ADU) = Air Date Unknown (LQ) = Low Quality ***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode more listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing. CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0773

5 hours 2 mins

13 September Finished

WE MADE THEM UP, AND THEN THEY SHOWED UP: Why The Aliens Keep Changing To Match Us | #COTU Playing

WE MADE THEM UP, AND THEN THEY SHOWED UP: Why The Aliens Keep Changing To Match Us | #COTU

In 1896 the visitors pedaled airships. In 1952 they were blond and worried about the bomb. Today they're gray, from forty light-years away, and worried about the climate. Somebody keeps updating the aliens, and it might be us. Look for this podcast on YouTube Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and numerous other podcast apps. Get the full list of options here: https://pod.link/1651062114 EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources and print version): https://weirddarkness.com/cotu-wemadethemup Weird Darkness® and Church Of The Undead™ are trademarked. Copyright © 2026.

42 mins

13 September Finished

FIRST CONTACT: Two Ships Meet In The Crab Nebula, And Neither Can Go Home | #MidnightInTheMacabre Playing

FIRST CONTACT: Two Ships Meet In The Crab Nebula, And Neither Can Go Home | #MidnightInTheMacabre

Four thousand light-years from Earth, a survey ship deep inside the Crab Nebula picks up something on its locator that no human built, and within the hour both crews understand the same thing: whichever ship leaves first can be followed home, so neither one can be allowed to leave. A NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR: I’ve been on an old-time radio kick recently, listening to shows like “The Whistler”, “Dimension X”, and “Strange Tales”. One of my favorite shows is called “X-Minus One”.  It was a half-hour science fiction radio drama series that was broadcast from April 24, 1955 to January 9, 1958 in various timeslots on NBC radio. At the end of each episode they tell you where the stories they used came from before they adapted them for radio – and one of those sources was the publication “Astounding Science Fiction Magazine”. I jumped online to see if there were old copies I could look at, and I found a book – an anthology of many of the stories from that magazine. The book was published in 1954. The story was entitled “First Contact”, written by Murray Leinster in 1945. The story is credited as one of the first instances of a universal translator in science fiction. So influential is the story that it won a retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1996. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/mitm-firstcontact SOURCES and RESOURCES:  “First Contact” by Murray Leister from “Astounding S-F Anthology”: https://amzn.to/3zhbBWi WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. Midnight In The Macabre (MITM), originally aired: September 13, 2026 LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL

1 hour 21 mins

13 September Finished

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