Into Horror History
The Great King Boo Conspiracy
Tracking the mysterious identity of one of the most famous ghosts in the world.
Continue reading →Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
A classic video game where the undead defy gravity and family feuds reach epic proportions.
Continue reading →Abbey of Thelema in Sicily, Italy
The ruins of a villa in Sicily that some believe once housed a Satanic order.
Continue reading →The Posthumous Execution of Oliver Cromwell
A man so hated that his corpse was executed.
Continue reading →The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
The first of many stories published by a now famous, versatile Irish author.
Continue reading →Restless Spirits of Bachorza Manor in Poland
An old, crumbling manor house in Poland with a restless spirit.
Continue reading →Haunting of Ackergill Tower in Scotland
The story of a castle in Scotland and the ghost that haunts it.
Continue reading →Templo Mayor, Human Sacrifice, and Cihuateteo of Mexico City
Aztec vampires. Need I say more?
Continue reading →Zombie Road in Wildwood, Missouri
Strange occurrences and spectral figures on a short road in Missouri.
Continue reading →Rodney Alcala, aka The Dating Game Killer
An American serial killer who made an appearance on a game show amidst his murder spree.
Continue reading →The Butterfly Murders (1979)
A director's debut film that helped kick off Hong Kong's New Wave movement.
Continue reading →Green Clawed Beast of the Ohio River
The story of a woman pulled underwater by a strange beast on one hot summer day.
Continue reading →Ghosts of Charleville Castle in Ireland
A Gothic-style castle in Ireland with a few incorporeal residents.
Continue reading →The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein
A science fiction novel from 1951 with themes still relevant today.
Continue reading →Legend of the Killer in the Backseat
An urban legend over fifty years old may have real roots.
Continue reading →The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
A film from over a century ago and the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema.
Continue reading →Haunting of Manchac Swamp in Louisiana
A legendary voodoo priestess predicted a Louisiana town's destruction.
Continue reading →Restless Spirits of St. Michan's Church in Dublin, Ireland
Desecrated mummies in Ireland make for restless spirits.
Continue reading →The Spooky Bunch (1980)
What do you get when you combine horror, ghosts, comedy, and Cantonese Opera?
Continue reading →El Coco, El Cucuy: The Child Eater
"Sleep child, sleep or else...Coco will come and eat you." — Auto de los desposorios de la Virgen by Juan Caxés. 17th Century.
Continue reading →Leannán Sídhe of Irish Folklore
An alluring figure from Irish folklore that can bring you a wonderful life for a price.
Continue reading →La Llorona of Mexico City
Stories of a spirit from Mexico City, dating back to at least the 1500s.
Continue reading →Old Book Ghost of Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville, Illinois
A gravedigger still lingers a century after his death.
Continue reading →Coffin Joe of Brazil
What is now known as Brazil's National Boogeyman brought the very first ever Brazilian-produced horror film to the world.
Continue reading →Bogeyman: Myth or More?
A creature parents tell their children about all around the world. Is it a myth? Or is there something more?
Continue reading →Son of Frankenstein (1939)
A horror movie icon's final performance as a Universal Classic Monster.
Continue reading →Morgawr of Cornwall, England
A sea serpent off the coast of England, spotted by soldiers during World War I.
Continue reading →Hauntings of the Forbidden City in Beijing
Strange happenings in a city centuries old.
Continue reading →Krampus of Alpine Folklore
Everyone's favorite wintertime horned, anthropomorphic pre-Christian pagan kidnapper. What can be said about Krampus that hasn't already been said?
Continue reading →Ghosts of Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay, New York
A museum in New York with recorded ghost sightings from over one hundred years ago.
Continue reading →Ghost of Dreamworld Theme Park in Australia
An amusement park in Australia with the restless ghost of a little girl.
Continue reading →Seven Gates of Hell in Hellam Township, Pennsylvania
One gate is visible in the day, six more at night, and passing all seven takes you straight to Hell.
Continue reading →Prime Hook Swamp Creature of Delaware
A strange creature lurks in the swamps of a wildlife refuge in Delaware.
Continue reading →Haunted Pillar on Broad Street in Augusta, Georgia
Local legends are fascinating. Most of them can't really be traced back to any particular origin, and precisely how or why locals know about them is a bit of a mystery.
Continue reading →Owlman of Mawnan, Cornwall
Many legends of cryptids don't have a clear origin, a story that can easily be traced back to the first sighting. For these creatures, the line between cryptid (an as-of-yet undocumented natural animal) and supernatural is sometimes blurry, as is true with cases such as The Qalupalik of Inuit Folklore or El Peuchen of Mapuche Mythology. In some ways, the controversy surrounding sightings of strange things can make them even more intriguing to explore because there is little in the way of proof for or against their existence. At the core of these legends or folklore is a story, often a tangled combination of truth and fiction, genuine experience and exaggeration.
Continue reading →Ghosts of Ogrodzieniec Castle in Poland
A ghostly black dog isn't the only thing prowling castle ruins in Poland.
Continue reading →Hodag of American Folklore
A creature born from the ashes of cremated oxen, out for revenge.
Continue reading →The Isdal Woman of Norway
A strange mystery from Norway that remains unsolved over fifty years later.
Continue reading →Santa Compaña of the Iberian Peninsula
A procession of the dead just waiting to curse you.
Continue reading →Mirrors: Superstition, Mythology, Psychology, & Sanity
There's more behind the mirror than you may think.
Continue reading →Brown Lady of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England
One of the most famous hauntings in the United Kingdom.
Continue reading →The True Story of Arnold Paole, Vampire of Meduegna, Serbia
One of the few vampires documented in official government records.
Continue reading →La Patasola of South American Folklore
Another trip to South America, deep in the jungle, where the last thing you want to do is follow a beautiful and mysterious woman away from your traveling companions.
Continue reading →El Peuchen of Mapuche Mythology
A terrifying flying feathered serpent from South America.
Continue reading →Princess Theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
A theatre haunted by the ghost of opera singer Frederick Federici.
Continue reading →Monte Cristo Homestead in Junee, New South Wales, Australia
Australia's most haunted house.
Continue reading →El Silbón of Los Llanos in South America
If you hear his whistle, it may be too late.
Continue reading →Soucouyant of Caribbean Folklore
A shapeshifting jumbie that strips off her own skin to go hunting.
Continue reading →The Witch's Grave of Oak Hill Cemetery in Galena, Kansas
One quick stop in a small town might be your last.
Continue reading →Resurrection Mary
A spooky story from Chicago that may seem like an urban legend—until you dig deeper.
Continue reading →Ann Radcliffe, Pioneer of Gothic Fiction
A woman who created her own movement in Gothic that still continues today.
Continue reading →Nale Ba of Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
A local legend from Karnataka, India, that you don't want to encounter in the dark—or at all.
Continue reading →Kuchisake-onna, the Slit-Mouthed Woman of Japanese Folklore
A woman you'll wish to never, ever encounter.
Continue reading →The Ridgeway Ghost of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's most famous ghost, and one of the only ghosts to have ever killed the living.
Continue reading →The Vrykolakas of Greek Folklore
Vrykolakas—the modern Greek undead that wants to eat your liver. Read more to find out how to protect yourself and learn about how to pronounce the word while you're at it.
Continue reading →The Invention of PG-13
The movies full of gore and violence used to be just fine for kids of all ages!
Continue reading →Antron Singleton, aka Big Lurch
This is an interesting true crime case. I didn't know where I'd end up on it when I began researching, but I uncovered some strange things. Perhaps you've heard of Big Lurch, the rapper cannibal who murdered and ate his girlfriend. If you've previously seen a headline similar to what I just wrote, then let's set the record straight right now. Yes, Big Lurch is a rapper. No, the victim wasn't his girlfriend. Murder and cannibalism? It's not as clear as it first appears.
Continue reading →Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood
For every story out there, for every monster, there are tropes. It happens with them all, but somewhere, there's a beginning. A place where the tropes start, a story where we can point our finger and say, "that right there is where vampires first got their fangs!" That's Varney the Vampire. The origin of fictional vampires with fangs. And that's not all.
Continue reading →Milicent Patrick & Her Enduring Design of the Creature from the Black Lagoon
Did you know that a woman named Milicent Patrick designed "the Creature"—also known as Gill-man—the monster in the 1954 film The Creature from the Black Lagoon?
Continue reading →Zdzisław Beksiński
Zdzisław Beksiński. Have you ever heard of him? Even if you have, you're in for a visual treat.
Continue reading →Keillers Park Murder
There are a lot of criminal cases from around the world that barely (or never) make English-language news. I'm about to walk you through one of those that was pretty famous in Sweden, but you're unlikely to have heard of it unless you follow Swedish crime, black metal (particularly second wave), or Satanic news.
Continue reading →Tracking Tahoe Tessie Down
Oh, beautiful Lake Tahoe. Just look at that blue sky, freshwater, green forest, and monstrous snake creature.
Continue reading →Tamám Shud Case: The Mystery of the Somerton Man
I first learned about the Tamám Shud Case, aka The Mystery of the Somerton Man, years ago. I researched it and found it to be a confusing mess. There has been so much that's happened, and there are so many theories on it. Occasionally, I revisit it and discover new developments. The following is my own high-level case briefing.
Continue reading →The Oklahoma Octopus
Naturally, 'octopus' is always the first thing everyone thinks of when the state of Oklahoma comes up. The two are inseparable, like a sucker on a fish tank. But, of all the octopuses* in Oklahoma that we could focus on, which one should we pick? The Oklahoma Octopus™ I'm talking THE Oklahoma Octopus. Not all those other lesser-known ones that cover the state. I'm sure you know to which one I'm referring. The one that's the size of a horse, reddish-brown leathery skin. The one that walks between lakes, stalking teenagers and pulling them down to watery deaths where they become a crunchy, juicy in the middle, cephalopod snack.
Continue reading →Lydia's Ghost at Red Onion Saloon
Nearly every building in Skagway, Alaska has a story to tell and clear links to the Klondike Gold Rush past. One building, in particular, the Red Onion Saloon, has an odd history, and visitors claim a resident ghost. It opened for business in 1898 as a dance hall, saloon, and bordello at the height of the gold rush.
Continue reading →Benjamin Franklin's Basement
Benjamin Franklin—scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, publisher, and philosopher. You may know him as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States or as a drafter/signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, or perhaps the first United States postmaster general. Or maybe his experiments with electricity, inventing bifocals, becoming an early abolitionist and the first president of the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage. You may know his face from the $100 bill or have heard his name on warships, towns, counties, corporations, or colleges. If you grew up in the US, you probably heard stories of him flying a kite in a storm to invent electricity. Yes, he was known for a lot of things. But, did you know about the bones in his basement?
Continue reading →Gilles de Rais
Gilles de Rais was a lord in 1400s France and best known for the horrific torture and murder of more than 600 young boys and girls (mostly boys.) Or maybe 200. No? 100? Oh, the number of victims is unknown. Okay, let's start again, then...
Continue reading →The Jiajing Emperor
Did you know that there are at least 21 ways to tie shoelaces? For neckties, there are anywhere between 85 and 177,147 methods. The oldest knot on record dates to about 13,000 BC. Of all the knots you've ever tied in your life—have you ever tied one that won't tighten? I have. It's kind of a pain, too, when it happens. You think you've got it right, go to draw it tight, and are met with a mess that takes a while to untangle so you can try again. In 1542, one of those stuck knots resulted in 17 executions by slow slicing, 10 beheadings, and 20 enslavements. There's a lot to unravel here, so let's jump right into it.
Continue reading →Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
You know, the problem with having niche interests is that most people excuse themselves out of a conversation with me as soon I start rambling about things like prototypical lesbian¹ vampires as literary devices in Victorian-era fiction. It's not that uncommon of a conversation topic, right? I suppose you just have to be around the right people, though. Good thing I've got you. For many people, vampires only sprung into existence in fiction when Bram Stoker wrote Dracula in 1897. They know about, but have never seen, the 1922 film Nosferatu and look confused when I mention Carmilla.
Continue reading →Tomoka's Carnivorous Pink Cloud
The 1950s sure did see all kinds of craziness. The Cold War raged, fear of nuclear weapons invaded every home and school, constant UFO sightings put people on edge, and World War II still weighed heavily on humanity. The '50s brought fresh ideas into comics, movies, and magazines—mostly touching on the cultural fears without calling them out directly. Elvis packed venues, Hitchcock films hit theaters at least once a year, and what would later become classic literature flew off the shelves—an exciting time for everyone. With all that going on in the world, what was happening down around Florida?
Continue reading →Incident in a Ghostland
I don't do movie reviews, but I will be writing about horror movies. The film industry is a massive part of horror, and they've pushed the genre forward in many respects. It's so hard to say anything about this film without spoiling it. Here's my own spoiler-free description: Two daughters and their mother inherit an old, dusty, secluded home. Then, they meet a witch and an ogre. What follows is a journey deep into the psyche of one of the daughters as she struggles for her own life and sanity.
Continue reading →The Qalupalik of Inuit Folklore
There are many intriguing stories from history, especially the farther back you go. In fact, my own family's Native American Tribe, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and the larger Muscogee Nation they split off from long ago have all sorts of terrifying legends. The Inuit people are no exception to this type of thing, and they have their own stories of grotesque creatures to tell their children about. Fun!
Continue reading →Anne Rice—Author, Visionary, Immortal. May You Rest in Peace.
Back when I was in 5th grade, I found a book in my house, and to this day, I'm still not sure where it came from. Up to that point, it was the single fattest book my 10-year-old self had ever seen. I thought some of Tolkien's books were long, but I never could have imagined that so many pages would fit inside anything other than a dictionary.
Continue reading →Michael McDowell's Blackwater Series
How often do you pay attention to the screenwriters behind your favorite films? For most, the answer would be, "never." It's normal, though, to focus on the end product, an audiovisual work of art. Often, creators disappear into the shadow of their work. In a way, it's a good thing because their work takes on a life of its own. In another way, though, it's terrible for creators because people end up not knowing who was responsible and never encounter other works they may love.
Continue reading →