I first laid eyes on the man known as Tarrare in a Parisian side street in 1789. “Monsieur,” he said, “care to see me eat this rat?” I did not wish to see such a thing, but before I could utter my resistance, this bizarre man – with sagging jowls that betrayed his youth –…
Category: Cryptids and Folklore
Lets burrow deep into the muddy tunnels of legend and discover manner of weird and wonderful beasties, both corporeal and incorporeal. From the Fae Folk of old to the famous friends we all know and love.
Elizabeth Báthory, The Blood Countess: Crimes or Conspiracy?
Elizabeth Báthory. Her name alone conjures images of great stone castles and fangs pressed against the necks of virgins – whose emotions are expressed solely with the rise and fall of their bosom, of course. The countess is considered the female counterpart of Dracula himself, but just how much of her gruesome legend is true?…
Black Eyed Kids: An Internet Legend
Whether it’s innocent babbling about the “parents they had before” or the particularly macabre games they made you play in boarding school that sees you being accidentally waterboarded, kids are creepy. With no perception of consequence, context or the permanence of death, it’s no surprise their make-believe games leave you worried your sharing your…
The Haunted Hexham Heads
I first came across the story of the Hexham Heads some years ago, which resulted in my own strange experience one dark and stormy night, but we’ll get to that. For now, we’ll travel to Northumberland, where a chance find leads to one of the most obscure tales in modern British folklore. The Discovery of…
Around The World In Eighty Ghosts: Part Three
The end is in sight so let’s buckle up and continue our whistle-stop tour of the weird world we live in. Read Part’s One and Two 41. Highland Towers – Selangor, Malaysia On December 11th 1993, a 12 storey tower block in Selangor, Malaysia collapsed, resulting in the death of 48 people. As is often…
Around The World In 80 Ghosts: Part Two
We’ve already covered a quarter of our global ghost hunt, but we can’t stop now! Here’s 20 more of the most gruesome spectres and spirits around the world. Find part one here! 21. Emily’s Bridge – Vermont, USA This unassuming covered bridge in Stowe, Vermont, was once the setting of a romantic tragedy, so the…
Around The World In 80 Ghosts: Part One
Given the current state of the global pandemic, worldwide travel is still a distant memory for most us. So, thought I, why don’t we take a moment to appreciate the wonderful world of weird via the relative safety of the internet, and explore some of the ghastliest global ghouls we can find! So before I…
The Highgate Vampire: Desecration & Duels
A Modern Day Vampire Hysteria There was a lot going on in 1970’s London – disco was about to take over the world, and fashion was about to become a whole lot more psychedelic, all while learning to live with the fear of nuclear annihilation. It’s a lively backdrop to what would become one of…
The Nightmare: A Original Christmas Ghost Story
It is a long tradition of mine to settle around the fireplace and share a Christmas ghost story or two, and now we know each other in familiar terms, I feel it’s time to share one of my own with you, dear friend. So, if I may invite you to take a seat aside my…
Holly And Horns: The Origin Of Krampus, The Christmas Boogyman
Happy December, dear readers! As Yuletide fast approaches and the nights settle in, I hope you’re ready to spread some Christmas fear as we take a peek into the darker side of winter celebrations. So what better way to begin than with the man who puts the “creep” in Christmas, The Christmas Devil himself: dear,…
The Hawthorn Files 