Bone and Sickle

Hex Murders and Madness in Old Pennsylvania

June 29, 2021 boneandsickle America, black magic, crime, criminals, EPISODE, folk magic, folklore, Germanic, Hex, homicide, horror, local legends, madness, murder, Pennsylvania, Pow-Wow, superstition, True Crime, United States, witchcraft, witches

Cases of madness and even murder were associated with Hexerei, a form of witchcraft brought to Pennsylvania by German immigrants.[…]

Witches, Healers, and Hex Cats in Old Pennsylvania

June 12, 2021 boneandsickle America, Braucherei, EPISODE, folk magic, folklore, grimoires, Hex Cats, Hexerei, history, legends, local legends, Pennsylvania, Pow-Wow, witchcraft

Stories of witchcraft and folk-healers in early Pennsylvania are surprisingly plentiful. In this episode, we examine the state’s German-American tradition[…]

Nero: Myth and Monster

May 23, 2021 boneandsickle Ancient Rome, Antichrist, Bible, EPISODE, folklore, history, mermaids, Middle Ages, Nero, revenant, Rome, Satan

Emperor Nero’s reputation for wickedness and depravity had already attained mythic status within a century of his death, making him[…]