history Archives - Page 15 of 24

America and the Old, Dark Christmas

December 4, 2021 boneandsickle America, American lore, Belsnickel, Christmas, EPISODE, folklore, Germany, history, holidays, New Year, Santa Claus, Twelve Days of Christmas

In earlier centuries, Americans partook in many of the same dark Christmas traditions that gave birth to Europe’s Krampus. This[…]

Transylvanian Vampires

November 20, 2021 boneandsickle Bram Stoker, death, Dracula, EPISODE, evil eye, folk customs, folk magic, folklore, ghosts, history, horror, legends, literature, moroi, strigoi, Transylvania, undead, vampires, Victorian, witches

Transylvania’s vampire lore inspired the setting of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, if not the character of the Count, and encompasses not[…]

Ghost Trains & Railway Terrors

October 14, 2021 boneandsickle American lore, ballads, Britain, death, EPISODE, folk music, folklore, ghost stories, ghosts, history, legends, literature, urban legends

Ghost trains and real-life railway terrors intermingle in this episode’s exploration of old train-wreck ballads, nervous and funereally obsessed Victorians, urban[…]