Typically, people nowadays don’t go into Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods and ask for earthworm oil, but from the 16th to 19th centuries, earthworm oil was used to treat various problems – kind of like how we use tea tree or coconut oils today. On this episode, we’ll show you how to use earthworm oil to treat many things, even gunshot wounds, because…we…

Who doesn’t love to come home from a long day of work, heat up some yummy food, turn on the TV and plop down on the couch to eat? Although many people still do enjoy a sit-down meal with the family that often doesn’t include a television, back in the 1950s when having a TV in the home was a new concept, people found themselves wanting to eat in fro…

Happy World Toilet Day! In case you didn’t know, the World Toilet Organization (yes, there is one) declared November 19th to be World Toilet Day back in 2001. Why, you may ask? Well it all had to do with drawing attention to the fact that even today not every country has great sanitation, which of course spreads diseases like cholera, typhoid and h…

One of the things people in Europe and in America used to do to thwart a witch’s spells was to bake a witch cake. It sounds sort of good, being a cake and all, but you know that having the word “witch” in its name means something has to be wrong with it. And there was something wrong with it. Despite the fact that this supernatural dessert was mean…

When we in the west think of Halloween or All Hallow’s Eve, carving pumpkins is one of the first things that comes to mind. It’s a tradition parents share with kids, and even as adults we enjoy it. In fact, we spend a lot of time researching cool designs to carve and choosing the best pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. And let’s not forget gutting it a…

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so using food to find a husband doesn't seem like such a bad idea. From the late 1600s to the mid-1900s, unmarried women in North America and the United Kingdom practiced a baking ritual on Halloween that was said to reveal who they would marry. They called the products of this ritual “dumb …

On this episode, we show you how ancient Chinese medicine became the inspiration for medicine shows and rattlesnake wranglers. If you’ve ever heard of the term “snake oil salesman,” then you’re probably well aware of its negative connotations. If you haven't, you're about to get all the details...Oleh Melanie Dellas and Karen Lacy

On this episode, we try to unravel the tale of the European phenomenon of rat kings. As the story goes, long ago a wise old rat who wanted to be the king of all the rats made the lesser rats form a mountain. He climbed up to the top, and sat there, demanding respect and adoration from the other rats. Unfortunately for those other rats, they had bee…

On this episode, we talk about how artists used dead people to make their paintings come alive. We’ve done a podcast or two on corpse medicine and how people of long ago used mummies as cures. And the dark liquid the body oozes out during the putrefaction process, which ranges from dark purple to brown, made people in the Middle Ages take notice.…

On this episode, we uncover the secrets contained within demon bowls, and try to figure out why anyone in their right mind would turn one over. But before we get into that, welcome to Season 8, which is going to be fun and, as always, a little weird and gross, depending on who you ask. And in the case of this episode, perhaps a little terrifying!…

All over the world, the coming of the new year is ushered in with fireworks, champagne, a kiss, and, for the last 114 years, people have been celebrating New Year’s Eve by watching the ball drop in New York City’s Times Square. But it’s not the only thing that is dropped on New Year’s Eve in America. Cities around the country really get creative, a…

We all know the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but what is less commonly known is where that story comes from – and the fact that some reindeer DO have red noses. On this episode, we explain why Rudolph, the beloved Christmas reindeer, has a red nose – and it’s not because of alcohol.Oleh Melanie Dellas and Karen Lacy

Everyone knows Santa Claus is a man, but in 1941, during World War 2, the women needed to stand in. It wasn’t unusual. Because the war took most of the men in America from their homes and jobs, the women left behind stepped in to do the work. They became riveters, crane operators, cab drivers, baseball players -- and even Santas.…

Every country has a traditional holiday drink served to friends and family at gatherings and celebrations, and Americans and Canadians love their eggnog. Eggnog is an acquired taste, and not one that you would think would cause riots. But in 1876, that’s exactly what it did.Oleh Melanie Dellas and Karen Lacy

On this episode, in honor of Thanksgiving, we thought we’d tell you how pumpkin pie became a Thanksgiving staple, and how "Mary Had A Little Lamb" was connected to it.Oleh Melanie Dellas and Karen Lacy

For many parents in the western world, saying nursery rhymes and singing lullabies to their children are normal. But do people ever really stop and think about the words they’re saying to their innocent babies? Probably not, and that’s why we’re here: To show you the dark history of normal, everyday things people rarely pay attention to. On this ep…

Being interested in where your ancestors come from is not a new thing. People all over the world have a long and varied history of trying to find their roots to understand who they are. On this episode, we dig up the roots of the oldest family tree discovered so far and get a glimpse into the family structure of neolithic people.…