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[Assistant] Way back in the 1920s, just as she was beginning to get her sea legs, as it were, Luvia was awoken by a knock on her front door.


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[Assistant] She glanced at the clock and saw that it was barely four o'clock in the morning, but proceeded to drag herself out of bed.


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[Assistant] At the door, huddled against the early morning chill, stood a man and woman, Mr. and Mrs. Walden, and the look on their faces said everything Luvia needed to know. Their son had gone missing, and they were desperate for her to help in locating him.


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[Assistant] Luvia paused to form one of those impressions, and then pointed in a particular cardinal direction. He's farther away than you'd expect, she told him, but he's there in a shelter he made for himself, and he's doing just fine.


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[Assistant] As you might expect at this point, the Waldens found their boy exactly where Luvia said he'd be. And unlike so many other missing children, he got to go home. They had lost something, and Luvia had returned it to them.


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[Assistant] Maybe it was a wallet or a pocket watch or even a wedding ring. Whatever it was, it drove him all the way to her front door and she welcomed him in and told him where to look. And he found it. But there was something else unique about that man.


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[Assistant] Allison was born in Scotland in 1826, but destiny would take her elsewhere.


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[Assistant] Like a lot of women of her day, Allison got married pretty young. And when that husband, Stephen Hunter, converted to Mormonism in 1847, the two of them started planning to move to Utah. By 1849, they were on a ship heading across the Atlantic.


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[Assistant] Their destination was the brand new settlement of Salt Lake City, but she didn't stay there long. The handful of years after her arrival saw Allison experience divorce, remarriage, a series of moves, first to the western edge of Utah and then all the way across Nevada to Lake Tahoe.


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[Assistant] Honestly, there's a lot of busyness to her early story. Allison experienced a lot of change. In fact, by the time she met her third husband, Sandy Bowers, around 1859, she was known as Ellie. But there was one piece of her brief Mormon past that she had with her. A peepstone.


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[Assistant] Now there are stories of Ellie using the stone to help others, too. In one tale, a miner named Joe Webb had a large sack of gold dust stolen by a newcomer to town, and he and some other miners came to Ellie looking for the thief's name and location, which she determined by using a small, semi-transparent, glass-like stone.


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[Assistant] Joe Webb and the others found the thief and then beat him until he confessed and pointed to where the gold was hidden. And sure enough, it was all there.


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[Assistant] Now don't get me wrong, Ellie Bowers got a lot of predictions right, but her record was never perfect. In the fall of 1875, for example, she predicted that a massive storm would bury Gold Canyon, but all that arrived was an inch or so of snow. In fact, she missed the mark often enough that it was common for the newspapers to mock her.


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[Assistant] But today, folks still refer to Ellie Bowers as the Washoe Cirrus, and for a very good reason. You see, in 1858, she approached a well-known mail carrier named Snowshoe Thompson with an unusual request. One that would change her life.


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[Assistant] Thompson traveled the route between her place in Virginia City, over the Sierra Nevada mountains, and west to Sacramento. And it was in Sacramento that she hoped that he could obtain something for her. A new peepstone.


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[Assistant] Now Thompson had never heard of such a thing, and so he asked her about it, and she described it in a way that will sound familiar to you by now. A small, glass-like stone through which she could look and find hidden or lost things. She told him that she already had one, but it had grown foggy and difficult to use, so she was hoping that he could find another one for her. Why?


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[Assistant] Because she thought she knew where a large vein of silver was located, and she wanted to find it.


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[Assistant] Sadly, Thompson struck out in Sacramento and returned empty-handed, so Ellie had to improvise with the peepstone she already had. But finally, after pushing all of her skills to their limits, she figured out where her men needed to dig and set them to work.


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[Assistant] And Thomson witnessed that work too. He watched as a pair of men dug the first hole, turning up small bits of silver ore as they did.


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[Assistant] But the progress wasn't encouraging enough for them, so they eventually quit and moved on. It seemed that Ellie Bowers had failed again. For a moment, though.


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[Assistant] Determined to prove that she was right, more minors were sent into the hole and they dug deeper and longer. And just when they too were about to call it quits and move on to better prospects,


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[Assistant] They found it. A silver vein unlike anything they had ever seen before.


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[Assistant] It was a discovery that would put Virginia City on the map, and would earn Ellie Bowers a fortune. And if you know your dates and places and general historical timeline, then you're probably already thinking what I'm about to tell you. That's right.


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[Assistant] Thanks to the power of a foggy old peepstone, a strong-willed woman from Scotland dug deep for something valuable in Nevada and ended up discovering one of the richest silver deposits in the world at the time. The legendary Comstock Load.


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[Assistant] As always folks, thanks so much for watching. Credits for today's episode are in the description below. Lore has been a podcast since 2015 with nearly 400 million downloads to date. You can learn more about this show plus the book series and the television adaptation over at lorepodcast.com.


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[Assistant] And of course, be sure to click on the subscribe button and the bell icon so that you don't miss future episodes. And if you enjoyed this episode, click the thumbs up too.


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[Assistant] And you can also follow this show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Just search for Lore Podcast, all one word, and then click the follow button. And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for watching.


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[Assistant] In 1386, a pig wandered into the home of its owner in a town in northwestern France, and it attacked a small child. In retaliation, the people there had the pig put on trial. It was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged in the center of town. When that day arrived, the pig was dressed in human clothing before making the drop.


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[Assistant] In Germany in 1685, locals managed to kill a wolf that had been plaguing them for years. Being a superstitious lot, they were convinced it was actually a werewolf. But since it hadn't changed back into its human form, they dressed it up in skin-colored clothing and put on a fake beard. And then they put it on trial. It was naturally found guilty.


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[Assistant] And let's not forget the packed courtroom in Autun, France back in 1506. That's where one of the most brilliant legal minds in French history stood before the court and argued in defense of a gang of rats. He managed to help the creatures escape execution, but they had to sit through a stern warning before they were set free.


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[Assistant] Courtrooms have been around for centuries and have tended to be the place where evidence and testimony have been weighed on the scales of justice. It's rarely been perfect and it has sometimes faced bizarre moments, such as pigs or rats. But at the end of the day, having that system in place meant having a sense of security.


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[Assistant] Every now and then though, there was no court, no jury to hear testimony, and no judge to make an impartial decision for the common good.


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[Assistant] Without that light in the darkness, many communities were left struggling to handle the crimes and claims that came their way. And in one town at least.


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[Assistant] If there's one thing in history that had the power to lure thousands of people out into the wilderness in search of glory, it was gold. The dates might vary from region to region, but there have been a number of powerful gold rushes in American history. And one of the biggest by far took place in what is now the state of Montana.


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[Assistant] Gold Rush life was a lot like you'd expect. A small number of people would discover gold, word would get out, and then the multitudes would flock to join them. Almost overnight, entire towns would spring up with everything you needed to feel at home. As long as all of it was essential to the miners, that is.


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[Assistant] And that's exactly what Nevada City, Montana was. It was established in 1863 as just one community in a whole string of new towns that lined the Aldert Gulch. In fact, pretty soon, an entire 14-mile stretch of the Gulch was filled with mining towns of various sizes, giving the location its nickname, the 14-mile city.


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[Assistant] In their day, Nevada City and nearby Virginia City were considered to be some of the richest deposits in the country. Some estimates say the mines there pumped out the modern equivalent of over 2.5 billion dollars worth of gold. Not too bad for such a dry, dusty corner of Montana.


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[Assistant] But frontier life was still dangerous, and even more so when mining was involved. A good example is the U.S. Grant Mine, named after the president of the same name. It only operated for four years, beginning in 1864, but it cut extensive tunnels into Alder Mountain during that time, and delving that deep came with a price.


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[Assistant] The mines there were prone to flooding, so escape tunnels were cut to the surface to give miners a chance to get out quickly if the water levels surged. But it was hard to build systems that combated cave-ins and fires, which happened enough to take hundreds of lives. But the real danger was outside the mines.


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[Assistant] It's said that during its heyday, the gold rush had one primary currency. Gold. Folks paid for things with gold dust, gold flakes, and sometimes even large gold nuggets. And that meant carrying that precious yellow metal around with them everywhere they went. And that made them easy targets for outlaws.


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[Assistant] They had a lot of different names for them back then, but most people called them Highwaymen. And if you were an honest miner wanting to cart your hard earned gold from one place to another, they were your worst nightmare.


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[Assistant] Murders were coming. Highway robbery, the literal kind, was even more so. And after a while, people got pretty fed up.


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[Assistant] The trouble was, back in the 1860s, Montana was just a territory, and that meant it didn't have the robust legal system that actual states had.


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[Assistant] Sure, there were elected sheriffs, often serving more than one community at a time, but there wasn't much of a breakwater against the waves of crime. So communities built their own.


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[Assistant] They called them vigilante committees. Not the sort of committee that writes down their minutes and follows Robert's rules of order. No, these were more like the Wild West version of a neighborhood watch. Honest, hardworking citizens who gathered together to protect each other and to hunt down criminals who deserved justice for their crimes.


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[Assistant] It was a way of protecting their investments, it was a way of generating safety, and it was a way to get the community involved in delivering justice. But it wasn't without its flaws.


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[Assistant] There were three groups at work in the area. There was the local miners' court, a collection of random miners who were summoned whenever big decisions needed to be made. After all, it was a community of miners, so they should all pitch in and help out.


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[Assistant] Then there was the gang of highwaymen known as the Innocents.


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[Assistant] The name was a joke, though, because these men were ruthless killers who would rob their own mothers if they were carrying a bag of gold dust. And they were giving people headaches up and down the Alder Gulch, all throughout the 14-mile city.


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[Assistant] And finally, there was the vigilante committee of Nevada City. These were locals who had had enough. Ranchers who had been driven to bankruptcy. Miners who had been picked clean by criminals. Shop owners who had been robbed one too many times. And it was their belief that there was safety in numbers, so they united to fight back.


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[Assistant] And they had a good reason to do so. The innocents had a self-proclaimed leader who was a bit of a hothead. And more than that, he was trigger happy. He was a tall, thin man with a dark mustache named George Ives. And just about everyone in town was looking for a way to take him down.


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[Assistant] In the winter of 1863, the corpse of a local man named Nicolas Tybalt was discovered out by the appropriately named Stinking Water River. Tybalt was a young Dutch immigrant who worked for a local rancher named William Clark and had been on an errand to purchase some mules for him, which meant that he'd been traveling with a small sack of gold dust.


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[Assistant] The hunter who found the body also stumbled upon two men nearby who claimed to know what had happened. George Ives had encountered the young Dutchman, taken his gold, and then shot him as he knelt and prayed for his life to be spared.


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[Assistant] Using information from these two men, locals were able to track Ives down, and with numbers on their side, they cornered him and took him into custody.


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[Assistant] And he had an actual trial too, although one that was organized and run by locals on their own.


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[Assistant] It was the best a territory could manage back then. An Ives trial began on December 19th of 1863, hoping for justice and maybe even an end to their troubles. But it would be a rough road to get there.


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[Assistant] It's said that over 1,500 people gathered to watch the trial. The vigilante committee sent one of their own to act as chief prosecutor, a local attorney by the name of Wilbur Sanders, and he got to work making the case for Ive's guilt.


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[Assistant] It wasn't easy though. There was a large number of members of the Innocence embedded within the community, and they made things difficult for the vigilante committee. Heck, even the sheriff, a guy named Henry Plummer, was in on it, although he avoided getting too involved at that moment at risk of blowing his cover.


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[Assistant] But Ives confessed to the murder, and on December 21st, just three days after the trial began, the jury was sent off to deliberate and bring back a verdict. Less than an hour later, they returned. George Ives, they said, was guilty.


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[Assistant] A moment later, the box he stood on was kicked out from under him and his tall, lanky frame dropped. After a few minutes of twitching, that dark mustache of his stopped moving and the judge declared him to be dead.


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[Assistant] His body was cut down, and despite the freezing temperatures that day, a grave was dug in the hard soil of the local graveyard. Legends say that Ives was buried right beside his victim, Nicholas Tybalt, as a way of letting the young Dutchman know that his killer had been caught. Ives didn't get to funeral.


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[Assistant] As you might imagine, an area with such a dangerous past is an easy home to stories of ghosts. And while Nevada City is just a shadow of its former self, there are apparently other, darker shadows waiting for those who visit.


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[Assistant] The local hotel has been the site of a number of unusual encounters. Most common is the figure of an older man, dressed, as modern visitors might say, like a cowboy. Others have seen the same ghostly figure down at the local saloon.


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[Assistant] Other guests in the hotel have reported footsteps in the hallway only to open their doors to find no one there. And some have even seen mysterious figures in the hallway mirror. Figures that aren't actually there when they turn around.


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[Assistant] One common sighting at the hotel is the figure of a weeping woman. Guests have checked in and hauled their luggage to their room, only to unlock their door and find a woman sitting on the bed or in a chair, her hands buried in her face as she wailed in grief. Upon returning to the front desk, these guests are always greeted with the same shocking news. No one else has been given a key to their room.


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[Assistant] And just on the edge of Nevada City is a historic home known as the Sedman House. It was built there in the 1860s by a miner by the same name for his wife and children. But when he died of spotted fever, followed by the death of their daughter Clara from diphtheria, the widow Sedman moved away. The trouble is, if the stories are true, Clara's spirit stayed behind.


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[Assistant] Today the house stands as a museum, giving visitors a glimpse into what life looked like for those gold rush go-getters a century and a half ago.


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[Assistant] It's a fascinating exhibit for sure, and it lures in a lot of tourists, but things aren't all that they appear inside.


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[Assistant] As if someone had climbed onto the beds while the place was closed. Some of the visitors have whispered about unusual figures and shapes inside. And many years ago, a number of people were said to have approached the historical guides to tell them that the little girl in Victorian clothing really added a bit of realism to the tour.


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[Assistant] The trouble is, the house never employed a little girl.


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[Assistant] But if there's one ghostly figure on most people's tongues, it's probably the tall, thin man with the dark mustache that's been sighted in various places. A figure many believe is the ghost of George Ives. He's been spotted at the local hotel, dressed in the clothing of an old highwayman.


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[Assistant] And back in 2006, a photographer came to town to snap a few photos for the state's Heritage Commission. After touring the area a bit, someone pointed out the location of George Ive's execution, and he asked a couple of his friends to stand next to the historical marker there and smile for the camera.


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[Assistant] When he later examined the photo though, he was surprised to find that neither of his friends were actually in the shot, which was odd.


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[Assistant] The places we live have a way of growing around our actions. They take on the flavor of the people who once walked the streets, and echoes of past tragedies can often be heard, like shadows cast on the wall by pain and grief. And Nevada City is certainly one of those places.


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[Assistant] But one thing I love about the town's past is just how much the people there worked to make it better. The trial of George Ives might not have been perfect. After all, every single one of the 24 jurors were members of the vigilante committee. But it certainly was a turning point for everyone there. It was the moment the town went from lawless to orderly.


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[Assistant] After Ive's trial and execution, nearly two dozen more members of the innocents were rounded up, put on trial, and hanged. Eventually, even that corrupt sheriff, Henry Plummer, found himself at the end of the hangman's noose. On a gallows that had been constructed years earlier, on his own orders, no less.


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[Assistant] And with justice like that, word spread. The community became known as a safe place to live, and it drew in more minors as a result.


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[Assistant] But all good things must come to an end, and as the years ticked by, fewer and fewer people called Nevada City their home. By 1872, the place was a ghost town. Perhaps, literally.


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[Assistant] But the vigilante committee lived on in other ways. Remember Wilbur Sanders, the town attorney who worked to convict George Ives of murder? He eventually became the first U.S. Senator from the state of Montana. Another, Sydney Egerton, became the state's first governor. Not too shabby for a group of neighbors who started out fighting a group of outlaws.


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[Assistant] One other member of the group, James Stewart, even had a brother who went on to start his own vigilante committee elsewhere. Granville Stewart was a rancher who faced a similar threat in his town. Only his outlaws were cattle thieves. So in 1884, he built a team of locals who fought back.


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[Assistant] They called themselves the Stuart Stranglers, which sounds more like a name of a pair of serial killers than law-abiding citizens. But Montana was still just a territory, and those ranchers needed someone to stand up for them. In 1884 alone, the group killed 20 cattle thieves.


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[Assistant] Their actions, noble to some, criminal to others, depending on how you view them, certainly made them famous. In fact, one wealthy ranch owner from western North Dakota caught wind of their mission and volunteered his services. But Stewart politely declined the offer.


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[Assistant] Why? Because he was worried the newcomer might bring them too much unwanted attention.


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[Assistant] He was, after all, a prominent politician with a national reputation who is headed for great things in the years to come.


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[Assistant] The 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.


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[Assistant] Stories from the Wild West have a certain attractiveness to them, don't they? They're a deep well of injustice, heroic townsfolk, and bloody tragedy, so it should come as no surprise that there are other similar stories to tell. Stick around through this brief sponsor break, and I'll take you on one more thrilling ride.


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[Assistant] The day he rode into town, one chapter ended and another began. They were big chapters too, especially for a bustling town like Deadwood, South Dakota.


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[Assistant] The community there, like so many others in the region, was the product of a gold rush. It's what brought in thousands of white settlers who pushed out the native Lakota peoples. By 1876, there were 25,000 people living and working in Deadwood, making it one popular place. And not just for miners.


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[Assistant] Where there was gold, there were outlaws. That seemed to be the general rule of thumb in that era. But big towns like Deadwood were like a roaring fire and all sorts of other types of individuals flocked to its warmth and glow. But few were as well-rounded or as famous as Wild Bill Hickok.


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[Assistant] Hickok had been an outlaw, a sharpshooter, and even a Union soldier during the Civil War.


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[Assistant] But he also loved to gamble, which is what he was doing on August 2nd of 1876. That's when Jack McCall pulled a gun on him and shot him. Legend says Hickok was holding two pairs at the time, both black suits, two aces and two eights. Today it's known as the Dead Man's Hand.


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[Assistant] But the day Deadwood lost one star, another rode into town. Seth Bullock had just come off a sour defeat over in Helena, Montana where he'd run for the office of sheriff but lost. So he was looking for a new life, away from that sore spot, and he found it in Deadwood.


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[Assistant] He got off on a pretty good foot, too. Almost right away, the folks in town decided that he'd make a good sheriff, and they elected him to that position. He was a hard worker and took care of the people around him.


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[Assistant] Local rancher Theodore Roosevelt, yea, that guy again, also noticed his work ethic and appointed him a US Marshal as well.


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[Assistant] But Deadwood was home to Bullock. Heck, he even started up a hardware store and eventually built a hotel there in 1895, which tells me he was doing pretty well.


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[Assistant] He even opened up his hotel, The Bullock, to victims of a cholera outbreak, giving them a place to rest and recover. Many children were said to have died there, but they did so in comfort, thanks to his generosity.


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[Assistant] Oh, and one other time, another lawman rode into town looking for work, and Bullock was so confident he had everything under control that he just turned the guy away. His name? Wyatt Earp.


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[Assistant] Over the years, visitors to the historic community have reported seeing ghostly figures in the local saloon, known as the Fairmonts. It's no wonder, either. That place was the site of a number of shootings, and also where a number of people died after long, difficult lives.


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[Assistant] And nearby is the Adams House, built in 1892. The name actually comes from the second owners of the house. But after Mr. Adams passed away from a stroke, his wife started hearing sounds in the house. She claimed it was her dead husband, still walking around upstairs, and sometimes sitting in his favorite rocking chair.


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[Assistant] In fact, his presence there made her feel so comforted that she left the house exactly as it had been the day he died.


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[Assistant] And it stayed that way for 50 years through her own death and the purchase of the place by new owners. Today it's a bed and breakfast and visitors and staff alike have all reported the shadowy figure of a man upstairs and a rocking chair that moves on its own.


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[Assistant] And of course, the Bullock is also reported to be haunted. Sheriff Bullock himself was an avid smoker in life, said to be fond of nice cigars. Oddly, despite a non-smoking policy in the hotel, guests today still report smelling the sweet scent of cigars.


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[Assistant] Objects have been known to move in the hotel as well, and money in the register at the front desk has reportedly been mixed up a number of times, all of which sounds like pranks played by little kids. Perhaps they are the deeds of those who came to the hotel looking to recover so long ago. The one ghost I can't find any record of though? Wild Bill Hickok himself.


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[Assistant] Some people apparently got enough attention in life who weren't not sticking around after death. And that's just fine by me.


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[Assistant] This episode of Lore was written and produced by me, Aaron Manke, with research by Michelle Muto and music by Chad Lawson.


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[Assistant] Lore is much more than just a podcast. There's a book series available in bookstores and online and two seasons of the television show on Amazon Prime Video. Check them both out if you want more lore in your life.


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[Assistant] I also make and executive produce a whole bunch of other podcasts, all of which I think you'd enjoy. My production company, Grim and Mild, specializes in shows that sit at the intersection of the dark and the historical. You can learn more about all of those shows and everything else going on over in one central place. Grimandmild.com


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[Assistant] And you can also follow this show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Just search for Lore Podcast, all one word, and then click that follow button. And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] You've probably eaten one at least once in your life. They're found at most parties and holiday gatherings, usually sitting in a bowl beside some cheese or slices of meat. If you enjoy your crackers thick and woven with shredded wheat, then you probably love triscuits.


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[Assistant] Now, I didn't grow up in a Triscate home. We were more of a Ritz Cracker family, if you ask me. But they were easy to find at family gatherings. But even after all these years, I've never stopped to think about what the name actually means. Because try often refers to the number three, and yet these snack treats have four corners.


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[Assistant] I've also heard that it's a reference to the number of layers in the cracker, but even that has been disproven as the meaning behind the name. No, the truth, it seems, is more than a little shocking.


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[Assistant] According to the company that makes them, the word triscuit is a mashup of two words, biscuit and electricity.


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[Assistant] Apparently, back in the early 1900s, triscuits were advertised as the only food on the market that were baked by electricity. Thus the name. Triscuit. And these mistakes are really common.


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[Assistant] We think we know something, or someone, only to discover the truth is something else entirely.


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[Assistant] Things we take for granted, like phrases or legends or the honesty of people we know. Sometimes those things can turn out to have an altogether different meaning.


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[Assistant] But nowhere is this more true than within the world of folklore and belief. Because when it comes to the traditions we love, it's easy to allow emotional attachment to blind us to the real stories behind it all.


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[Assistant] And what better way to see this concept in action than by exploring one of the most celebrated times of the year? Christmas.


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[Assistant] There's a lot about Christmas we already know. The typical stuff, like Christmas trees, decorated with colorful ornaments and lights.


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[Assistant] Or Santa Claus, a round man dressed in red and white who manages to deliver presents to every house in the world in a single night while also starring in countless Hollywood movies and a few Coca-Cola ads.


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[Assistant] No, instead, I'd like to give you a brief tour of some of the lesser-known pieces of folklore and tradition that take place around the end of the year, and what better place to begin than South Wales in the UK.


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[Assistant] For centuries, the tradition of the mariluid has been carried out in communities throughout South Wales. It involves the use of a horse's skull mounted on a pole and decorated with a cape, ribbons, and flowers. Long ago, that skull would have been real, but most of the time these days it's a reproduction made of wood or paper.


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[Assistant] Once the costume has been put on, a group of men will gather around that person and together they will walk through the neighborhood, singing songs while they go door to door. All the while they will swap those songs for food and drink.


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[Assistant] At various houses, though, the group will stop and knock, and then ask to be let in. Sometimes the homeowner will put up a fight and give excuses, but usually the moment ends with the entire party moving inside. Then the Mari-Luid often chases children, while another member of the party whips them to keep them in line.


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[Assistant] Across the North Sea in Norway, there's another unusual Christmas tradition, and this one goes back quite a ways. Centuries ago, when the witchcraft panic had much of Europe paralyzed with fear, there were some common beliefs about the behavior of witches. One of the most popular ideas was that witches all attended regular gatherings called Sabbaths.


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[Assistant] These were usually set far away, in the wilderness or other unreachable locations. So they needed a magical item to get them there. Sometimes that was a salve or oil they rubbed on their body. But most of the time it was a household object everyone had lying around. A broom.


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[Assistant] As the centuries went by it became a common belief in Norway that those who weren't properly prepared for the Christmas celebration might become the target of witches and evil spirits. So people would hide their brooms to keep the witches from finding them, a practice that's still followed by many to this day. And one last lesser known tale.


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[Assistant] In the region along the border between France and Germany, there are stories of an evil holiday spirit known as Hans Trapp. He's sometimes referred to as the Christmas Scarecrow and is said to work alongside Saint Nicholas, persuading naughty children to change their ways or else they might be eaten or tortured.


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[Assistant] And as it turns out, it's a legend based on a real person. In the late 1400s, there was an actual German knight by the name of Hans von Trotha, whose life story has a lot of eerie parallels to the origin story of Hans Tropp.


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[Assistant] But while he might have angered the church by getting into a nasty property dispute with a local abbot, it's assumed that he never really cooked children over a spit. Still, it makes for a good story and a dark sort of Christmas fun.


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[Assistant] And there are probably a hundred more stories just like those, scattered all over the world. Unusual, rare and sometimes creepy traditions that are linked, for better or for worse, to the annual celebration of Christmas.


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[Assistant] And that's part of what makes the holiday so universal. It's really a collection of widely different customs, all united around one central season.


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[Assistant] But the Christmas time of the year hasn't always been jolly or even accepted. Because for a period of time.


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[Assistant] There was a good portion of the world that had to suffer through something darker and much less fun. The real war on Christmas.


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[Assistant] To understand this next story, you'll need some tools. Think of them as a historical version of 3D glasses. Without them, the story is alright. But if you use them, everything comes to life.


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[Assistant] We need to start in England in the 1640s. There were two growing factions of people in the country at the time. Those who supported having a monarchy, and those who wanted the power to be in the hands of parliament. This is a massive oversimplification of it all, but think of it as the king versus democracy.


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[Assistant] Inside those two sides, however, was another battle. Folks who supported the monarchy and the king also leaned toward the Anglican Church, which was very Catholic in appearance and practice. And on the parliamentarian side, most people were Puritans, a group of Christians who hated the high church pomp and circumstance of Anglicanism.


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[Assistant] The tension eventually boiled over into a series of conflicts known today as the English Civil War.


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[Assistant] King Charles I was defeated, and his body was promptly separated from its head. And then a guy named Oliver Cromwell took over running the country as Lord Protector. But at the same time, Puritans, arguably the most fundamentalist of all Christian groups at the time, found themselves in power.


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[Assistant] And they did a lot of things. But one of the most controversial actions of the Puritans was to outlaw traditional Christmas celebrations. They didn't believe people should be drinking, gambling, dancing, and partying it up on a holiday that was meant to be respected and revered.


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[Assistant] The first thing to arrive was a ban on the performance of plays during Christmas time. It was a time of the year when business was the best for theaters, and now the government was taking that away. It's believed that some theaters even shut down for good, thanks to the loss of business during a key season.


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[Assistant] Then, in 1644, Parliament ordered that Christmas should only be celebrated by fasting, not feasting.


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[Assistant] But that didn't mean a break from work. Oh no. All businesses should remain open, they said, and nothing superstitious should be practiced, such as the telling of ghost stories around the fire or community gatherings with alcohol and food.


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[Assistant] It was basically a government order to stop having fun. All the people, all over England, revolted against it. In 1645, 10,000 people in Kent and Canterbury gathered to make the decision that if the parliament way of life meant no Christmas celebrations, they'd rather put a king back on the throne.


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[Assistant] Others gathered in markets and played football in the streets to prevent the authorities from forcing businesses to open up on Christmas Day. And when a handful of businesses caved in and did open, the crowd was said to have harassed them until they closed up again.


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[Assistant] Within a few years, the government gave up trying to enforce these strict new rules. And when Charles II returned to the throne in 1660, one of his nicknames was the Merry Monarch because he restored all of the Christmas traditions that the fundamentalists had tried to destroy.


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[Assistant] And a lot of those beloved Christmas traditions returned. The eating and drinking. The gambling and dancing. The ancient superstitious practices that families had passed along generation after generation. But one of the traditions that didn't make an immediate return was one that isn't as common today. The telling of spooky stories around the fire.


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[Assistant] Now, it would take nearly two centuries for that idea to return to popular culture. And it was all thanks to an English writer.


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[Assistant] In the mid-1800s, he started writing a story that dipped into that spooky past, while also using it as a teaching moment for people who might have forgotten what the Christmas spirit was all about. And he threw in some social commentary on child labor along the way.


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[Assistant] If the Puritans were responsible for trying to destroy Christmas as people knew it in the 17th century, this author almost single-handedly reversed it all and created a whole new type of holiday story in the process. One that's been loved by millions ever since. And the story? A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.


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[Assistant] There are few Christmas legends like this one. How true the story is, well, I'm gonna leave that up to you. But what's certain is that for centuries this tale has been sending a chill down the spines of people during the Christmas season. Just about every other time of the year as well.


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[Assistant] The legend begins in the grounds of an old Jacobian manor house built in the early years of the 1600s. Known as Bram's Hill House, it's been home to all sorts of high society figures over the last four centuries. But it's something that took place early on that seems to have left its mark.


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[Assistant] According to the story, guests and family arrived at Bram's Hill House for a wedding between young Ann Cope and her groom-to-be, Hugh Bethel. I would love to tell you that the garden was in bloom and perfect for an outdoor wedding, but that wasn't the case. In fact, it was Christmas Day. Still, a memorable day to tie the knot.


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[Assistant] From everything I've read, the wedding was smooth and problem-free. After the exchange of vows at the end of the ceremony, everyone moved on to a lovely reception. I imagine there was a lot of dancing, to whatever the early 17th century equivalent might have been of the chicken dance and YMCA. And then it was time to bid the bride and groom farewell.


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[Assistant] Actually, the guests gathered for an important part of the tradition at that time. Escorting the new couple to their bedchambers. But new bride Anne proposed a better idea. One that promised a lot of fun for everyone. A simple game of hide and seek. She would do the hiding and everyone else would try and find her.


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[Assistant] Imagine this however you want. Maybe the guests all covered their eyes and counted out loud to a hundred. Perhaps they named a time on the clock as the beginning of the hunt and then settled in for a brandy or some tea until then. I don't know how they structured the game, but I do know that eventually they all headed out into the house to find her. The trouble was, no one could.


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[Assistant] At first it was a calm casual search with a lot of laughter and smiles, but after a while everyone started to worry. They called out for her and then shouted for her. Her new husband Hugh started to become anxious and then downright frightened. Anne had wandered off into the house to hide and then simply vanished. And although they searched for hours, Anne was never found.


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[Assistant] People began to whisper that she had experienced a change of heart and actually escaped, abandoning Hugh at the very beginning of their marriage. And that idea would persist for decades.


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[Assistant] Hugh didn't handle it well. The legend says that he grieved for her and spent the rest of his life using every spare moment to search new corners and closets in the house. Which is why, 50 years later, he climbed into the attic for yet one more search. And it was there that a random knock on some wood paneling gave him an answer.


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[Assistant] They say the panel sounded hollow, and when he inspected it, discovered that it contained a hidden door. Once open, he found a small hidden room that was bare, except for a large wooden trunk. And with fear and trepidation, he cautiously opened it.


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[Assistant] The man's body was inside, withered by the many years that had passed since their wedding.


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[Assistant] In one hand, her bridal bouquet, once white with lily of the valley and a sprig of mistletoe, was still clutched tightly. Her other, though, was embedded in the lid of the chest where her fingernails had clawed through most of the wood in an effort to find a way out.


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[Assistant] If the stories are true, more than just Anne's body remain in the house. Her ghost has been witnessed by many people over the years, leading some to refer to her as the White Lady, thanks to her wedding gown. She's been spotted walking through the main hall, as well as a number of other rooms.


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[Assistant] In the 1930s, one of the women who lived at Bram's Hill House woke up in the middle of the night on more than one occasion to find the white lady standing beside her bed. And she wasn't the only one to have that experience. But the most eerie of all might belong to a police officer who visited the house in the 1980s.


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[Assistant] It said that he was an officer from India, taking part in some training in the area and staying at the manor house. One day, while walking through the house, he passed into the drawing room and noticed the sweet scent of flowers.


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[Assistant] I see you've met the white lady. That must mean she likes you.


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[Assistant] For as familiar as the Christmas season might be to many of us, it's also a time of deep and varied traditions.


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[Assistant] Thanks to the spread of Christianity throughout Europe and the various pre-Christian traditions that might have influenced it, Christmas has become many things to many people. In fact, for a holiday that feels like it's always been around, there's been a lot of evolution over the last few centuries.


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[Assistant] Remember the Puritans we talked about earlier? Well, they might have lost control over England back in 1660, but they managed to send their way of life outward, across the Atlantic, and into the new world they discovered in North America.


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[Assistant] And those early Puritan settlers didn't have a lot of patience for superstitious practices, however persistent they might've been.


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[Assistant] What changed? Well, it turns out it was a massive influx of immigrants, mostly from Scotland and Ireland, who injected many of the old familiar pieces of the Christmas tradition into the relatively young United States. But early on, things didn't necessarily look like the holidays you might know and love.


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[Assistant] For example, variations on Mari Luyd eventually showed up in America and took place early in the winter each year. Like the original, it involved people in costumes who went door to door, asking for food and money, and it grew in popularity throughout the 1800s.


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[Assistant] Folks who celebrated it would put on masks that looked like exotic animals or political leaders, while others dressed like sailors or soldiers. Then they would march through town in a ragamuffin parade and then knock on doors and beg for treats.


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[Assistant] It was a tradition that kept up until the early 1930s when the Great Depression changed the spirit of generosity in many communities. Children would knock on doors only to hear the owners inside tell them to go away. And this tradition?


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[Assistant] It was called Thanksgiving masking. In fact, when people knocked on those doors, they often called out, anything for Thanksgiving.


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[Assistant] But it faded in popularity over time. The closest we have to those old ragamuffin parades today would probably be the Thanksgiving Day parades we see on television.


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[Assistant] And that practice of knocking on doors, asking for food while wearing costumes? Well, as you might have already guessed, that eventually met up with All Hallows' Eve, shifted dates, and, since the 1940s, has been a popular American activity.


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[Assistant] It seems that beloved holiday traditions truly are hiding everywhere. Assuming, of course, you know where to seek them out.


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[Assistant] From the brutal and frightening haunts trop to the bizarre practice of hiding broomsticks, it seems like Christmas has a lot more hiding than just wrapped presents and pretty trees. But I have one last unusual tradition to share with you that might just take the cake. Stick around after this brief sponsor break to hear all about it.


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[Assistant] One of the unsung qualities of Christmas is just how flexible it is. Over all these centuries, and across so many different cultures, the holiday has taken on a vast array of different expressions.


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[Assistant] Many of those varied practices have held on through the ages, while others are relatively new. Some are tiny and almost imperceptible, while others really stand out. And one of my favorite Christmas traditions falls into the latter on both spectrums. It's new, and it's big.


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[Assistant] For a little over five decades, one particular city in Europe has had a strange and unusual practice that's been tied to the Christmas season. It's a goat, and there are a couple of different explanations why that particular animal is featured.


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[Assistant] Some believe it has something to do with the two goats that are said to pull Thor's chariot in Norse mythology. For a long time, people have handcrafted little yule goats, small figurines made of straw. They would then hide them in the homes of friends and family. If you were able to find one, your job was to go hide it in someone else's house. And it honestly sounds like a lot of fun.


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[Assistant] It also might tie back to an older tradition involving dressing up in costumes and singing through the neighborhood in search of food and drink. Just like a lot of other traditions we've already discussed.


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[Assistant] Only these costumes were all goats, which is why the practice is called Yule Goating. But it seems that those older traditions gave birth to something new in 1966. It was the brainchild of an advertising consultant in the city of Yavla who thought it might be fun to have a gigantic Yule Goat in the main square.


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[Assistant] And when I say gigantic, I mean it. It's over 40 feet tall and nearly 30 feet from head to tail. But it's also not as simple as that. Because the very first year it was set up, someone did the unthinkable. They burned it to the ground.


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[Assistant] In fact, over the 54 years that they've been setting it up, the giant yule goat of Yavla has been burned down 37 times.


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[Assistant] It's honestly become something of a running joke, mixed with fun and celebration and a little bit of mystery. Heck, in 1988, the city made it legal to place bets on whether or not the goat would survive until Christmas. More often than not, it doesn't.


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[Assistant] Some of the many ways the goat has been destroyed over the years include being struck by a car, smashed to pieces by crowds, and falling over due to poor construction. At least once it was even shot with a flaming arrow, which feels very European to me.


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[Assistant] But in 2010, one of the most amazing plots in the short history of the Yule Goat almost took place. The masterminds behind it offered one of the guards assigned to the goat the cool sum of about $6,000 to simply walk away from his post. Their plan was to fly in on a helicopter, tie a rope to the goat, and fly off with it. As far as I can tell, the plan never worked out, but I kinda wish it had. And can you blame me?


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[Assistant] You'll be happy to learn that the Yavla Goat survived the holiday season of 2020, its fourth year in a row, in fact, all thanks to fewer people on the streets during the global pandemic. But the question of whether or not the giant goat survives each year has given way to something much more certain.


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[Assistant] The tradition, however new it might be in the grand scheme of all things Christmas, is here to stay.


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[Assistant] This episode of Lore was written and produced by me, Aaron Manke, with research by Ally Steed and music by Chad Lawson. Lore is much more than just a podcast. There is a book series available in bookstores and online, and two seasons of the television show on Amazon Prime Video. Check them both out if you want more Lore in your life.


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[Assistant] I also make and executive produce a whole bunch of other podcasts, all of which I think you'd enjoy. My production company, Grim and Mild, specializes in shows that sit at the intersection of the dark and the historical.


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[Assistant] You can learn more about all of our shows and everything else going on over in one central place, grimandmild.com. And you can also follow this show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Just search for Lore Podcast, all one word, and then click that follow button. When you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] Jack of all trades for that house. I'm the Norman Bates of the Axe Murder House.


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[Assistant] Yeah, I live right next door, um, in Mary Peckham's house, and she of course was the neighbor that initially found or noticed something was wrong at the house next door.


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[Assistant] Which is interesting because the more children used to play over in my house. I mean, Mary was like a grandma to them.


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[Assistant] Everywhere on this planet where something horrible has happened.


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[Assistant] It leaves that negative imprint. It's just like you walk into a room where someone had an argument, you feel that negative energy. It's very real and it lingers.


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[Assistant] This place had an atom bomb of negative energy dropped on it.


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[Assistant] You know, just the normal footsteps, door open and closing there for like a month. There's a lot of poltergeist activity of things stacking and arranging, which is odd because nobody lives there at all. It's just a empty place. I've seen the positive, I've seen the negative. One of the most profound things that I've ever experienced was a Friday night


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[Assistant] The overnight's canceled for whatever reason, so I thought, I'm just gonna go in, fix some, some things in the upstairs bedroom, lock the kitchen door so nobody could walk in, and as I'm up there, somebody walks in the house, and I'm like,


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[Assistant] Come on, people, we're closed. It's like, well, obviously, idiot, they broke in, you know, cause it's like nighttime. And I thought.


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[Assistant] They have no idea I'm upstairs, so I'm gonna have fun with this. And I hide in the kids' room closet, and the plan was to scare this kid, jump out, you know, and just do that. Why are you breaking in? If you wanna see it, I'll just show it to you.


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[Assistant] So the walking around downstairs for like 10 minutes that comes upstairs into the room I'm in, I kick the closet door open, do the big blah, nothing.


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[Assistant] There was nothing, and I couldn't even move. I couldn't talk. The, I always heard, you know, oh, I felt a rush of cold air. I thought, yeah, everybody says that. I've never experienced it. That time I did.


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[Assistant] I checked the whole house. The door was locked. Watch the surveillance video. There is nothing.


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[Assistant] Amityville quality of the house of mental manipulation. And I've experienced that in there.


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[Assistant] To where, and especially in the downstairs bedroom, Ina and Lena's room, where you're just kinda zoning out and pretty soon you're just like out of it.


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[Assistant] You go out of the house and, you know, it's like an hour or two later, you like start coming back to normal. And that's a, that's a very scary part of the house for me. I know what it can do, so I don't push it anymore.


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[Assistant] In the long history of human civilization, few pathways have been as important as the Silk Road. Of course, the Silk Road isn't a single stretch of flat land, or even a road in the sense that you or I might imagine. But this network of trade routes changed the world by connecting one distant part to another.


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[Assistant] For over 2,000 years, the Silk Road served a dual purpose. On the surface, it was an economic machine, enabling trade between those who traveled it and the settlements alone.


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[Assistant] But it also allowed disparate cultures to connect in a way that was never before possible. And no better location represents this connection than the Tarim Basin in Western China.


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[Assistant] So archaeological digs in the Tarim Basin have uncovered now extinct Indo-European written languages and beautifully preserve mummies that don't fit our idea of Chinese culture.


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[Assistant] They are tall, with blonde or red hair, fair skin, long noses, and clothing made of tartan fabric that looks an awful lot like patterns from Scotland.


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[Assistant] Some places are just too unique and nuanced to be one single thing. They blur the lines and break the rules. They stand with one foot in a world we expect, but their other is planted firmly in the unforeseen.


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[Assistant] Whether by chance or design, these locations have refused to be labeled as purely one thing, and that duality has become their defining characteristic.


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[Assistant] But there's one place in the world that straddles more than just two cultures. It also manages to walk the line between the past and the present in a powerful way, no matter how tragic or horrifying that past might be. And if you're up for it, I'd like to take you there.


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[Assistant] It's fair to say that people are really good at ignoring the little things. In general, we love big cars, big houses, and big ideas. But in the pursuit of the bigger things in life, we miss the nuance. And few places represent that better than the Channel Islands.


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[Assistant] When we discuss European history, we tend to talk about those big areas. For example, France and England are easy targets for any storyteller, with plenty of drama and excitement across the pages of their collective history. But caught right between them, the Channel Islands are a forgotten wonderland of folklore and dark history.


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[Assistant] First, let's get some basic geography out of the way. Everyone knows that the northwest of France and the southern edge of England are separated by a stretch of water known as the English Channel. Think of it as the connective tissue that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. So when I say channel islands, that's the channel they're connected to.


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[Assistant] It's technically an archipelago. A cluster of small islands, all positioned close together. There are more than a dozen islands in the collection, but only a handful of them are inhabited. And of those, the most prominent are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark.


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[Assistant] The history of humans on the Channel Islands looks a lot like that of its neighbors. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of human settlements dating back at least 250,000 years. But the past 1500 years or so have been the busiest. Celtic-Britain settlers were there as early as the 5th century, followed by Christian missionaries a few generations later.


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[Assistant] A century after that, William the Conqueror sailed across the Channel and became King of England, and for a while, all of those lands fell under one crown.


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[Assistant] A century later, though, that kingdom was broken into pieces. Despite being closer to Normandy than England, the Channel Islands stayed under English rule and have been considered a possession of the crown ever since.


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[Assistant] Because of this back and forth history, it's probably not surprising to learn that the people who live there are ethnically both British and Norman French. In a very real sense, the people of the Channel Islands live on the blurry line between two distinct worlds.


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[Assistant] But during World War II, that line became even more fuzzy, thanks to the successful invasion by Nazi forces.


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[Assistant] In fact, most people forget that it even happened, but the invasion of the Channel Islands represented the only known instance of Germans occupying British territory.


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[Assistant] During their five years on the island of Alderney, the Nazis built a number of work and concentration camps, which honestly just blows my mind. A Nazi concentration camp on British soil.


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[Assistant] And all those tragic stories you know from the continent had little counterparts on the Channel Islands, too. Jews were rounded up, just like they were in other European countries. Rebels were stamped out, and citizens were harassed and abused.


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[Assistant] One local, a woman named June Sinclair, was said to have slapped a Nazi officer who made unwelcome advances toward her, and she was sent to a concentration camp as punishment. She never left the camp alive.


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[Assistant] When the war was over, the Nazis left, but their impact was felt for decades.


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[Assistant] The economy had been destroyed, and all over the landscape were physical reminders of the occupation, like camps and bunkers. The people of the Channel Islands went from living on the boundary between France and the UK to straddling the line between a painful past and an uncertain future.


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[Assistant] But few stories illustrate that duality as well as that of the underground hospital.


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[Assistant] Even on these remote islands, the Nazis seemed to be obsessed with building underground structures. Sometime around 1942, they began construction on a series of tunnels and bunkers that would eventually grow to over 70,000 square feet. This concrete network was designed to serve as a shelter, a medical facility, and a munitions depot. But creating it came at a steep cost.


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[Assistant] During construction, it's said that roughly 40 people passed away, either from the working conditions or accidents on the job. There are also rumors that the Nazis didn't have enough tools to go around, so some of the workers were forced to dig with their bloody hands. And that mixture of violence, pain, and death has left people whispering ever since.


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[Assistant] They say the tunnels are haunted by those lost souls, and visitors to the place have claimed to hear screams and footsteps in the distance, as if the events of the past are still playing out here in the present. Clearly, it's a place that has one foot in another time.


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[Assistant] But amazingly, the details of the Nazi occupation aren't the most frightening stories to drift around the islands. In fact, if you know where to look, there are countless tales that offer fresh glimpses of a darker past.


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[Assistant] It's everything you would expect. Considering how many boundary lines are blurred on the Channel Islands, it shouldn't be a surprise that the one separating the natural and the supernatural is also on full display. And the stories that have come out of that duality are absolutely thrilling.


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[Assistant] On the island of Guernsey, there are still legends of something that sounds and feels very English at its core. Fairies. Far to the west, out toward the end of a short peninsula, is a small cavern. Well, it's not really a cave. In reality, it's a Neolithic tomb that's been there for thousands of years.


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[Assistant] But all that time, plus the power of the elements and the human imagination, have transformed that tomb into a home for fairies. And of course, there are stories about it.


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[Assistant] The most common legend states that if one were to walk toward the back of the tomb, they would find a hole in the back wall just large enough for a grown adult to climb through. And past it is a larger, more spacious chamber.


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[Assistant] Locals still claim that this deeper room contains a table set for dinner with cups and plates and everything else one might need for a feast. It's the Ferry Banquet Hall, and it's right there, waiting to be explored.


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[Assistant] The trouble is, no one has had the courage to go in there, which begs the question, how does anyone know if the stories are true?


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[Assistant] Another story whispered on Guernsey is that of a monstrous black dog. Again, that's the sort of legend that would fit in right at home to the north in England, showing how portable folklore can be when cultures move from place to place. But the black dog stories on Guernsey Island have their own distinct flavor.


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[Assistant] Some have explained the black dog stories by claiming that ancient human sacrifices and the ritual burials that went with them left spirits to roam the land. And these spirits come out at night, often in the form of black dogs, to wander and hunt. And none of these are as frightening as the stories of La Bête du Latour, the Beast of the Tower.


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[Assistant] It's a story local to the capital of Guernsey, the city of St. Peterport. Long ago, the city was, like many of its day, surrounded by a fortified wall. And at intervals along that wall, tall towers were built, useful for keeping an eye out for trouble long before it arrived.


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[Assistant] And one of them, built right above a hill where heretics and witches were executed long ago, was the Beauregard Tower.


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[Assistant] For centuries, locals who lived in the shadow of that tower claimed to hear terrifying sounds at night, chains being dragged across cobbled streets, cries of pain, and of course, the unearthly sounds of a monster.


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[Assistant] Those who found the courage to look out their window for the source of the growls always reported the same thing. An enormous black dog as big as a bear with eyes that glowed red in the darkness.


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[Assistant] And if the local legends are true, we know who that beast really was. It's a story that starts way back in the late 13th century, when a rich man named Gaultier de La Salle used his power and wealth to frame one of his neighbors for a crime the man didn't commit.


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[Assistant] It seems that the two men shared a freshwater well, although it was located on LaSalle's property. The neighbor, however, had a legal right through some old agreement with a previous owner to walk onto LaSalle's land and fetch water whenever he needed to.


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[Assistant] Of course he tried to offer the neighbor money to end the agreement. He tried refusing him entry. But over the years nothing worked. So to solve his problem, LaSalle plotted something darker. And no, he didn't begin to plot the man's murder. But he did set the wheels in motion for the authorities to do it for him.


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[Assistant] LaSalle took two of his nicest silver drinking cups and hid them deep inside one of the bundles of corn stalks in his field. Then, certain that a search of his home would never locate the cups, he called on the authorities to report a theft that never actually happened. And who was the thief, they asked? His neighbor, of course.


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[Assistant] The neighbor was quickly arrested, tried before a jury that was favorable to the wealthy and powerful LaSalle, and then sentenced to death. Steep, I know, but it was a common punishment at the time for crimes like that. And soon enough, the community was preparing for his execution.


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[Assistant] That morning, LaSalle left home to travel to St. Peterport to watch the hanging of his neighbor. He planned to celebrate his victory in only the way a twisted, greedy man really could. But as he was leaving, he made sure that his servants had their instructions for the day, including bringing in the corn harvest for the winter.


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[Assistant] A short while later LaSalle found himself seated in the courtroom, ready to follow the magistrates and prisoner out to the gallows that had been prepared for him. But before the procession could begin, one of LaSalle's servants burst through the door, holding two silver cups high above his head.


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[Assistant] And in that moment, the magistrates realized the mistake they had made. A quick investigation confirmed their suspicions and LaSalle found himself taking his neighbor's place at the gallows.


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[Assistant] After his death, the crown claimed LaSalle's land, and ever since it's been known as Villeux Rouat, the village of the king. And in the fields that were once farmed by his servants, it was said that a large black dog began to appear, terrorizing anyone who encountered it.


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[Assistant] Many of those early reports actually describe the beast as headless, which might sound frightening, I know, but I can't help wonder how that made it more dangerous without a mouth to bite. But that's the beauty of folklore, isn't it?


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[Assistant] There's character and texture, and more than a bit of mystery.


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[Assistant] Yes, on the surface, the small little beach known as Petit Port was a beautiful little patch of sand and gentle waves on the southeastern tip of Guernsey. But in the early 1800s, locals avoided it because of the screams they claimed they could hear down there.


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[Assistant] They could only be heard at night, and naturally that sort of mystery deserved an explanation. Thankfully, the pages of Guernsey's history books provide two possibilities. And the first involved a man named Richard Dudamecu.


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[Assistant] Richard had fled the French Revolution, something his wealth and social position allowed him to do. To get away, he sailed to Guernsey and purchased a large house there not too far from the beach in question.


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[Assistant] And it honestly could have been the view that drew him there. Pettyport is only reachable by descending hundreds of steps from the cliffs above, and the view from up there is breathtaking. It's said that Richard loved taking long walks along those cliffs, gazing out at the ocean and his former homeland beyond.


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[Assistant] One evening though, as he began one of his long walks, a group of men noticed him and began to follow. They were three brothers from a large family, and known in the area as troublemakers. It didn't help that Richard lived and dressed in a way that screamed wealth and privilege, making him an easy target to spot.


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[Assistant] It's said that the brothers managed to get ahead of Richard, hiding in a spot along the path that was thick with bushes and trees. And as the wealthy newcomer passed through, they attacked and killed him, stealing his jewelry and a gold pocket watch and then burying the body beneath a pile of stones.


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[Assistant] Of course, friends were worried when Richard failed to return home. One colleague, a doctor who had stayed behind in Paris but corresponded with Richard by letter frequently, became so concerned that he started his own investigation. But no clue ever turned up.


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[Assistant] Years later though, while walking through the streets of Paris, that doctor claimed that he spotted a gold pocket watch hanging in a jewelry shop. After stepping inside, he inquired about where it had come from.


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[Assistant] The shop owner was happy to inform the good doctor that the watch had been sold to him by some men from Guernsey, brothers in fact.


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[Assistant] The mystery ended with the doctor taking his own trip to the island, contacting the authorities and helping with the arrest of all three of the murderous brothers. Soon after, they confessed, and the location of Richard's body was discovered, allowing for a proper burial in a nearby churchyard.


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[Assistant] And that story, some say, was the reason behind the nightly screams down near the beach. But others disagree. To them the answer to the mystery of the screams and groans can only be explained by a story of love and betrayal. And yet another piece of jewelry.


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[Assistant] A century before the brothers were killing Richard, there was another wealthy family in the area. The Mouges lived in the parish of Saint Martin, where they ran an estate and raised their children, including Rachel.


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[Assistant] Now, Rachel had recently become engaged to a young man named John Gordier, who lived on the nearby island of Jersey. It was assumed that once married, the couple would live together near her parents, but until then, he made frequent trips to Guernsey to see her, always coming ashore at the beach of Petitport.


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[Assistant] The trouble was, the Muge's business clerk, a young man named Gayar, had fallen in love with Rachel. He had made constant proposals to her, but Rachel and her family politely told him no.


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[Assistant] She was engaged to another, of course, and he needed to stop. But Gayard refused, and because of that the family terminated his employment.


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[Assistant] One day, not long after, Rachel's fiance John sailed to Guernsey for one of his visits, and she left the house to go meet him. After waiting in their usual meeting place for far too long though, Rachel went home disappointed.


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[Assistant] John had never failed to show up before and it left her feeling worried.


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[Assistant] The following morning, Rachel's family led a search of the area, including the beach, to look for signs of John's arrival. Hours into their hunt, a group of children who had joined the effort shouted for help, and everyone converged on the small seaside cave they were near. Inside lay the cold, dead body of John. Rachel, upon hearing the news, fainted where she stood.


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[Assistant] In the days that followed, her family began to talk about the future. John had been a wonderful man, but with his death came the question of who Rachel should marry. And although he had been pushed away before, the former clerk seemed like a good backup option now. He came from a wealthy family, he understood their business, and adored Rachel. So she gave Gayard a chance.


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[Assistant] As time went on, the young clerk did his best to win Rachel's heart. He even gave her an oddly shaped necklace, a lovely gift, and one that she took to wearing at once. Things were looking up for the unlikely couple. But then, John's mother came to visit.


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[Assistant] She had lost her son to tragedy, so maybe visiting Rachel and her family was a way of easing that pain. Or maybe she came looking for clues to his murder.


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[Assistant] Whatever it was that brought her to Guernsey that day, she fell into conversation with Rachel, and that's when she noticed the necklace. Where did you get that? John's mother demanded. From Gayard, Rachel replied.


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[Assistant] At these words, the legend says that Rachel fainted yet again. Only this time, she never woke up.


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[Assistant] Whether frightened to death by the implications or crushed beneath the weight of her own broken heart, the revelation that the necklace had come from John pushed her too far, and she died as a result.


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[Assistant] Naturally, Rachel's family was furious. They had already lost a future son-in-law, but now their daughter was gone as well.


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[Assistant] After hearing the story from John's mother about how her death had happened, Rachel's parents were shocked to learn about the necklace. So they confronted Gayard.


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[Assistant] The young Kirk denied the claims, of course. He had purchased the necklace himself as a gift for Rachel, and the accusations were insulting at best. But John's mother refused to be swayed. Taking the necklace from Rachel's parents, she held it up for Gayard and the others to see.


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[Assistant] Turning it over, she pointed out an odd piece of decoration on the back of the necklace, which moved when she pressed it. Instantly a hidden door popped open. The necklace, it seems, was something more. It was a locket.


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[Assistant] And inside was all the proof the family needed to know the truth.


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[Assistant] There's something attractive about places that sit between two worlds. The tourism of Europe stands as proof of that. Whether through guided tours, backpacking trips, or those fancy river cruises.


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[Assistant] Millions visit Europe each year just to experience a bit of the old world tucked in with the new.


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[Assistant] In a lot of ways, the Channel Islands really do exist in two worlds. Right there in the tension between the past and the present, between painful tragedy and bucolic hope, between the natural and the supernatural, real life is taking place, and it always seems to be colorful.


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[Assistant] Take a recent story from August of 1990. That was when an unemployed French nuclear physicist named André Gayard arrived on one of the smaller islands, Sark, with an odd mission. He was there to declare himself Lord.


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[Assistant] Now, Sark is tiny compared to its neighbors, Guernsey and Jersey. In the 1990s, there were barely more than 600 people living there. But Gayard believed that he was the rightful heir to the island, so he set sail and began his own one-man invasion.


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[Assistant] He carried weapons, of course, a semi-automatic among them, but he went about it in what can only be described as an unusually polite manner.


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[Assistant] He tacked up some posters in town declaring his purpose, and then he marched back and forth in front of the manor house where the real Lord of Sarc, known as the Senor, lived.


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[Assistant] But apparently, all that work tired Mr. Gayard out. So after just a couple of hours, he took a seat on a nearby bench. And that's where one of the few constables who worked on the island found him. And the two men struck up a conversation.


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[Assistant] After complimenting Gayard's semi-automatic rifle, the invader handed it to the constable so he could get a better look at it. A moment later, that constable had tackled the man, and the invasion that never really happened was over without bloodshed.


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[Assistant] Oh, and the weapon Gayard planned to use in his invasion? It seems that the authorities of Sark viewed it as an interesting part of their history. So they put it where they believed an object of cultural significance truly belonged. They put it in their museum.


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[Assistant] There's more to the Channel Islands than tales of monsters and murder. In fact, a lot of its character comes from elements that are a lot more ancient, and because of that, much more fascinating. And there's no better way to explore that than through a story I've dug up to share with you. Stick around after this brief sponsor break to hear all about it.


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[Assistant] Sometimes the stuff that inspires the most story are those things around us that leave us scratching our heads. And on the island of Guernsey, there's nothing more mysterious and unexplainable than all the stone monuments scattered around.


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[Assistant] Remember, human settlements on the Channel Islands, especially the big ones like Guernsey, date back thousands of years, and while most of what they built is gone thanks to the elements and time, the more durable pieces are still visible, such as the Neolithic tomb that's rumored to be a fairy banquet hall that I mentioned a while ago. But there are more stone relics to be seen, and boy do they have some stories attached to them.


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[Assistant] They're technically called Cromlecs, stones of various sizes that have been stood upright, but there's not much that we know about them today. They might have marked important graves, or served as altars. They might have even been used as astronomical tools. We just don't know.


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[Assistant] So of course, a lot of legend has flooded in to fill the gaps, because that's what people are good at doing. For example, a common warning from Guernsey locals in years past has been to avoid standing stones if possible.


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[Assistant] Because if you were near one and saw goblins dancing around it, it was imperative that you turn and run away.


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[Assistant] Otherwise the goblins would catch you and force you to join them, dancing until you died from exhaustion.


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[Assistant] Back in the mid-1800s, one stone was discovered in a field by some farmers with an inscription on it. According to the story, the people were able to translate the ancient characters and learned that it bore a message.


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[Assistant] It sounded to them like an invitation to dig beneath the stone, possibly in search of buried treasure, so some of the men got to work.


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[Assistant] They struggled for hours and hours to move it but eventually managed to flip the stone over. When they did, they discovered a second inscription on its underside.


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[Assistant] I think it's fair to say that the men were pretty upset. Clearly they had been duped by a long dead farmer with a flair for practical jokes.


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[Assistant] But there's one last story about the stones of Guernsey that won't leave us laughing. In fact, if it's true, I think it gives us more than enough to be afraid of. And it all begins in the parish of Vale, on the northeastern corner of the island.


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[Assistant] They called it la roque qui son, the rock that sings. That was because of the sound the stone would make when struck with a hammer, ringing out like a church bell.


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[Assistant] It had been part of life there near Vale Castle for as long as anyone could remember. It clearly pre-dated European settlers on the island, but just how old it was, no one really knew.


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[Assistant] By the mid-1800s, though, the rock that sings was on private land. In fact, it stood in the middle of a field recently purchased by a man named Hokar. And Hokar shocked everyone else in the community when he announced his plans to build a new home on that land.


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[Assistant] And break the stone into pieces that could be incorporated into the structure.


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[Assistant] Naturally, locals begged him not to do it, but there's always that one person in the crowd who can't seem to see the value in something that is so obviously valuable, and Haukar was that sort of man.


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[Assistant] Even when some predicted misfortune, Hokar simply shrugged and carried on with his plans.


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[Assistant] And soon enough, the deed was done. The rock that sings was no more.


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[Assistant] One of the pieces of the stone was used as the lintel of his new house, that small piece of frame at the top of a door opening. Other pieces were incorporated elsewhere, and eventually the house was finished.


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[Assistant] But on the day that all of Hokart's belongings were being moved in, a fire broke out and spread far too quickly to stop. Within a few short hours, his entire home was in ashes and a number of his servants were dead.


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[Assistant] Maybe Hokkar recognized the misfortune and wondered if his neighbors had been right. What if breaking up the ancient stone monument wasn't the best idea, and now those pieces carried a curse? The smoldering remains of his home certainly begged for an explanation, and since no natural cause could be determined, it's easy to see how he might have wondered.


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[Assistant] Whether or not Haukar was a superstitious man, we do know that he was a bit hard up for cash thanks to that fire. So he took some of the remaining pieces of stone and put them on two separate ships bound for England. His hope was that he could sell them there and earn back a bit of money that he'd lost.


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[Assistant] But his hopes were pointless. On the short voyage to England, both of the ships mysteriously sank, taking the stones with them to the bottom of the channel. And according to the story, that's when Hokar simply gave up his dream of life on Guernsey.


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[Assistant] He packed up what little he had left and sailed the short distance to another of the Channel Islands, the tiny island of Alderney. Now, I don't know how long he spent there, but it's said that he tried building a new home for himself, only to have that one burn down as well. And while I can't be certain, I think this new tragedy was the final straw for him. Haukar sailed south once more. South. To Guernsey.


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[Assistant] Now, here's my assumption, so take it with a grain of salt. Hokkar had no reason to return to Guernsey. Maybe he still owned the land there and wanted to either sell it or find a new use for it. Or maybe he finally realized what sort of curse he had brought upon himself by cutting up the rock that sings.


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[Assistant] Maybe he thought that he could track down the remaining pieces of the stone, like some sort of Indiana Jones film, and put them back where they belonged.


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[Assistant] What is certain is that he boarded a ship bound for Guernsey. He'd lost two homes to mysterious fire. He'd lost two valuable pieces of stone that could have put a bit of coin back into his pocket. And he'd lost the respect of his neighbors and his sense of safety. So he can't have been a happy man as that ship crossed the cold waters of the Channel that day.


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[Assistant] Soon enough, though, the northern shore of Guernsey was in view on the horizon. But before his hopes could soar, before he could sigh with relief and plan his next chapter, a stiff wind pushed hard across the ship. And as it did, it knocked a piece of rigging loose from one of the sails above.


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[Assistant] That rigging could have landed anywhere, but I think we all know where it did.


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[Assistant] It crashed into the top of Hokar's head, breaking his skull, and killing him instantly.


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[Assistant] Was it the curse of the rock that sings, or a wild coincidence after so many other random tragedies?


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[Assistant] While it's impossible to know for sure, I think we can all agree on the larger truth.


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[Assistant] This episode of Lore was written and produced by me, Aaron Manke, with research by Marsat Crockett and music by Chad Lawson. Lore is much more than just a podcast, though. There's a book series available in bookstores and online, and two seasons of the television show on Amazon Prime Video. Check them both out if you want more Lore in your life.


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[Assistant] I also make and executive produce a whole bunch of other podcasts, all of which I think you'd enjoy.


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[Assistant] My production company, Grim and Mild, specializes in shows that sit at the intersection of the dark and the historical.


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[Assistant] You can learn more about all of those shows and everything else going on over in one central place, GrimAndMild.com. And you can also follow the show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Just search for Lore Podcast, all one word, and then click that follow button. And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] It looked like your average everyday old wine bottle. It was stout at the bottom with a stubby neck. And amazingly, it was still corked and sealed. But there was no label on it, which is why the owner had brought it to a local filming of the Antiques Roadshow.


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[Assistant] Back in 2016, the owner set it down in front of a glass expert, hoping to get an idea as to what might be inside. The easy conclusion was that it dated from the 1800s, making it at least 150 years old. But the contents were anyone's guess.


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[Assistant] So eager to learn more, this glass expert took a syringe and drew out a small sample of the liquid.


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[Assistant] After placing it in a glass and tasting it, the expert wrestled with his experience. It could be an old bottle of port, but there was something else. He swore he could taste rust. But without opening the bottle, it was impossible to say.


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[Assistant] Fast forward three years, and that bottle has been studied by scientists, revealing an answer to the mystery that was entirely unexpected. Inside was a collection of old brass pins, human hair, a small amount of alcohol, and urine.


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[Assistant] And when the ingredients of the solution were lined up with the date they were made and the location the bottle was found, the true answer suddenly floated to the surface. It was a witch bottle.


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[Assistant] Now honestly, witch bottles are a thing of legend. They represented an acceptable form of magic known as counterspells, used by fearful townfolk to ward off the evil influence of the witches who threatened their existence. They were buried near homes or beneath doorways, all in an effort to keep the forces of darkness out.


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[Assistant] That adventurous glass expert had made a risky assumption that inside a bottle was something as innocuous as wine.


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[Assistant] But his preconceived notions met an unexpected reality, and the same can be said for anyone who makes a guess without all the information. Assumption, after all, is akin to firing a weapon at a target while blindfolded, and this man missed.


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[Assistant] Sometimes our guesswork prevents us from seeing the truth. We think we know something, but if we are given a chance to explore the true details, we could find ourselves surprised by what we discover.


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[Assistant] In a lot of ways, it looks like so many other tiny English towns. The village of Knuden in Essex County barely has more than a thousand people living there, but they have a rich heritage that dates back centuries and includes a few powerful stories as well.


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[Assistant] Back in the 1950s, a writer named Eric Maple discovered something about his home county. He'd actually grown up in Essex, down in the southeast of England, and thought he knew all there was to know about the place. But as an adult, he discovered something fascinating. Essex County was which country?


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[Assistant] Now, we've all heard a few witch stories here before. If I asked you to invent your own using all the various tales you've heard here, you would tell me about a fearful town who arrests the least powerful and least acceptable among them. After a sham trial, they would be executed, and somehow life was then supposed to move on.


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[Assistant] But the world of English witchcraft in Essex County is unlike anything you've ever bumped into before, and I want to explore it with you. Why? Because assumption only gets us so far, and learning about the exceptions to the rule doesn't just broaden our worldview, it makes for great entertainment.


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[Assistant] Now, most of the buildings in Knudin are small and low, which is what makes one structure in particular stand so tall above them. Literally. An ancient 14th century church tower. But what Knudin lacks in infrastructure, it more than makes up for through reputation.


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[Assistant] You see, for a very long time, Knuden has been rumored to be the home of witches. There are historical reasons why, of course. Back in 1580, a local woman named Rose Pye was accused of killing a neighbor's infant, but managed to be acquitted at her trial.


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[Assistant] A few years later, another woman, Cicely Macon, was charged with witchcraft, but instead of hanging her, they gave her five years to change her ways.


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[Assistant] The local legend actually declares that there are always six witches alive and in power at any given moment. It's said that half of them are from poor families, while the other three are born into wealth. And as long as the tower stands, those witches will be around.


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[Assistant] Some versions of the legend get more specific too. One witch will always be the wife of the butcher, and another the parson's wife. Another legend claims that if you dance around the church tower at midnight, those six witches will be compelled to join you.


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[Assistant] Honestly, the list of stories is long and entertaining, and I wish I could share all of them with you. But the most important thing to point out is just how prevalent the idea of witchcraft was for many centuries in Canudin.


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[Assistant] In fact, it was so commonly accepted that just about everyone in town practiced it.