Podcasts · History · True Crime
After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal
History Hit
300 episodes
This is After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal. The podcast that takes you to the shadiest corners of the past, unpicking history’s spookiest, strangest, and most sinister stories.
More about the show
Join historians Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, every Monday and Thursday to take a look at the darker side of history. From haunted pubs and Houdini, to witch trials and weird UFO sightings.
After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal - a podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
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Episodes page 1 of 6
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American Vampire Panic
This is a shocking story that saw families digging up their dead relatives, believing them to be vampires. What makes it all the more shocking, is that it was as recent as 1892. Join Anthony and Maddy to find out…
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Most Haunted House in England
Built in 1862, Borley Rectory became known as England's most haunted house. From ghostly nuns and unexplained disturbances to paranormal investigator Harry Price's controversial investigations, discover the history…
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Myth of the Golem of Prague
In the sixteenth-century, down the winding cobbled streets of Prague, there once lived a towering supernatural being: the Golem. Legend has it that it was conjured to life through mystic rituals, and acted as the…
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The 'Changeling Murder' of Bridget Cleary
The story goes that in 1895 Bridget Cleary was burned to death by her husband who believed she was a 'changeling' fairy. In today's episode, Anthony and Maddy interrogate the stories we've been told about this murder…
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Medieval Origins of Dracula
With Halloween just around the corner, it's the perfect time to really get to know the familiar figure of Dracula. What vampires came before him? What fears were the Victorians projecting onto him? And perhaps most…
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The Real Werewolf Trials of Europe
You've heard of the witch trials, but have you heard of the werewolf trials?! This fascinating history takes us to back to the 16th and 17th centuries, when panic spread through villages in mainland Europe leading to…
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The Dark Side of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
When the studious, unassuming brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm left home for university, little did they know their fairy-tale collections would take Europe by storm. We've all heard of Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel,…
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"HMS Terror" Death on the Arctic Tundra
In 1845 two Royal Navy ships, HMS Terror & HMS Erebus, departed Britain on an expedition into the Arctic. Along their ill-fated icy expedition, they disappeared almost completely, becoming one of history's greatest…
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Did Robin Hood Exist?
It's a story that's been around for a good 800 years, but is there any evidence that Robin Hood actually existed? Find out what really went on inside Sherwood Forest, how medieval outlaws lived, and why the Sheriff of…
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The Bloodiest Anglo Saxon Royal Murders
When the Romans left Britain in the 5th century, what happened next? The following centuries saw a messy and bloody struggle for power that left us with some gruesome royal murders. Taking us through the bloody…
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America's 'Innocent Axe-Murderer' Lizzie Borden
Today we're revisiting an episode which explores one of the most infamous trials in American history. Lizzie Borden's story is breathtaking even today. In 1893 she was accused of using an axe to murder her father and…
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How Grim Were Victorian Slums?
We've spent a lot of time in of Victorian London on this podcast- a world of cobbled streets, grimy buildings and crowded homes. But how accurate is this- what was it really like to live in the slums of Victorian…
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Dark History From The Caribbean Plantations
In 1675, a planned uprising by the enslaved people of Barbados was crushed before it had a chance to come to fruition. For three years, the conspirators' lives revolved around secrecy. But the discovery of their plan…
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When Medieval Peasants Attacked London
In 1381, thousands of ordinary people rose up against the Crown, marched on London, and came close to bringing England’s political establishment to its knees... In this episode, Anthony and Maddy are joined by our very…
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Georgian London's Celebrity Criminal
What is it about a ‘bad boy’ that we love? That’s as true today as it was in the 18th century. In this episode of After Dark, Anthony and Maddy unravel the extraordinary rise, daring escapes, and final end of Jack…
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The Wild Story of America's Biggest Traitor
Benedict Arnold was celebrated as a war hero of the American Revolution before he betrayed George Washington and the Continental Army by joining the British. In today's episode Anthony and Maddy take you through his…
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Is This New York's Craziest Murder Case?
This week we're revisiting a favourite episode set in New York at the end of the 20th century. The year is 1897, and this murder case has it all: a villain, an incredibly useless police force, and a duck who saves the…
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Magdalene Laundries: Ireland's Dark Secret
The Magdalene Laundries existed throughout Ireland up until the late 20th century. Women and young girls were sent to these institutions that were run by orders of nuns. They were told they could not leave, and were…
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The Brutal Murder of Catherine Howard
Today we're delving back into the After Dark vaults to revisit our classic episode on the death of the short-lived Tudor queen. In 1540 Henry VIII was getting old, and his eyes turned to teenager Catherine Howard. He…
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18th Century France's Most Outrageous Spy
The Chevalier d’Éon was one of France’s most daring spies... until they began making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Armed with explosive state secrets and at the centre of a very public scandal over their…
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The Spy Who Fooled The Nazis
She was the only person during World War Two to parachute from Britain behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied Poland, all while wearing a dress. Who was Agent Zo? And what were the incredible missions she was involved…
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The Murder That Changed Britain
Ruth Ellis made history in 1955 when she was the last woman hanged in Britain. She shot and killed her abusive lover, the racing driver David Blakely, at point blank range on a spring evening outside a pub. What…
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How To Be A Medieval Spy
Look closely at the Bayeux Tapestry and you will see a medieval spy. But far from the world of James Bond gadgetry, what was medieval spycraft like? Why were they referred to as 'little birds'? And why were women…
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What Did The Vikings Do With Their Dead?
The world of Viking death rituals and their beliefs surrounding the afterlife is truly fascinating... What happened when a Viking died? What ceremonies and practices did they partake in? And what awaited the spirits of…
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Wild Shipwreck and Cannibal Story That Inspired Moby Dick
When a whaling ship sank in 1820, her crew were cast adrift thousands of miles from land, and faced starvation, madness, and death. Their ordeal would become one of the most extraordinary survival stories in maritime…
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Britain's Bloodiest Mutiny
The captain of the HMS Hermione was a sadist even by the not-very-high standards of the British Royal Navy in the 1700's. He was a prolific flogger, subjecting his crew to the cat-of-nine-tails. It was hardly a…
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Murder In The Medici Court
In Medici Florence there were two ways of maintaining power - one was money and the other was murder. Isabella de’ Medici was the believed daughter of the Medici patriarch, a patron of the arts and a sparkling wit. But…
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The Most Disastrous Voyage in Navy History
It's hard to wrap your head around all the disasters that befell Captain Anson's Royal Navy voyage around the world in the 1740s. Rampant scurvy, horrendous storms, marooning and mutiny to name but a few. 90% of the…
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Britain's Worst Airship Disaster
"It's like the Titanic, except you've never heard of it. And in a way, it's even weirder." So says today's guest, Cautionary Tales' host, Tim Harford, about the disastrous story he's taking Anthony and Maddy through.…
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Would You Rather Be On The Titanic Or In Pompeii?
Sound the trumpets! The day has finally arrived: Maddy Pelling is back on After Dark! To welcome her back into the coven, we're playing a game of historical 'Would You Rather?'. Listen on to hear Anthony and Maddy…
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The Story of England's First Drag Queen
Born John Cooper, "Princess Seraphina" was one of the first English Drag Queens. Princess Seraphina was an 18th-century gentleman’s servant who openly embraced her feminine drag persona. But in May 1732, a man named…
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The Woman Who Had Sex With Ghosts
Ida Craddock is a name that should be much, much better known. She was a maverick sex educator who fought violent censorship in turn of the century America. She also loudly announced to the world that she was married…
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The Tragic Execution of a Victorian Murderess
In 1856, Martha Brown was led to the scaffold and hanged for the murder of her abusive husband. Her execution was clearly an injustice, even at the time. While Martha was condemned, multiple other female killers were…
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The Witch Men of Iceland
When we think of the great witch trials of history, we usually picture innocent women accused of impossible crimes... but that wasn't always the case. In the frozen, windswept landscapes of 17th-century Iceland, a…
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The Secret Lesbian Affair under Mary Queen of Scots
16th century Scotland was a hard time to be a woman, far harder if you happened to be a woman who loved women. Yet from this dark time a dazzling lightness has survived - the secret lesbian love poetry of Marie…
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The Murder Network That Terrified Versailles
In 17th century France, Louis XIV's court sparkled with luxury. It also teemed with poison, occult rituals and aristocrats trying to murder their way up the social ladder. What started with one poisoned Easter pie…
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History's Greatest Ghosts with Uncanny's Danny Robins
In this special episode of After Dark. Anthony and Uncanny’s Danny Robins delve into historical ghost stories and explore why our obsession with death and the paranormal remains an integral part of the human…
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Most Famous Murder In Ancient Egypt
Millenia ago, a plot was hatched within the highest echelons of Egyptian society which ended with royal blood being spilt. This assassination, known as the Harem Conspiracy, and the following trial would fascinate…
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The Dark History of the Quakers
17th century England was a world turned upside down. A civil war resulted in King Charles I being executed, and from this moment a religious movement called the Quakers grew rapidly. Far from the pacifists we think…
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The Sicilian Catacombs of the Living Dead
*Warning: this episode contains discussions of child death* Deep beneath the sunny streets of Palermo Sicily, the Capuchin Catacombs are home to over a thousand people, most of them still standing in their Sunday…
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How Boudica Took On The Roman Empire
Ancient Britain was occupied by the Romans, and tension was building with local tribes. Their brutal occupation reached a breaking point. So what happened when Queen Boudica stood up to the might of the Roman Empire?…
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The Gruesome History of Sexual Disease
*Warning: this episode contains discussions of puss* Gonorrhea and syphilis are no laughing matter, especially in a time before antibiotics. How were symptoms first recorded and what were the disturbing treatments…
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Who tried to kill Queen Victoria?
Queen Victorian was an icon of Britain at the zenith of its power... but that didn't mean she was invulnerable to attack. In today’s episode, we’ll be exploring some of the many assassination attempts on Victoria's…
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Burke & Hare's Serial Killing Dissection Business
What did Ancient Egyptians discover while dissecting bodies? What did the first medieval dissecting manual say? Who were the serial killers who supplied 19th century surgeons with bodies in Edinburgh? Joining Anthony…
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Ancient Rome's Bloodiest Murders
Today we're delving back to an early episode of After Dark, where Anthony and Maddy explore the goriest murders of Ancient Rome. From flesh-eating fish and humiliating deaths inside sacks, to a deadly re-enactment of…
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The Doctor Who Shocked Victorian Britain
What lurks behind the door of Dr. Kahn's Grand Anatomical Museum in Victorian London? Step inside and find out what shocked the public (and medical establishment) of the 19th century Britain so much, that it was…
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Inside the Egyptian Underworld
For the Ancient Egyptians, death marked the beginning of a new chapter: a journey through a shadowy realm of trials, monsters, and divine judgment, ruled by the God Osiris. What does the Ancient Egyptian Underworld,…
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400 Year Old Artist's Dark Revenge
Artemisia Gentileschi's paintings personify female rage against men. She paints women beheading men, hammering nails into their skulls, brandishing their dead faces. In her personal life, Artemisia was the victim of…
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BONUS: Hear a chapter of Maddy's new book, Hoax
Hear a chapter of Maddy's new book, "Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment". It's out now! It's the story of three women and their hoaxes in the age of Enlightenment. One saw ghosts, the other claimed magic…
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Human Sacrifice In The Aztec Empire
When you think of the Aztec Empire, what do you picture? Human sacrifice? In today's episode, Anthony is joined by Aztec expert Dr. Caroline Dodds Pennock, to unpack why we fetishise the Aztecs in this way, why…
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