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 2 of 6
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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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The Dark Mystery of Princess Caraboo
Today we are celebrating the upcoming publication of Maddy's new book 'Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment' by sharing one of the stories from it. This is the story of a fake Princess from far-off lands…
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The Haunting of Cock Lane
Today we are celebrating the upcoming publication of Maddy's new book 'Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment' by sharing one of the stories from it. The haunting of Cock Lane is the most iconic ghost story…
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Speaking with the Dead: Ancient Necromancy
In Ancient Mesopotamia, the boundary between the living and the dead was not always fixed... some even believed it could be crossed. But why would the living seek counsel from the dead? How common were these practices?…
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Dark Side of Prehistoric Britain
Across prehistoric Britain people raised vast stone circles, buried their dead in monumental tombs, and left offerings in rivers and bogs. Archaeologists have uncovered skeletons bearing signs of violence, carefully…
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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On a summer day in Sarajevo in 1914, a young man fired two rounds of his pistol in the middle of the street, killing a Royal couple... He didn't know it then, but his actions would cause a chain reaction, resulting in…
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Titanic's Biggest Myths Debunked
Is it true that third-class passengers were locked below decks? Or that more lifeboats would have saved more lives? Did the band really play as the Titanic went down? Anthony is joined once again by the marvellous…
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The Murder that Shook Mary Queen of Scots
On the night of Saturday the 9th of March, 1566, a pregnant Mary Queen of Scots was having a dinner party. It was a night that ended in the brutal murder of one of her closest friends, David Rizzio, led by her…
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The Victorian Sex Scandal of Fanny & Stella
The Victorians are seen as the ultimate guardians of rigid gender boundaries. When Fanny Park and Stella Boulton transgressed those imagined lines, they triggered a scandal that reached the length and breadth of…
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Henry VIII's Descent into Darkness
He's known as one of history's most murderous kings, but was he always a monster? Or was he acting in ways expected of a king during his time. Joining Anthony as special guest co-host is author and historian Gareth…
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The Victorian Era's Wildest Murder
It was one of the most gruesome crimes of the Victorian era... and it ended up in David Attenborough's garden! Kate Webster, a servant, killed and dismembered her mistress, Julia Martha Thomas in 1879. It's a story…
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The Real Outlander
The book and TV series "Outlander" has introduced millions of fans to Scottish history and the story of the Jacobites. One of those fans is Maddy Pelling! Maddy is back (in a pre-recorded episode) to delve into the…
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The Man Who Ate Everything
Listener warning: this episode contains a description of cruelty to animals One of the strangest tales to emerge from Napoleonic France was that of Tarrare - the man who ate everything. The stories go that he ate…
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Britain's First Ghost Hunt
It was the original modern ghost hunt, the one that set the template for all the haunted houses to come. When a wealthy plantation family moves into a crumbling Georgian mansion in the 1760's the haunting begins. By…
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Dark Side of the Celts: Wicker Men and Trophy Heads
The Ancient Celts: feared in battle, guided by Druids, and bound together by ritual. Long before Rome pushed north, Celtic peoples ruled forests, hilltops, and river valleys. But in this episode we'll be discussing…
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Were the Princes in the Tower murdered?
It's one of history's greatest mysteries - 'what happened to the Princes in the Tower?' In 1483, young Edward V and his brother Richard were awaiting Edward's coronation. But next thing we know, they vanished and their…
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The Human Cost of Fame
You might think the idea of “celebrity” is a modern invention. In reality, its roots stretch back centuries... perhaps even millennia. People have always been fascinated by the rare individuals who rise above the crowd…
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The Black Death As It Happened
Eyewitness accounts of life during the Black Death are surprising. Sure, there's horror. But there's also d*ck jokes, complicated scientific theories, and buttock-obsessed priests. Taking Anthony through it all is Dr…
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Who Killed Julius Caesar?
In 44 BCE, Roman senators assassinated Julius Caesar to stop his ascent towards becoming a king. Dr Jess Venner takes Anthony blow-by-blow through the deadly events of the Ides of March. Dr Jess Venner's new book The…
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The Medieval Murder of Thomas Becket
Anthony is joined by the iconic Eleanor Janega from our sister podcast 'Gone Medieval' to tell the story of the most famous murder of the medieval world - Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Cantebury. How did a bromance…
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Mysterious History of Tarot Cards
Maddy and Anthony get their Tarot cards read by Melissa Mercury! As well as reading their cards, Melissa tells us about the history of Tarot cards and who is responsible for their iconic design. Find out why Swords…
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Origins of Victorian Murder Detectives
We have an image in our heads of Victorian Homicide Detectives, but what was the reality? Who were they? What murder cases shaped their history? What methods did they use? Were they anything at all like Sherlock…
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Who Was the Man In The Iron Mask?
For decades a mysterious figure was held prisoner by Louis XIV. His face was covered, his identity was a secret beyond all others. Why? Who was this figure? How much of the story is myth and how much is fact? Maddy…
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The Dark Truth about the Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution is the only successful, permanent slave revolt in history, resulting in the creation of an independent state. Haiti is also the first modern nation of the world to permanently abolish slavery.…
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The French Revolution's Reign of Terror
The French Revolution was famously inspired by ideals such as republicanism and individual liberty. Yet, for all its promises of freedom, the Revolution also descended into what is often considered its darkest…
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The Dark Truth about Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Brontë in 1847, depicts a gothic world full of violence and passion, set against the wild Yorkshire Moors. So how did the daughter of a clergyman create such a story? How was it…
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Bloody Beginning of the French Revolution
The Storming of the Bastille in 1789 marked the beginning of the French Revolution... the day a Parisian crowd stormed the royal fortress-prison that had come to embody absolutist power. This is the story of how…
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Al Capone and the Valentine's Day Massacre
Bootleg liquor. Tommy guns. Gangs ruling the city with crooked cops. The Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929 Chicago sounds cinematic, but the fear and the bloodshed was very real. What was the perfect storm that…
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Dark Truth About Victorian 'Freak Shows'
Julia Pastrana was a Mexican woman exploited as a sideshow attraction in life and grotesquely exhibited even after her death because of her appearance. Her story is part of the dark history of the Victorian 'freak…
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Essex's Darkest Witch Hunt
This is the story of a 16th century cunning woman, a folk healer, who was found guilty of being a witch. Accusations spiralled until more than a dozen women faced the threat of death. The St Osyth witch hunt became a…
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Who Was the Witchfinder General?
Mathew Hopkins, also known as the ‘Witchfinder General,’ was responsible for a campaign of terror across 17th-century England. In just a few short feverish years, his witch hunts swept through East Anglia, resulting in…
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Inside A Medieval Leper Colony
Come back with us to a Medieval leper colony. What was life really like for patients inside the gates? What did it mean when the 'leper bell' rang? And what happened at a 'living funeral'? Join Anthony and Maddy as…
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The Victorian's Dark Obsession with Ancient Egypt
The Victorians had a lot of twisted fascinations, but their fixation on Ancient Egypt might be the darkest of the lot. From 'mummy unwrapping parties' (yes, really), to gothic stories of romances with mummified bodies…
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The Deadly Arctic Witch Trials
It all started when a huge storm drowned 40 men on Christmas Eve, 1617. The people of Vardø, northern Norway, needed someone to blame. What followed were devastating witch trials which featured one of the highest…
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The Great Fire of London As It Happened
The Fire that struck London in 1666 was one of the city's darkest chapters. In this episode, Anthony and Maddy examine the accounts of people who witnessed the disaster at the time, tracing the story from its origin in…
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Day in the Life of a Salem Puritan
What did it feel like to wake up Salem Village during the darkest days of the witch trials? Would you be able to swallow down your beer and pottage breakfast? As you walked towards the simple wooden Meetinghouse in the…
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Inside the Victorian Asylum
One of the dark symbols of the Victorian age is the asylum. It struck fear into the mind but what was the reality of life inside its walls? Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story today. Edited by Richard…
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The Truth About the Conjuring's Ghost Hunters
Ghost hunting couple Ed and Lorraine Warren transformed twentieth century America into an enchanted land dotted with haunted houses, cursed objects, and portals to hell. Their exploits are the basis for the Conjuring…
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Banshees: Herald of Death
Today we're delving back into the After Dark vaults to revisit our episode on Banshees... Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) joins Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling for the story of the Banshee. The Banshee is a female…
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Ghosts of Henry VIII's Palace
We’re re-running this episode because it’s one of our favourites — and it’s worth another listen! The ghost of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, screaming down a corridor. A nursemaid's spinning wheel…
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Dark Truth About Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd - the demon barber of Fleet Street who beheads people and then sends their bodies through a trapdoor to be made into pies. It's just a story right? Right? There's not any real history to it....or is there?…
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The Most Notorious Viking Raid
The Viking attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne, a remote tidal island in North East England, sent psychological and cultural shockwaves through the history. It's a story of blood and terror, but there's more…
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Oscar Wilde's Very Victorian Scandal
In 1895, the world witnessed its first true celebrity trial when Oscar Wilde was charged with “Gross Indecency". To tell the powerful story of Wilde's life in its fullness, Anthony and Maddy are joined by Merlin…
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Does Every Family Hold A Dark Past?
Maddy and Anthony dig into their own family history in collaboration with Ancestry! They find stories from the darker side of the past in their own family trees. Huge thanks to Ancestry's genealogists and family…
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What Happened The Day Pompeii was Destroyed?
We all know the story of Pompeii: the Roman town reduced to ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Roughly two-thousand years later, archaeologists have been able to uncover the stories of its victims. What do we know of the…
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The Dark Side of the Vikings
How dark really were the Vikings? How much of a part did human sacrifice play in their world? And what was their relationship with magic? Joining Anthony and Maddy in today's episode is historian, author and all-round…
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The Only Prime Minister Ever Assassinated
Was this moment the closest Britain came to revolution? When Prime Minister Spencer Perceval lay dying on the floor of the Parliament, many feared it was the start of bloody revolt. We discover the assassin, John…
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Who Was Medieval Europe's Most Evil Monarch?
Who was the very worst of all the Medieval monarchs? No spoilers but we've got monarchs driven psychopathic by love, terrible sadists, and egos that straddled a continent. They were the worst of the worst, but who was…
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