Castles & Cryptids

210: The Curse of Tippecanoe + Spill the Bee Tea, too!

This episode is just extra, sorry, not sorry! It’s extra-long, extra-cursed, and took us extra-long to get out on this long weekend, so a bit sorry ‘bout that part, to be fair!Kelsey covers a curse on US Presidents with many names caused by a long-ago battle with Shawnee people. The Curse of Tippecanoe, Tecumseh’s Curse and the Zero-year Curse are some of them, and the list of incidents and deaths is certainly one that’s going to need to simmer for sec. The assassination count alone is a lot, and George W and that grenade thing? Shocking stuff.From possible curse or conspiracy to the wonderful world of the honeybee! Through history they have loved to have us spill them all the tea. Or the booze, bees LOVE booze. The vibes of the hive are chatty and silly in this segment but people have been mad for honey for ages we learned.Some Saints did some weird stuff; honey was the remedy for every ailment from eyestrain to erectile dysfunction, and it makes great mead too. Side stories include cats who drool, are surprised by owls, ridiculously expensive scented candles, and rampant accusations of people and things being AI. Do you love bees too? Let us know and hope you enjoy this very buzzed episode! I got one bee pun!Darkcast Promo: Stop! Who Does That podcast

209: Mass Murders + Killings sprees

So clearly this is a very sensitive topic, like most true crime, so please be aware this will contain mentions of child death, child sexual abuse and other very violent topics. No explicit details are included but be forewarned it's a rough one. "we observe, but we must not need absorb" about bearing witness to trauma survivors in crime cases. So first we learn about a William Cook from Kelsey, and he was born to a big family and grew up to be a man who made very poor choices. He had a terrible temper, a penchant for kidnapping instead of just carjacking, and had too many children, who surely hated their father. To make a semi-Minecraft reference, no his children did not, in fact, yearn for the mines. Who wants to live underground but worms, anyway?Alanna covers the Dunblane Massacre, a school massacre in 1990's Scotland that sent the small town and nation into grief. What causes such impulses, we discuss, and what effects must it have on a vulnerable section of people? our kids are prepped for everything from drunk driving to school shooting these days, and we wonder what the consequences on our mental health must be. But then also, we find the light that shines through the cracks sometimes, when Alanna messes up musical numbers NOT from Hamilton, etc. So tune in and clutch a stress toy if you can, such is the joy of life, and we love you for being here with us!Happy Listening and Keep it Cryptic!Darkcast Promos of the Week!: Murder Unscripted, Psychology of the Strange

208: UK Cryptids & Creatures

We are back, back again (just like Kelsey's hearing and voice) and we are ready to dive into some lore about creatures around the UK. First we have British Flying Rods, known for their segmented and wavy motions, they move fast and are incredibly rare with only 2 known sightings. Next, Kelsey covers the Boneless, featuring the phrase "undulating mass of gelatinous flesh", it's a segment you don't want to miss. Alanna caps things off with Sam the Sandown Clown, a ghost clown who may or may not also be an alien or a robot. Listen to the strange encounter 2 kids had with Sam before he vanished forever and let us know what you think he is. Thanks for listening, head over to our Patreon to catch up on all our bonus eps and be sure to leave us a review. Until next time, keep it cryptic!This weeks promo is for Murder Shelf Book Club!

Ghost Stories of Alberta- A Haunted Minisode

Hey you lovely listeners, today we have a wee episode to tide you over while our co-host is on the mend. Alanna is reading some local ghost stories to you! To be fair, it's since she feels bad she switched topics and delayed recording, sorry! Send help lol.We pulled from the book by Barbara Smith, previously featured on the McKay Museum Hometown Haunts episode, so listen to that one too if you haven't( between ep 165-166 in the feed.) Smith has researched ghost stories and legends from all across the province, from Native warrior Chief spirit stories to haunted hotels. We hear about a haunted bookstore, The Banff Springs Hotel (which they deny is haunted but we know better, don't we?), a ghost arsonist captured on camera, and some Shining-style hotel ghosts. Let's get ghosting! If you want more Castles and Cryptids content, try our Patreon to support the show! Plug over now lol. Love you all and happy hauntings!

207: Creepy Medieval Castles

It's been a minute since we did a castle haunt or horror, so here are two very cool, eerie castles to live up to our name!Quick into of obligatory bitch session and catch-up, this time we go on about annoying and aging bodies, can anyone relate to that? Taking meds with side effects and lucky if they don't hurt your damn liver! Side shout-out to a couple comments from last episode and we're off to Germany!Kelsey takes us to Eltz Castle, Wierschem, Germany, and it's long, long history that we skip over for the good parts. One medieval family lived here forever somehow, if only we had a mockumentary called Medieval Family! Ghosts, George R.R. Martin bashing, and stolen kisses com into conversation and that's normal for us.On to Bran Castle and Bram Stoker's Dracula. A tangential connection maybe, but Vlad Dracule has had our fascination for a long time too so we hope you don't mind the side quests into Dracula, haunts and a little history. Plus the great Question: Do you get impaled up the ass??Torso? do you all know??Darkcast Promo of the Week: Love and Murder Podcast