Astonishing Legends
380 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 9K ratingsThe world is more mysterious than most people are comfortable imagining. We cross paths with the mystical from time to time and may not even notice it. If we do, we quickly return to our usually mundane daily existence. But what if we not only acknowledged the unknown, we investigated it and spoke with those in the know? That’s what co-hosts Scott & Forrest, and their producer Tess Pfeifle do at Astonishing Legends. Over 100 million downloads and hundreds of thousands of listeners have shown that exploring and embracing the wonders of our world can be not only enlightening but exciting. Welcome to Astonishing Legends!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Kidnapped by Bigfoot: The Albert Ostman Story
October 09, 2015 23:22 - 1 hourSome tales are tall tales, and some tales involve an ape-like creature that stands over 7 feet tall and weighs around 700 pounds. Such was the tale of Albert Ostman, who claimed that in 1924, while on a leisurely prospecting trip in British Columbia, Canada, he was kidnapped in the middle of the night by a Sasquatch, or what is more commonly known as "Bigfoot." While some folks might be quick to dismiss Mr. Ostman's story as a stretch of the truth by no small means, it's hard to deny the fol...
Dyatlov Pass (Part 2 of 2)
September 18, 2015 20:36 - 1 hourBackground: Part 2 of our Special on Dyatlov Pass: On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as "tourists" in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute (which is now the Ural Federal University) left the village of Vizhay in the northern Ural Mountains on a two-week ski trek, through a region called Sverdlovsk Oblast, the "gateway to Siberia" in Russia. In Russia a "tourist" is a serious outdoorsman. ...
Dyatlov Pass Part 2
September 18, 2015 20:36 - 59 minutesBackground: Part 2 of our Special on Dyatlov Pass: On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as "tourists" in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute (which is now the Ural Federal University) left the village of Vizhay in the northern Ural Mountains on a two-week ski trek, through a region called Sverdlovsk Oblast, the "gateway to Siberia" in Russia. In Russia a "tourist" is a serious outdoorsman. T...
Dyatlov Pass Part 1
September 12, 2015 01:30 - 1 hourBackground: On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as 'tourists' in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute (which is now the Ural Federal University) left the village of Vizhay in the northern Ural Mountains on a two-week ski trek, through a region called Sverdlovsk Oblast, the "gateway to Siberia" in Russia. In Russia a 'tourist' is a serious outdoorsman. The goal was to reach Otorten Mountain at...
Dyatlov Pass (Part 1 of 2)
September 12, 2015 01:30 - 1 hourBackground: On January 27, 1959, a group of outdoor enthusiasts, known as 'tourists' in Russia, consisting of seven men and two women, mostly students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute (which is now the Ural Federal University) left the village of Vizhay in the northern Ural Mountains on a two-week ski trek, through a region called Sverdlovsk Oblast, the "gateway to Siberia" in Russia. In Russia a 'tourist' is a serious outdoorsman. The goal was to reach Otorten Mountain a...
The Fermi Paradox
August 29, 2015 04:46 - 1 hourBackground: While having lunch near the Los Alamos National Laboratory one day with the likes of Edward Teller, "father of the nuclear bomb" Nobel Prize winning physicist Enrico Fermi wondered out loud (after the topic of recent UFO sightings came up) "Where is everybody?" Basically what he meant was, if the universe is so seemingly infinite and old, and it's mathematically probable that other star systems have developed intelligent life like ours has, and it's also theoretically possible ...
Oak Island Money Pit Part 4 - The Theories
August 12, 2015 00:07 - 3 hoursIf you can't click on these links, visit our astonishinglegends.com. Legend: Pirate treasure? English, French or Spanish military plunder? The secret Rosicrucian works of Sir Francis Bacon and therefore also the possible original missing folios of Shakespeare? Or perhaps the greatest sacred antiquities lost to history, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the Spear of Longinus or the menorah from King Solomon's temple? Or maybe it's all just natural geological processes ...
Oak Island Money Pit Part 4
August 12, 2015 00:07 - 3 hoursLegend: Pirate treasure? English, French or Spanish military plunder? The secret Rosicrucian works of Sir Francis Bacon and therefore also the possible original missing folios of Shakespeare? Or perhaps the greatest sacred antiquities lost to history, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the Spear of Longinus or the menorah from King Solomon's temple? Or maybe it's all just natural geological processes forming a sinkhole, plain and simple? These are just some of the theories...
Oak Island Money Pit Part 3
August 04, 2015 15:40 - 1 hourLegend: Pirate treasure? English, French or Spanish military plunder? The secret Rosicrucian works of Sir Francis Bacon and therefore also the possible original missing folios of Shakespeare? Or perhaps the greatest sacred antiquities lost to history, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the Spear of Longinus or the menorah from King Solomon's temple? Or maybe it's all just natural geological processes forming a sinkhole, plain and simple? These are just some of the theories...
Oak Island Money Pit Part 2
July 21, 2015 15:39 - 1 hourLegend: Pirate treasure? English, French or Spanish military plunder? The secret Rosicrucian works of Sir Francis Bacon and therefore also the possible original missing folios of Shakespeare? Or perhaps the greatest sacred antiquities lost to history, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the Spear of Longinus or the menorah from King Solomon's temple? Or maybe it's all just natural geological processes forming a sinkhole, plain and simple? These are just some of the theories...
Oak Island Money Pit Part 1
July 07, 2015 18:54 - 1 hourLegend: Pirate treasure? English, French or Spanish military plunder? The secret Rosicrucian works of Sir Francis Bacon and therefore also the possible original missing folios of Shakespeare? Or perhaps the greatest sacred antiquities lost to history, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the Spear of Longinus or the menorah from King Solomon's temple? Or maybe it's all just natural geological processes forming a sinkhole, plain and simple? These are just some of the theories...
Collections and Connections
May 30, 2015 17:54 - 52 minutesHave you ever collected anything? Have you ever been a fan of anything or anyone? If so, how serious were you about it, how far would you go to obtain a collectible and what would be your most treasured "gets?" Background: After our cold open on Charly Charlie, Scott sits down for a discussion with Astonishing Legends' own intrepid reporter in the field, "Master" Marc D'Andre (you'll find out who called him "Master" later in the episode) to find out about two of his passions: movies and ...
Are We Ever Alone?
May 16, 2015 08:44 - 1 hourHave you ever taken a camping trip by yourself? A trip to get away? Were you alone? Are you sure? Background: Tonight we interview retired Emergency Room Physician and now published author Dr. Richard J. Goldstein who took a simple little camping trip by himself a while back and found that he was not welcome at the campsite he chose. Tonight's Quote: “Ghosts could walk freely tonight, without fear of the disbelief of men; for this night was haunted, and it would be an insensitive man who...
Spring-Heeled Jack
May 02, 2015 06:33 - 42 minutesLegend: In 1837, someone or something leapt into history in nine foot bounds, assaulting women and men, breathing fire and tearing at their clothes. What exactly was Spring-Heeled Jack? Background: Tonight we're diving into the history of Spring-Heeled Jack. We're going to take a look at one of the most detailed research papers ever done on him and try to figure out just who or what he might have been. Join us as we unravel the various sightings and take a look at all the plausible explan...
What's Gotten Into You?
April 17, 2015 17:15 - 1 hourLegend: Technically an invasive species has to kill off a pre-existing species to meet the definition of being invasive. After you hear this episode, we'll be you'll agree there are some things though that should be classified as invasive no matter what. Background: Tonight we talk with two guests. One who may never spend the night in New York City with a window open again, and another who although his Texas doctor was ultimately shot to death by a jealous husband, has a story about a vis...
The Laughing Indian
March 20, 2015 17:10 - 39 minutesLegend: There are many different levels of torment that some ghosts seem to offer, but what could be worse than mocking? Background: When our guest was 12 years old and home alone in upstate New York he experienced an encounter with something heard but not seen. Was it real? What would you have done? Listen to his tale and try to decide if you could have handled it differently. Stories If you can't click on these links, visit our website. Woodstock, New York The Lenape Tribes of the E...
John Titor and Other Time Travelers
March 07, 2015 02:08 - 1 hourLegend: Time traveler stories have abounded throughout history, but one of the most enduring ones of the past hundred years is the legend of John Titor, a man from the year 2038 who's story of how time travel works proves to be plausible. Background: There are more than few recent stories of folks appearing out of town in old photos or even a Chaplin film and we will visit the most famous of them. Even the guy who found a wormhole while fixing his kitchen sink. If you can't click on thes...
The Flirting Ghosts of Norway
February 19, 2015 21:08 - 52 minutesLegend: In the 1890's an illicit affair centered around a hotel in Norway ends badly. Are the departed lovers still hanging around the original section of the hotel's top floor? Background: Marc Brugnoni and Marisol McIlvain work for a large travel and entertainment company in their marketing department. This means they frequently are sent to exotic locations around the world to produce high-end filmed content to inspire people to come and visit. On this 2013 trip to the Geiranger Fjord i...
The Cackowski Intruder
February 06, 2015 02:11 - 1 hourLegend: A spirit visits two siblings multiple times a week for several months during their highschool years. Neither one of them knew it was happening to the other. Background: Comedy and Improv performers, writers and producers, Liz and Craig Cackowski were both visited by something almost nightly for over a year when they were in highschool. It visited them in nearly the identical way several nights a week. They never spoke of it to anyone until 10 years later when they were both out wi...
The Birds, The Psychic and Ollie the Crime-Fighting Dog
January 22, 2015 23:56 - 1 hourLegend: Bird flies at the window, death knocks at the door. According to legend, if a bird crashes into a window in your house and dies from the collision, it is a portent that someone close to you is going to die. Background: Can someone who's passed away send the living messages by manipulating our world and even other living things in it? That's what Eric Robinson says happened to him and his entire family and when you hear the details, you'll have a hard time drawing a different conc...
The Devil in the Diner
January 09, 2015 00:54 - 37 minutesBackground: Have you ever encountered someone other-worldly? Someone who seemed to exude a dark charisma that frightened you with their ability to be so magnetic? Legend: Talented comedy writer, Paula Pell, joins us in this episode for a glimpse over her shoulder at an event from her past that while fleeting, was so poignant it stuck with her for the rest of her life. A chance crossing of paths with what on the surface seemed to be a man, but upon closer inspection felt like much, much mo...
A Krampus Christmas
December 20, 2014 20:36 - 49 minutesAll pictures from The Running of the Butt Mandle in Bertchesgaden, Germany, Dec 6th 2014. Photos property of Astonishing Legends/Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess 2014 - All Rights Reserved Background: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Krampus? Every part of the world has different traditions at the end of the year. Have you ever stopped to think about the origins of those traditions? Ever stop to think they might be Pagan in nature? Well we not only stopped to think about it, we dove into it a...
Celebrity Cemetery
December 11, 2014 23:38 - 41 minutesBackground: Marc D'Andre our Correspondent at Large, is back with one of his special tours of the final resting place of not only Marilyn Monroe, but countless Hollywood icons of film and television. Put your headphones on and be transported to the park with Marc as he tells you a little bit about its residents who are probably all going to be glad to know you still care about them. Legend: A large collection of some of the most famous people in the world have been put to rest in this sma...
Amelia Earhart Vanishes (Part 2)
November 27, 2014 22:42 - 2 hoursLegend: Did Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan live short lives as castaways, or were they lost at sea after running out of fuel and ditching their Lockheed Electra 10E? Maybe they were taken prisoner, interrogated and eventually executed by the Japanese in Saipan? If none of those are right, maybe Amelia changed her identity and lived her days out as a woman named Irene Bolam who settled down in New Jersey? This episode is part 2 of a special about aviation's most famous disappearance of all t...
Amelia Earhart Vanishes Part 2
November 27, 2014 22:42 - 2 hoursLegend: Did Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan live short lives as castaways, or were they lost at sea after running out of fuel and ditching their Lockheed Electra 10E? Maybe they were taken prisoner, interrogated and eventually executed by the Japanese in Saipan? If none of those are right, maybe Amelia changed her identity and lived her days out as a woman named Irene Bolam who settled down in New Jersey? This episode is part 2 of a special about aviation's most famous disappearance of all ...
Amelia Earhart Vanishes Part 1
November 14, 2014 01:22 - 46 minutesBackground: Amelia Earhart is one of the most famous aviators in the world and she flew into the history books in July of 1937 when she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off from Lae, Papua New Guinea for Howland Island. They never made it. Come with us on part 1 of this 2 part special while we take you back to what her life was really like in the years leading up to her vanishing. Legend: There are dozens of theories about Amelia's disappearance, most of which don't hold water, but th...
Amelia Earhart Vanishes (Part 1)
November 14, 2014 01:22 - 47 minutesBackground: Amelia Earhart is one of the most famous aviators in the world and she flew into the history books in July of 1937 when she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off from Lae, Papua New Guinea for Howland Island. They never made it. Come with us on part 1 of this 2 part special while we take you back to what her life was really like in the years leading up to her vanishing. Legend: There are dozens of theories about Amelia's disappearance, most of which don't hold water, b...
Greyfriars Kirkyard Halloween Special
October 30, 2014 23:08 - 1 hourWelcome to episode 3 of Astonishing Legends! This episode is about the most well documented ongoing physical haunting in the world at the legendary Greyfriars Kirkyard Links for folks who are interested! (Links not clickable in all podcast apps, visit our website if they aren't working for you.) The Kirkyard - The Wikipedia entry on Greyfriars Kirkyard. Greyfriars Bobby - The Wikipedia page on Bobby. The Disney Movie. Covenanter's Prison - On Covenanters. A memorial to the battle....
Queen Mary & The Haunted Valentine
October 17, 2014 06:21 - 44 minutesWelcome to episode 2 of Astonishing Legends! This episode is about the floating hotel that the RMS Queen Mary has become and how she treats a couple of guests who've selected her for a romantic Valentine's Day getaway. Links for folks who are interested! (Links not clickable in all podcast apps, visit our website if they aren't working for you.) The RMS Queen Mary - The Wikipedia entry on the Queen Mary.. The award for the fastest Atlantic crossing by a cruise ship, the Blue Riband. ...
Hollywood Ending
October 02, 2014 19:28 - 26 minutesWelcome to the first episode of Astonishing Legends! This episode is about what The City of Angels gives back when you come here seeking fame and fortune and includes a death tour among the Hollywood Hills with a visit to a particularly macabre destination at the end. Links for folks who are interested! (Links work best in iOS only on iTunes or on our webpage at astonishinglegends.com) Full URL's shared at bottom of text if your podcast app doesn't show them as clickable. On Dorothy St...