Mania
53 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 44 ratingsThe Mania Podcast explores dark, historical stories, casting light on wicked events and individuals from before modern times. From Victorian superstitions to bizarre, Medieval witchcraft, our labyrinth of iniquity, mystery, and nightmares await. Here, the dead return to share their tales, only now the living listen.
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Episodes
Malefic, 1899: The Vampire of Düsseldorf I
February 25, 2023 14:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBThis the first episode in the two part series of The Vampire of Düsseldorf. We find ourselves in early 20th century Germany to pursue a killer whose entire life and crimes were instrumental in helping the psychologist Carl Berg define the term 'sadism'. For this half, we will focus on the shocking nature of Peter Kürten's upbringing, his adolescence, and his first brushes with murder. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this...
A Family's Blood, 1871
April 26, 2022 22:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBAfter the Bender family settles in the Osage township in 1871, bodies begin popping up in nearby creeks. As suspicions mount amongst the neighbours, the truth starts rearing its head, but it will be more shocking than anybody could have imagined. Music by Luella Gren. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
Family Blood, 1871
April 26, 2022 22:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBAfter the Bender family settles in the Osage township in 1871, bodies begin popping up in nearby creeks. As suspicions mount amongst the neighbours, the truth starts rearing its head, but it will be more shocking than anybody could have imagined. Music by Luella Gren. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Letter from the Devil, 1676
November 20, 2021 00:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBAs nuns go missing in a late 17th century Benedictine convent, Abbess Agatha must root out the evil lurking in her priory. With one particular sister's behaviour becoming terribly erratic, she suspects the Devil himself is at work. The aftermath will leave a cypher so inhumanly complex—it wouldn't be deciphered for nearly four centuries. In Italy, that letter is still safeguarded today. Thank you to Luella Gren for providing the delightful main and outro theme, Old Time Circus. Support the...
To Hold a Beating Heart: Immortal Victorian Surgeries
October 31, 2021 22:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBLives held by single threads. Beating hearts clutched in hands. For this Halloween finale to the second season, we pursue three remarkable procedures catalogued from the 19th century. Surgeries so groundbreaking that they were published, discussed, (and sometimes scorned), amidst scores of Victorian medical professionals. In the previous episode, we discussed dubious and downright comical remedies, but today's narrative attests to the bold courage of Victorian surgeons, anatomists, and pati...
Crow's Vomit & Magic Pigeons: Curious Victorian Remedies
October 22, 2021 21:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBWe've all heard of bloodletting and leeches, but what of tobacco smoke enemas, crow vomit ointments, and magic pigeons? In this surprisingly educational excursion, we explore three curious remedies from the annals of 19th and 18th century medicine. This topic was voted for by patrons of the show! Research for this episode would not have been possible without "The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth & Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine". An excellent read for any history buffs. Music...
Jane Toppan the Angel of Death, 1887
August 19, 2021 01:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBAppearing after the wake of Lavinia Fisher is one of America's deadliest serial killers from the mid 19th century. Arising from the tragic demise of her mother and subsequent abandonment by her father, Honora Kelley, (more infamously regarded as Jane Toppan), entered the world of medicine only to use her training to exact ruthless destruction upon innocent lives. Though grand, Jane's aspirations were simple: "to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever liv...
The Legend of Lavinia Fisher, 1818
August 04, 2021 20:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBLavinia and her Six Mile Wayfarer House were a match made in Hell. Hers is a vital, bloody piece of American history that showcases the dangers of oral tradition, and how truth becomes twisted with fiction. Follow this femme fatale down a path of wanton destruction where no regret or shame follows. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Truths We Bury, 1743
June 23, 2021 22:00 - 12 minutes - 8.6 MBA mother in rural Ireland carries the burden of a curse that she may not survive. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Mortification of John Downing, 1762
May 05, 2021 22:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBA family of eight in Wattisham, England is plagued with a deadly disease with no solution, but the real illness is paranoia. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Will of Elephants, 1965
April 14, 2021 22:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBUncovering the sudden murder rampage of Charles Whitman. Beneath this dumbfounding act of terror are poignant questions concerning free will, the justice system, and the complex moral discussions sparked by murderers like Whitman. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Canary in the Belfry, 1895
February 04, 2021 08:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBSome demons do their most gruesome work in churches. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Art of Madness, 1843
December 06, 2020 23:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBPainter Richard Dadd is the embodiment of a tragic tale, containing a bright future dashed too soon and an irreconcilable event which darkens his fate forevermore. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Cannibal of St. Bonnot, 1572
November 14, 2020 23:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBRumours of a werewolf are spreading in a rural town in France. Gilles Garnier, a hermit on the outskirts, becomes closer to the drama than he'd like. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Creating Cadavers: The West Port Murders, 1828
October 29, 2020 01:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBThe city of Edinburgh undergoes a rash of killings in 1828, though the killers aren't men of passion, but enterprise. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Culling Innocence, 1866
June 01, 2020 04:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBThe soulless killings of Elizabeth Dyer, the "Ogress of Reading". Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Red Inn, 1831
May 18, 2020 05:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBThe tragedy of a servant working for a very bloody establishment. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Dying for Answers, 1921
April 27, 2020 07:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBA professor and spiritualist conducts a harrowing experiment. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Mortal Sacrifice: A Plague Story, 1665
April 02, 2020 03:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBA small, forgettable village in 1665 England makes an unforgettable sacrifice. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
THE WHITE CITY RIPPER IV: Becoming Evil, 1896
February 27, 2020 17:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBThe full killing career of H.H. Holmes, summarised and dissected. The infamous Chicago serial murderer who confessed to twenty-seven homicides is nothing sort of mysterious, diabolical, and depraved to a comical degree. On the outside, a well-to-do 1800's entrepreneur with an eye for investment opportunity, as long as he can take a shortcut: murder. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
Becoming Evil, 1896: The White City Ripper IV
February 27, 2020 17:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBThe full killing career of H.H. Holmes, summarised and dissected. The infamous Chicago serial murderer who confessed to twenty-seven homicides is nothing sort of mysterious, diabolical, and depraved to a comical degree. On the outside, a well-to-do 1800's entrepreneur with an eye for investment opportunity, as long as he can take a shortcut: murder. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Becoming Evil, 1896 | THE WHITE CITY RIPPER IV
February 27, 2020 17:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBThe full killing career of H.H. Holmes, summarised and dissected. The infamous Chicago serial murderer who confessed to twenty-seven homicides is nothing sort of mysterious, diabolical, and depraved to a comical degree. On the outside, a well-to-do 1800's entrepreneur with an eye for investment opportunity, as long as he can take a shortcut: murder. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
THE WHITE CITY RIPPER III: At All Costs, 1888
February 01, 2020 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBAfter his precious trunk is discovered by local authorities, H.H. Holmes' story only gets more strange. This episode features the unbelievably true recount of a serial killer's chase with a detective, all the while carting around a ticking time bomb of a decomposing corpse worth a fortune. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
At All Costs, 1888: The White City Ripper III
February 01, 2020 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBAfter his precious trunk is discovered by local authorities, H.H. Holmes' story only gets more strange. This episode features the unbelievably true recount of a serial killer's chase with a detective, all the while carting around a ticking time bomb of a decomposing corpse worth a fortune. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
At All Costs, 1888 | THE WHITE CITY RIPPER III
February 01, 2020 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBAfter his precious trunk is discovered by local authorities, H.H. Holmes' story only gets more strange. This episode features the unbelievably true recount of a serial killer's chase with a detective, all the while carting around a ticking time bomb of a decomposing corpse worth a fortune. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
Dead Weight, 1888 | THE WHITE CITY RIPPER II
January 25, 2020 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBThe second episode in pursuit of the serial killer H. H. Holmes. Holmes undertakes the elaborate job of faking his own demise. As it so happens, the task of smuggling a corpse onto a public train is not the least bit unsuspicious. In this segment we explore the motives, mindset, and details behind an entrepreneur whose products are largely human remains, and Holmes' dark misadventure with life insurance fraud. Music Intro: The Forgotten Memories, Luella Gren Inner: Bagatelle En Mineur, Fra...
Dead Weight, 1888: The White City Ripper II
January 25, 2020 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBThe second episode in pursuit of the serial killer H. H. Holmes. Holmes undertakes the elaborate job of faking his own demise. As it so happens, the task of smuggling a corpse onto a public train is not the least bit unsuspicious. In this segment we explore the motives, mindset, and details behind an entrepreneur whose products are largely human remains, and Holmes' dark misadventure with life insurance fraud. Music Intro: The Forgotten Memories, Luella Gren Inner: Bagatelle En Mineur, Fra...
THE WHITE CITY RIPPER II - Dead Weight, 1888
January 25, 2020 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBThe second episode in pursuit of the serial killer H. H. Holmes. Holmes undertakes the elaborate job of faking his own demise. As it so happens, the task of smuggling a corpse onto a public train is not the least bit unsuspicious. In this segment we explore the motives, mindset, and details behind an entrepreneur whose products are largely human remains, and Holmes' dark misadventure with life insurance fraud. Music Intro: The Forgotten Memories, Luella Gren Inner: Bagatelle En Mineur, Fra...
THE WHITE CITY RIPPER II: Dead Weight, 1888
January 25, 2020 05:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBThe second episode in pursuit of the serial killer H. H. Holmes. Holmes undertakes the elaborate job of faking his own demise. As it so happens, the task of smuggling a corpse onto a public train is not the least bit unsuspicious. In this segment we explore the motives, mindset, and details behind an entrepreneur whose products are largely human remains, and Holmes' dark misadventure with life insurance fraud. Music Intro: The Forgotten Memories, Luella Gren Inner: Bagatelle En Mineur, Fra...
Beyond the Pale, 1886: The White City Ripper I
December 15, 2019 19:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBOne of America's most notorious serial killers is given a fresh light. The con artist and murderer is revived so that more lifelike tales previously overlooked in his autobiography can be resurfaced amongst the overly fabricated string of tall stories about his 'Murder Hotel'. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
THE WHITE CITY RIPPER I - Beyond the Pale, 1886
December 15, 2019 19:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBOne of America's most notorious serial killers is given a fresh light. The con artist and murderer is revived so that more lifelike tales previously overlooked in his autobiography can be resurfaced amongst the overly fabricated string of tall stories about his 'Murder Hotel'. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
THE WHITE CITY RIPPER I: Beyond the Pale, 1886
December 15, 2019 19:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBOne of America's most notorious serial killers is given a fresh light. The con artist and murderer is revived so that more lifelike tales previously overlooked in his autobiography can be resurfaced amongst the overly fabricated string of tall stories about his 'Murder Hotel'. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
Beyond the Pale, 1886 | THE WHITE CITY RIPPER I
December 15, 2019 19:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBOne of America's most notorious serial killers is given a fresh light. The con artist and murderer is revived so that more lifelike tales previously overlooked in his autobiography can be resurfaced amongst the overly fabricated string of tall stories about his 'Murder Hotel'. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
Where No Light Persists, 1874
December 01, 2019 06:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBIn 1874, a Parisian socialite by the name of Blanche Monnier must face the wrath of her family's punishment against her. Blanche's story encapsulates themes of unendurable torture, familial betrayal, and the wastage of human potential on frivolous ideals or principles. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
A Curious Collection of Ghostly Tales, 1130
November 14, 2019 00:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBNot houses nor mansions, but mines and kitchens. Ghosts come in countless forms. This episode demonstrates some truly bizarre recounts from trusted voices within their time. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
All Hallow's Eve Special | London: A Carnival of Gallows, 1777
November 01, 2019 02:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBThank you for an amazing first year of Mania! I am thrilled to present something to commemorate my wonderful listeners and the first stepping year of this dark journey. A CARNIVAL OF GALLOWS is an episode that we filmed in London while we investigated the details behind the story. It follows a young highwaymen and his fatal journey to Tyburn. Although the audio is available here, I encourage you to go find the full experience on YouTube! Here is the link: https://youtu.be/kxlbs6uq3Jo Supp...
London: A Carnival of Gallows, 1777: All Hallow's Eve Special
November 01, 2019 02:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBThank you for an amazing first year of Mania! I am thrilled to present something to commemorate my wonderful listeners and the first stepping year of this dark journey. A CARNIVAL OF GALLOWS is an episode that we filmed in London while we investigated the details behind the story. It follows a young highwaymen and his fatal journey to Tyburn. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
London: A Carnival of Gallows, 1777 | All Hallow's Eve Special
November 01, 2019 02:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBThank you for an amazing first year of Mania! I am thrilled to present something to commemorate my wonderful listeners and the first stepping year of this dark journey. A CARNIVAL OF GALLOWS is an episode that we filmed in London while we investigated the details behind the story. It follows a young highwaymen and his fatal journey to Tyburn. Although the audio is available here, I encourage you to go find the full experience on YouTube! Here is the link: https://youtu.be/kxlbs6uq3Jo Supp...
The Pied Piper from Hell, 1384
September 19, 2019 15:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBWhat does witchcraft, rats, and missing children have in common? More than you might think, actually, but usually very little. That is, until a bizarre individual with cloven feet and horns visits the sleepy town of Hamelin in 1384. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Hysteria, 1560 | DEMON III
August 30, 2019 18:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBA phenomena which perfectly encapsulates the madness and storm of assumptions spawned by demonic possession. In this final instalment of DEMON, we explore the theme of mass hysteria and political manipulation via public exorcisms. Though demons are eternally the villain in these tales, what they bring out in their 'victims' seems to be a much more complex and very real evil. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click her...
DEMON III - Hysteria, 1560
August 30, 2019 18:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBA phenomena which perfectly encapsulates the madness and storm of assumptions spawned by demonic possession. In this final instalment of DEMON, we explore the theme of mass hysteria and political manipulation via public exorcisms. Though demons are eternally the villain in these tales, what they bring out in their 'victims' seems to be a much more complex and very real evil. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
DEMON II: The Exorcism of Madame de Rainfaing, 1618
July 03, 2019 01:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBA widow in 17th century France may find her soul in the clutches of a demon. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
The Exorcism of Madame de Rainfaing, 1618 | DEMON II
July 03, 2019 01:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBA widow in 17th century France may find her soul in the clutches of a demon. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Possession of Jeanne Anges, 1626 | DEMON I
May 22, 2019 05:32 - 37 minutes - 26 MBA plague and the possession of a single nun will bring utter chaos to an otherwise peaceful Loudun in 1626, France. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
DEMON I: The Possession of Jeanne Anges, 1626
May 22, 2019 05:32 - 37 minutes - 26 MBA plague and the possession of a single nun will bring utter chaos to an otherwise peaceful Loudun in 1626, France. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/harlequingrim)
The Murders of Notre-Dame, 1821
April 30, 2019 05:28 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBDiscover another side of the famous writer Victor Hugo and the abominable source of inspiration for one of his crowning pieces: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Famine, 1590
April 09, 2019 23:43 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBThe Siege of Paris in 1590 uncovers harrowing details of a city populace when pushed beyond starvation. (This episode contains historically inaccurate information and will be revised soon.) Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Wind-Up Rider: A Night With a Headless Horseman, 1853
March 25, 2019 08:18 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBOne evening in 1853 of Galway, Ireland, the pleasant aroma of light rain on soil is tainted by something foul. A scent which burns the senses and forebodes of a presence far more sinister than death itself. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
Without Remorse, 1560
March 12, 2019 06:08 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBWill you take a stroll with me into the Čachtice Castle? I hear that Countess Báthory lives here. I wouldn’t take off your coat … it wouldn’t be safe to stay here for too long, what with the rumours and all. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.
The Art of Resurrection, 1803
January 17, 2019 04:13 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBBeginning with Luigi Galvani himself, this episode of Mania treads down a winding corridor that explores the same events which inspired Mary Shelley’s The Modern Prometheus, also known as Frankenstein, and digs at the heart of the dark realities behind the gory moments of Galvanic reanimation. Support the show Thank you for enjoying this Grim Theatre production! To support stories and art like this, click here.