Macabre : Dark History

Think Christmas has always been wholesome and holy? Think again.In A Very Pagan Christmas, we rip the halo off the holiday and dive headfirst into its messier origins — from the boozy chaos of Saturnalia, to bonfires, goat symbolism, and the general “let’s survive winter” vibes of Yule. We even take a detour into the nightmare fuel that is Perchtenlauf — because nothing says seasonal cheer like demon masks and public terror.We unpack how Christianity quietly rebranded all of this into Christmas, why the joy-killing Puritans literally banned the holiday, and how the Victorian era dragged it back from the dead, added mistletoe, and told us all to behave.It’s festive. It’s forbidden. It’s historically unhinged — and it’ll make you question everything you were taught about Christmas.EXCLUSIVE FEED Spotify subscribers get ad free content, early access and exclusive bonus episodes .Paid supporters on Patreon, Join us for Macabre Movie Nights and Game Nights :⁠⁠ Macabre Patreon⁠⁠Send in your stories for a future listener episode!Email us at [email protected] our private Facebook Group at :⁠⁠ MacabrePodcast⁠⁠Get Macabre Exclusive Merch @ www.gothiccthreads.comSOURCES: 🎄 Pagan & Pre-Christian TraditionsSaturnaliahttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Saturnalia-Roman-festivalhttps://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/saturnaliahttps://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/saturnalia.htmlYulehttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Yulehttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/why-winter-solstice-was-feared-by-ancient-cultureshttps://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmasPerchtenlaufhttps://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/perchtenlaufhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Perchtahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/perchtenlauf-alpine-winter-festival-180979394/https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmashttps://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/christmas.shtmlhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/christmas-history-pagan-originshttps://www.history.com/news/when-christmas-was-bannedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-christmas-was-banned-boston-180973403/https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/christmas-is-banned-in-boston.htmlhttps://www.bl.uk/victorian-britain/articles/christmas-in-victorian-britainhttps://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-treeshttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas/Victorian-revivalhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/christmas_01.shtml

In this chaotic Drunken History episode, Halley and Blaire stumble through the electrifying feud between Thomas Edison, the greedy showman who stole ideas as easily as he shocked animals for PR and Nikola Tesla—the eccentric genius with wild experiments and an unsettling devotion to pigeons . Together, we drunkenly unravel their inventions, their pettiness, and how their rivalry changed the course of history forever.Spotify subscribers get ad free content, early access and exclusive bonus episodes .Paid supporters on Patreon, Join us for Macabre Movie Nights and Game Nights :⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Macabre Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Send in your stories for a future listener episode!Email us at [email protected] our private Facebook Group at :⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MacabrePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Macabre Exclusive Merch ⁠⁠ www.gothiccthreads.com⚡ Edison vs. Nikola Tesla — Source ListEmpires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World – Jill Jonneshttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/59877/empires-of-light-by-jill-jonnes/Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age – W. Bernard Carlsonhttps://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691164543/teslaEdison: A Life of Invention – Paul Israelhttps://www.wiley.com/en-us/Edison%3A+A+Life+of+Invention-p-9780471362706The Executioner’s Current – Mark Essighttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/121694/the-executioners-current-by-mark-essig/Tesla: Man Out of Time – Margaret Cheneyhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Tesla/Margaret-Cheney/9780743215367Prodigal Genius: The Life of Nikola Tesla – John J. O’Neillhttps://archive.org/details/prodigalgeniusli00oneiWar of the Currents (Overview)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_currentsEdison vs. Tesla – U.S. Department of Energyhttps://www.energy.gov/articles/edison-vs-teslaHow Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse Battled to Electrify America – History.comhttps://www.history.com/articles/what-was-the-war-of-the-currentsThomas Edison & Nikola Tesla Feud – Biography.comhttps://www.biography.com/inventors/thomas-edison-nikola-tesla-feudEdison Papers Project – Rutgers Universityhttps://edison.rutgers.edu/

Ash fell like snow.The sky went black at noon.And an entire city took its final breath… frozen in time.In this Part 2 MACABRE Feature, The Fall of Pompeii series, "And Gods Turned Their Gaze" , Blaire takes you deep into the last hours of Pompeii—a city that lived fast, loved boldly, and died in an instant under the fury of Mount Vesuvius. Immerse yourself in this tragic tale of humanity and the wrath of nature. This is one of our most atmospheric features yet—packed with cinematic scoring, immersive sound design, and Blaire’s dark, poetic narration that brings ancient tragedy straight into your headphones.Want More MACABRE? Spotify subscribers get ad free content, early access and exclusive bonus episodes .Paid supporters on Patreon, Join us for Macabre Movie Nights and Game Nights :⁠⁠⁠⁠ Macabre Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠Send in your stories for a future listener episode!Email us at [email protected] our private Facebook Group at :⁠⁠⁠⁠ MacabrePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Macabre Exclusive Merch ⁠⁠ www.gothiccthreads.comResources: Vesuvius | Facts, Location, & Eruptions | BritannicaHome - Pompeii OnlinePompeii: Bodies, Mount Vesuvius & Herculaneum | HISTORYPompeii: A Snapshot of Ancient Roman Life | History HitWhat Was Life Like in Pompeii Before Mount Vesuvius Erupted Nearly 2,000 Years Ago?Archaeologists find records of Pompeii survivors that reveal how they rebuilt their lives | PBS NewsTimeline: PompeiiA Guide to the Pompeii ExcavationsA minute-by-minute account of the Pompeii eruption, revealed in agonizing detail | Science | AAASPompeii casts: where they are found and what they areThe two letters written by Pliny the Younger describing the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 ADLupanar of Pompeii: Secrets, Erotic Frescoes & Visitor GuideGladiatorial games in Pompeii - Pompeii OnlineHistory of archaeological excavations of Pompeii (Italy)

In tonight’s Macabre Feature, Part 1, The Fall of Pompeii, of Plight and Precipice, we’re traveling back to a moment frozen beneath ash and fire. This is one of our most atmospheric features yet—packed with cinematic scoring, immersive sound design, and Blaire’s dark, poetic narration that brings ancient tragedy straight into your headphones.A city that never saw the sky turning black, or the mountain waking up angry.A place where life… stopped mid-breathWe’re peeling back the ash, sifting through the final seconds, and walking through a tragedy so sudden it feels like the world held its breath and never exhaled.This is history at its most catastrophic… and its most human. Want More Macabre? Spotify subscribers get ad free content, early access and exclusive bonus episodes .Paid supporters on Patreon, Join us for Macabre Movie Nights and Game Nights :⁠⁠⁠⁠ Macabre Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠Send in your stories for a future listener episode!Email us at [email protected] our private Facebook Group at :⁠⁠⁠⁠ MacabrePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Macabre Exclusive Merch ⁠⁠ www.gothiccthreads.comResources: Vesuvius | Facts, Location, & Eruptions | BritannicaHome - Pompeii OnlinePompeii: Bodies, Mount Vesuvius & Herculaneum | HISTORYPompeii: A Snapshot of Ancient Roman Life | History HitWhat Was Life Like in Pompeii Before Mount Vesuvius Erupted Nearly 2,000 Years Ago?Archaeologists find records of Pompeii survivors that reveal how they rebuilt their lives | PBS NewsTimeline: PompeiiA Guide to the Pompeii ExcavationsA minute-by-minute account of the Pompeii eruption, revealed in agonizing detail | Science | AAASPompeii casts: where they are found and what they areThe two letters written by Pliny the Younger describing the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 ADLupanar of Pompeii: Secrets, Erotic Frescoes & Visitor GuideGladiatorial games in Pompeii - Pompeii OnlineHistory of archaeological excavations of Pompeii (Italy)

Step into the wardrobe… if you dare.In this episode of MACABRE: Dark History, Halley struts down the blood-soaked runway of Fashion Victims Throughout History — where the looks were lethal, the makeup was murderous, and the wigs had more bugs than a motel mattress.From deadly eyeliner that blinded, to makeup that could kill you faster than a jealous corset, to the unhinged world of Coochie Couture (yes… we’re talking merkins), Halley serves the unfiltered, unpowdered truth behind style trends that literally took people out.We’re talking:💄 Toxic cosmetics👠 Heels that slayed — and not in a cute way🎀 Wigs that crawled, exploded, and sometimes combusted🩸 Fashion statements that made their final statementPerfect for fashion lovers, haters, and anyone who has ever muttered “I’d die for that outfit” and meant it a little too literally.Grab your poisoned rouge and your towering wig cage — it’s time to walk the runway of ruin.Spotify subscribers get ad free content, early access and exclusive bonus episodes .Paid supporters on Patreon, Join us for Macabre Movie Nights and Game Nights :⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Macabre Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Send in your stories for a future listener episode!Email us at [email protected] our private Facebook Group at :⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MacabrePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Macabre Exclusive Merch ⁠⁠ www.gothiccthreads.comSOURCES: Ancient Egyptian Eyeliner & CosmeticsKohl (cosmetics) – FIT Fashion Historyhttps://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/kohl/“Eyeliner: A Cultural History” – NPR Illinoishttps://www.nprillinois.org/2023-11-29/eyeliner-a-cultural-history-traces-the-historical-significance-of-the-iconic-cosmetic“Hair and Makeup in Ancient Egypt” – Curationisthttps://www.curationist.org/editorial-features/article/hair-and-makeup-in-ancient-egyptVictorian Pale-Face Cosmetics, Toxic Makeup & Arsenic “Deadly Beauty: The Poisons Used in Makeup Through the Ages” – Discover Magazinehttps://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/deadly-beauty-the-poisons-used-in-makeup-through-the-ages-44253“Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder: How Victorians Used Common Poisons” – Molly Brown House Museumhttps://mollybrown.org/beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-how-victorians-used-common-poisons-to-become-drop-dead-gorgeous/ “Killer Clothing Was All the Rage in the 19th Century” – National Geographichttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/dress-hat-fashion-clothing-mercury-arsenic-poison-historyWigs, Wig Cages, Crawling Hairpieces18th-Century Wigs & Wigmakers – Georgian Erahttps://georgianera.wordpress.com/2023/01/09/18th-century-wigs-and-wigmakers/“A Hairy Subject — Secrecy, Shame and Victorian Wigs”https://georgianera.wordpress.com/2023/02/13/a-hairy-subject-secrecy-shame-and-victorian-wigs/Crinoline Fires, Dress Fires & Flammable Fashion(Multiple confirmed deaths & historical accounts) “Fatal Fashion: 21 Historical Fashion Trends that Led to Death” – Mediumhttps://perfectmess.medium.com/fatal-fashion-21-historical-fashion-trends-that-led-to-the-death-of-many-d1d3e58207d6Radium Cosmetics & Radioactive Beauty “Radioactive Cosmetics and Radiant Beauty” – Actas Dermohttps://www.actasdermo.org/en-radioactive-cosmetics-radiant-beauty-articulo-S1578219020302730Killer Style: How Fashion Has Injured, Maimed, and Murdered Through History — goodreads edition: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40828078-killer-style