The Dark Origins of Fairy Tales

Japanese nuclear worker Hisashi Ouchi is often called on the internet “the world’s most radioactive man.” That’s not exactly true, but it gets the point across about how severe the fatal dose of radiation he received was.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

It is to the great nation of Canada’s lasting credit that it has prized Terry Fox as one of the most beloved and admired citizens for nearly 50 years now. It’s difficult to get across how much he means to Canada. Lucky for us, his story speaks for itself.See omnystudio.com/listen ... Show More

The 1920s were just absolutely nuts. People got into weird fads really intensely and one of the strangest of all was flagpole sitting. It’s just what it sounds like – sitting on top of a flagpole for as long as you can. One man sat above them all. Learn all about him and many of ... Show More

Welcome to the Dark History podcast. Princesses. They’re gorgeous, they’re happy, they’re all sparkles and rainbows and everything good. But what if I told you the stories behind some of our favorite princesses are dark? Like DARK dark. In today’s episode, we look at some of our ... Show More

Fantasy doesn’t always stay fiction. Sometimes it creeps into reality, and as we grow older those childhood fairy tales gain a whole new meaning. First, Sapphire reads a magical tale about a baker with a dark, delectable secret. Next, join Markeia as she follows a young occultist ... Show More

Irish folktales tell of stolen children, whisked away in the dead of night by the fairies. These children were taken to act as servants, to sate the curiosity of fairies curious about human children, or as an act of revenge. In the stolen child's place, they would leave a fairy c ... Show More

There are some very unpleasant people in fairy tales! 

This Swiss fairy tale takes a look at the dark things that can happen at a remote forest cottage... and reminds us that not all good Samaritans are rewarded for their deeds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

<p>Fairy tales exist everywhere and in every time.&nbsp;Through centuries of oral tradition and the invention of print and later advances in television and film, fairy tales have altered and shaped themselves in reflection of changing cultural norms.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In this episo ... Show More

The original stories of Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, despite their Disney adaptations and being fairy tales largely told to children, are incredibly violent and gruesome. They have murder, kidnapping, and, of course, hot dance moves. Bluebeard is, unsurprisingly, a man ... Show More

The truth is rarely the only story. Every Wednesday, we take a skeptical look at history's most controversial events and cover-ups… What's really at Area 51? How did Princess Diana die? Are the Illuminati controlling everything? Conspiracy Theories premieres Wednesday January 31s ... Show More