In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence in society swept across North America.
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Oct 12
Lizzie Borden Took an Axe...Or Did She?
Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother 40 whacks… The popular schoolyard rhyme has withstood the test of time, despite it getting a few details wrong. Over 130 years later, we still don’t really know who killed Andrew and Abby Borden. Lizzie was acquitted, and yet most peop ... Show More
48m 19s
Oct 5
Secret Agent Scam: The Lies, Lives, and Wives of Will Jordan
For nearly twenty years, a charming con man poses as a globe-trotting CIA operative, seducing women and draining their savings in the name of “classified missions”—until one wife uncovers his lies and helps bring down the man she thought she would share her life with. Sources for ... Show More
45m 35s
Oct 2020
Satanic Panic Pt. 2: Serial Killers
In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence ... Show More
42m 13s
Oct 2020
Satanic Panic Pt. 1: Origins
In the 1980s, “Satanic Panic” was a mass hysteria that consumed communities and ruined lives—all over things that never even happened. In this new five-part series, we’re examining the origins of the panic, tracing back through the decades to see how the fear of Satan’s influence ... Show More
44m 56s
Oct 2022
60: Dungeons, Dragons, and Satan Worship
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. What scares parents more than anything else? It’s the Devil, of course. And it wasn’t too long ago where this fear turned into a nationwide craze. In today’s episode we’ll talk about how Satan invaded our board games, music, even our classroom ... Show More
39m 31s
Jan 2025
CLASSIC: Church Burning, Metal, and Scandinavian ‘Satanists’
In the 1990s international media was captivated by a bizarre epidemic of church arsons in Norway, often attributing these crimes to so-called Satanic groups and individuals in Norway's black metal scene. This was wrapped up in the larger phenomenon of "Satanic Panic", a widesprea ... Show More
43m 48s
Oct 2021
New England versus Vampires, Part One: The Brutal, Terrifying Life of Early Colonists
<p>While historians continue to explore the details of the infamous Salem witch trials, another, earlier panic swept through New England -- something modern historians often refer to as the "Vampire Panic." In part one of this two-part series, Ben is joined again with guest host ... Show More
37m 21s
Oct 2025
Introducing: The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall
Listen now to the first episode of Sarah's new 8-part series with CBC Podcasts, The Devil You Know. In the 1980s and 90s, Satan and his followers were accused of brainwashing children, sacrificing babies, and infiltrating North American society on a massive scale — yet these thou ... Show More
41m 10s