This week, the history of Christmas traditions. We time travel back to the 4th century to learn of an early Christian Saint that serves as the origins of Santa Claus. Beginning with the true history of Saint Nicholas we follow his path to becoming the Bishop of Myra. After the verifiable tales we'll get into Saint Nicholas' folklore and legends. Finally we end with the evolution of Santa Claus and bridge the gap between ol' Saint Nick and Santa Claus. Deck the heretic, halls, whatever! in this Holiday special of The Darkives.

Sources:

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Theme music: Ways of the Wizard

Composed by: geoffharvey

Licensed through: Pixabay

Used with permission, Thank you Geoff!

Other sounds used licensed through Pixbay

• real_punches_and_slaps (Freesound)
• Chopping wood with a hatchet (Freesound)
• Magic 03 Universfield
• Harp Glissando Ascending Short Serge Quadrado Music
• Ancient Histroy BackgroundMusicMaster
• Jail Door Closing (Heavy Door) TanwerAman
• Pain/Anger Scream 2 TheLlywellyn
• Snow Lantern Waltz BFCMUSIC

used under the Pixabay Content License

Keywords: Saint Nicholas facts, miracles, myths, Christmas folklore

This week we cover the destruction of the U.S. capital and the British burning Washington D.C. in 1814. During the war of 1812 (President Madison era) few skirmishes hit harder than the British invasion of Washington after the Bladensburg battle. We cover some early American history with dramatic historical attacks that lead to the White House burning. Pull up a chair and get toasty as we listen to the new world burn in this episode of The Darkives.

Sources:

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Theme music: Ways of the Wizard

Composed by: geoffharvey

Licensed through: Pixabay

Used with permission, Thank you Geoff!

Other sounds used licensed through Pixbay

• Party horn TiesWijnen (Freesound)
• Short Crowd Cheer qubodup (Freesound)
• Sad Dramatic Music Tunetank
• Fire Sound Efftect MaxHammarbäck
• Crowd In Panic Sdanezis
• VINYL STOP ALEXIS_GAMING_CAM

used under the Pixabay Content License

Keywords: darkest moments in history, dark history podcast, shocking events in American history, lesser-known U.S. history, historical disaster, 19th century American conflicts, War of 1812 history

This week ice mummies! We 'chisel' out a few stories from The Darkives of ancient burial practices, unsettling stories, and icy tomb discoveries. Learn the stories behind Ötzi the Iceman, Inca ice mummies in the Andes, and Siberian ice burials. Let's thaw the veiled history covering these ancient and chilling archaeological mummy finds. Bundle up in something warm, we're climbing mountains to uncover the true stories of some of the most famous Ice mummies and maidens of all time.

Sources:

• https://secretsoftheice.com/ice-mummies/
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/141017-white-war-first-world-war-italy-austro-hungarian-mountains-history
• https://www.iceman.it/en/oetzi/the-body
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Otzi
• https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/03/world/ice-maiden-juanita-facial-reconstruction-scn
• https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/sacrificial-ceremony/
• https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/science/peruvian-ice-maiden
• https://www.livescience.com/38504-incan-child-mummies-lives-revealed.html
• https://www.history.com/articles/ice-maiden-mummy-siberia
• https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0b5vtbj/the-mystery-of-siberia-s-2-500-year-old-ice-maiden-

Theme music: Ways of the Wizard

Composed by: geoffharvey

Licensed through: Pixabay

Used with permission, Thank you Geoff!

Keywords: frozen mummies, ancient ice mummies, preserved bodies in ice, ice mummy discoveries, ancient human remains, ancient burial practices, eerie archaeological finds, chilling ancient mysteries, macabre historical discoveries unsettling mummy stories, Inca ice mummies, Andes sacrifice mummies, high-altitude mummies, dark history podcast episode, creepy history podcast topics, bizarre historical events, mysterious archaeological finds, ancient mysteries explained, true story of ice mummy discoveries, ancient rituals and ice burials, chilling stories from archaeological history, real history behind ice mummy legends

This week we cover some of Japan's 1915 frontier history of Sankebetsu and it's brown bear attacks. In this lesser known and shocking historical event we'll cover the terrifying animal attacks of a man eater named Kesagake and the true horror behind the most deadly bear attack in history. Grab your rifles and your lanterns, because this episode of The Darkives, we're bear hunting.

sources:

• https://www.nbcnews.com/world/japan/japan-bear-attacks-warning-americans-us-embassy-state-department-rcna243878
• https://wakokujp.com/kesagake-the-man-eater/?srsltid=AfmBOorJv5N-MVS6GqKwe5dMja9gpg-Q9UVYO3kQfFjOIYN_uWII6fML
• http://outsiderjapan.pbworks.com/w/page/25226868/Sankebetsu%20Brown%20Bear%20Incident

Theme music: Ways of the Wizard

Composed by: geoffharvey

Licensed through: Pixabay

Used with permission, Thank you Geoff!

Other sounds used licensed through Pixbay

• Window breaking- m1a2t3z4 (Freesound)
• Pots and Pans Crashing- oneOddEgg (Freesound)
• Sound of Growling bearHD- MIGHTUSER

used under the Pixabay Content License

Avast ye history lovers! Let's go back to the 18th century to learn some maritime outlaw stories throughout New England and British naval pirate history. We follow one of the most brutal pirate captains, Edward (Ned) Low and his crew of some of the most violent and terrifying real life pirates of the Caribbean. Chock-full of travels across the Atlantic, torture stories, and the worst thing for any pirate captain in the golden era of pirates, mutiny! Get your sea legs under ya and man the sails because we are sailing with someone who might be the most ruthless pirate in history.

Sources:

• https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history/2025/june/hunt-pirate-ned-low
• https://historyofmassachusetts.org/pirate-edward-low/
• https://biographics.org/edward-low-the-most-vicious-pirate-to-sail-the-seven-seas/
• https://www.worldhistory.org/Edward_Low/
• https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/people-politics/the-martyrdom-of-horst-wessel-how-a-far-right-street-fighter-became-a-nazi-icon/
• https://sillyhistory.com/2015/03/02/as-low-as-one-can-go-the-pirate-captain-ned-low/
• https://goldenageofpiracy.org/pirates/edward-low

Theme music: Ways of the Wizard

Composed by: geoffharvey

Licensed through: Pixabay

Used with permission, Thank you Geoff!

Other sounds used licensed through Pixbay

• Eilegeiya- SamuelFJohanns
• Applause, cheer- Driken5482

used under the Pixabay Content License

In this episode we get into Irelands famine history, about 100 years before The Great Potato Famine there was a mini ice age known as The Year Of The Slaughter. We will go to the beginning to find out what the caused the Irish famine, the impact on Irish farming, mass starvation and Irish deaths involved within this dark history of Ireland. Get ready to jump back to the 1740's and learn the legacy of this great famine and how the Irish rebounded after it came to its close.

Sources:

• https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/ireland-famine-history-year-slaughter
• https://www.britannica.com/science/Little-Ice-Age
• https://www.irelandsown.ie/the-great-frost-of-1740/
• https://www.irishtimes.com/news/the-great-frost-and-forgotten-famine-1.282539
• https://kids.kiddle.co/Irish_Famine_(1740%E2%80%931741)#Food_riots_and_protests
• https://www.waterfordtreasures.com/bliain-an-air-the-forgotten-famine-of-1740-41/

Theme music: Ways of the Wizard

Composed by: Geoff Harvey

Licensed through: Pixabay

Used with permission, Thank you Geoff!

In this episode... who was Geli Raubal? To answer this we travel back to a 1930's Munich apartment and dive into Nazi Germany scandals in the early life of Adolf Hitler. We'll hear stories from past lovers and dig up some dirt on the dark side of Hitlers private life. Learn how Gelli Raubal and Adolf Hitler's personal life became intertwined and shed light on one mysterious death in history. Lets crack open another one of The Darkives and delve into some history of Nazi Germany, the death of Hitlers niece and the true story of Geli Rubal's death.

Sources:

• https://allthatsinteresting.com/geli-raubal
• https://medium.com/@historyinanhour/geli-raubal-hitlers-niece-a-summary-27d3f746d939
• https://www.mamamia.com.au/geli-raubal-hitlers-niece/
• https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1992/04/hitlers-doomed-angel?srsltid=AfmBOop39UJrDg1P6KWUg6_tLPdmKLr4NWNNAMHSoYq34WrZNTZuXPAa
• https://www.history.com/articles/hitler-failed-beer-hall-putsch
• https://www.annefrank.org/en/timeline/139/hitler-as-a-soldier-in-the-first-world-war/
• https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-29/hitler-becomes-nazi-party-leader
• https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/HITLER%2C%20ADOLF%20%20MEDICAL%20ASSESSMENT%20%28DI%20FILE%29_0015.pdf
• https://historiamag.com/hitlers-sex-life/

Theme music: Ways of the Wizard

Composed by: Geoff Harvey

Licensed through: Pixabay

Used with permission, Thank you Geoff!

This week we figure out the true origins of Halloween and how the spooky traditions started. We study Celtic and Roman festivals, the pagan origins, Samhain history, and some folklore of Halloween. We'll answer questions like where did Halloween come from, how has it evolved over time, and how did Halloween in America start. We'll also get into how certain Halloween symbols came to be and the meanings behind them. We dive into popular superstitions as well as how ghosts and spirits became synonymous with Halloween celebrations around the world . This All Hallows' Eve before you go out and trick-or-treat take a little time to learn why we celebrate Halloween today and the connection it has to Samhain. Settle into your coffin, grab you favorite 'spirit', and enjoy another episode of The Darkives.

Sources:

• https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-halloween?ef_id=CjwKCAjwr8LHBhBKEiwAy47uUv58eahaMPBMnnU8lC1s2PcIVQKbjCcDnyQctD889_dpaj79gjA7aBoCqlQQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!4850!3!746629544376!e!!g!!history%20of%20halloween&cmpid=paidsearch_History_SEM-Relaunch_Holidays&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22450611986&gbraid=0AAAAAD3f9aiDm9coE0bkgI7V1B9NUcSHk&gclid=CjwKCAjwr8LHBhBKEiwAy47uUv58eahaMPBMnnU8lC1s2PcIVQKbjCcDnyQctD889_dpaj79gjA7aBoCqlQQAvD_BwE
• https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/
• https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1456/history-of-halloween/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22244257386&gbraid=0AAAAAoULJ023KF1iS7vnvdUaPms9KDwIR&gclid=CjwKCAjw0sfHBhB6EiwAQtv5qX6bpYy1a-Hc_DXwY9YaAHPh-1K8taEmsnnzTQEIikUQfb9LnxveWRoC_fgQAvD_BwE
• https://chr.org.uk/anddidthosefeet/feralia-the-roman-festival-of-the-dead-february-21st/
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parentalia-Roman-religious-festival
• https://oldsoulartisan.com/blogs/library/the-legend-of-stingy-jack?srsltid=AfmBOooaoXPD5ClNWa_Ok86fi01AvHNhJTWlswKjuMY2tB2I4lhyn48i
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cx2n7jdp0zlo

Theme music: Ways of the Wizard

Composed by: Geoff Harvey

Licensed through: Pixabay

Used with permission, Thank you Geoff!