This week we talk about the dark history of masks. Lunatics Radio Hour, episode 198, anywhere you listen to podcasts. www.lunaticsproject.com/episodes

Oslo is known for its mix of medieval roots, 17th-century planning, and modern architecture. It is home to government institutions, museums, and coastal neighborhoods that reflect both its Viking-era origins and its present-day role as a global city.

Viscri is a Saxon village founded in the 12th century and later settled by German-speaking colonists in Transylvania. It developed as a rural farming community and remained largely unchanged for centuries.

In February 1855, residents across Devon, England reported discovering thousands of unusual hoof-like footprints in fresh snow. According to contemporary newspaper accounts, the tracks appeared in dozens of communities and were said to cross walls, rooftops, frozen rivers, and other obstacles.

The Nightmare was painted by Henry Fuseli in 1781. And went on to inspire some of your favorite horror works.

Viscri Fortified Church was built in the 12th century and later strengthened in the 15th and 16th centuries by the local Saxon community. It was designed as both a place of worship and a defensive structure.

Sibiu was founded in the 12th century by Saxon settlers and became one of the most important cities in Transylvania. It developed as a major center for trade, crafts, and administration due to its strategic location.

This week on Lunatics Radio Hour, we're stepping away from history and into fiction with two chilling short stories: Shadows by Jon Adcock and Family, Like Branches by Marisca Pichette. Lunatics Radio Hour, episode 196 - anywhere you listen to podcast. buff.ly/4KcUUfe

The Bell Witch legend is one of the most documented haunt narratives in American folklore, originating in early 19th-century Tennessee. It centers on reported disturbances affecting the Bell family between 1817 and 1820, recorded in later accounts and regional histories.

Located in Paris’s Bastille district, Dr. Feelgood became one of the city’s best-known rock and metal bars after opening in the early 2010s. Named after the legendary British pub-rock band and the famous Mötley Crüe album.

Many well-known horror films have their roots in the theatre. Plays provided early frameworks for suspense, confined settings, and psychological tension that later translated naturally into cinema. buff.ly/g2eeXDR #HorrorHistory #FilmHistory #Theatre

The Circle of Lebanon at Highgate Cemetery was constructed in 1839 as part of the original West Cemetery design. It is centered around a large cedar of Lebanon tree, which predates the cemetery itself and was incorporated into the layout.

Episode 195 of Lunatics Radio Hour is out now. This week we’re talking about UFOs, strange celestial events, and possible alien encounters recorded during medieval times. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Bran Castle was first built in 1377 as a fortress to defend the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. It was constructed by Saxon settlers and played a strategic role in controlling trade routes through the region.

The Paris Catacombs stretch for miles beneath the city, holding the remains of more than six million people. Originally created from abandoned quarries, the tunnels became an underground burial site in the late 1700s after Paris cemeteries became dangerously overcrowded.

Cedar Dell in Green-Wood Cemetery is one of Brooklyn’s most serene and quietly striking landscapes.

Montmartre Cemetery was opened in 1825 and built inside an abandoned quarry beneath the streets of Paris.

The opening sequence of Weapons is masterful. The filmmakers pair George Harrison’s song Beware of Darkness from 1970, with footage of children running away from their homes in the middle of the night with their arms outstretched. .

Episode 194 of Lunatics Radio Hour is out now. This week we’re talking about the Green Children of Woolpit, one of the strangest medieval legends ever recorded. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Trinity College Library is one of the most famous libraries in the world and is part of Trinity College Dublin, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.

Egyptian Avenue at Highgate Cemetery was built in 1839 as part of the cemetery’s original design. It reflects the Victorian-era fascination with ancient Egypt, which grew after Napoleon’s campaigns and continued archaeological discoveries.

Brașov was founded by Saxon settlers in the 13th century and became an important commercial center in Transylvania due to its location on key trade routes.

Episode 193 of Lunatics Radio Hour is out now. This week we’re diving into the history of the Paris Catacombs. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Viscri Fortified Churchyard is located within the outer grounds of the fortified church complex. It has been used for centuries as the burial site for the local Saxon community.

Calvary Cemetery in Queens is one of the largest cemeteries in the United States, established in 1848 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

Hidden beneath the shadow of Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre Cemetery is one of the most atmospheric places in Paris. Opened in 1825 on the site of an abandoned quarry, the cemetery is filled with towering tombs, winding paths, and the graves of artists, writers, and musicians who helped shape French culture

Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, Texas, is the city’s oldest public cemetery, established in 1839. It was originally divided into sections based on race and religion, reflecting segregation practices of the time.

This week Abby is joined by Alex Goleman to read two haunting stories about grief and death. 🩶 Forgiving Amy was written by Mike Macera. 🩶 In Life and Death was written by Sam Logan. Lunatics Radio Hour, episode 192 - anywhere you listen to podcasts. buff.ly/rVlc5v4

Peleș Castle was commissioned by King Carol I of Romania and construction began in 1873. It served as a royal summer residence and was one of the first castles in Europe to have electricity.

Biertan is a fortified Saxon village first established in the 13th century. It became an important religious center and was home to a Lutheran bishopric for nearly 300 years.

The highest point in Paris, Sacré-Cœur Basilica looks centuries older than it actually is. Construction began in 1875 after France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Finished in 1914 and officially consecrated in 1919, Sacré-Cœur remains one of the most visited monuments in France.

Long before Salem became the headline, Connecticut was already holding witch trials in early colonial America. buff.ly/frrswcW

Which horror movie has the most terrifying concept? Not jump scares or execution, but the scariest central concept.

This week Abby sits down with Kate Rotunda to explore the history of birds in horror and why these animals continue to symbolize death, fear, and chaos across film and folklore. Listen to episode 191 of the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast, anywhere you listen to podcast. buff.ly/rVlc5v4

In the 1970s and 80s, Disney was trying to shift the age of its audience older. In 1983, Disney released Something Wicked This Way Comes, and in ‘79 The Black Hole was released. Producer Ron Miller was pitched the idea by Tom Leetch, who said “This could be our Exorcist.” buff.ly/Nvso8W7

St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of London’s most recognizable landmarks, but the building you see today isn’t the first one on this site. There has been a cathedral dedicated to St. Paul here since 604 AD.

If you had to be a villain in a horror movie, (you HAVE to), who are you picking and why?

Brompton Cemetery opened in 1840 in West London as part of the city’s response to overcrowded and unsanitary churchyard burials.

For all those wondering, the Citizen Kane "jump scare" moment that we talk about in episode 190 (the one Alan thinks is "so dumb.")

Brompton Cemetery, London. Part 4. 🪦 🖤 💫 Brompton Cemetery has undergone multiple phases of restoration since the 1990s, including a major conservation project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to repair monuments, restore pathways, and improve public access while preserving history.

This week Lunatics Radio Hour dives into the history of the jump scare, from early psychological horror to the famous “Lewton Bus” scene in Cat People that helped define the technique for generations of horror films. buff.ly/rVlc5v4 Listen to Episode 190 of Lunatics Radio Hour.

Brompton Cemetery, London. Part 3. 🪦 🖤 💫 Brompton Cemetery sits over part of the West London Line, which runs through a tunnel beneath the cemetery. When it was built in the 1840s, this created engineering challenges and influenced the layout of graves and pathways above.

Happy Mother’s Day to all those who celebrate! So on this Mother’s Day here is a list showcasing the most deranged and disturbing matriarchs in horror.

Brompton Cemetery, London. Part 2. 🪦 🖤 💫 Brompton Cemetery was originally operated by the West of London and Westminster Cemetery Company, one of several private companies formed in the 19th century to create large, landscaped cemeteries outside central London.

In 1954 Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder was released, it was adopted from a play that premiered in 1952 on television through the BBC. I got curious about other horror and thriller films that were first written for the stage. Here are the best horror movies based on plays. buff.ly/5j8ifOh

Brompton Cemetery, London. Part 1. 🪦 🖤 💫 Brompton Cemetery was opened in 1840 as one of London’s “Magnificent Seven” garden cemeteries, created to address overcrowded parish burial grounds. It was designed by architect Benjamin Baud in a landscaped style inspired by Père Lachaise in Paris.

You can erase one horror movie from existence so you can watch it again fresh. What do you pick?

Did you know that Andrew Jackson allegedly met the Bell Witch? This week we discuss one of the most documented hauntings in American folklore. Lunatics Radio Hour Episode 189, anywhere you listen to podcasts. buff.ly/YrDvqqS

Karl Marx (1818–1883) is buried in Highgate Cemetery, in the East Cemetery. His grave is marked by a large monument topped with a bust of Marx, which was erected in 1956 by the Communist Party of Great Britain.

A contagious curse is a prolific horror trope, one typically defined by victims being able to accidentally catch a curse. Like a cold. Movies like Smile, The Ring, Drag Me to Hell, The Grudge, and It Follows come to mind.