After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

Author: History Hit Language: English Episodes: 100
There’s a side to history that doesn’t make it into the standard textbooks, one filled with unexplained events, chilling folklore, and criminal acts that defy easy explanation. That’s precisely the territory explored in After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal. Hosted by historians Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, this series from History Hit ventures into the shadowy archives of our past every Monday and Thursday. Each episode feels like a deep dive into a long-forgotten case file or a whispered campfire tale, treating these subjects with a historian’s rigor and a storyteller’s flair. You’ll hear them dissect everything from infamous witch trials and the enigmatic legacy of Harry Houdini to accounts of haunted locations and perplexing aerial phenomena. The conversation is engaging and thoughtful, never sensational, even when the topics are inherently sensational. It’s a podcast for anyone curious about the intersections of fact, fear, and folklore, offering a compelling listen that proves the past is rarely as simple or as settled as it seems. By focusing on these overlooked narratives, Delaney and Pelling provide a unique and fascinating lens on human culture and our enduring fascination with the mysterious.
Episodes
Who Was The Ultimate Tudor Traitor? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:53
The Tudor court was dangerous and high stakes at the best of times, where survival could often mean betraying others.Enter: Jane Boleyn, thrust into the Tudor limelight when her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn, marries Henry…
The Railway Murder That Shook Victorian Britain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:42
It's 1864 and the height of industrialisation. The thrill of railway travel is shattered with the first murder that takes place on it.Join Anthony and Maddy as they pick apart the murder of wealthy banker John Briggs, th…
The Dark Reality of Life at Sea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:25
Dan Snow joins After Dark to reveal the brutal reality of life of sailors during the golden age of sail. From the cat o' nine tails, to the pressgang, from scurvy to mutineers. How did people survive the most extreme con…
Dark Side of Elizabeth I [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:06
The end of Elizabeth I's life was shrouded in darkness and plots as powerful figures circled her throne. How did Elizabeth hold off contenders reaching for the crown? And did James VI & I steal it in the end?Our guest to…
Who Was Ancient Egypt's Most Evil Pharaoh? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:34
We often think of Egyptian Pharaohs as a glamorous god-king of Ancient times, yet the truth of these people is a lot, lot darker.Who was the first Pharaoh? What shocking, violent stories surround some of these figures? H…
Who Was Ancient Rome's Darkest Emperor? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:51
There are a disturbingly high number of contenders for the title of Rome's Darkest Emperor - so as you can imagine, things get extremely disturbing in this episode.Joining Anthony and Maddy to introduce you to a couple o…
Day In The Life Of A Body Snatcher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:14
Join Anthony and Maddy as they spend a day - or should that be night? - in the life of a 19th century body snatcher.Find out which months they favoured for body snatching, why they never stole the dead body's possessions…
Georgian England's Notorious Dumpling Poisoner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:55
Did she do it? Did serving girl Eliza Fenning poison the dumplings she served the Turner family? This is a true crime case from 1813 that brings together class tensions, sexism, the law. have a go hero forensics! It's ea…
Dark Truth About Ancient Egypt's Mummification [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:16
The Ancient Egyptians had a very different idea about death than most people do today.And the idea of mummification is (excuse the pun) wrapped up in so many modern ideas, that we can lose its real purpose.Joining Anthon…
Who was the 'Man-Monster' Of New York? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:12
On June 16, 1836, in New York City, Mary Jones stood in a courtroom that was a cauldron of hatred. Mary was African American and one of the first known transgender women in US history. Anthony Delaney tells Maddy Pelling…