Creepy Cures: Medicinal Leeches as a Unifying Principle

Creepy Cures: Medicinal Leeches as a Unifying Principle

Author: Jackalope Carnival January 19, 2021 Duration: 39:23
Send us Fan Mail For thousands of years leeches were the medical go to for all that ailed you. And like the modern pharma companies of today, they were big business. Let's explore the history of leeches for health and profit. But for the love of all that is healthy and holy do not take health advice solely from a podcast. But especially this podcast. And especially this episode of this podcast. Love, Jackalope Carnival xoxoxo Support the show

Ever wondered why certain legends persist or how a single strange event can ripple through centuries? Jackalope Carnival: A Sideshow of Stories is a podcast that explores exactly that, digging into the curious corners of history and culture where fact and folklore blur. Hosts Eric and Bekah act as curious guides, less interested in proving or disproving the unknown than in examining how we, as people, choose to interpret it. Each episode is a deep dive into a specific tale-be it a historical oddity, a cryptid sighting, or an enduring mystery-framed not just as a story, but as a window into human belief, fear, and imagination. The tone is conversational and engaging, feeling more like a discussion between friends who’ve found something fascinating than a formal lecture. You’ll hear them piece together narratives from historical accounts, cultural context, and sometimes a dash of the speculative, all while maintaining a respectful yet playful curiosity about their subjects. This isn’t just about spooky stuff; it’s about understanding the why behind the story. The podcast naturally finds its home at the intersection of history, culture, and society, asking what these tales say about the times and places from which they sprang. New episodes of this engaging podcast are set to return in mid-September 2025, offering fresh explorations into the weird and wonderful. So if you’re drawn to the strange threads woven into the fabric of our world, pull up a seat and listen in.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 49

Jackalope Carnival: A Sideshow of Stories
Podcast Episodes
George Rapp: Occult Garden Gnome or Cult Leader? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:09
Send us Fan Mail Thesis: History in general, and the 19th in specific, was weirder than you told. Evidence: Jackalope Carnival submits for you approval Georg Rapp, a capitalist commune cult leader, alchemist and home bre…
Hard Candy Christmas: Jackalope Carnival Holiday Special 2025, Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:42
Send us Fan Mail It's that time again folks, our annual holiday episode. This year Christmas brings fond memories of tube socks and hard candy. Enjoy this candy dish of musically inspired Christmas trivia and then listen…
Koreshan Unity: Just a Florida Man and his Hollow Earth Cult [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:11
Send us Fan Mail Whatever you do, don't put your recently deceased cult leader in a bathtub in Florida for a week to see if he'll make good on his promise to come back to life. Is it occult? Sure. Is it a cult? Sure? Do…
Hollow Earth Controversy: Pita or Arepa? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:49
Send us Fan Mail What is this hollow Earth business? What, is it the 1820s again? Or how about the 1920s? Fire up he blimp, we're heading for the North Pole in the latest episode of Jackalope Carnival where we spin anoth…
Phantom Hitchhikers: Not All Who Wander Are Alive!! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:40
Send us Fan Mail Think you know everything about this well studied trope? Think again. Jackalope Carnival will join folklorists of the past as they try to track down what is one of the oldest urban legends of them all! A…
The Goatman: Of Goats and Men, and Men Who are Goats [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:07
Send us Fan Mail Legends tell of a terrifying figure: half-man, half-goat, and fully armed with an axe. But is the Goatman a single creature wandering across America, or do multiple horned horrors haunt the land? From ee…
Southern Cousins: Wild Men and Bigfoot Kin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:28
Send us Fan Mail -Is there a connection between sightings of "wild man" in the Southern US, the Civil War and Sasquatch-like creatures? Why would anyone "buy a box of bats"? What made Bekah exclaim, "I just want a crypti…
Bell Witch: The Pettiest Poltergeist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:05
Send us Fan Mail At what point does legend become fact? Is there any evidence that the legend of the Bell Witch was concocted to cover for something more nefarious? We don’t know what strange girls in green dresses hangi…
Christmas Episode '23: Santa's Friends Are Not Okay [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:04
Send us Fan Mail In our 4th Christmas episode, which may or may not have been done under the influence of holiday cheer, we take a look at some of the dark and devilish company that Saint Nicholas keeps in France, Belgiu…