Ominous Origins

The Succubus and Incubus

The lusty, alluring, sexy succubus is a legend as old as demonology itself, with some records even accounting that Lilith, the mother of demons was, in turn, a succubus herself. The story goes, or at least part of the story, is that the succubus is a demon that take the guise of a sensual female in order to seduce men and steal their essence, or soul, or ultimately to just cause disease of the mind, body, or just death.The legend, as I said, dates back to the earliest days of demonology, however various religions and cultures around the world have their own take on the concept as well, from Egypt to Rome, this lust demon makes her rounds. Of course, with any ancient entity, it has been reproduced in various forms of popular culture from Supernatural, to Lost Girl, each with their own unique take on the demon. Which brings up an interesting point; with not a lot of information available on the topic, a lot is left up for interpretation.This cast may be a little bit different in terms of tone – there will still be the facts, of course, but I’ll also be throwing in some personal thoughts (more than usual anyway) about why the myth or legend has been around so long, and why the devices used implemented the way they are in stories about said succubus.But what about the male counterpart? Yes, that’s right, the incubus is the male version of the succubus, yet not quite as prominent in folklore, or popular culture. However, it is believed that both the succubus and incubus are one in the same, and just take the form of whomever their victim desires. It’s a tricky little beast, and one that I can’t wait to explore with you further.This podcast is brought to you by Morbidly Beautiful, so make sure you check them out at www.morbidlybeautiful.comAs always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can contact me at any of the places below. Also, don't forget to leave a review. They will be read out on the cast, so feel free to drop one on your favorite podcast listening site.Website: www.horrorshots.comInstagram: horrorshotsphotographyTwitter: @horrorshotspodFacebook: HorrorshotsPatreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshotsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/Ominous-Origins-1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fresh Kills Con - With Jesse Markowski

For every fan of any genre, there’s something special that happens during the year, often several times. It’s a time where fans can go out and meet their favourite stars and characters; it’s a time where communities come together; it’s a time where everybody can geek out and not be afraid to be themselves. That special thing is the convention, and horror is known for its convention power, and no more so than Fresh Kills Con.Earlier this year I was lucky enough to interview Jesse from Fresh Kills Con, which is in its very first year of conning. While many horror conventions are massive multi-day affairs that can get a little claustrophobic and impersonal, Fresh Kills Con strives to do the opposite. Located in a very intimate venue, Fresh Kills aims to provide you with a very personal environment where the celebrity guests and vendors will be able to interact with fans on a level other than a simple handshake after standing in line. More than anything, Fresh Kills wants to give you an experience you’ll remember.Although it’s more intimate than some other cons out there, it’s not lacking in star power, with such names as Clu and John Gulager, as well as sit down dinner with Tommy Jarvis himself – Thom Mathews. The event itself will be held in Niagara Falls, on the famous Lundy’s Lane and will even have an after party with live music and other entertainment. If you’re a fan of horror, this is most definitely worth checking out.It’s taking place soon, July 13th/14th, and you’ll even save on the price if you buy online in advance. Of course, there will be tickets at the door as well.Find them online at www.freshkillscon.com or on Facebook where you can search for Fresh Kills Con.This podcast is brought to you by Morbidly Beautiful, so make sure you check them out at www.morbidlybeautiful.comAs always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can contact me at any of the places below. Also, don't forget to leave a review. They will be read out on the cast, so feel free to drop one on your favorite podcast listening site.Website: www.horrorshots.comInstagram: horrorshotsphotographyTwitter: @horrorshotspodFacebook: HorrorshotsPatreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshotsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/Ominous-Origins-1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Devil Pacts

In this cast I'll be going over some deals with the Devil, as well as what's involved! As early as the 1400’s, it’s believed that people have been making deals with the Devil. Yes, as farfetched as it may sound, people have been known to sign away their immortal soul to the first of the fallen – or one of his cohorts. Of course, in this instance I’m talking about Faust, maybe the most famous individual to sell his soul. But how many others has there been, and did it all start with Faust, or where there others before him?If we’re going to start with Faust, there needs to be a little bit of back-story. While the figure has been featured in numerous fictional tales (including a comic-book villain), he was in fact based on a real person with the name Johann Faust who was a chemist and bit of a swindler in the fifteenth century. Peers and scholars around the time of Johann’s existence claim he dabbled in magick, science, and social engineering, but it wasn’t until after his death that an unknown biographer claimed he had made a deal with the devil to achieve all his uncanny abilities. After that, the rest is history.If we travel on through time to a slightly later point in history, we have Urbain Grandier, the Catholic priest who allegedly made a pact with the hierarchy of Hell. His case might just be the most high profile case of diabolical contracts within the church – well, that’s ever been found anyway. Urbain was accused of many things throughout his time with the clergy, such as sending demons after people, lies, and deceit.In more modern times we have events known as crossroads deals, where somebody, usually down on their luck, conjures up a demon at a crossroads to strike a deal. Usually it involves some kind of success, wealth, or happiness in return for their soul. Sometimes it was after death by natural causes, and sometimes it was after a specific time has passed, such as ten years. Many famous blues musicians of the early to mid 1900’s have thought to have done this.Deals with the devil are incredibly captivating, and that’s exactly why I’ve decided to look into them, their origins, and those who practice it.This podcast is brought to you by Morbidly Beautiful, so make sure you check them out at www.morbidlybeautiful.comAs always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can contact me at any of the places below. Also, don't forget to leave a review. They will be read out on the cast, so feel free to drop one on your favorite podcast listening site.Website: www.horrorshots.comInstagram: horrorshotsphotographyTwitter: @horrorshotspodFacebook: HorrorshotsPatreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshotsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/Ominous-Origins-1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Exorcisms

Ever since 1973 North America, and most of the western world became a little obsessed with The Exorcist, a film depicting a young girl who’s body and mind are taken over by a demon. It’s a simple, yet terrifying premise, and the film left people reeling in fear and disgust – Hell, even today with all the horror options we have, still holds up and is recognized as not only one of the best horror films of all time, but one of the best movies ever made. A true masterclass in film making.Nevertheless, I’m not here to talk about the movie itself (that’s why we have the rest of the lovely Morbidly Beautiful website), but rather the real life events that inspire such films. Of course the film was based off a novel released in 1971, and that story was based off a 1949 event in which a young man was believed to have been possessed, and ultimately exorcised with success.The of course we have one of the more famous rites in recent history in that of Anneliese Michell, who again, had a movie made about her. Things didn’t quite go as well as they did in the 1949 case, however multiple exorcisms did occur, and there is even recorded audio available for your listening… uh, pleasure?Of course those are just two of the potential thousands of possessions that occur yearly, in fact some reports have it as a near epidemic, with the archdiocese of Indianapolis receiving 1700 requests for an exorcist by October 2018. Other reports have the Catholic church recruiting and training new exorcists as well, with between 70-100 active – up from just 15 in 2011. Now, these numbers are unverified, even by the research I’ve found. Most seem to just be word-of-mouth from people within certain churches. Nevertheless, if those numbers are correct, that is just plain staggering.Furthermore, it’s not just Catholicism that believes in possession, or exorcism as well. Many religions around the world have a similar belief system in place, dating back hundreds and thousands of years – some of which I’ve covered in the past. It wasn’t uncommon for people to believe illness, bad luck, and any number of ailments were caused by a demon or an evil entity either possessing an individual, or cursing the land and peoples.This podcast is brought to you by Morbidly Beautiful, so make sure you check them out at www.morbidlybeautiful.comAs always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can contact me at any of the places below. Also, don't forget to leave a review. They will be read out on the cast, so feel free to drop one on your favorite podcast listening site.Website: www.horrorshots.comInstagram: horrorshotsphotographyTwitter: @horrorshotspodFacebook: HorrorshotsPatreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshotsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/Ominous-Origins-1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pride Month!

June is pride month, and I wanted to explore this time of inclusion, acceptance, and support by looking at some myths and historical characters that either identified as LGBTQ or were suggested as such before terms and titles were placed upon people based on their sexual orientation. With that said, I just wanted to throw my support out there to the community. While not being able to identify as a member of the LGBTQ group, I do very much respect those who do. Their courage and the struggles that have been overcome are nothing short of extraordinary. Love who you want, how you want.As for this cast in particular, I wanted to look into what myths and legends surround the LGBTQ ideology and lifestyle, and I was surprised at how far and deep it went; which is perhaps my own biases and predisposed notions coming out - not something I’m proud of. Nevertheless, that is why we read, learn, and research. I found out a whole slew of things I didn’t know about, such as the Native American Two-Spiritism, which is how they described having a third gender, or another spirit inhabit their body. People who identified as such weren’t scrutinized, but rather given an important role to play in their society, and was used to give first nations peoples their own term as well, allowing them to keep their heritage and identity.Furthermore, it seems every culture around the world, dating back to the ancient Greeks and beyond, has their own stories, myths, and legends surrounding what they considered LGBTQ. In the episode I’ll run down a handful of stories and different cultures. I’m quite excited to share with you what I’ve found. Of course, not every culture or society of the past (or present) is accepting of the idea, but the fact that so many did (and do), is very encouraging. Sadly, I won’t be able to cover every story or every culture, but this is something I highly encourage you to look up and research on your own.Happy Pride!This podcast is brought to you by Morbidly Beautiful, so make sure you check them out at www.morbidlybeautiful.comAs always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can contact me at any of the places below. Also, don't forget to leave a review. They will be read out on the cast, so feel free to drop one on your favorite podcast listening site.Website: www.horrorshots.comInstagram: horrorshotsphotographyTwitter: @horrorshotspodFacebook: HorrorshotsPatreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshotsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/Ominous-Origins-1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Irish Werewolf

In this episode of the podcast, I talk about the Irish Werewolf. Werewolves have been a part of both popular culture and folklore for centuries, with writings dating back as early as 60 AD. Now, most of us are familiar with the generic, or general werewolf, but did you know that there are cultural variations to said creature? Well, there are – and today I’m looking at the werewolves of Ossory – or Ireland. The reason I’ve decided to look at this one in particular is due to the unique features and attributes of the creature.Werewolves are often depicted as snarling beasts turned from an ordinary man under the light of a full moon, but not the Irish werewolf, which has been depicted as more of a guardian or protector to lost travellers, the injured, and children. It’s whole transformation varies greatly from the tradition North American or European werewolf as well.The folklore surrounding this creature is pretty in depth, and I’ve found a few really great stories to share with you, including the couple and the priest. I’ll also share with you the different variations on the origin of this particular brand of werewolf, and the fascinating history surrounding a particular family as well.I don’t want to spoil anything within these blurbs, so you’ll just have to listen for yourself, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it in the comments below.This podcast is brought to you by Morbidly Beautiful, so make sure you check them out at www.morbidlybeautiful.comAs always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can contact me at any of the places below. Also, don't forget to leave a review. They will be read out on the cast, so feel free to drop one on your favorite podcast listening site.Website: www.horrorshots.comInstagram: horrorshotsphotographyTwitter: @horrorshotspodFacebook: HorrorshotsPatreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshotsBonfire campaign: www.bonfire.com/horror-shotsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/Ominous-Origins-1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Leshy

In this episode of the podcast, I go over the Leshy!The Leshy? You maybe questioning. What the Hell is a Leshy? All great questions. Well, I’ll start with the fact that you probably haven’t heard of the Leshy before due to it being a Slavic entity, mostly around the Polish areas of Europe, and in short is a spirit that rules over the forest, and hunting. Now, forests are often associated with nymphs, faeries, and spirits, so it makes sense that the Slavic region has their own. His form changes from story to story, but there are some constants, such as often being depicted as masculine and humanoid. Despite that, he can assume any shape he wishes.Not just a spirit, but a family man, as Leshy is known to have a family with a wife and kids, but he’s not all good and is known to have some shady sides to him as well, but you’ll have to listen to get more details about that.The more I looked into the Leshy myth the more it reminded me a little bit of the Jotunn of the Nordic legends. Maybe not so much in back story, but in appearance and habitat; also some of the art work I found has similarities. This harkens back to an older cast where I mentioned that folklore has a tendency to spread throughout the world, even thousands of years ago, where myths, legends, and creatures bare striking similarities, yet being worlds apart.The Leshy maybe a lesser known myth, or cryptid, or entity, whatever you want to call it, but ultimately, it still deserves a closer look. The world is full of cultures, each with their own creatures associated with it; just because it doesn’t have a movie made about it, doesn’t make it any less interesting. Explore, expand, and learn. Have a listen to the Leshy.This podcast is brought to you by Morbidly Beautiful, so make sure you check them out at www.morbidlybeautiful.comAs always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can contact me at any of the places below. Also, don't forget to leave a review. They will be read out on the cast, so feel free to drop one on your favorite podcast listening site.Website: www.horrorshots.comInstagram: horrorshotsphotographyTwitter: @horrorshotspodFacebook: HorrorshotsPatreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshotsBonfire campaign: www.bonfire.com/horror-shotsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/Ominous-Origins-1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Stories of Thunderbird

Note: If you haven’t listened to last week's episode, I would recommend going back and doing so… I mean, of course I would, it’s my podcast! However, if you want a bit of context and information on the legend that is Thunderbird, it’s worth a listen. But onto this week's cast! While last week I went over just what Thunderbird is all about, this week I regale you some fascinating stories and accounts of this mythological creature, from battles with whales to turning people to stone. Thunderbird is really one of the more intriguing specimens I’ve ever looked into, and I hope you feel the same.Here’s just a small example of what Thunderbird has to offer: from its impressive wingspan to its ability to shapeshift into a human, Thunderbird has been said to have done many incredible feats, not limited to those listed. In fact, it’s been cited as the creator of life and enforcer or morality. But it’s the stories that are perhaps the most telling. Stories like the tale of Thunderbird and Mimlos-whale, wherein Thunderbird would snatch the whale from the waters of a great flood and bring him to its nest. However the whale would escape every time. This is a battle that would range for great periods of time and be particularly brutal.I don’t want to spoil the whole thing however. You’ll just have to listen to the podcast in order to get the rest of the tale, and several more.This podcast is brought to you by Morbidly Beautiful, so make sure you check them out at www.morbidlybeautiful.comAs always, I'd love to hear from you, and you can contact me at any of the places below. Also, don't forget to leave a review. They will be read out on the cast, so feel free to drop one on your favorite podcast listening site.Website: www.horrorshots.comInstagram: horrorshotsphotographyTwitter: @horrorshotspodFacebook: HorrorshotsPatreon: www.patreon.com/horrorshotsSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/Ominous-Origins-1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.