Well-documented but not well-understood, the phenomenon of mass hysteria goes back for generations. Lets look at a few bizarre instances of the phenomenon.
Doug MacGowan
Doug MacGowan
Doug MacGowan lives on the San Francisco peninsula with his wife, a dog, and far too many cats. He has published five books on the topic of historic true crime. In his free time he enjoys reading. Read More
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Ancient Celts celebrated the cross-quarter day of Lughnasadh around August 1 with large gatherings, games, feasts, and Pagan rites and sacrifices.
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Before the Julian calendar, Romans used a lunar calendar that led to dates that moved around across different seasons. The New Year wasn’t fixed.
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Poveglia Island lies in the Venice Lagoon off the eastern coast of Italy. Locals are afraid and say it’s an “island of ghosts,” cursed with dark spirits.
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Many cultures around the world have been creating elongated skulls for thousands of years, but the exact reasons why are still a mystery.
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American crime lore has made the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh, Jr., the most infamous of…
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Paula Jean Welden vanished into nowhere on December 1, 1946, in Bennington Vermont. This is a mystery that would haunt the sleepy town forever.
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Many believe Bram Stoker based Dracula’s castle on Bran Castle in Transylvania, but evidence suggests it may have been Slains Castle.
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A Christian King was rumored to rule over lands of riches and beautiful animals but was never found. Is the Prester John legend true?
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What do we know about Stonehenge’s rings, barrows, and stones, and what can they reveal about who built the megalithic site in ancient Britain and why?
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Mysterious stone structures once used for astronomical and burial purposes still stand near Inverness, Scotland. These are the Clava Cairns.
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During the purported attack on Lady Florence Dixie, her St Bernard saved her from two assailants dressed in womens clothing.
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William Paterson dreamt to establish a Scottish colony and international trade post at Darien, Panama. Did the Darien scheme cause Scotland’s lost freedom?
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Celtic goddess Brigid became St. Brigid of Kildare in 450 AD, but she never lost her goddess qualities. How did this ancient deity survive?
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Witch prickers drove long needles into accused witches in public in search of the devil’s mark hoping to convict someone of being a witch.