Clik here to view.
The Cursed Village: The Witch of North Pepperell
North Pepperell is a village that no longer exists. Centuries ago it was a prosperous part of the Massachusetts town of Pepperell. But now it's just a memory and a few ruins hidden in the woods. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Molly Bridget and the Bewitched Pigs: A New Hampshire Witchcraft Story
Molly Bridget lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire during the 1700s. Molly made her living telling fortunes for sailors and young lovers (as fortune tellers do) but over time she developed a reputation...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Monsterland: Legends, Evidence, and Bigfoot in Leominster, Massachusetts
Although many of my posts about older folklore, I like new folklore as well. It's called paranormal encounters or urban legends these days, but I'm always happy to read about UFOs, hauntings, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bathsheba Sherman: Evil Witch or Innocent Victim? The Story Behind The...
This probably won't be a surprise to hear, but I'm a big horror movie fan. Zombies, summer camp killers, carnivorous alien monsters - yes please! I like arthouse movies like The Lighthouse, schlock...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Snakes, Children, and the Human Soul: Ancient Folklore in New England
I used to live in a house that had an old cracked cement wall in the front yard. This was a very urban neighborhood - you could hear the subway go by - but the wall was still home to a colony of garter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Orgiastic Gnomes Terrorized a Massachusetts Family in 1895
I want to thank Simon Young and Chris Woodyard of the Fairy Investigation Society for telling me about the following bizarre story. Here's a trigger warning - there is sexual assault involved....
View ArticleClik here to view.
I Am Giving a Fee Online Witchcraft Talk on May 27, 2020
I will be giving a free online talk about Massachusetts witchcraft legends on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. Learning about spooky New England legends is the perfect way to spend a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Charlestown Minister Brought the Illuminati to America
There's a lot going on in our country right now and it feels strange to write this blog at the moment. But some of you may want distraction from our latest crises, and it gives me something to do other...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Charming and Grim Folklore from Maine
I am working from home today and sitting next to an open window to let in the breeze. It's also letting in the pollen. The table I'm sitting at is covered with fine yellow dust.I sneezed three times...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Social Distancing, Bigfoot, and a Night-time Theft in Brimfield
Social distancing. It's the phrase on everyone's lips these days - and I hope those lips are hidden behind a mask. Maintaining a safe distance from others is one of the ways we can help end the...
View ArticleI Will Be on Midnight Society Radio, Thursday 6/18/20
Just a short post to say I will be a guest on Midnight Society Radio this Thursday, June 18. Host Tim Weisberg and I will talk about all kinds of strange New England lore: monsters, witches, haunted...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Minister's Veil: Guilt, Murder and (Maybe) Demons in Old Maine
I appreciate Nathaniel Hawthorne's fiction more and more as I get older. I find the weird mix of the supernatural, the sentimental and the moral very appealing. I recently read his short novel The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fireworks, UFOs and Anxiety: Weird Stories from The 1960s and Today
People across the United States have been reporting increased use of fireworks this spring and summer. The local, homegrown fireworks displays have started earlier in neighborhoods around the country...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Clown Scare of 1981 That Terrified Boston
With the COVID-19 pandemic I haven't been taking any long road trips to visit strange places. I've been exploring closer to home, though, and luckily there are some weird places very close by. That's...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Zoom Talk about Massachusetts Witchcraft Legends: Wednesday, July 15 at 6:00 pm
I will be giving a Zoom talk about Massachusetts witchcraft legends this Wednesday, July 6 at 6:00 pm for the Tyngsborough Public Library. Some people just associate witchcraft stories with October but...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Henry Tufts: Wizard, Fortune-Teller, and Criminal
Henry Tufts (1748 - 1831) led what might euphemistically be called a colorful life. Tufts was born in Newmarket, New Hampshire and spent many years as a criminal, earning his living as a thief,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Werewolf in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Many, many years ago when I was a small child I saw Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) on some local TV station. Although this movie is a very broad comedy, I was still really scared by the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pine Grove Cemetery: Murder, Legends, and History on Cape Cod
We were down on the Cape last week, and one day we decided to visit Pine Grove Cemetery in Truro. I had read about Pine Grove in the past but never visited since it is off the beaten track. With so...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Demonic Doll Escapes from Museum?
Everyone knows 2020 has been a bad year. First there was the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the huge recession and staggering unemployment. There were ongoing murders of unarmed Black people by police....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cursed Movie Filmed in Abandoned Insane Asylum
A new X-Men movie is being released this week. The New Mutants comes out on the 28th, and is notable for two reasons. First, it's actually being released in theaters, so if you dare to to the movies...
View Article