Hi everyone, it's Ben from Dark Histories here. I just want to throw out a quick

heads up at the start of the episode this week to make sure everyone knows the

upcoming schedule. This week's episode will be the final episode of

season one and the final episode of season one and the final episode of

2017. I'm going to take a short break over Christmas and return the first

week of January and I'd also like to ask again for your guys help with putting together

the Christmas

campfire bonus episode so if you have any tales of cults the paranormal

the unexplained Forteana or just straight up bizarre that you'd like to tell

others send them into my email at contact or just straight up bizarre that you'd like to tell others,

send them into my email at Contact at Dark Histories

before the 24th December, and I'll narrate them

to make up a bonus episode

that I'll release between Christmas and New Year. I'll give a few more details at the end of

the episode about that but for now on with the episode. dating back to 1823 the American Christmas elf is an immediately

recognizable character in modern Anglo-American Christmas traditions.

They are a short enthusiastic little helper who makes toys,

takes care of the reindeer and check in on children's behaviour.

The Christmas elf carries very little threat and aligns with the benevolent

nature of Santa Claus himself. In a more distant past tangled among European folklore where the elf roots are firmly buried in the frozen winter ground.

Their origins are far from friendly little cherubs making wooden trains however.

This is dark histories where the facts are worse than

...