Isabella Tomasi, a.k.a. Maria Crocifissa della Concezione (1645-1699) was a Benedictine nun who lived in a convent in Sicily, Italy and claimed she was possessed by the Devil. In 1676, she wrote a cryptic letter that no one was able to decipher until 2017. Scientists theorize that rather than being 'possessed by the devil', Maria suffered from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

For Further Reading: 

• Centuries to Read: Maria Crocifissa’s Letter From the Devil
• Satan's Enigma: 'Possessed' Nun's 17th-Century Letter Deciphered
• A Possessed Nun's Letter From The Devil
• Thus an algorithm deciphered the mystery of the "Devil's Letter"
• A Possessed Nun’s Letter From The Devil

October is the perfect time to delve into all things spooky. So this month, we're talking about the women who give us goosebumps. Some are real-life creators of spine-chilling works of fiction. Others are the subjects of frightening folklore. Either way, these Scream Queens are sure to give you a scare.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Hannah Bottum, Lauren Willams, and Adrien Behn. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

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