Before Tolkien turned them into noble archers, medieval people believed elves were dangerous beings who shot invisible arrows that caused mental illness, stabbing pains, and livestock death.

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IN THIS EPISODE: Elves – they are portrayed as helpful and joyous when helping a shoemaker, or a jolly old man with a white beard at the north pole. But they are portrayed as evil in some other cultures – even claimed to be in league with the devil himself. And what do they have to do with Cain and Abel? We’ll look at the history of elves. (A History of Elves) *** There was a struggle, one of the men fell through a window to the street below, breaking his neck. A case that practically solved itself according to police. That is… until they began questioning those involved. Then it began to get very murky, and a bit bizarre. (The Strange Death of Thomas Farrant) *** Do you believe in vampires? If you are thinking of the undead, immortal, blood-sucking creatures of the night who speak with a Hungarian accent, then probably not. Or if you are thinking of the kind of vampires with pale skin and mussed hair that sparkle, then definitely not. But that doesn’t mean that vampires don’t exist. They in fact do roam the earth in human form, and I’ll tell you about them. (Are Vampires Real?) *** It’s the story of two Georges, one with his father’s name and one with not quite his father’s name, one legitimate, one illegitimate – with the latter being very good with elephants. I’ll tell you the odd life story of George Nyleve. (The Strange Story of George Nyleve) *** “Be quiet and give me the money in the cash drawer… This gun talks.” And with those words began a string of bank robberies conducted not by a gang of outlaws, or even a couple of bad men… but by one little old lady. (The Grandma Bandit)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In, “The Elves and the Shoemaker” by the Brothers Grimm
00:05:56.641 = Show Open
00:08:25.990 = A History of Elves
00:20:28.857 = Strange Death of Thomas Farrant
00:27:28.578 = Are Vampires Real?
00:34:46.136 = Strange Story of George Nyleve
00:44:09.835 = Grandma Bandit
00:48:40.342 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Elves and the Shoemaker” story was adapted from the Brothers Grimm by Margaret Hunt and posted at Kids Pages: https://tinyurl.com/y2rhxrlz
“A History of Elves” by Gemma Hollman for Just History Posts: https://tinyurl.com/y5dsfbgo
“The Strange Death of Thomas Farrant” by Les Hewitt for Historic Mysteries: https://tinyurl.com/y3w5yvrd
“Are Vampires Real?” by Stephen Wagner for Live About: https://tinyurl.com/y3qanbbs
“The Strange Story of George Nyleve” by William and Karen Ellis-Rees for London Overlooked: https://tinyurl.com/yynxc7od
“The Grandma Bandit” by Robert A. Waters for Kidnapping Murder and Mayhem: https://tinyurl.com/yxpyxd9x=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: July 27, 2020
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/DarkTruthAboutElves
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
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