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Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, True Crime, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved

THE WITCH VILLAGE OF TRASMOZ: The Covenstead Cursed By The Catholic Church

Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, True Crime, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved

Darren Marlar

True Crime, History, Society & Culture, Documentary, Science, Religion & Spirituality

4.64K Ratings

🗓️ 9 June 2025

⏱️ 104 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the remote Spanish village of Trasmoz, a medieval counterfeiting scheme spawned witch rumors so convincing that the Catholic Church cursed the entire town with a papal malediction that remains un-lifted today – after 500 years.

Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate

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.
IN THIS EPISODE: Charles Willey experienced hundreds of fires on his property in the summer of 1948 – but how did they start? (The Macomb Firestarter) *** Two men interested in the same woman – all three spending a day together. Not a good plan from the start. Add a bit of alcohol and you just may have a powder keg ready to explode. (Rum, Jealously, and Murder) *** Over the course of just two years, Christopher Duntsch operated on 38 patients in the Dallas area, leaving 31 paralyzed or seriously injured and two of them dead. It’s no wonder he was given the morbid nickname of “Dr. Death”. (Doctor Death) *** A child’s game of hide-and-seek turns to terror. (The House At The Front) *** In the Outback of Queensland, Australia, ghostly orbs of light have been frightening people for centuries. What do we know about the mystery of the orbs and what are some of the theories about what they could be? (The Min Min Orbs) *** Are extraterrestrials secretly watching over us and saving us from our own destruction? (Our Alien Protectors) *** When Jeffrey Dampier won the lottery, he thought he finally had it all. Little did he know that someone was about to take everything from him. (No Good Deed Goes Unpunished) *** They found Annie stretched out on the floor with a pistol lying by her hand. There was no sign of a struggle and nothing had been taken; they could only conclude that Annie had taken her own life. But is that really what happened? (The Annie Dorman Mystery) *** When you think of seeing a ghost, you almost automatically envision an ethereal being, in flowing white – like that of a woman in a wedding dress. And that might make sense, seeing as there are a lot of dead brides-to-be floating around America. (Til Death: Ghost Brides of the United States) *** You’ve seen them on the outside of large gothic buildings and massive churches. Their stone faces and menacing presence can be unsettling to some. But what are the purpose of gargoyles? (In The Protection of Gargoyles) *** Were Betty and Barney Hill actually visited and even abducted by aliens in 1961, or was it an outlandish story just to get attention? (The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction) *** The village of Trasmoz in Spain is said to be cursed by witches. Could there be a truth in the lore? (The Cursed Village of Witches)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:01:08.240 = Show Open
00:02:25.423 = The Cursed Witch Village of Trasmoz
00:10:22.094 = The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction
00:24:03.868 = The Annie Dorman Mystery
00:28:55.800 = No Good Luck Goes Unpunished
00:33:58.894 = Til Death: Ghost Brides of the United States
00:47:45.339 = In The Protection of Gargoyles
00:53:59.332 = Our Alien Protectors
01:04:39.619 = The Macomb Firestarter
01:14:04.448 = The House at the Front
01:19:48.913 = The Min Min Orbs
01:28:36.139 = Rum, Jealousy, and Murder
01:31:42.623 = Doctor Death
01:38:32.386 = Show Close

SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Cursed Village of Witches” by Brent Swancer: https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/06/spains-mysterious-cursed-village-of-witches/
“Til Death: Ghost Brides of the United States”: https://notebookofghosts.com/2018/09/16/til-death-ghost-brides-of-the-us/amp/
“No Good Luck Goes Unpunished” by Wyatt Redd: https://allthatsinteresting.com/jeffrey-dampier (“Were In The Money”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkn0Z2KOK2A)
“The Annie Dorman Mystery” by Robert Wilhelm: http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2018/09/the-annie-dorman-mystery.html
“The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction” by Les Hewitt for Historic Mysteries: (link no longer valid)
“In The Protection of Gargoyles” by A. Sutherland for Ancient Pages: (link no longer valid)
“The Macomb Firestarter” by Troy Taylor: https://www.facebook.com/authortt/posts/1831375976959380?__tn__=K-R
“The House At The Front” by AakanKSha: https://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=25671
“Our Alien Protectors” from Alien-UFO-Sightings.com: (link no longer valid) *** CNN Press Conference: (link no longer valid) *** CNN Interview from “Larry King LIVE”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=273jcsMQu3M
“The Min Min Orbs” by Kimberly Lin: https://www.historicmysteries.com/min-min-lights/
“Doctor Death” by Caroline Redmond: https://allthatsinteresting.com/dr-death-christopher-duntsch
“Rum, Jealousy, and Murder” by Robert Wilhelm: http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2018/09/rum-jealousy-and-murder.html
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(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.)
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
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Originally aired: October 10, 2018

EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/witchvillage/

Transcript

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0:00.0

Now, there's a new way to share weird darkness with the weirdos in your life.

0:04.1

It's a skill on your Amazon Echo device.

0:06.5

Just say, play Weird Darkness, and you'll immediately start hearing the newest episode.

0:10.9

With your Amazon Echo or Smart Device, you can let me keep you company all day and all night.

0:16.2

And it's easy to tell your friends how to tune in, too.

0:18.9

Just tell your Amazon device, play Weird Darkness

0:21.6

to start listening. Nessled away within the rolling foothills of the Moncoyo Mountain Range

0:29.6

in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain is the tiny village of Trasmas. The town has a long

0:37.4

history, with its origins as a lordship dating back to the 12th century.

0:43.0

Its colorful and turbulent past has seen it being conquered by Jamie I, King of Aragon,

0:49.9

as well as a civil war with the nearby Verewella Abbey, and it is also known as being the temporary

0:56.5

home of a Spanish man who invented the mop and bucket. Over the years, the population has

1:03.0

dwindled here, from around 10,000 people in its heyday, to just around 62 permanent residents.

1:14.4

And it seems like just another quaint little Spanish countryside town.

1:15.5

But this place is remarkable as having a rather sinister past, as a place of witches, pagan

1:23.4

rituals, and black magic.

1:26.0

I'm Darren Marler, and this is Weird Darkness.

1:31.5

Welcome, Weirdoes, I'm Darren Marler and this is Weird Darkness.

1:43.6

Here you'll find stories of the

1:45.1

paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy,

1:53.5

mysterious, macabre, unsolved, and unexplained. If you're new here, welcome to the show.

2:05.2

While you're listening, be sure to check out weirddarkness.com for merchandise, to visit sponsors you hear about during the show, sign up from my newsletter, enter contests,

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