In 1656, Croatian stonemason Jure Grando was buried alive after defying powerful monks, only to rise from his grave and terrorize his village for sixteen years—knocking on doors that meant death would soon follow, violating his widow night after night, and when villagers finally opened his coffin in 1672, they found him grinning with tears streaming down his face, immune to wooden stakes, screaming as they sawed through his neck in what became Europe's first documented case of vampirism.

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IN THIS EPISODE: Before Dracula ever set foot in Transylvania, the village of Kringa, Croatia, was haunted by Jure Grando—the first recorded vampire in European history. For sixteen years, his undead reign brought terror to the living and torment to his widow. But when the villagers finally rose against him, they unearthed a horror beyond imagination. (Jure Grando: The First Vampire) *** For nearly a millennium, a monstrous black dog with eyes like burning coals has stalked the foggy coastlines and ancient churches of East Anglia, leaving death and terror in its silent wake. From its first recorded appearance in 1127 where it led a spectral hunting party through Peterborough, to its most infamous attack in 1577 when it allegedly killed four churchgoers, the creature known as Black Shuck has become far more than just another ghost story. Through centuries of sightings and evolving folklore, this massive demon hound has transformed from a Viking guardian spirit into one of Britain's most enduring legends - one that some locals insist still prowls the shadows of Norfolk and Suffolk to this day. (Black Shuck: East Anglia’s Demon Hound) *** In 1857 London, the Bacon family's home became the center of supernatural chaos when mysterious sounds and flying objects drew crowds of over a thousand spectators to their modest Bermondsey residence. But when thirteen-year-old Caroline confessed to creating the ghostly disturbances using strands of hair to topple objects, her deception was revealed as an act of rebellion against her father and new stepmother. This tale of a fake haunting offers a poignant glimpse into Victorian family dynamics and the desperate measures one girl took to assert her independence. (The Bermondsey Poltergeist) *** In October 1975, what began as a late-night drive for two young men in rural Maine turned into an encounter that would haunt them forever. David Stephens had no memory of being taken aboard a massive UFO by mushroom-headed beings until months later, when hypnosis sessions revealed the terrifying truth about the hours he lost that night – an experience so profound that it would drive his friend Glen to flee the state and change both their lives forever. (Night of the Mushroom Men) *** Could the Moon's perfect positioning—exactly 400 times smaller than the Sun and precisely placed for total eclipses—be more than cosmic coincidence? Authors Christopher Knight and Alan Butler propose a mind-bending theory: that future humans (or their advanced robots) traveled back in time 4.6 billion years to construct the Moon, creating the exact conditions needed for life on Earth to emerge. Their provocative hypothesis suggests we might be caught in an infinite loop, with humanity traveling to the past to ensure its own creation, much like the ancient symbol of Ouroboros—a snake eternally consuming its own tail. (Did Time Travelers Build The Moon?)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:01:30.774 = Show Intro
00:05:48.071 = Jure Grando: The First Vampire
00:16:50.110 = ***The Bermondsey Poltergeist
00:29:33.917 = Black Shuck: East Anglia’s Demon Hound
00:45:53.712 = ***Night of the Mushroom Men
00:52:53.165 = Did Time Travelers Build The Moon?
01:03:18.763 = Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
SOURCES and RESOURCES:
“Jure Grando: The First Vampire” sources: Husain Sumra, Medium: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ykfdupbh; Wu Mingren, Ancient Origins: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8n3k68; Secret Dalmatia: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y69r8e4k; Total Croatia News: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckt77m2
“Black Shuck: East Anglia’s Demon Hound” sources: William De Long, All That’s Interesting:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/cyts9syd; Max Darbyshire, The Shoe Box: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mryw3kr9
“The Bermondsey Poltergeist” source: Karen Ellis-Rees, London Overlooked: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3bzvsu52
“Did Time Travelers Build The Moon” sources: Marcus Lowth, UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9686wm, Donald B. DeYoung, Institute for Creation Research: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p98w7et
“Night of the Mushroom Men” source: TheNightSkyii.org: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ymnmpadc
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EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/JureGrando
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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