It’s a well-known fact that human beings are morbidly fascinated by the macabre, and this held especially true in the Victorian Era when there was nothing better to do but poke at dead bodies. Human corpses were not rare, but were still seen as a commodity, something interesting to be used and viewed. A very … Continue reading Medicinal Cannibalism, Makeshift Corpse Zoos and Mummy Parties

There are lots of different dieting fads these days, whether it be the Keto Diet, the Atkins Diet, or the Vegan Diet. There is one diet that originated in the Victorian Era though, that really takes the cake, no pun intended. Labeled the “Air Diet” and popular among young girls, typically pre-adolescents, the Air Diet … Continue reading The Victorian ‘Air Diet’ and Breatharian Practices

Many cultures focus on death, and even those that don’t do have myths surrounding the loss of life and most cultures have some sort of special tradition for when people die. In the Victorian Era this was especially common, with many different rituals and superstitions all based around death and the dead. For example, this … Continue reading The Victorian Era’s Dead

The early 20th Century was an odd time, the entire world balancing on a knife’s edge of magic or science, hope or despair. A good example of this was the Romanov family: the Russian Tsar, his wife and children. Mystery and intrigue followed them in life, and mystery and intrigue followed them in death. Nicholas … Continue reading The Romanovs

All throughout history, there has been reports of people who knew the future or could derive or change it in some way. There were many ways of doing this, whether by cutting animals open and reading the innards, or visions that were seen outside of the waking hours. Among the famous people of the past … Continue reading Oracles, Seers and Prophets, Oh My!

In modern times, there are many laws to keep children safe, and adoption agencies and centers for abortion. In past times however, this was not the case. So what happened to the children who were not wanted? Well, the circumstances weren’t always the same, but oft times they were sent to a baby farm. A … Continue reading Baby Farmers

The year was 1932, the War to End All Wars had ended only 15 years before, and Australia was going into battle once more, this time, against Emus. That's right, Australia decided to wage war against a bunch of large flightless birds with low intelligence. And the craziest part? The emus won. The Australian Army … Continue reading The Great Emu War of Australia

In modern times, many people are interested in the daily lives of the royal family and like to discuss the latest scandal or the newest marriage. The interest in royalty dates back hundreds of years. In the past though, the interest was much more profound, and the royals were revered. Some of the interest may … Continue reading The Grooms of Stool

On an Australian beach, on December 1st of 1948, a body was found. This incident would turn out to be one of the biggest mysteries the world has ever seen. Who was this man? How did he die? Why was he on the beach? None of these questions have been answered, although many have tried. … Continue reading The Tamam Shud Case

There once was a man, a rather odd man, who went by the name of Carl Tanzler. The background of Carl Tanzler is a bit foggy, as he changed his backstory often and went by several different names. Among these are Karl Tanzler, George Karl Tanzler, and Count Carl Von Cosel. He moved from Germany … Continue reading The Love Story of Count Carl Von Cosel