The Rose of Turaida in Sigulda, Latvia

In the valley of the Gauja River in Latvia—then Livonia—near the imposing Turaida Castle, a simple grave beneath a linden tree marks the resting place of a woman known as the Rose of Turaida.

Her name was Maija. According to legend, she was found as an infant after a 17th-century battle during the Polish–Swedish Wars, discovered in her dead mother’s embrace. She was raised by the secretary of…

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Eldon Hole in Buxton, England

Located on the southern flank of Eldon Hill (etymologically "Elves' Hill"), the peaceful landscape has a hidden evil scar of just a hundred feet long and twenty feet wide.

Long before 18th-century geologists dared to measure its depth, Eldon Hole was feared as a "bottomless pit." In 1636, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes famously wrote of a stone dropped into the abyss: "The lowest deep descending,…

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Devil’s Den State Park in West Fork, Arkansas

The area now known as Devil’s Den State Park has been inhabited for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence shows indigenous peoples lived in and traveled through the region as early as 8,000 years ago.

Much later, in the 1800s, the maze of sandstone crevices and caves became a refuge for outlaws and, during the Civil War, a base for Confederate guerrillas who used the rugged terrain for…

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Princess Mishawaka statue in Mishawaka, Indiana

The Princess Mishawaka statue and plaque in Mishawaka, Indiana is a tribute to the legend of a Shawnee Indian maiden, Mishawaka, daughter of Chief Elkhart. There are different versions of Mishawaka's life and a question of whether she was even real.

The plaque tells the story that Princess Mishawaka was a fierce warrior and, after her father was injured in a battle with the Potawatomi, she led…

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Review: Faun’s “Hex” is true musical Witchcraft

"Something that awestruck me is the wide variety of languages in this record," writes Alan U. Dalul, "including German, English, Latin, Greek, Hungarian, and more. We are in deep need of diversity, of union, which this record celebrates through language and heritage."

Continue reading Review: Faun’s “Hex” is true musical Witchcraft at The Wild Hunt.

Episode 105: Vidbir 2026

We're back to national final season, and boy, is it a good one. Ukraine's Vidbir is here, and with it, a veritable wave of Eurovision royalty: Jamala, Zlata Ognevich, Jerry Heil, Ziferblat, Monokate... it's a veritable cornucopia of ESC talent. Jeremy likes it when things get just a little Jesus-y, Dimitry is exposed as a Ruslana simp, and Oscar's looking for Mr. Vel. Watch Vidbir 2026 with…

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The Witch’s Grave in Katy, Texas

Tucked inside Magnolia Cemetery—Katy’s historic burial ground dating back to 1900—sits one grave that has inspired more shivers, dares, and late-night detours than any other place in town. The cemetery itself reads like a map of Katy’s early history, with headstones belonging to founding families and Civil War soldiers lined up beneath old trees. But it’s the resting place of Barbara Snyder, a…

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