The Darkives: Serious history. Told not so seriously

The Darkives: Serious history. Told not so seriously

by Leo Eaton and Jamie Tavenner

History True Crime

The Harrying of the North: William the Conqueror’s Brutal Campaign

support the show https://patreon.com Conquest, rebellion, and a campaign that left northern England devastated. This week, Jamie and Leo head back to medieval England to unpack one of the darkest chapters of the Norman Conquest, the brutal campaign known as the Harrying of the North. After claiming the English throne following the famous Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror faced repeated rebellions from Anglo-Saxon resistance in the north. His response was ruthless. Villages were burned. Crops destroyed. Livestock slaughtered. Entire communities were left to starve as Norman forces carried out a scorched-earth campaign designed to break the region permanently. The result was a humanitarian disaster that reshaped northern England and remains one of the most controversial actions of William’s reign. Why did William launch such a devastating campaign? How severe was the destruction across northern England? And what does medieval evidence tell us about the true scale of the devastation? Join us for a 'king sized' true story in grim medieval history with an 'explosive' ending in this case of The Darkives. Serious history. Told not so seriously. Email us: thedarkivescommunity@gmail.com Follow us on socials: just search user name- darkivespodcast Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo: The Lions That Hunted Humans

support the show https://patreon.com Two lions. Dozens of victims. And a construction project that ground to a halt. This week, Jamie and Leo travel to late 19th century East Africa to uncover the chilling true story of the Tsavo man-eating lions. In 1898, during the construction of the Uganda Railway in what is now Kenya, workers began disappearing in the night. At first, it seemed like isolated attacks. Then the pattern became impossible to ignore. Two lions had started hunting humans. As fear spread through the camps, laborers refused to work, progress slowed, and the situation escalated into one of the most infamous wildlife incidents in history. The attacks would continue for months, turning a massive engineering project into something much closer to a survival story. What caused these lions to target humans? How many people were actually killed? And how did the attacks finally come to an end? One of the most disturbing cases of animal behavior on record, this is the story behind the legend of the Tsavo lions. Serious history. Told not so seriously. Email us: thedarkivescommunity@gmail.com Follow us on socials: just search user name- darkivespodcast The main source for this episode: Patterson, John Henry. The Man-Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures. Other Sources: fieldmuseum.org wildlifecollege.org.za www.livescience.com tsavotrust.org Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

Madame LaLaurie: The Dark History Behind the LaLaurie Mansion

support the show https://patreon.com A mansion. A fire. And a discovery that shocked an entire city. This week, Jamie and Leo head to the French Quarter of New Orleans to uncover the disturbing story of Delphine LaLaurie and the infamous LaLaurie Mansion. In the early 1800s, Madame LaLaurie was a wealthy socialite known in New Orleans high society. But behind the doors of her Royal Street home, something far darker was happening. In 1834, a fire broke out at the mansion, and what responders discovered inside would quickly turn rumor into horror. Reports of abuse, confinement, and brutal treatment surfaced, leaving the city stunned and the LaLaurie name permanently tied to one of the most disturbing cases in its history. Over time, the story only grew. Blending documented accounts with legend, and turning the mansion into one of the most talked about and supposedly haunted locations in New Orleans. What was actually discovered inside the LaLaurie Mansion? How much of the story is supported by historical records? And how did this case become one of the most infamous in American history? Let's band together and break down the door hiding the true story of the LaLaurie Mansion in this episode of The Darkives. Serious history. Told not so seriously. Email us: thedarkivescommunity@gmail.com Follow us on socials: just search user name- darkivespodcast Sources: Retrospect of Western Travel, Volume II, Harriet Martineau2 neworleanslegendarywalkingtours.com neworleanshistorical.org blackpast.org 64parishes.org neworleanslegendarywalkingtours.com2 Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

The History of: Saint Nicholas

support the show https://patreon.com Before Santa Claus… there was a bishop. This week, Jamie and Leo travel back to the 4th century to uncover the story of Saint Nicholas, the real figure behind one of the most recognizable characters in the world. Known as the Bishop of Myra, Saint Nicholas built a reputation for generosity, secret gift giving, and a growing collection of stories that would spread far beyond his lifetime. But like many historical figures, the line between fact and legend starts to blur pretty quickly. From early Christian history to evolving folklore, the story of Saint Nicholas transforms over centuries. Eventually crossing continents and cultures to become something much bigger. How much of the Saint Nicholas story is actually true? Where did the legends come from? And how did a 4th-century bishop turn into the modern-day Santa Claus? From historical records to holiday tradition, this is the long (and slightly strange) journey from Saint to Santa. Deck the… heretic? halls?... We’ll figure it out, in this episode of The Darkives Serious history. Told not so seriously. Email us: thedarkivescommunity@gmail.com Follow us on socials: just search user name- darkivespodcast Sources: britannica.com stnicholascenter.org vaticannews.va history.com britannica.com2 stnicholascenter.org2 clausnet.com Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

The Burning of Washington: When the British Set the White House on Fire

support the show https://patreon.com Soap opera drama, early American edition. This week on The Darkives, we head back to the War of 1812, when tensions between the United States and Britain exploded into one of the most shocking moments in early American history. After the disastrous Battle of Bladensburg, British forces marched straight into Washington and set fire to the heart of the nation. Government buildings burned, the Capitol was left in ruins, and even the White House didn’t escape the flames. We get into how it happened, why the capital was left so vulnerable, and how a young nation watched its own seat of power go up in smoke. This wasn’t just a military loss… it was a moment that exposed just how fragile the new United States really was. So what went wrong? And how did the country come back from something like this? Pull up a chair and get toasty as we watch the new world burn. Serious history. Told not so seriously. Email us: thedarkivescommunity@gmail.com Follow us on socials: just search user name- darkivespodcast Sources: constitutioncenter.org britannica.com battlefields.org battlefields.org2 nps.gov ourwhitehouse.org whitehousehistory.org smithsonianmag.com smithsonianmag.com2 Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

Ötzi the Iceman and the World’s Most Mysterious Ice Mummies

support the show https://patreon.com This week on The Darkives, we’re heading into the cold. We “chisel” out a few stories from history, digging into ancient burial practices, unsettling discoveries, and the frozen bodies that refused to decay. From Ötzi the Iceman, the 5,000-year-old man high in the Alps, to the Inca ice mummies high in the Andes, to eerie Siberian burials locked in permafrost, these are the stories of people preserved in ways that almost don’t feel real. We get into how these bodies survived, what they reveal about the cultures that buried them, and why some of these discoveries are still raising questions today. Because sometimes the cold doesn’t just preserve the past… it keeps it waiting. So what do these frozen remains actually tell us? And what happens when history thaws out? Bundle up in something warm, we’re climbing mountains to uncover the true stories of some of the most famous ice mummies and maidens of all time. Serious history. Told not so seriously. Email us: thedarkivescommunity@gmail.com Follow us on socials: just search user name- darkivespodcast Sources: secretsoftheice.com nationalgeographic.com iceman.it britannica.com cnn.com pbs.org ebsco.com livescience.com history.com bbc.com Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

The Sankebetsu Bear Incident: Japan’s Deadliest Bear Attack

support the show https://patreon.com This week on The Darkives, we head into the remote frontier of Hokkaido in 1915, where one of the most terrifying animal attacks in history unfolded. In a small settlement near Sankebetsu, a massive brown bear known as Kesagake began stalking the village. What followed wasn’t just a single attack… it was a series of calculated returns that turned a quiet winter outpost into a nightmare. We get into how it started, why the villagers were so vulnerable, and how a desperate hunt was launched to stop a predator that seemed almost impossible to track. This wasn’t just a bear attack… it was something closer to a siege. So how did this happen? And what does it take to stop something that isn’t afraid of you? Grab your rifles and your lanterns… because this episode, we’re going bear hunting. Serious history. Told not so seriously. Email us: thedarkivescommunity@gmail.com Follow us on- instagram Sources: nbcnews.com wakokujp.com outsiderjapan.pbworks.com Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

The Dark History of: Pirate Captain Ned Low

support the show https://patreon.com Avast ye history lovers! Let's go back to the 18th century to learn some maritime outlaw stories throughout New England and British naval pirate history. We follow one of the most brutal pirate captains, Edward (Ned) Low and his crew of some of the most violent and terrifying real life pirates of the Caribbean. Chock-full of travels across the Atlantic, torture stories, and the worst thing for any pirate captain in the golden era of pirates, mutiny! Get your sea legs under ya and man the sails because we are sailing with someone who might be the most ruthless pirate in history. Sources: https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history/2025/june/hunt-pirate-ned-low https://historyofmassachusetts.org/pirate-edward-low/ https://biographics.org/edward-low-the-most-vicious-pirate-to-sail-the-seven-seas/ https://www.worldhistory.org/Edward_Low/ https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/people-politics/the-martyrdom-of-horst-wessel-how-a-far-right-street-fighter-became-a-nazi-icon/ https://sillyhistory.com/2015/03/02/as-low-as-one-can-go-the-pirate-captain-ned-low/ https://goldenageofpiracy.org/pirates/edward-low Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

The Dark History of: Bliain an Áir/The Year of The Slaughter

support the show https://patreon.com In this episode we get into Irelands famine history, about 100 years before The Great Potato Famine there was a mini ice age known as The Year Of The Slaughter. We will go to the beginning to find out what the caused the Irish famine, the impact on Irish farming, mass starvation and Irish deaths involved within this dark history of Ireland. Get ready to jump back to the 1740's and learn the legacy of this great famine and how the Irish rebounded after it came to its close. Sources: https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/ireland-famine-history-year-slaughter https://www.britannica.com/science/Little-Ice-Age https://www.irelandsown.ie/the-great-frost-of-1740/ https://www.irishtimes.com/news/the-great-frost-and-forgotten-famine-1.282539 https://kids.kiddle.co/Irish_Famine_(1740%E2%80%931741)#Food_riots_and_protests https://www.waterfordtreasures.com/bliain-an-air-the-forgotten-famine-of-1740-41/ Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

The Dark History of: Geli Raubal

support the show https://patreon.com In this episode... who was Geli Raubal? To answer this we travel back to a 1930's Munich apartment and dive into Nazi Germany scandals in the early life of Adolf Hitler. We'll hear stories from past lovers and dig up some dirt on the dark side of Hitlers private life. Learn how Gelli Raubal and Adolf Hitler's personal life became intertwined and shed light on one mysterious death in history. Lets crack open another one of The Darkives and delve into some history of Nazi Germany, the death of Hitlers niece and the true story of Geli Rubal's death. Sources: https://allthatsinteresting.com/geli-raubal https://medium.com/@historyinanhour/geli-raubal-hitlers-niece-a-summary-27d3f746d939 https://www.mamamia.com.au/geli-raubal-hitlers-niece/ https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1992/04/hitlers-doomed-angel?srsltid=AfmBOop39UJrDg1P6KWUg6_tLPdmKLr4NWNNAMHSoYq34WrZNTZuXPAa https://www.history.com/articles/hitler-failed-beer-hall-putsch https://www.annefrank.org/en/timeline/139/hitler-as-a-soldier-in-the-first-world-war/ https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-29/hitler-becomes-nazi-party-leader https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/HITLER%2C%20ADOLF%20%20MEDICAL%20ASSESSMENT%20%28DI%20FILE%29_0015.pdf https://historiamag.com/hitlers-sex-life/ Theme music: Ways of the Wizard-geoffharvey Used with permission, Thank you Geoff! licensed through: Pixabay Other music used: licensed through Pixabay-used under the Pixabay Content License

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