X-UMED

Lisa Hyndman & Samantha Harrison

5.0 (4)
Society & Culture

X-UMED is a weekly podcast focusing on dark history, mythology and folklore.

6d ago

The Dudleytown Curse

Deep within Connecticut's Dark Entry Forest lies the abandoned settlement of Dudley Town—a place surrounded by tales of curses, madness, and paranormal encounters. In this episode, Lisa and Samantha investigate the history behind the legend, following the story from colonial Connecticut all the way back to Tudor England. Together they examine the famous Dudley family, mysterious tragedies, the town's decline, and how folklore eventually transformed Dudley Town into one of America's best-known haunted locations. History, folklore, and the paranormal collide in one of New England's most enduring mysteries Sources • Cornwall Historical Society – History of Dudleytown https://www.cornwallhistoricalsociety.org/ • Connecticut State Library – Colonial Connecticut History https://ctstatelibrary.org/ • National Park Service – Colonial New England History https://www.nps.gov/ • Encyclopaedia Britannica - Dudley Family - Edmund Dudley - John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland - Lady Jane Grey - Queen Mary I - Queen Elizabeth I https://www.britannica.com/ • Historic UK – The Tudors https://www.historic-uk.com/ • History Hit – Tudor England https://www.historyhit.com/ • Dan Aykroyd Playboy interview (1993), widely cited in later Dudley Town articles discussing his statement about the location. • Various historical newspapers, folklore collections, and Connecticut ghost story archives covering Dudley Town and its legends.
Sep 20

Eerie Lake Erie

Most people think of Lake Erie as a summer vacation destination. Beaches. Fishing. Cedar Point. But beneath those waters lies one of North America's strangest lakes. In this episode of Exhumed, Sam and Lisa dive into the dark history of Lake Erie—from hundreds of shipwrecks and the Battle of Lake Erie to haunted lighthouses, phantom ships, mysterious lights, ice tsunamis, disappearing aircraft, the infamous Lake Erie Triangle, and the legendary lake monster known as Bessie. Along the way they explore why this shallow Great Lake has earned a reputation as one of the deadliest inland bodies of water on Earth, how pollution nearly killed the lake in the 1960s, and why Native traditions warned of dangerous spirits beneath its waters long before Europeans arrived. Is Lake Erie truly haunted... ...or is it simply one of nature's greatest psychological horror stories? Decide for yourself. Jeffrey M. Reutter. Lake Erie: Past, Present, and Future. Encyclopedia of Water (2019). Covers Lake Erie's formation, shallow depth, productivity, pollution history, and restoration.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Historical Lake Erie LAMP (Lakewide Action and Management Plan) Reports. Pollution history, contaminants, fish advisories, and restoration efforFolklore of Lake Erie. University Press of Mississippi.Native Erie traditionsLighthouse ghost storiesUFO legendsLake Erie monster traditionsPhantom lightsRegional folklore collectionsFolklore of Lake Erie – "Nuclear Plant Spawns Mutant Monsters: Bessie, Blinky, and the Lake Erie Chomper."Historical reports of Bessie summarized in Lake Erie references.Jeffrey M. Reutter – Lake Erie: Past, Present, and Future. Covers industrial pollution, the environmental movement, and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.U.S. EPA Lake Erie LAMP Reports.NOAA Great Lakes resources (wave and ice dynamics)Lake Erie wave research and buoy dataNational Museum of the Great LakesGreat Lakes Shipwreck MuseumBattle of Lake Erie historical records (U.S. National Park Service / Perry's Victory)Marblehead Lighthouse (Ohio Department of Natural Resources)Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers AssociationFolklore of Lake Erie (Erielhonan / Erie Nation history)ALL IMAGES AI GENERATED
Sep 13

The Real Zombies that Inspired Modern Horror

Forget everything Hollywood taught you about zombies. Long before George Romero and The Walking Dead, cultures around the world told terrifying stories about the dead returning to walk among the living. Haitian zombies controlled by Bokors. Norse Draugr guarding treasure and terrorizing villages. Ireland's Abhartach—the revenant many believe helped inspire vampire legends. Medieval English corpses blamed for disease. And China's terrifying hopping Jiangshi that doesn't eat flesh... it steals your life force. In this episode of X-UMED, Lisa and Sam explore the real folklore that inspired modern zombie stories, separating Hollywood fiction from centuries-old legends. Were these creatures ghosts? Monsters? Vampires? Or something even stranger? Join us as we dig into the dark history behind the world's most famous undead. Subscribe for weekly episodes covering forgotten history, folklore, mysteries, haunted places, archaeology, and the paranormal. 👇 What was YOUR favorite zombie? Davis, Wade. The Serpent and the Rainbow. Simon & Schuster, 1985.Davis, Wade. Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie. University of North Carolina Press, 1988.Harvard University Herbaria – Ethnobotany research by Wade Davis.The Lancet – Discussions and correspondence regarding tetrodotoxin and the Clairvius Narcisse case.British Medical Journal (BMJ) – Articles examining zombie folklore and tetrodotoxin theories.National Geographic – Features on Haitian Vodou and zombie folkloreKaren McCarthy Brown. Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn.Elizabeth McAlister. Rara! Vodou, Power, and Performance in Haiti and Its Diaspora.Milo Rigaud. Secrets of Voodoo.Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan) – Vodou entries.Smithsonian Magazine – Articles on Haitian Vodou traditions.Grettis Saga (The Saga of Grettir the Strong), translated by Jesse L. Byock.The Sagas of Icelanders, Penguin Classics.Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson. The Road to Hel.John Lindow. Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs.Rudolf Simek. Dictionary of Northern Mythology.Bob Curran. The World's Most Bizarre Ghost Stories.Bob Curran. Vampires: A Field Guide to the Creatures That Stalk the Night.Dáithí Ó hÓgáin. The Lore of Ireland.Thomas J. Craughwell. The Greatest Stories Never Told (Abhartach tradition).Irish Folklore Commission archives.William of Newburgh. Historia Rerum Anglicarum (History of English Affairs).Walter Map. De Nugis Curialium.Orderic Vitalis. Ecclesiastical History.Nancy Caciola. Afterlives: The Return of the Dead in the Middle Ages.Claude Lecouteux. The Return of the Dead.J.J.M. de Groot. The Religious System of China.Shuen-fu Lin & Stephen Teiser (Chinese religious traditions).Chinese Folklore Society publications.Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai Zhiyi) by Pu Songling.Chinese University of Hong Kong folklore resources.ALL IMAGES ARE AI GENERATED
Sep 6

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Everyone knows the story. A mysterious man arrives in the town of Hamelin, plays a magical pipe, leads away the rats... then returns to steal 130 children after the townspeople refuse to pay him. Except... That isn't the original story. The oldest records never mention rats. They simply record that on June 26, 1284, 130 children left Hamelin and never returned. More than 700 years later, historians still don't know what happened. In this episode of X-UMED, Lisa and Sam investigate one of history's greatest unsolved mysteries. Was the Pied Piper: A medieval recruiter?A kidnapper?A religious leader?Death itself?A fairy?Or was there never a Piper at all?We'll explore the real history behind the legend, visit the surviving monuments in Hamelin, examine medieval records, and separate fact from folklore. Some mysteries never die... SOURCES- Hamelin Town Records (Rats Book / Ratsbuch)Lüneburg Manuscript (c. 1440)Heinrich von Herford (Chronicon)Zimmerische Chronik (Count Froben Christoph von Zimmern, 1565)Jacob and Wilhelm GrimmRobert Browning – The Pied Piper of HamelinJack ZipesMaria TatarWolfgang MiederJürgen Udolph (migration theory and East German colonization)Hans DobbertinMike DashKatharine BriggsClaude LecouteuxMuseum Hameln – especially the exhibits on the 16th-century gate stone, the early written sources, and the evolution of the legend.City of Hameln (official site) – summaries of the major historical theories, including the medieval eastward migration ("locator") theory and the fact that the rat story appears to have been added later.Library of Congress – Robert Browning's The Pied Piper of Hamelin with Kate Greenaway's illustrations (public domain).https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHameln_Rattenf%C3%A4ngerhaus_1900.jpg?utm_source=chatgpt.comALL IMAGES GENERATED BY AI
Aug 30

Hangar 18

Did the U.S. government secretly transport alien bodies to Ohio after the Roswell crash? In this episode of X-UMED, Sam and Lisa dig into one of America's most enduring UFO conspiracies: Hangar 18 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. From Project Blue Book and the Roswell Incident to eyewitness accounts, the mysterious Blue Room, Senator Barry Goldwater, Bob Lazar, and the famous 1966 Portage County UFO chase, we explore the stories that have kept Ohio at the center of UFO mythology for nearly eighty years. Was Wright-Patterson simply home to the Air Force's official UFO investigations... or was it where recovered alien technology and extraterrestrial bodies were secretly stored? We examine the official explanations, the witness testimony, and the conspiracy theories that refuse to die. Then we ask the biggest question of all... If aliens really visited Earth... why does Ohio keep showing up? The Roswell Report (U.S. Air Force)Project Blue Book Archive (National Archives)FBI – The Vault: UFO FilesCIA Reading Room – UFO DocumentsUAP Records Collection (U.S. National Archives)History – Does Hangar 18, Legendary Alien Warehouse, Exist?Wright-Patterson AFB – 5 Little Known Facts About Wright-PattThe National Museum of the U.S. Air ForceRoswell Daily Record ArchivesThe Roswell Report (USAFNICAP – Portage County UFO ChaseProject Blue Book Case File – Ravenna/Mantua, Ohio (April 17, 1966)ORE Ohio – Portage County UFO ChaseThe Report on Unidentified Flying ObjectsAll images AI generated
Aug 23

The Sawney Bean Clan

They say one family hid inside a sea cave along the coast of Scotland... ambushing travelers, murdering them, and surviving through cannibalism for decades. But did any of it actually happen? This week on X-UMED, Lisa tells Samantha the disturbing legend of Sawney Bean—the infamous cannibal clan said to have inspired horror classics like The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn, and even parts of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We follow the legend from Alexander "Sawney" Bean's rejection of society, to the family's hidden cave, the disappearances of travelers, and the brutal ending ordered by King James VI. Along the way we ask the question historians still debate today... Was Sawney Bean a real serial killer... or centuries-old propaganda? ⚠️ Viewer discretion advised. This episode discusses murder, cannibalism, violence, torture, and historical executions. If you enjoy dark history, forgotten mysteries, folklore, haunted places, bizarre true stories, and strange legends... Welcome to X-UMED. sources- Historical & FolkloreJohn Nicholson, The History of Galloway (1843)One of the earliest printed accounts discussing the Sawney Bean legend.William Roughead, Classic Crimes (1950)Examines the legend and its place in Scottish criminal folklore.Sabine Baring-Gould, The Book of Were-Wolves (1865)References Sawney Bean while discussing folklore surrounding cannibalism and monstrous legends.George Chalmers, Caledonia (1807–1824)Useful for historical background on Scotland during the period.Scottish HistoryMichael Lynch, Scotland: A New HistoryExcellent background on sixteenth-century Scotland and the reign of James VI of Scotland.Rosalind K. Marshall, Scottish Queens, 1034–1714Context for Scottish society and politics during the alleged time period.Cave & GeographyBennane Cave (sometimes called Snib's Cave or Tramp's Cave)Balcreuchan PortOrdnance Survey Historic maps showing the location labeled as "Sawney Bean's Cave."Folklore AnalysisMike Dash, "Sawney Bean" Smithsonian MagazineHistoric UK The Legend of Sawney BeanUndiscovered Scotland Sawney Bean and Bennane CaveInspiration for Horror FilmsAlthough no filmmaker has officially credited Sawney Bean as the sole inspiration, the legend is frequently cited as influencing: The Hills Have EyesWrong TurnMany film historians also note similarities with: Ed GeinThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre
May 3

Mermaids!

summary Explore the mysterious world of mermaids, sea monsters, and underwater legends. Delve into historical sightings, ancient art, and the possibility of extraterrestrial or mythical origins of these water beings. Sources Mermaids: The Body Found – Mermaids: The Body Found NOAA Official Statement on Mermaids – National Ocean Service Behind the Hoax: Animal Planet’s Mermaids – Discovery Communications Press Materials The History of Mockumentaries in Television – Smithsonian Magazine P.T. Barnum’s Fiji Mermaid – P. T. Barnum Exhibition Archives Fiji Mermaid Analysis – Smithsonian Institution Sideshows and Hoaxes in 19th Century America – Library of Congress Archives 1493 Voyage Logs – Christopher Columbus Journals 1614 Account of a Mermaid – John Smith Writings 1830 Benbecula Mermaid Sighting – Scottish Folklore Archives Mermaid Sightings Throughout History – British Library ANCIENT MYTHOLOGY & ORIGINS Atargatis: The First Mermaid – Atargatis Temple Records Greek Sirens Mythology – Sirens (Homeric Texts) The Odyssey – Primary Source on Sirens Roman & Syrian Fish-Goddess Worship – Ancient History Encyclopedia SIRENS (BIRD VS MERMAID CONFUSION) Sirens in Greek Myth – Theoi Greek Mythology Transformation of Sirens into Mermaid Imagery – Classical Studies Journals Medieval Art Depictions of Sirens – European Manuscript Archives CAVE PAINTINGS & HIEROGLYPHICS Ancient Egyptian Fish-Human Depictions – The British Museum Collections Prehistoric Cave Art Interpretations – UNESCO Archives Mythological Creatures in Early Human Art – Journal of Archaeological Science AQUATIC APE THEORY Aquatic Ape Hypothesis – Aquatic Ape Hypothesis Research & Criticism – Nature Journal / Scientific American Elaine Morgan’s Work on Human Evolution – Elaine Morgan Publications MODERN SIGHTINGS & OCEAN MYSTERIES Kiryat Yam Mermaid Reports – Israeli News Archives Ocean Sightings & Unexplained Marine Encounters – National Geographic Deep Sea Unknown Species Studies – NOAA Research GENERAL FOLKLORE & LEGENDS Global Mermaid Legends – Encyclopaedia Britannica Folklore of Water Spirits – International Folklore Society Journals Mermaids in Cultural Mythology – Oxford Academic All images are AI generated
Apr 26

Atlantis

summary Exploring the mysteries of Atlantis through historical sources, myths, and modern theories, this episode delves into the legendary lost civilization, its possible locations, and the intriguing evidence and speculations surrounding it. Sources: PRIMARY ANCIENT SOURCES Plato - Timaeus Plato - Critias Herodotus - Histories ATLANTIS / HISTORICAL ANALYSIS K.T. Frost (1913) - The Critias and Minoan Crete Galanopoulos & Bacon - Atlantis: The Truth Behind the Legend National Geographic - Minoan Civilization / Santorini Journal of Volcanology & Geothermal Research - Thera eruption studies Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE) Edgar Cayce Atlantis Readings Sidney Kirkpatrick - Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet BIMINI ROAD / UNDERWATER CLAIMS NOAA - Bimini Road explanation Journal of Coastal Research USGS - Eugene Shinn research NOAA - Bermuda Triangle explanation U.S. Navy - Flight 19 records FAA - Aviation incident records Lawrence Kusche - The Bermuda Triangle Mystery—Solved *All images are AI generated

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X-UMED is a weekly podcast focusing on dark history, mythology and folklore.

Creator

Lisa Hyndman & Samantha Harrison
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

43
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 Lisa Hyndman & Samantha Harrison
Show Website

X-UMED