Bone and Sickle

BONE AND SICKLE explores historical topics related to folklore and horror. With acerbic wit and a scholarly penchant for the grotesque, rogue folklorist Al Ridenour delves into a wide but carefully curated range of topics illustrated by stories from histo

Listen to latest episode

Recent Episodes

Waxworks

Posted January 22, 2021 • 00:59:16

The macabre feelings stirred by waxwork figures go far beyond their use in horror films, back to the Terror of the French Revolution, and beyond to...

A Christmas Ghost Story

Posted December 23, 2020 • 00:30:21

Four our third year, we embrace the old tradition of seasonal ghost-storytelling. This year Mrs....

Terrible Tales for Terrible Tots

Posted December 20, 2020 • 00:44:42

Books of cautionary stories for children were a popular Christmas gift in Victorian times. These tales of misbehaving children and the tragic consequences of...

The Hellish Harlequin: Phantom Hordes to Father Christmas

Posted December 4, 2020 • 00:47:31

Harlequin is an enigmatic figure with roots in dark folklore of France, specifically that of the Wild Hunt (Chasse Sauvage) a nocturnal procession...

Witchcraft in Southern Italy

Posted November 21, 2020 • 00:48:28

In southern Italy, belief in witchcraft has a long history, much of it centering on the town of Benevento, about 30 miles east of Naples.

From...