The black legend of the Order of Assassins, a medieval sect of Islam known for their reliance on infiltration and murder

A refutation of the myth that Thuggee strangler bandits in 19th-century India were a blood cult devoted to the worship of Kali

A look at the development of traditions that the biblical King Solomon was a master of black magic.

The legend of the Ark of the Covenant, theories about its possible resting place, and the claims of a variety of hoaxers and pseudoarchaeologists.

The KGB disinformation campaign to convince the world that the U.S. government engineered HIV as a bioweapon

The story of the most egregious newspaper hoax of modern times: the Hitler Diaries.

Myths and conspiracy claims about Hitler escaping Berlin at the end of WWII

The capture and prosecution of Richard Hauptmann in the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case

The Crime of the Century: the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case

Fascist propaganda of the '20s and '30s helped drive a plot to stage a Fascist coup

The story of a plot by the wealthy and powerful to supplant a rightfully elected president

A discussion of Christmas iconography and images of Jesus Christ generally.

An unidentified man hijacks a Boeing 727 on November 24, 1971.

The evolution of the figure of Lilith

A look at the murky origins of superstitions and the folklore to which it's related.

The origin and evolution of the vampire legend from folklore to fiction and on to modern myth

The second part of my series has been delayed a week. In the meanwhile, please enjoy this episode of The Conspirators podcast that serves as a perfect bridge between parts one and two of my series on vampires.Throughout history, many cultures have considered blood to have magical properties. In fact, some people have held blood in such high regard that they actually turned to drinking blood in order to prolong their lives.The Conspirators is a bi-weekly show dedicated to the dark and disturbing stories from history your teacher never told you about. On the show I discuss unsolved mysteries, serial killers, survival stories, strange disappearances and other bizarre true events from the past.www.theconspiratorspodcast.comFind The Conspirators podcast here on Audioboom, or wherever you get your podcasts. The notes for this episode, with Nate Hale's sources, can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look at the legend and folklore behind the vampire!

I continue my meditation on demagoguery, looking at a controversial Depression-era politician

A look at other times in history when American democracy was at risk to better understand our current jeopardy.