Bug in a Rug

Ep. 133 Averasboro Gallinipper

If you were on Fear Factor and had to decide between an eagle-sized mosquito drinking your blood or a hot coal thrown on your back, which would you choose? Join Vuk from the Tracing Owls podcast and I as we discuss the tall tale of the Averasboro Gallinipper, a giant mosquito that supposedly tormented the swamps of North Carolina!
 
Tracing Owls on Apple Podcasts
Tracing Owls | Podcast on Spotify
 
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Sources:
Mosquito - Wikipedia
Psorophora ciliata - Wikipedia
Gallinipper Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
Are Gallnippers Giant Mosquitoes? (thoughtco.com)
Gallinipper (mythology) - Wikipedia
Averasboro Gallinipper | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom
NATIVE HISTORY ASSOCIATION - The Great Yellow-Jacket: Origin of Fish and Frogs
Averasboro (Town of) - North Carolina History Project
Cryptids and Monsters: Averasboro Gallinipper (Giant Mosquito), which was seen as large as a hawk - YouTube
Giant insects once covered Earth. Where did they go? - Big Think
How Many Mosquito Species Are There? | Ask A Biologist (asu.edu)
The Carboniferous Period: When Giant Insects Ruled the Land and Sky - Owlcation

Ep. 132 Kaikoura Lights

New Zealanders had a mystery on their hands days before 1979... what were those strange lights flight crews kept seeing over the Kaikoura Mountains? It is still unknown if the lights were aliens, squid boats, trains, Venus, meteors, or Santa Claus and his reindeer going on vacation. All the CIA said was that the matter was, "...unique among civilian UFO reports because there is a large amount of documentary evidence."
 
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Sources:
Kaikoura lights - Wikipedia
CIA files: UFOs, mind control, and strange lights above Kaikoura in 1978 | Stuff.co.nz
The Kaikoura Mountains UFO Incident - UFO Insight
The Strange Case of the Kaikoura Lights of New Zealand (mysteriousuniverse.org)
New Zealand EAS scenario: Kaikoura Lights - YouTube
The Kaikoura Lights New Zealand's 40-year-old UFO Mystery - YouTube

Ep. 131 Holly King vs. Oak King

Welcome to this week's matchup! In one corner, we have the Holly King who represents darkness, the night, and winter. They are at their peak power on the Winter Solstice. In the other corner we have the Oak King who represents the light, daytime, and summer. They are at peak power on the Summer Solstice. Who will win their eternal battle to win the favor of the Horned God?
 
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Sources:
The eight Sabbats: Witch's holidays – Grove and Grotto
Pagan Sabbats and Wiccan Holidays (learnreligions.com)
Holly King and Oak King - Wikipedia
Deities of the Winter Solstice (learnreligions.com)
Legend of the Holly King and Oak King (learnreligions.com)
The Holly King by Witchipedia
Horned God - Wikipedia
The Story of The Oak King and The Holly King – Spells8
Oak King vs Holly King the Bi-Annual Battle of the Ages Saga - YouTube

Ep. 130 Skin-walkers

Skin-walker comes from the Navajo word yee naaldlooshii which translates to, "by means of it, it goes on all fours". These creatures were humans who harnessed the power of evil by doing unspeakable acts against those closest to them. Their shapeshifting powers are used to cause harm to individuals and communities alike. Join my friend and I as we explore the terrifying truths behind these beings. 
 
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Sources:
Navajo - Wikipedia
Navajo | History, Culture, Language, & Facts | Britannica
Navajo Religion (meta-religion.com)
Navajo Witchcraft: Guide to the Mysterious Practice | LoveToKnow
Skin-walker - Wikipedia
Navajo Skinwalkers – Witches of the Southwest – Legends of America
Skinwalkers Are Shapeshifting Witches in Navajo Folklore | HowStuffWorks
20 Terrifying Facts About Skinwalkers (the-line-up.com)
Skinwalkers (reddit.com)
Unsolved Mysteries Season 3, Episode 5
 

Ep. 129 Steven Kubacki’s Disappearance

Steven Kubacki vanished during a cross country skiing trip on February 20th, 1978. Miraculously, he turned up on his aunt's doorstep exactly 15 months after his disappearance with evidence pointing to extensive travel across the United States. The only problem? He didn't remember a single thing that had taken place in that time. 
 
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Sources:
The Strange Vanishing and Weird Reappearance of Stephen Kubacki (mysteriousuniverse.org)
The disappearance of Steven Kubacki in the Lake Michigan Triangle — StrangeOutdoors.com
The Mysterious Disappearance of Steven Kubacki, and his odd reappearance 15 months later. – Strange Unexplained Mysteries (coolinterestingstuff.com)
People Who Vanished Into Thin Air at the Michigan Triangle (mysteriousuniverse.org)
Dissociative Fugue: Definition, Symptoms, and Causes (healthline.com)
36+ Best Trails for Cross Country Skiing in Michigan (awesomemitten.com)
 

Ep. 128 The Hammersmith Ghost

Hammersmith, England thought they had a ghost problem in 1803. Then they ACTUALLY had a murder problem. When in reality... it was a man in a sheet problem.
 
This whole situation set off an argument in the court system that lasted 180 years! The question... could one get away with murder if they thought they were shooting a ghost?
 
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Sources:
Hammersmith - Wikipedia
15 Best Things to Do in Hammersmith (London Boroughs, England) - The Crazy Tourist
Hammersmith Ghost murder case - Wikipedia
The Newgate Calendar - FRANCIS SMITH (exclassics.com)
The Hammersmith Ghost – Michael Carver — Historical Interpreter/Reenactor (colonialbrewer.com)
The Hammersmith Ghost | Europaranormal
Hypnogoria: FOLKLORE ON FRIDAY - The Curious Case of the Hammersmith Ghost Part I
The Haunting Murder Case Of The Hammersmith Ghost - YouTube

Ep. 127 A Halloween Bank Heist

I've never celebrated Halloween by robbing a bank, but that doesn't mean it's never happened before! Take Bennie and Stella Dickson for example... they pulled off a "Halloween Heist" in 1938, getting away with over $350,000!
 
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Sources:
Bennie and Stella Dickson - Wikipedia
Bennie and Stella Dickson – Depression Era Bank Robbers – Legends of America
Halloween 83 years ago: Brookings’ first ever bank heist (substack.com)
Brookings Register | Halloween 83 years ago: Brookings’ first ever bank heist
 
The Ballad of Ben and Stella Mae... a book by Matt Cecil

Ep. 126 The High Priestess of Blood

We have decided to form a cult! Magdalena Solis was suggested to us when we were wondering where to begin. She was known as The High Priestess of Blood, and while we find her knack for nicknames pretty cool... we don't really agree with the whole human sacrifice thing she had going on. 
 
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Sources:
Magdalena Solís - Wikipedia
 
Coatlicue - World History Encyclopedia
Ejido - Wikipedia
The Haunting Story Of Magdalena Solis, The Mexican Prostitute-Goddess Who Took Over A Murder Cult (ranker.com)
The High Priestess of Blood - Grim Happenings
Inside killer cults where ‘prostitute priestess’ drank blood of human sacrifices & voodoo fanatics led murder sprees | The US Sun (the-sun.com)
Magdalena Solis | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Magdalena Solís con los Hernández y su secta sexual (wordpress.com)
The strange story of Magdalena Solis, the High Priestess of Blood – Strange Unexplained Mysteries (coolinterestingstuff.com)
La Yerbabuena (Tamaulipas) Güémez, Mexican village (pueblosamerica.com)
Yerbabuena: página negra de Villagrán - Expreso

Ep. 125 Amusement Park Accidents

The Smiler and Verruckt were both record-breaking amusement park rides that had thrill-seekers flocking to their gates. The Smiler and Verruckt are ALSO both record-breaking amusement park rides that have had tragic accidents occur during their operation. 
 
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Sources:
Oldest amusement park in operation | Guinness World Records
What is the Oldest Amusement Park in the World? - WorldAtlas
Amusement park accidents - Wikipedia
Amusement Park Accidents and Injuries Statistics | BMW Law Group
 
The Smiler
The Smiler - Wikipedia
Roller coaster element - Wikipedia
The Smiler [4K] 2019 Front Seat POV - Alton Towers Resort - YouTube
Nemesis94DJW - YouTube
Alton Towers Smiler crash: Four seriously hurt - BBC News
The Smiler rollercoaster crash - RoSPA
 
Verruckt
Verrückt - Wikipedia
The Verrückt Waterslide Accident at Schlitterbahn in Kansas City - The Atlantic
The World’s Tallest Water Slide Was a Terrible, Tragic Idea - YouTube
Charges dropped against owner, designer of Verruckt waterslide where boy was decapitated in horrific accident - ABC News (go.com)
 

Ep. 124 Flinderation Tunnel (Brandy Gap #2)

No one knows whether ghosts or Tommyknockers are responsible for the strange occurrences in Flinderation Tunnel. This old West Virginian railway tunnel allegedly resides under an even older cemetery, and visitors claim to hear strange noises, see dense fogs, or even come face to face with apparitions! Join my parents and I as we discuss the spooky history...
 
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Sources:
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad - Wikipedia
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Fairmont Subdivision - Abandoned (abandonedonline.net)
Haunted Brandy Gap Tunnel #2 in West Virginia (nuttyhiker.com)
Haunted Salem — Flinderation Tunnel  Salem, West Virginia In... (tumblr.com)
Haunted Tunnel In West Virginia: Flinderation Tunnel (onlyinyourstate.com)
North Bend Rail Trail - West Virginia State Parks - West Virginia State Parks (wvstateparks.com)
Parkersburg to Clarksburg---Waist of the B&O Main--Part II - WVNC Rails
Tommyknockers of the Western Mines – Legends of America