Morbid Curiosities - N is for Necromancy and Necrophilia

In a particularly dark and saturnine episode of Morbid Curiosities (which is nonetheless full of the wacky and inappropriate humour you've come to expect of us) we explore the histories of two very distinct ways of interfering with the dead. 

Please note: while this episode of Morbid Curiosities is profanity-free as ever, it does contain sexual references which some listeners may find uncomfortable or disturbing. Please

George sets himself a literally impossible challenge for the episode – Rosie introduces a surprising range of different forms of love for the dead – George talks you through a couple of necromantic rituals – Rosie introduces one of history’s most notorious killers.

Just a few references to share from this episode:

The Coffindancers, with their homebrew necromantic ritual:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5KMAcQdQ2A&t=627s

A not-at-all insane man performing an Evocation of Azazel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPDnysW0cnE

https://ia801502.us.archive.org/13/items/MorbidCuriositiesNS1/Morbid%20Curiosities_%20N%20is%20for%20Necroma.mp3

Morbid Curiosities - M is for Mortician

This week on the Morbid Curiosities Podcast, we speak to a professional in the death industry! We've finally managed to get our hands on a real-life mortician to answer all our strange questions. Here she is:



Lara has been a Trainee Anatomical Pathology Technologist for the past 2 years, and has had a life long (no pun intended) interest in death. She was runner up Best Mortuary Assistant/APT in the 2016 Good Funeral Awards. She loves educating people about her job and about death in general, which she believes can empower people into making positive changes in their day to day lives.








https://ia801503.us.archive.org/18/items/MorbidCuriositiesMIsForMortic/Morbid%20Curiosities%20-%20M%20is%20for%20Mortic.mp3

Morbid Curiosities - M is for Medicine and Mummies

We’ve finally arrived at our favourite letter of the alphabet! So we’re lingering on the letter M for a little while, because there’s SO SO MUCH to say about it. Corpse Medicine and Mummies are two of the topics we’ve most been looking forward to, and we think you’re going to love love LOVE this episode…

Your hosts enjoy a tasty snack – George explains how a linguistic misunderstanding led to popularised cannibalism – Rosie introduces the delights of desiccation by nature and nurture – George ponders the definition of death – Rosie laments a destructive form of public entertainment.

Don’t forget we’d love to see you at MORIBUND! Which opens Tuesday 22nd at Crazy Coqs in London’s Piccadilly – a joyful and macabre tour of the world of death! Find tickets here:
https://yplanapp.com/london/moribund-53296/

Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine – one of our favourite edupodcasts!
http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/sawbones

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach
http://maryroach.net/stiff.html

Fascinating BBC article on beating heart cadavers
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161103-the-macabre-fate-of-beating-heart-corpses

Mummies at the British Museum in London, and at the Metropolitan Museum in New York:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/visiting/family_visits/night_at_the_museum/mummies_in_the_museum.aspx
http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/egyptian-art

Getty Museum video of the mummification process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MQ5dL9cQX0

The Mummy’s Curse: The True History of a Dark Fantasy, by Roger Luckhurst
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15853917-the-mummy-s-curse

https://ia601505.us.archive.org/30/items/MorbidCuriositiesEpisode8GCEd/Morbid%20Curiosities%20Episode%208%20-%20GC%20Ed.mp3

Morbid Curiosities - K is for Kicking the Bucket, L is for Living Wills

Well, hello there! In this week's episode of the #MorbidCurioCast, we look at some of the many thousands of euphemisms for death, and at how constructing a living will can avoid a lot of heartache.
George cheats at starting a topic with the letter K, because he's bad at words - Rosie gets ribald over the idea of selling rodents for cash - George explains what is actually being kicked when you 'kick the bucket' - Rosie has some genuinely excellent advice on avoiding extraordinarily stressful life events...



RESOURCES:

Kicking the Bucket Festival:
https://kickingthebucket.co.uk/

Life, Death, Whatever:
http://www.lifedeathwhatever.com/about/

Wooden Overcoats:
http://www.woodenovercoats.com/

Websites relevant to Living Wills:
Age UK:

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matters/legal-issues/living-wills/about/My Living Will:
https://www.mylivingwill.org.uk/
Compassion in Dying:
http://compassionindying.org.uk/library/advance-decision-pack/

Dying Matters:
http://www.dyingmatters.org/

The Times on End-of-Life cases going to court
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/end-of-life-cases-must-go-to-court

'Overkill' Article by Atul Gawande:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/11/overkill-atul-gawande

https://ia801509.us.archive.org/9/items/MorbidCuriositiesEpisode7KIs/Morbid%20Curiosities%20Episode%207%20-%20K%20is.mp3

Morbid Cuiriosities - Haunted Hallowe'en Special!

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!

On this spookiest of all days, George and Rosie are taking a break from their regular scheduled programming to get ghostly, and tell you all about a selection of haunted hangouts around the world.
George introduces one of the Voodoo queens of New Orleans - Rosie takes a look at ghastly goings-on at Bethlam Royal many years ago - George raises a glass to Edgar Allan Poe - Rosie fancies a spooky sandwich (or salad). And a chilling cheeseburger. And a poltergeist-pizza...


Links of interest:

- St Louis Cemetery #1, New Orleans:
http://www.saveourcemeteries.org/st-louis-cemetery-no-1/

- Marie Laveau, Voodoo Priestess extraordinaire:
http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2012/07/marie-laveau.html

- Barthelemy Lafon, engineer and architect-cum-pirate and smuggler
http://www.knowla.org/entry/1198/&view=summary

- Edgar Allan Poe's grave, and the Poe Toaster:
http://www.eapoe.org/balt/poegrave.htm

- Perhaps-tenuous proof of a ghost in a Pizza Hut bathroom - skip to 3:45 for the ghost reveal!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4DncMB5GZw





https://ia601500.us.archive.org/8/items/MorbidCuriositiesEpisode6/Morbid%20Curiosities%20Episode%206.mp3

Morbid Curiosities - I is for Incorrupt, J is for Jewellery

Back from their more-than-usually sombre episode last week, Rosie and George delve into the bizarre world of Incorrupt Saints, and the delicious tongue-twister of memento mori and mourning and memorial jewellery.
George tries to sell Rosie a preserved head - Rosie shows off her mortal bling - George introduces a different kind of waxwork - Rosie suggests some strangely elegant uses for your lover's hair...

Thank you for listening! Find out more about Gimcrack Productions and our work, including what we look like, at: www.gimcrackproductions.com


References:

Beautiful examples of, and information on, memento mori:

http://artofmourning.com/category/other/symbolism/

An article about Victorian mourning practice and attitudes toward death:

https://remembermeproject.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/cult-of-the-dead-versus-phobic-of-the-dead-the-role-of-victorian-mourning-ephemera-in-death-acceptance/

The Order of the Good Death's Youtube series Ask A Mortician, one of our favourite all-round suppliers of death information:
https://www.youtube.com/user/OrderoftheGoodDeath




https://ia601505.us.archive.org/0/items/Episode5IncorruptJewellery/Episode%205%20-%20Incorrupt,%20Jewellery.mp3