Blurry Photos

David Flora

A podcast that explores the unexplained and explains the unexplored, Blurry Photos seeks the facts behind the fiction of the world’s most fascinating, unbelievable, and chilling mysteries and legends. Focusing on lesser-known topics of Forteana, conspiracy, history, and folklore, Blurry Photos is driven by the desire for a better understanding of fringe subjects through research, storytelling, and rational thinking. Prepare your butts, because it’s time to learn something weird. read less

Ep 274: The Devil: A History part 2
Yesterday
Ep 274: The Devil: A History part 2
David is back with the conclusion of the Devil and the history attached to him! Covering other cultures, names, looks, and breakdowns of the info, the Devil gets fleshed out and examined in great detail. We pick back up with various forms of Evil in other cultures through history. Then many of the countless names of this entity are dissected and examined, paying careful attention to the origins of each. The several iterations of looks are discussed after that. And finally the episode concludes with analysis of the research and how it has influenced cultures through the ages. What was the actual purpose of this being? How has it evolved? And what conclusions can you draw from the information? David ends with opinion based on the facts, and encourages you to take a thoughtful examination of them for yourself. It's the finish of one of the biggest episodes in Blurry Photos history, one that hopefully teaches you something new and gives you perspective you never knew you were missing! Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch!   Sources Wray, T.J., and Mobley, Gregory. The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots. St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2014. Kindle edition. Messadie, Gerald. A History of the Devil. Kodansha Globe Publishing. New York, NY. 1996. Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. 1977. 176-77. Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1988. Pg 19. Staff. Demons and Demonology. Jewish Virtual Library. Web. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/demons-and-demonology Szpakowska, Kasia. (2009). Demons in Ancient Egypt. Religion Compass. 3. 799 - 805. 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2009.00169.x. Chrissy. Evil Greek Gods and Goddesses. Greece Travel Ideas. Feb. 6, 2021. Web. https://greecetravelideas.com/evil-greek-gods-and-goddesses/ Jastrow, Jr., Morris, Levi, Gerson, Jastrow, Marcus, Kohler, Kaufmann. Belial. Jewish Encyclopedia. 2021. Web. https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2805-belial Grafton, Anthony, and Most, Glenn, and Settis, Salvatore. The Classical Tradition. The Belknap Press of Harvard University. Cambridge, MA and London, England. 2010. Dallaire, Glenn. Sister Magdalena of the Cross. Mystics of the Church Website. Dec. 10, 2011. Web. https://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2011/12/sister-magdalena-of-cross-nun-who-made.html Plaisted, David. Estimates of the Number Killed by the Papacy in the Middle Ages and Later. 2006. http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/827989/15116787/1321289366180/50+million+protestants+killed.pdf Hicks, Robert D. In Pursuit of Satan: the police and the occult. Prometheus Books. Buffalo, NY. 1991. Pg. 55.   Music Asian Drums, Beach Party, Danse Party, Dark Fog, Desert Fox, Dhaka, Lightless Dawn, Northur, Red Tears, Temple of the Manes, Tikopia, Wizardtorium - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Garden of Gethsemane - Co.Ag Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/@co.agmusic1823/featured Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Libera me, Pascha Nostrum, Amen, Sanctus, Sicut Ilium inter spinas - Messa di Requiem The Tudor Consort Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Ep 274: The Devil: A History part 1
31-01-2023
Ep 274: The Devil: A History part 1
Flora begins an epic deep dive into the history of the Devil with the first of a 2-part episode! Known the world over as the arch-fiend of all that is good, the Devil enjoys a sinister reputation, but is it truly deserved? Join David on a journey through history as he presents his research on this figure of malevolence. In part 1, David begins with the earliest mentions of Satan, including cultural inspirations. Both the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible are referenced as well as Hebrew scriptures and apocrypha not included in the Biblical canon. Ancient mythologies of Sumer, Babylon, and Persian Zoroastrianism are explored for their evil figures. And Jason from the Dragons in Genesis podcast joins to offer perspective throughout. Part 2 will explore evil in other cultures around the world, the many names of Satan and their origins, his looks, and conclusions which can be drawn from the information. It's a comparative mythology smorgasbord on this episode of Blurry Photos! Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch!   Sources Wray, T.J., and Mobley, Gregory. The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots. St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2014. Kindle edition. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. Encyclopedia Britannica, July 20, 1998. Web. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-War-of-the-Sons-of-Light-Against-the-Sons-of-Darkness Messadie, Gerald. A History of the Devil. Kodansha Globe Publishing. New York, NY. 1996. Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. 1977. 176-77. Kaplan, Arielle. Meet Judaism's Demons, Spirits, Witches, and Ghosts. Hey Alma website. Oct. 28, 2020. Web. https://www.heyalma.com/meet-judaisms-demons-spirits-witches-ghosts/ Dhalla, Dasturji Dr. Manekji Naserwanji. Temptation of Zarathushtra. Parsi Times. Oct. 16, 2016. Web. https://parsi-times.com/2016/10/temptation-of-zarathushtra/ Staff. Demons and Demonology. Jewish Virtual Library. Web. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/demons-and-demonology Halsall, Paul. Medieval Sourcebook: Twelfth Ecumenical Council: Lateran IV 1215. Internet Medieval Source Book. Fordham University, Mar. 1996. Web. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/lateran4.asp DeFoe, Daniel. A Political History of the Devil. London. Printed at The Black Boy in Pater-noster. 1726. Retrieved from the Web. https://www.online-literature.com/defoe/history-of-the-devil/19/   Music Halls of the Undead - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Dark Lord, I Will Play my Music, My Sins will Wake the Dead, Satanic, Somehow Satan got Behind Us - Co.Ag Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/@co.agmusic1823/featured Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 The Abyss, Consecrated Ground by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4770-traveler License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Ep 271: Canadian Monsters & Mysteries with WT Watson
20-09-2022
Ep 271: Canadian Monsters & Mysteries with WT Watson
Author WT Watson is back once again to talk about his newest book Canadian Monsters & Mysteries! Flora welcomes WT Watson back for some great tales and lore from his book Canadian Monsters & Mysteries, available now! Covering a huge variety of subject matter, Travis' book runs the gamut from cryptids to UFOs and even some surprises in between. Canada is not the first place you'd think of for fae folk, but Travis proves us wrong. It also does not come to mind for mer-folk, yet... Check out the interview and then check out Travis' book. And while you're at it, check out another episode of Blurry Photos featuring Travis and his other works! Find Canadian Monsters & Mysteries on Amazon! Don't forget to check out Travis' book Mysteries in the Mist Biography from Amazon W. T. Watson is a coffee addict and writer of both fiction and non-fiction. He infuses his work with his expertise in cryptozoology, monster lore, magic, Forteana and the paranormal. W.T. brings a unique shamanic and magical perspective to all his work after over 30 years of exploration in these topics. When he is not writing or reading about monsters, he can be found outdoors allowing his dogs to take him for a walk around his neighborhood in Kitchener, Ontario. He lives with his spouse, Stacey, in a townhome that would be jammed with books if it weren’t for e-readers.  Social Media Links https://www.facebook.com/blackdog60 https://twitter.com/WTWatson2 https://www.instagram.com/curunir60/  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16154993.W_T_Watson Kindle Purchase Link:  CM&M Kindle Edition
Ep 266: Mysteries in the Mist with WT Watson
22-04-2022
Ep 266: Mysteries in the Mist with WT Watson
Flora welcomes author WT Watson back to the show to discuss his new work, Mysteries in the Mist: Mist, Fog, and Clouds in the Paranormal. Folklore and Fortean researcher WT Watson brings his expert clarity to foggy topics in Mysteries in the Mist. Just about every Fortean topic is covered in Watson's new book. From aliens and cryptids to Fae folk and physics, there's a little bit of a lot that he found in his research. Fog and mist happens all around the world, as does the odd phenomena that sometimes occurs in/with it. Colorful fogs, sentient mists, teleporting clouds and more have been reported, and Watson has collected many anecdotes to compile them in one work. Bottom line, if you run into some weirdly-colored, foul-smelling, or hot fog, run the other way! And don't let the clouds rain on your parade - check out other episodes on the Blurry Photos website!   Don't forget to check out Travis' book Mysteries in the Mist Biography from Amazon W. T. Watson is a coffee addict and writer of both fiction and non-fiction. He infuses his work with his expertise in cryptozoology, monster lore, magic, Forteana and the paranormal. W.T. brings a unique shamanic and magical perspective to all his work after over 30 years of exploration in these topics. When he is not writing or reading about monsters, he can be found outdoors allowing his dogs to take him for a walk around his neighborhood in Kitchener, Ontario. He lives with his spouse, Stacey, in a townhome that would be jammed with books if it weren’t for e-readers.  Social Media Links https://www.facebook.com/blackdog60 https://twitter.com/WTWatson2 https://www.instagram.com/curunir60/  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16154993.W_T_Watson Kindle Purchase Link:  MitM Kindle Edition
Ep 265: The Burke and Hare Murders
25-03-2022
Ep 265: The Burke and Hare Murders
Season 11 of Blurry Photos kicks off with the Burke and Hare murders! A wild story of 19th century body-snatching, the Burke and Hare murders may have helped advance anatomical science, but definitely regressed ethics. William Burke and William Hare, Irishmen living in Scotland, have become two of the most famous serial killers of the 19th century. When the demands of medical science became too much to keep up with naturally, the two Irishmen stepped in to lend a helping hand. Not grave robbers, or "resurrection men" as they were called at the time,  the duo skipped the whole burial part to provide anatomists with fresh bodies. It's a macabre tale of science and economics gone awry, with a slightly tipsy storytelling element to boot on this episode of Blurry Photos! Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch!   Sources Edwards: Owen Dudley Edwards, Burke & Hare, 1983 Roach: Mary Roach, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Norton, 2003 Adams: Norman Adams, Scottish Bodysnatchers: True Accounts, Goblinshead, 2002 Young: Alex F. Young, The Encyclopedia of Scottish Executions, 1750 to 1963, Eric Dobby Publishing, 1998 The History of Burke and Hare and of the Resurrectionist Times (1884). The Public Domain Review. Web. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-history-of-burke-and-hare-and-of-the-resurrectionist-times-1884 Broadsides from The Word on the Street. Web. https://digital.nls.uk/broadsides/   Music Myst on the Moor, Danse Macabre, Moorland, Celtic Impulse, Errigal, Long Road Ahead B, Morgana Rides, Skye Cuillin - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Sí Beag, Sí Mór - Celtic Traditional by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7143-si-beag-si-mor-celtic-traditional License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Traveler by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4770-traveler License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Nomadic Sunset by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4767-nomadic-sunset License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Nomadic Dawn by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4766-nomadic-dawn License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Gjallar by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4763-gjallar License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Scottland Music 1 by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9073-scottland-music-1 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license