Astonishing Legends

It seems Lady Wonder was much more than a "One-trick Pony."  But even if you consider her one trick to be an abnormal aptitude for intuitiveness and the ability to express it, that's quite a trick for an animal.  Her impressive skills were at least intriguing enough to garner a scientific study of her phenomenon by a couple of leading researchers of the day.  Joseph Banks Rhine or "J.B." as he was known, and his wife Louisa E. Rhine were the founders of the branch of psychology known as parapsychology, with J.B. credited with coining the term Extrasensory Perception, or E.S.P.  In a week, they conducted around 500 experiments on Lady Wonder's powers.  While there was no conclusive proof that the horse had an individual and infallible psychic perception, the data collected was enough to astound the Rhines since no human trickery was detected.  In the following years, J.B. Rhine would come to doubt his initial conclusions, although he never expounded on his later thinking.  Still, he wondered if there wasn't instead a form of telepathy between Lady and her handler Claudia Fonda, which would be nearly as remarkable.  Skeptics have claimed that this mere parlor trick was performed by having Lady move over each letter on her "typewriter," at which point Claudia would somehow signal Lady to tap the correct key.  However, this would necessitate Lady having to step several feet in either direction to cover every possible letter and number, and the Rhines observed that when she was most effective, the horse was near motionless while in an almost trance-like state.  It would also not explain how Claudia then could have answers to questions she would not logically know.  If J.B. Rhine's rethinking of his conclusions was correct, it might be just as extraordinary if there was psychical cooperation between Lady and Claudia, one that perhaps Claudia was not even aware of herself.  Whether you believe psychic ability with any living creature is real or not, at the very least, the story of Lady Wonder illustrates the profound and special bond humans have with the animals they love. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Many folks simply don't believe in psychic abilities.  But those that have had a total stranger tell them something about themselves that the person couldn't possibly know have often had a change of heart.  But what if that impossible information came from a horse!  There have been quite a few trained animals over the years that have displayed an uncanny ability to perform human-like mental feats.  From counting numbers and communicating to predicting the outcomes of sporting events, these clever animals have delighted and entertained us with their tricks.  But none have come close to the prodigious prognostication of a horse named "Lady Wonder."  Lady Wonder was a mare raised by Claudia and Clarence Fonda on their farm in Richmond, Virginia.  From her beginnings as a weeks-old foal, it was clear to Claudia that Lady was special, as she demonstrated an almost supernatural ability for intuitiveness.  Claudia soon trained Lady to recognize the alphabet with the use of toy blocks.  As she grew, Clarence fabricated a sort of giant typewriter where Lady could tap out the answers to questions posed to her.  But Lady's answers weren't relegated to the obvious, incredible as that act alone would seem.  Lady also knew things about the inquisitor that no one else could know.  As soon as this ability became known to the public, Lady was soon seeing hundreds of visitors a week, answering questions about subjects such as personal advice, business, romance, and of course, lucky gambling picks.  But most mystifying of all were her predictions of future events and knowledge of missing people.  Although like most human psychics, Lady was sometimes wrong about her prophesies, she was right enough throughout her life to spark public fascination and scientific study, earning her the name of "Lady Wonder." For more information on this episode visit our website!

Many of us have seen all those ghost hunting shows on Cable Television and elsewhere. They usually feature an intrepid team of Paranormal Researchers trying to capture supernatural activity using electronic equipment like Night-vision cameras, audio recorders, and specially modified gear to aid in Instrumental Trans-Communication, or “ITC.” The evidence gathered is often compelling and entertaining, but usually frustratingly lacking in details. What we want to know is, who or what is this thing making its presence known, and most chillingly, what does it want? For those answers, some shows employ a psychic or a medium, and yes, there’s a difference. What these gifted individuals can tell us is what they can supposedly see that the cameras cannot, messages the recorders cannot hear, and sensations no device can detect. We’re fascinated by the insight because the answers lead to the more significant question, and that is, what happens to us after we die and what’s it like “beyond the veil?” And whether we believe in these claims or not, haven’t you thought how interesting it would be to speak with and ask questions of someone with these powers? So did we. Tonight’s guest is just such a conduit to the Other Side. Jim Hunt is an “Intuitive Life Coach” who uses his psychic abilities to help his clients understand their personal path. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Jim was the resident Psychic Medium for the ghost hunting show Knock Knock Ghost, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. With a respectful and comforting manner, this on-camera approach, combined with seemingly uncanny confirmations of his observations through the ITC devices, made us think he might be fun to talk to, and we were right. In our conversation with Jim, he talks about his experiences in eastern Canada’s historically haunted locations and gives us both a bit of a “reading” where we just might gain a little insight into our own stories and that of the podcast.  For more information on this episode visit our website!

For nearly a month, the boys who originally discovered the "Kera Object" continued to search for and experiment with it, almost like a wild animal they hoped to tame.  The tale of their exploits with the bizarre item would be more comfortable to pass off as a childish prank if not for the corroboration of its existence by at least a couple of adults.  One of the boys, Yasuo, brought home the device to be examined by his father, Matsuo Fujimoto, who was then the director of the Center for Science Education in Kōchi City.  The boy's father, someone with scientific training, gave the object a cursory examination.  He determined that it appeared similar to an antique cast iron ashtray, but too light for the real thing.  Peering through the holes in the bottom, Mr. Fujimori noticed that the internal components were similar to a radio's.  However, he was unable to look any closer since it could not be opened and lost interest in the find.  He would later express regret for not having studied the object more closely.  Katsuoka Kojima's mother, Aiko, had also reported that the object glowed like fireflies, while Yasuo Fujimoto's mother had her own sighting of a small UFO about a month later.  In contrast to these possible confirmations of authenticity, a local astronomer interested in the phenomenon, Tsutomu Seki, had interviewed the witnesses and was impressed by them and their story, but still maintained doubts about various elements of the case.  To add to the mystery, at least two other reports of encounters with strikingly similar objects had occurred, one in 1976 about 25 miles to the west from Kera, and another as far away as Suonenjoki, Finland in 1979.  So what are we to make of all the varying details concerning these impossible objects?  If we are to believe ongoing reports, certain authorities already have extraterrestrial items in their possession, but they are strictly guarded secrets not meant for public knowledge.  If we are to believe the thousands of accounts from ordinary citizens, these alien articles are egalitarian in who they choose to appear to.  Perhaps one day, if one of these phenomenal objects can manage to be kept and operated by one of the "Little People," it will open up a new world of discovery and understanding for all of us.   For more information on this episode visit our website!

Some of the most extraordinary and interactive encounters with UFOs or anomalous objects are surprisingly the least well-known.  And yet elements of the tale once heard could seem to be quite familiar. Tonight’s subject appears to be just one of those cases.  Although there are variations in the details of the incident, the general narrative goes as follows.  In the afternoon or early evening of August 25, 1972, 13-year-old student Michio Seo was passing by a rice paddy in his neighborhood of Kera near Kochi City on Shikoku Island in southern Japan when something caught his eye.  A small, strange hat-shaped device was flying erratically several feet above the field.  With a dull silver metallic finish, and a wide brim sloping upward to a bell-shaped flat top, Michio would describe its flight pattern as like a bat zig-zagging to catch insects.  Mustering his courage, Michio cautiously approached the tiny UFO until it seemed to sense his proximity and shot a bright beam of light in his direction, chasing him away.  Michio Seo then did what any adventurous teenager would do, he rounded up his four best friends and returned to the scene, hoping to prove his wondrous discovery.  To their surprise, the craft eventually returned, this time pulsating with multicolored light as evening fell.  As one of the boys got closer, the gadget once again sensed the approach and sounded a loud pop and shone a blue glow, sending them all running.  Over the next several weeks, the boys would play a cat-and-mouse game with the incredible gizmo, photographing it, even capturing and experimenting with it, only to have it mysteriously escape each time.  While this account may sound like the inspiration for a Hollywood movie, there is shockingly little information about the incident outside of Japan.  To add to the uniqueness of this encounter, not only is the contact unusually spirited, it’s characterized by elements of Pop Culture, Urban Legend, and Japanese folklore.  However, with the tremendous research help of writers and podcasters Micah Hanks and Rob Morphy, we aim to get to the bottom of an amazing story about what’s become known as “The Kera Object.” For more information on this episode visit our website!

After a long and successful piratical career in the Gulf of Mexico, the United States government finally, and firmly, requested the Laffite brothers leave Galveston Island forever.  On May 7, 1821, Jean Laffite left without protest, but not before he had his men torch his Maison Rouge headquarters and all buildings within the settlement of his Campeche compound.  It’s also likely he took with him his massive hoard of ill-gotten booty, possibly loaded onto four ships, one of which was his vessel, the Pride.  But the corsair life was in their blood, and Laffite could not leave it nor the Gulf.  He and his men would continue to take prizes there and in the waters off Cuba and Central America until his debated end sometime between 1823 and 1826.  The mysteries of his legend would continue to live on, as the search for his millions never ceased.  Although no one has publicly claimed to find his treasure, our interview guest, Cody Hix, may have found tantalizing clues leading to Laffite’s lost ship.  Cody, his brother Chuck, and their cousin Jay Hix-Jones appeared in an episode of Expedition Unknown with Josh Gates.  During their segment, they not only outlined their theory on a family connection to Laffite’s lineage but also find evidence of a possible shipwreck in a promising location.   Join us tonight as we dive deeper into the background of Cody’s family history and the details of their amazing find.  We’ll also discuss the even more persistent and enduring tales than that of Laffite’s buried treasure, those of the ghost of his tormented soul.  One legend has it that due to Laffite’s eternal guilt over his crimes, his spirit searches for an honorable and beneficent seeker to whom he will reveal his treasure.  Perhaps he has finally found worthy heirs. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Some lost treasures are legendary because of what is hidden. Some are legendary because of who did the hiding. Both types of captivating tales are found in the book Coronado’s Children. Published in 1930 and written by Texas folklorist and author J. Frank Dobie, Coronado’s Children is an enthralling collection of stories about buried treasure, Old West capers, and the often dangerous quest for a fleeting fortune by adventurous characters. Usually a blend of documented events and dubious oral history, these stories are not merely Tall Tales but testaments of a pioneering spirit that furthered the exploration of the American southwest and was foundational to the United States as a country. One such account that stood out to us was the legend of Jean Laffite and his brother Pierre. Spelled “Laffite” by the brothers themselves, but recorded in contemporary official US documents as “Lafitte,” theirs is a chronicle that begins and ends in mystery and everything in-between became firmly entrenched in the early history of Louisiana and Texas, from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Arriving in New Orleans around the time of the Louisana Purchase in 1803 from debated origins, the Laffite brothers soon established a blacksmith shop in the French Quarter, which still stands today. Not long after, they realized the real profit would come from using the shop to “fence” pirated goods stolen by the privateers who preyed on Spanish merchant ships in Barataria Bay. Using their natural business acumen, the Laffites would expand their criminal enterprises enough to make themselves some of the richest and most powerful men in the region. Even when their flagrant operations had threatened the sovereignty of the US government, Jean Laffite was able to gain at least temporary pardon and acclaim by greatly aiding then General Andrew Jackson to victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans. In a career of contradictions and double-dealings, Jean Laffite would enjoy such occupations as a prominent businessman, smuggler, military hero, spy, slave trader, and criminal mastermind, but popular opinion regards him most generally as a pirate, a moniker he detested. Whatever his actual life story is and the fate of his amassed fortune, his legacy is perhaps best described by J. Frank Dobie as, “Legend, Paradox, Mystery.” For more information on this episode visit our website!

We’re all sequestered in our respective locations these Strange Days, with many of us using teleconferencing applications to connect with co-workers, friends, and family. It’s a tool we use in our regular production of the podcast since we’ve been separated by a continent. But now we thought it was time to put it to even better use to check in with our good friends Rich Hatem and Rob Kristoffersen. We first met Rob in 2016 when he graciously helped us research UFO subjects. He has since gone on to produce his own podcast, Our Strange Skies, a captivating and in-depth program on the phenomenon. Rich was introduced to us through a mutual friend when an uncanny discovery occurred. He was not only the screenwriter of The Mothman Prophecies, a film we often discussed, but he also had a vast knowledge of, and a shared passion for the paranormal. We’ve had both fine gentlemen on past episodes separately, but never with all of us on together. Tonight’s show will be a free-wheeling, casual conversation covering such topics as Charles Hoy Fort, the namesake of paranormal phenomena dubbed “Forteana,” recent developments at Skinwalker Ranch, and even our setups for podcast recording and teleconferencing at home. We hope you’ll find tonight’s episode to be in the same spirit that our show is meant to be for all of our audience. That is, an engaging discussion and enduring camaraderie no matter how strange things get. For more information on this episode visit our website!

Astonishing Legends presents the premiere of Season 2 of our additional show, The Midnight Library. The remaining 12 episodes can be found, dropping weekly on Sundays, on The Midnight Library's own feed. Please find and subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts! Welcome back, Dear Guests! - Goddess Tree, Witch Tree, Bearer of a Gift Tree; Tonight we gather to learn what ancient magical powers can be found in a Rowan tree. Infused with myths, imbued with luck, and sacred to this day, the Rowan tree may be just the thing to bring joy to your garden, or it may even save your life! For more information on this episode visit our website!

Valid hypotheses about the Lost Colony of 1587 on Roanoke Island have existed since the settlers' disappearance.   In 1603, Bartholomew Gilbert attempted the last contemporary expedition to locate the colonists, but his search ended with the death of himself and four crewmen at the hands of Algonquian natives.  John Smith, an influential leader of the Jamestown Colony of 1607, had heard stories from Native American chiefs about villages where some of the men wore European-style clothing.  His search efforts would come up empty-handed, except for producing a map showing the locations of the suspected communities with walled housing.  It wasn't until 1701 with John Lawson's expedition to the then Province of Carolina that a European exploration would again check the Roanoke site along with the Croatoan area, which became Hatteras Island.  Lawson's examination of Roanoke yielded few clues except for the ruins of a fort and some English items.  His meeting with the Hatteras natives, however, provided a curious revelation: some of the Hatteras tribal members had gray eyes and claimed a few of their ancestors were white.  After Lawson's search, with inconclusive evidence and no forensic methodology at the time, interest in the Lost Colony's fate faded over the decades.  In the 430 years since the colonist's disappearance, hypotheses ranging from massacre and conspiracy to assimilation have remained unprovable.  Even with tantalizing finds through recent archaeology and DNA research, we are still one conclusive discovery away from declaring the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, a "Mystery Solved!" For more information on this episode visit our website!