Why are black cats supposed to be bad luck?

In this listener-requested episode of Cursed...ish, Angela and Daniel dig into the long, strange history of black cat superstition and how one extremely normal, extremely adorable animal became associated with witches, demons, bad omens, and Halloween.

The trail leads back to medieval Europe, Pope Gregory IX, the Vox in Rama, and one truly unhinged description of a supposed satanic cult involving giant toads, mysterious pale men, a walking black cat statue, and a ritual that raises several questions nobody really wanted answered.

From there, we follow black cats into witch trials, familiars, Macbeth, King James and his obsession with witchcraft, Greek and Egyptian mythology, Hecate, Bastet, and folklore from around the world. Because depending on where and when you live, a black cat might mean death and misfortune... or protection, prosperity, romance, and very good luck.

We also meet Scotland’s Cat Sìth, a giant supernatural black cat said to wander the Highlands, steal souls, curse cattle, and accept offerings of milk during Samhain. Plus, we take a detour into Chilean treasure-hunting rituals involving black cats, mysterious buried treasure, and some extremely specific instructions you probably should not try at home.

So are black cats actually cursed?

Maybe cursed. Maybe not. Definitely adoptable.

Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com.

The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes.

*Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

What happens when you make a movie about the Antichrist and then everyone involved starts seeing signs of evil everywhere?

In this episode of Cursed...ish, Daniel and Angela kick off Cursed Cinema with The Omen, the 1976 horror classic about Damien, a very creepy child who may or may not be the literal Antichrist.

The movie leaned hard into demonic imagery from the beginning, with 666-themed release dates, ominous posters, satanic marketing, and a campaign practically begging audiences to believe something sinister was happening behind the scenes.

Then the stories started piling up: Gregory Peck’s plane was struck by lightning. So was screenwriter David Seltzer’s. Members of the production narrowly missed deadly plane crashes, survived nearby IRA bombings, and dealt with dangerous animal incidents on set. And then came the tragedy that helped cement the legend. Special effects artist John Richardson, who helped create the film’s famous decapitation scene, later survived a car crash that killed fellow effects artist Liz Moore in an eerily similar way. The accident happened on Friday the 13th, and later retellings added even more suspicious details involving 66.6 and a nearby town called Ommen.

Along the way, we talk The Omen curse, Gregory Peck, Richard Donner, Damien, 666, biblical numerology, lightning strikes, near-death coincidences, cursed movie sets, horror marketing, and the very blurry line between supernatural warning signs and a studio realizing that “the devil doesn’t want us to make this movie” is excellent publicity.

Was The Omen actually cursed, or did one very smart marketing campaign teach everyone to start connecting dots that were never really connected?

Maybe cursed. Maybe not. Actually, this one might just be not cursed.

https://www.whatsleepsbeneath.com/archive/the-omen-still-relevant-at-fifty?

https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/55833

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.com/search-newspapers/results?&enddate=1979-12-31&keywords=%23kills+%23lion+%23tiger&startdate=1970-01-01

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1975/nov/21/dunsfold-aerodrome-accident

https://www.worldbirdstrike.com/images/Resources/IBSC_Documents_Presentations/Warsaw/IBSC26_WPSA1.pdf

https://catalog.afi.com/Film/55833-THE-OMEN

https://www.tcm.com/articles/021416/the-omen-1976

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/lightning-strikes-decapitations-curse-original-110000012.html

Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com.

The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes.

*Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.

Before Halloween was spooky season, there was Samhain.

In this episode of Cursed...ish, Angela and Daniel dig into the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, the pagan celebration marking the end of the harvest, the beginning of winter, and a time when the veil between the living and the dead was believed to be at its thinnest.

And the deeper we go, the more familiar everything starts to look. Massive bonfires light up the darkness. People disguise themselves from wandering spirits. Food is left out to appease supernatural visitors. Glowing gourds with carved faces ward off evil. People go door to door asking for treats, and those who refuse might find themselves on the receiving end of a trick.

Somehow, thousands of years later, we are still doing basically the same thing every October. Along the way, we talk pagan holidays, Druids, sacred fires, the Wheel of the Year, ancient Irish folklore, divination, soul cakes, black cats, fae, ancestor worship, All Hallows’ Eve, and how Christianity helped transform Samhain traditions into the Halloween we know today. Is Halloween secretly one enormous ancient pagan holdover?

Maybe cursed. Maybe not. Maybe we’re all just a bunch of pagans with better candy.

Questions, comments, or your own accursed tales to share? Send us a hex at uhoh@cursedish.com.

The hosts of Cursed...ish are not responsible for any misfortunes that may befall you while listening to this podcast. By listening to Cursed...ish, you assume all risk of bad luck, ill omens, and unexplained catastrophes.

*Terms and conditions may be upheld by unknown forces.