Borrowed Bones
Families build you up, tear you down, and sometimes drag you into something truly unhinged. Borrowed Bones unearths the bizarre, toxic, and fascinating stories of family dynamics gone sideways. From the macabre to the just plain strange, we’re digging deep to uncover the skeletons hiding in the closets of history, culture, and beyond.
Episodes
Ever wonder why we say “graveyard shift” or “trick or treat”? Listen as we unravel the eerie origins of words and phrases we say every spooky season.
Sources:
Wordsmarts.com, Graveyard Shift, BetterWordsOnline.com, MentalFloss.com, Phrases.com, WordOrigins.com, LoveToKnow.com, TheExplain.com, UncoverWords.com, Etymonline.com, MerriamWebster.com, History.com
E-Mail the show at BorrowedBonesPodcast@proton.me
As we reach the final chapter in our Brothers Grimm trilogy, we follow Jacob and Wilhelm through their golden years at the University of Berlin. We see how these scholarly siblings who have already transformed folklore collection into a science, continue to make history even in their twilight years.
Sources:
The German Fairytale Route, The Romantic Movement, The Polar Star,
The second part of our Brothers Grimm series follows Jacob and Wilhelm through their publication of fairy tales and their groundbreaking academic work during a turbulent period in German history.
Sources:
Britannica.com, The Gottingen Seven, National Endowment for the Humanities, Grimm's Law Podcast Episode, Britannica.com Congress of Vienna.
E-Mail the show at BorrowedBonesPodcast@proton.me
The Brothers Grimm bathed in wine, lived in castles, and had doves nesting under their beds. Their real lives were as fantastical as the fairy tales they collected. Embark on this three-part story about Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, with our first guest, my twin sister, Samantha!
Sources:
"The Brothers Grimm: A Biography", by Ann Schmiesing,
Schmiesing, Ann. The Brothers Grimm: A Biography. Yale University Press, 2024.
&q...
In the heart of Uganda's Kibale National Park lies a remarkable story of family politics, power struggles, and territorial conflicts that mirror human societies in startling ways. The Ngogo chimpanzee community is the largest known chimpanzee group in the world. It provides a window into the complex social structures that govern great ape societies and, by extension, offers insights into our own evolutionary past
Sour...
Andrea Yates' story isn't just about a mother who killed her children—it's about mental healthcare failures, religious extremism, and societal pressure on mothers. What can we learn 20+ years later?
Sources:
Yates Family Memorial Site, Biography.com, Time.com, NYPost.com, PsychiatryOnline.org, NYPost.com, CNN.com, Psychiatry.com
E-Mail the show at BorrowedBonesPodcast@proton.me
Three hundred years of ethical business seems almost impossible in today's world, yet the Twining family tea empire stands as a remarkable exception to our cynical expectations.
Sources:
Which Came First? Tea or Coffee?, Twinings Tea,
Witheridge Historical Archive, Livery Committee, Catherine of Braganza,
Twining Tea and Jane Austen, Back Then History, Richard Twining,
A seemingly picture-perfect family is shattered when Chris Watts decided he wanted another life. Shan'ann Watts was willing to work on their marriage, showing her love for her husband via Facebook videos and posts. However, that wasn't enough for Chris. A happy marriage on social media...isn't always a happy marriage in reality.
Sources:
Biography.com, Shan'ann's Obituary, Pregnancy Reaction Video, The Denve...
Our second installment of Borrowed Words has us talking about past presidents, prohibition, and admitting that sometimes, we just don't know.
Sources:
Sentence Stack, Bored Panda, Library of Congress, Symbolism and Metaphor, Word Origins, Phrase Finder, The Cooking Facts, Flavor Inside, History.com.
E-Mail the show at BorrowedBonesPodcast@proton.me
...
The nightmarish saga of the Sexton family reaches its heartbreaking conclusion as they flee from Indiana to Florida. Packed into a cramped camper and paranoia mounting as authorities close in, tragedy strikes before their arrest.
Sources:
"House of Secrets" by Lowell Cauffiel
The Sexton family saga continues as Eddie Lee and May are on the run from officials, clinging to their children and claims of innocence. Evidence amasses against them at home as the children who refused to run away, tell their stories.
E-Mail the show at BorrowedBonesPodcast@proton.me
Eddie Lee and May Sexton resided in a house on Caroline St. in Canton, OH with their 12 children. Eddie Lee ruled his home with an iron fist. Often turning sibling against sibling. Eventually taking his family on the run from the authorities; when they were caught, each sibling slowly revealed the true horrors of their upbringing.
Alexander "Sawney" Bean and his 48-member family lived in a cave in Scotland. Never conforming to societal norms, this family met an unfortunate end...or did they?
Sources:
The Story of Sawney Bean and His Clan of Cannibal Killers
The Legend of the Scottish Cannibal Clan
The Legend of Sawney Bean: Uncovering the Dark Truth Behind Scotland's Most Infamous Folkl...
When Latoya moves into a home in Gary, IN with her three children and her mother, the family quickly experiences strange happenings. The family would not last one year in the house before they move out claiming demons are possessing all of them.
Sources:
Dcgary.com , National Catholic Register , Allthatsinteresting.com, Skeptical Inquirer Demon House Deconstructed , IndyStar Demon House Demolished , Skeptical Inquirer: The...
Bay City, Michigan native, Shirlee Fields, made her way out west upon graduating high school and eventually found herself in the wilds of Guyana. Hoping and trying for a better future, Shirlee and her family followed Jim Jones into Jonestown and never returned.
We follow Shirlee's story, allowing her to step out of the Jonestown shadow and see Shirlee Fields.
Sources:
Join us as we relax, sit back, and talk about the etymology of words and phrases.
Sources:
https://www.ef.edu/blog/language/english-words-with-strange-origins/, https://go2tutors.com/15-everyday-phrases-with-surprising-historical-origins/, https://list25.com/25-historical-origins-of-popular-english-phrases/, https://www.etymonline.com/word/nice, https://www.dictionary.com/e/nice-guys/, https://www.etymonline.com/word/nightmare,...
The second and final part to the Galvin Family saga. The Galvin family struggled with mental illness when 6 out of the 12 children were diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Sources:
https://galvinfamilytrust.org/, https://robertkolker.com/, https://lindsaymarygalvinrauch.com/, https://thecinemaholic.com/margaret-galvin/, https://www.mjgalleries.art/, https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/margaret-galvin-johnson/portfolio?page=14, https://...
A family of 12 children struggles with mental illness when 6 of the boys are diagnosed with schizophrenia.
E-Mail the show at BorrowedBonesPodcast@proton.me
Ma Barker, the ultimate "boy mom" and her sons were among the last of the wild west outlaws.
Sources:
https://www.uspis.gov/history-spotlight-2023/kate-ma-barker
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=BA038
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