Torture: A Dark History
by Kevin Young & Dan Hourigan: Your Dark History Historians
Torture: A Dark History explores the darkest corners of human history with a good dose of humor. From torture devices, methods, and executions to true crime, historical atrocities, and the people that committed them. Hosts Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan dig into the real stories behind humanity’s most brutal punishments and macabre moments.Every episode explores a different piece of dark history, uncovering the facts, people, and stories behind torture, crime, punishment, and human cruelty. If you love dark history, true crime, weird history, and stories that make you say “holy sh*t, people actually did that,” you’re in the right place.
Episodes
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Vlad the Impaler Episode 1: Order of the Dragon
What happens when your childhood involves being handed over to a foreign empire as a hostage, your father gets murdered, and your brother is buried alive? You probably don’t grow up with a particularly healthy relationship with trust. In Part 1 of our series on Vlad the Impaler, Kevin Young and…
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Impalement: Translation Problems
What's the worst thing you can do with a stick? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the brutal history of impalement, a method of execution designed not just to kill, but to make the suffering last as long as possible. From ancient Babylon and Assyria…
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Guatemalan Syphilis Experiment: Consent Is Not A Thing
What happens when a group of doctors decides that the best way to study a sexually transmitted disease is to make absolutely sure their patients have it? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan uncover one of the darkest chapters in the history of American…
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Elephants: It's Always The People
What happens when one of the largest and most intelligent animals on Earth is trained to become an executioner? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel through more than two thousand years of history to explore the horrifying use of elephants in torture,...
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Castor Oil: White Pants Brown
What happens when something sitting in your grandmother’s medicine cabinet becomes a weapon of humiliation, punishment, and political terror? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the surprisingly long and disturbing history of castor oil, a medicine…
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Flaying: Human Skin Straw Men
What happens when the punishment isn’t simply death, but having your own skin turned into a warning for everyone else? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the horrifying history of flaying, the deliberate removal of a person’s skin, and the very...
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Trail of Tears Episode 3: Damn Mudbloods
What happens when the courts say you have the right to your land, but the government decides it doesn’t matter? In the final episode of our three part journey through the Trail of Tears, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan follow the Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, and Chickasaw as the fight over Native...
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Trail of Tears Episode 2: Rinse and Repeat
What happens when years of broken treaties, stolen land, and political pressure finally turn into forced removal? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue their journey through the history of the Trail of Tears, following the rise of Andrew Jackson, the...
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Trail of Tears Episode 1: Treaty After Treaty After Treaty
What happens when the land you’ve lived on for generations is taken from you and given to someone else? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin a three part journey into one of the darkest chapters in American history, the Trail of Tears and the forced…
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Spanish Donkey: Poor Poor Perineum
What happens when getting drunk, picking a fight, or stepping out of line in the military could land you on a wooden horse with weights hanging from your feet? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the strange and surprisingly widespread history of the...
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The Zorg Massacre: Slave to Weight Ratio
What happens when a series of catastrophic mistakes leaves hundreds of enslaved people trapped at sea with nowhere to go and almost no water left? Season 5 of Torture: A Dark History begins with one of the most horrifying events in the history of the Atlantic slave trade, the Zorg Massacre of…
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Sad Announcement
Unfortunately, due to reasons beyond our control, Torturepod is taking yet another hiatus. We are incredibly sorry and will try to get episodes out as soon as we can. Love you all
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Christmas Time True Crime.... 33 1/3 with Phil Better
On this episode Dan, Kevin, and special guest Phil cover: who's Dixon?, an introduction, holiday vacation, death for Christmas, bad present overreaction, Dan's calendar, Rob Reiner, horrible roommates, breaking out in song, a very real story, a Candy Cane Gingerbread Baked Alaska Pie with…
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Cat's Paw: Oooooooh, The Claw
What happens when the thing being used to interrogate you looks less like a torture device and more like a garden tool? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the horrifying history of the Cat’s Paw, also known as the Iron Claw, a deceptively simple…
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Lethal Injection: Midazolam (Do do do-do do)
What happens when an execution method designed to be cleaner, more humane, and more scientific turns out to have a very ugly history? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of lethal injection, from its origins in the late 19th...
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Stocks & Pillory: Think About What You Did
What happens when breaking the rules means being locked into a wooden frame while your entire town gets invited to make fun of you? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the history of two of Europe’s most infamous instruments of public punishment, the...
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Werewolf Trials: Strange Salve
What happens when your neighbors stop seeing you as a strange old man and start believing you’re a monster? For this special Halloween episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to the forests of medieval and early modern Europe to explore the terrifying history…
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Buried Alive: Quite Efficient
What happens when the punishment for breaking the law is being lowered into a grave while you’re still alive? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the horrifying history of being buried alive, a punishment used across different cultures for crimes…
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Lead Sprinkler: Receive Now Your Blessing
What happens when a religious blessing becomes one of the most horrifying torture myths in history? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to the world of the Inquisition and explore the infamous Lead Sprinkler, a supposed torture device designed to...
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Hanging Cage: Dick Seamen Cox Oort
What happens when your punishment doesn’t end with your execution, but with your body being locked inside an iron cage and left hanging for everyone to see? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of the hanging cage, a punishment...
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Nero Episode 2: Over Dramaticus
What happens when an emperor becomes so obsessed with power, performance, and being adored that Rome finally decides it has had enough? In the second and final episode of Torture: A Dark History on Nero, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan pick up where we left off as Nero’s reign descends into…
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Nero Episode 1: I'm A Star, Mommy
What happens when a young boy is groomed from birth to become emperor, only to grow into one of the most infamous rulers in Roman history? In the Season 4 premiere of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to Imperial Rome to explore the rise of Nero, the family that...
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Scavenger's Daughter: Do The Skevington's Gyves
What happens when a torture device is designed to crush your entire body into a position you were never meant to survive? In the Season 3 finale of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to Tudor England to explore the horrifying history of the Scavenger’s Daughter, one...
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Nazino Island: The Very Hungry Games
What happens when thousands of people are dumped onto a remote Siberian island with almost no food, shelter, supplies, or hope of survival? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to Stalin’s Soviet Union and the horrifying story of Nazino Island, a...
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Electrocution: Poor Old Burger Head
What happens when electricity, something we use every day, becomes a weapon designed to make someone talk? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of electrocution, from secret police and military dictatorships to execution chambers,...
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The Death of Fan Man-yee: Hello Kitty
What happens when a teenage girl walks into a police station claiming she is being haunted by the ghost of a woman she helped torture and murder? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan tell the horrifying story of Fan Man Yee, a 23 year old woman whose...
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Crucifixion: Unfortunate Wood
What happens when death isn’t the punishment, but the spectacle? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the brutal history of crucifixion, from the ancient world and the Roman Empire to Japan, modern executions, and one infamous case that ended in a very...
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Iron Maiden: Sounds Cool
What happens when one of history’s most terrifying torture devices turns out to be almost entirely a lie? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take on the Iron Maiden, the infamous spiked sarcophagus supposedly used to slowly torture and kill prisoners during…
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Necklacing: People's Court
What happens when a tire, gasoline, and a mob become instruments of vigilante justice? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the horrifying history of necklacing, a form of mob execution that became infamous during the final years of apartheid South...
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Unit 731 Episode 3: The Diarrhea Is Increasing
What happens when one of the most horrifying secret programs of World War II is finally exposed, and many of the people responsible manage to walk away? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan bring the story of Unit 731 to its conclusion. We’ll follow the...
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Unit 731 Episode 2: Surgery Game
What happens when the walls of Unit 731 close behind you, and there is no way back out? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan go inside Unit 731 and tell the horrifying story of the prisoners who disappeared behind its walls. We’ll meet the people who were sent…
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Unit 731 Episode 1: Bacteria Factory
What happens when a Japanese army doctor becomes obsessed with biological warfare and builds one of the most secretive military operations of World War II? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to Imperial Japan and follow the rise of Shiro Ishii, the man...
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The Breaking Wheel: Call Me Floppy
What if the justice system decided the best way to get a confession was to introduce you to a very determined wheel? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take a look at one of history’s most brutal methods of torture and execution: the Breaking Wheel. From 18th...
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Heretic's Fork: Totes Converted
What if they tried to get you to confess with a glorified kitchen utensil? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take a look at the Heretic’s Fork, a medieval torture device supposedly used against heretics and witches during the Spanish Inquisition and later...
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Scaphism: Milk & Honey
What happens when the punishment for treason is being sealed inside a pair of boats, covered in milk and honey, and left for nature to slowly finish the job? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to ancient Persia to explore scaphism, one of the most...
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Attica Episode 2: Glorious Catastrophe
What happens when a prison uprising turns into a standoff, negotiations break down, and the state decides to take the prison back by force? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the story of the Attica Prison uprising, picking up with the prisoners in...
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Attica Episode 1: Foreshadowing
What happens when years of overcrowding, abuse, neglect, and growing tension finally push thousands of prisoners to the breaking point? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin the story of the Attica Prison uprising, one of the most infamous prison revolts…
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The Boot: Money Shot
What happens when someone decides that the best way to get a confession is to slowly smash your feet? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the brutal history of the Boot, a family of torture devices designed to crush, break, burn, and otherwise make the...
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Strappado: The Ropes w/ Sam Brears
What happens when the simplest way to torture someone is to tie their hands behind their back and let gravity do the rest? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan are joined by Patreon supporter and super fan Sam Brears to explore the brutal history of the...
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The Wrath of Saint Olga: Cold Blooded
What happens when a woman who becomes a widow decides that revenge is best served with a little creativity? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan tell the story of Olga of Kyiv, one of the most fascinating and ruthless rulers of medieval Europe. But before we…
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Horses: Makeshift Centaur
What happens when one of humanity’s most beloved animals becomes a weapon of punishment, torture, and execution,? Season 3 of Torture: A Dark History kicks off with Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan exploring the surprisingly brutal history of horses and the many ways humans have used them to hurt,...
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Robert Ben Rhoades Episode 2: The White Thread
What happens when a woman survives nearly two weeks of torture and sexual violence, only to be so terrified that she can’t identify her attacker when police finally catch him? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the story of Robert Ben Rhoades with…
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Robert Ben Rhoades Episode 1: The Club
What happens when a seemingly ordinary truck driver hides a horrifying secret inside the sleeper of his tractor trailer? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan tell the story of Robert Ben Rhoades, the truck driver suspected of kidnapping, torturing, and…
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Judas Cradle: Shimmy You Down
What do you get when a Renaissance lawyer decides that the best way to keep someone awake is to slowly shove a pyramid up their ass? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of the Judas Cradle, one of the most infamous torture…
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Blanche Monnier: Coprophilia
What happens when a woman supposedly disappears for 25 years, only to be discovered locked away in her family’s home, naked, starving, and living in her own filth? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the infamous story of Blanche Monnier, the French...
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Scold's Bridle: False Measures
What happens when a woman talks back, spreads gossip, or simply refuses to stay quiet in the medieval UK? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of the scold’s bridle, also known as the branks, a punishment designed to silence…
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Schwedentrunk: Add It To The Bucket
What happens when an invading army wants your money, but you refuse to tell them where you hid it? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to the chaos of the Thirty Years’ War and explore one of the most infamous tortures associated with the conflict,...
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Gary M. Heidnik Episode 2: The People Collector
What happens when one kidnapped woman becomes several, and a basement prison turns into a nightmare of torture, murder, and cannibalism? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the horrifying story of Gary Michael Heidnik and the women he held captive...
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Gary M. Heidnik Episode 1: All The Gonorrhea
What happens when a man who claims he wants a family decides that the best way to build one is to kidnap women and keep them locked in his basement? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin the horrifying story of Gary Michael Heidnik, a deeply disturbed man...
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Chinese Water Torture: Too Much Blood
What happens when a doctor decides the cure for your insomnia is to strap you down and drip cold water onto your forehead for hours? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the strange and surprisingly murky history of Chinese water torture, a method that…
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About this show
Torture: A Dark History explores the darkest corners of human history with a good dose of humor. From torture devices, methods, and executions to true crime, historical atrocities, and the people that committed them. Hosts Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan dig into the real stories behind humanity’s most brutal punishments and macabre moments.Every episode explores a different piece of dark history, uncovering the facts, people, and stories behind torture, crime, punishment, and human cruelty. If you love dark history, true crime, weird history, and stories that make you say “holy sh*t, people actually did that,” you’re in the right place.
Hosted by
Kevin Young & Dan Hourigan: Your Dark History Historians