S2 #23 / Dr Andrew Manns, The Transylvania of France

Spirit Box

Dr Andrew Manns is a historian and the creator behind The Thinker’s Garden, a blog specialising in overlooked history. As editor, he has written and published a variety of historiettes on little-known Bohemians, occultists, and mystics, such as the “Los Angeles Noah” (Reverend J.E. Lewis), Lady Walburga Paget, and Baron Seymour Kirkup. Today takes us through his research into the little known folklore and occult history of the Auvergne a little-known historic province in central

France. Which he has dubbed the ‘Transylvania of France’.

In the Plus show we get into the legends of Lake Pavin (the storm-raising lake). An interesting angle on the lost children plane crash from Colombia story from earlier in the year. And Andrew tells us about the unique healing tradition of the “Guerisseurs” which is absolutely fascinating. Andrew wraps up with an interesting note on the belief in the area that fairies can be seen at a certain high altitude.

Show notes:
Charles Godfrey Leland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Godfrey_LelandBrotherhood of the Wolf movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIjDB31KfsMThe Beast of Gévaudan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_of_G%C3%A9vaudan

The "kind" werewolves story and a deeper explanation on why Auvergne is like Transylvania:
https://visitauvergne.org/occult-auvergne-5-spine-chilling-legends/

The 1588 werewolf tale:
https://visitauvergne.org/a-werewolf-in-auvergne-a-poem/

Skinwalkers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin-walker

The Wendigo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendigo

Reddit thread by a Navajo police officer on Skinwalkers https://www.reddit.com/r/skinwalkers/comments/db1fgy/skinwalker_info_from_a_navajo_policeman/
The story about the "Two Lovers" (the Clermont-Ferrand senator who rose from the dead to lie by his wife) can actually be found in Historia Francorum, a book by Gregory of Tours https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_of_Tours

The name of the vampire-like female spirits is: "fatsillères"
Puy de Dôme https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puy_de_D%C3%B4me

The 16th century witches' Sabbat on the summit of the puy de Dôme: https://visitauvergne.org/the-puy-de-dome-a-mystical-olympus-in-auvergne/

The Raelians ​​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra%C3%ABlism

The legends of Lake Pavin (the storm-raising lake):

https://visitauvergne.org/the-mysterious-lake-pavin/

The academic book on Pavin which Andrew contributed to: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-39961-4Colombian lost kids story https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12206055/Colombia-jungle-dad-says-hallucinogenic-drug-used-Prince-Harry-key-searchers-finding-children.html

Keep in touch? https://linktr.ee/darraghmason Music by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spirit-box/message