PLAGUE WEDDINGS: Why They Forced Strangers to Marry in Graveyards to Stop a Pandemic
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Episode Description
Deep-Dive Article About Plague Weddings: https://weirddarkness.com/plague-weddings-1918/
During the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, desperate communities forced their poorest and most vulnerable members to marry each other, often complete strangers, in cemeteries, believing these morbid ceremonies would convince God to end the plague.
Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Take the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/survey
IN THIS EPISODE: Imagine a young mother coming home late one night after a trip to the ER for a minor illness. The next day she is missing. That is just the beginning of the strange and unsettling case of Charlotte Pollis. (The Disappearance of Charlotte Pollis) *** There was a time when people would get married in cemeteries – not because they were goth or because they loved the macabre surroundings, but because they felt it would keep them from getting sick. (Plague Weddings) *** The five pointed star is ubiquitous. We learn to draw it in grade school, teachers draw it on our test papers to show we’ve done a good job – but turn the star upside down and suddenly it becomes mysterious, and strange… it become a pentagram. Why does the pentagram hold so much power over some people? And what are the secrets it holds? (Secrets of the Pentagram) *** It’s a supernatural creature that appears at night to travelers. If you see a white one, it is there to protect you from harm and help you along your journey. If you see a black one, it is there to kill you. We’ll look at the Central American cryptid known as the cadejo. (The Cadejo)
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:15.228 = Show Open
00:04:11.370 = Plague Weddings
00:12:03.075 = Disappearance of Charlotte Pollis
00:30:23.574 = Secrets of the Pentagram
00:37:45.929 = The Cadejo
00:47:52.561 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
BOOK: “The Power of the Pendulum” by T.C. Lethbridge: https://amzn.to/37WS6QD
“The Disappearance of Charlotte Pollis” from Lost & Found Blogs: https://tinyurl.com/y8ckncps
“Plague Weddings” by Michele Debczak for Mental Floss: https://tinyurl.com/y9emwvvl
“Secrets of the Pentagram” by A. Sutherland for Message to Eagle: https://tinyurl.com/ybua5scx
“The Cadejo” by Robert Bitto for Mexico Unexplained: https://tinyurl.com/y7725k8f
=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 23, 2020
NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/PlagueWeddings
#PlagueWeddings #BlackWeddings #CemeteryWeddings #SpanishFlu1918 #JewishFolklore #PandemicRituals #CholeraOutbreaks #GravesideMarriage #HarryFleckman #DoraWisman #Winnipeg1918 #MountHebronCemetery #PhiladelphiaCemetery #FannyJacobs #HaroldRosenberg #JewishTraditions #EasternEurope #PandemicHistory #1918Influenza #ReligiousRituals #FolkMedicine #JewishSuperstitions #ForcedMarriages #DivineIntervention #HistoricalPandemics #JewishHistory #19thCenturyHistory #UnusualWeddings #DarkHistory #ForgottenTraditions #PandemicSuperstitions #ReligiousControversy #WWIEpidemics #TyphoidMary #DiseaseOutbreaks #FolkloreAndDisease #MarriageRituals #DeathAndMarriage #SupernaturalCures #HistoricalEpidemics #UnusualHistory #WeirdHistory #HistoryFacts #CreepyHistory #ObscureHistory #CemeteryHistory #JewishCommunity #HistoricalRituals #PandemicResponse #VintageWeddings
During the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, desperate communities forced their poorest and most vulnerable members to marry each other, often complete strangers, in cemeteries, believing these morbid ceremonies would convince God to end the plague.
Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Take the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/survey
IN THIS EPISODE: Imagine a young mother coming home late one night after a trip to the ER for a minor illness. The next day she is missing. That is just the beginning of the strange and unsettling case of Charlotte Pollis. (The Disappearance of Charlotte Pollis) *** There was a time when people would get married in cemeteries – not because they were goth or because they loved the macabre surroundings, but because they felt it would keep them from getting sick. (Plague Weddings) *** The five pointed star is ubiquitous. We learn to draw it in grade school, teachers draw it on our test papers to show we’ve done a good job – but turn the star upside down and suddenly it becomes mysterious, and strange… it become a pentagram. Why does the pentagram hold so much power over some people? And what are the secrets it holds? (Secrets of the Pentagram) *** It’s a supernatural creature that appears at night to travelers. If you see a white one, it is there to protect you from harm and help you along your journey. If you see a black one, it is there to kill you. We’ll look at the Central American cryptid known as the cadejo. (The Cadejo)
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:15.228 = Show Open
00:04:11.370 = Plague Weddings
00:12:03.075 = Disappearance of Charlotte Pollis
00:30:23.574 = Secrets of the Pentagram
00:37:45.929 = The Cadejo
00:47:52.561 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
BOOK: “The Power of the Pendulum” by T.C. Lethbridge: https://amzn.to/37WS6QD
“The Disappearance of Charlotte Pollis” from Lost & Found Blogs: https://tinyurl.com/y8ckncps
“Plague Weddings” by Michele Debczak for Mental Floss: https://tinyurl.com/y9emwvvl
“Secrets of the Pentagram” by A. Sutherland for Message to Eagle: https://tinyurl.com/ybua5scx
“The Cadejo” by Robert Bitto for Mexico Unexplained: https://tinyurl.com/y7725k8f
=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 23, 2020
NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/PlagueWeddings
#PlagueWeddings #BlackWeddings #CemeteryWeddings #SpanishFlu1918 #JewishFolklore #PandemicRituals #CholeraOutbreaks #GravesideMarriage #HarryFleckman #DoraWisman #Winnipeg1918 #MountHebronCemetery #PhiladelphiaCemetery #FannyJacobs #HaroldRosenberg #JewishTraditions #EasternEurope #PandemicHistory #1918Influenza #ReligiousRituals #FolkMedicine #JewishSuperstitions #ForcedMarriages #DivineIntervention #HistoricalPandemics #JewishHistory #19thCenturyHistory #UnusualWeddings #DarkHistory #ForgottenTraditions #PandemicSuperstitions #ReligiousControversy #WWIEpidemics #TyphoidMary #DiseaseOutbreaks #FolkloreAndDisease #MarriageRituals #DeathAndMarriage #SupernaturalCures #HistoricalEpidemics #UnusualHistory #WeirdHistory #HistoryFacts #CreepyHistory #ObscureHistory #CemeteryHistory #JewishCommunity #HistoricalRituals #PandemicResponse #VintageWeddings