The Thirteenth Hour: Victorian Ghost Stories & The Dark Origins of Yule

Описание: Gather ‘round the hearth, listeners—the nights are at their longest, and the veil has never been thinner. In this special Christmas Eve edition of Krystal Clear Lore, we are reviving the chilling Victorian tradition of the holiday ghost story.


We begin in the frozen winter of 1887 at Coldfell Hall. Lord Gideon St. Clair has just inherited a legacy stained by a 300-year-old debt. Every Christmas Eve, when the clock strikes a forbidden thirteenth hour, a choice must be made in the shadows of the West Wing. It is a tale of spectral roses, iron keys, and the enduring power of a sacrifice made in 1587.


But why do we associate the "most wonderful time of the year" with the restless dead? After our journey to Coldfell, Crystal and Brady peel back the layers of holiday history. We explore the Victorian obsession with spiritualism and why the "Catholic hijack" of ancient Yule and Saturnalia never quite managed to bury the ghosts of the Winter Solstice. From the mysterious "Quarter Days" like Michaelmas to the grim realities of surviving a pre-modern winter, we’re looking at why the darkness of December demands a story to keep it at bay.


Whether you’re a fan of gothic fiction or a student of folklore and history, this episode will make one thing certain: some debts can’t be paid in gold—only in remembrance.


The Night’s Itinerary:

• 0:00 – A Cold Welcome: Introduction to the Christmas Special
• 0:42 – "The Thirteenth Hour": An Audio Drama of Coldfell Hall
• 16:29 – The Longest Night: Why Victorians loved Christmas Ghost Stories
• 18:55 – Science vs. Spirits: The Rise of the Spiritualist Movement
• 19:53 – What is Michaelmas? (Brady gets a history lesson)
• 23:44 – Riding the Wave: How Yule Traditions became Christmas Lore
• 28:50 – Closing Thoughts: Surviving the Winter Dark

Listen to the full episode on YouTube, Amazon, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.


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