What would you do if you ventured deep into the woods and discovered someone performing a bizarre ritual around a fire, attempting to transform into a wolf?
That’s the disturbing question behind the newest episode of Dark Outdoors®, and it connects to something that genuinely frightened me when I was a kid.
When I was in fourth grade, I discovered an old book describing bizarre werewolf rituals supposedly performed in isolated forests. One passage disturbed me so deeply that I couldn’t even finish reading it.
Decades later, I’m revisiting that childhood experience through Elliott O’Donnell’s mysterious 1912 book Werwolves, exploring the notorious Werewolf of Bedburg, the Beast of Gévaudan and the strange history of people who actually believed they could transform into wolves.
And just to be clear, I never performed any of these rituals. I was simply a kid reading something that scared the daylights out of me!
This episode goes beyond werewolf folklore to explore the psychology of people who believed they could become monsters and the frightening possibilities of encountering someone acting on those beliefs deep in the wilderness.
Sometimes the scariest thing in the woods isn’t a wild animal. It’s another human being.
Listen to “The Werewolf Ritual in the Woods That Terrified Me as a Kid” on your favorite platform:
- Apple Podcasts: Listen Here
- Spotify: Listen Here
- Dark Outdoors/Podbean: Listen Here
Final Days! My Halloween Book and Music Special!
Halloween is almost here, and we’re also down to the final days of a special offer I’m making available to Dark Outdoors subscribers and supporters.
My new book, I Was an ’80s Horror Kid, takes readers on a personal journey back to the days of monster movies, Halloween masks, creepy music and growing up in the 1980s.
It’s a look at the movies, music, memories and experiences that helped shape my lifelong fascination with monsters, mysteries and the strange side of life.
Through Halloween, you can get a personally signed copy of I Was an ’80s Horror Kid PLUS a FREE signed copy of my new Freak13® CD, No Longer Living Dead, for just $20, INCLUDING SHIPPING!
You can order directly through any of these options:
- PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/chestermoore
- Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/lmoore526
- Cash App: $Moorefamily2310
Just include your shipping address with your payment or email it privately to chester@chestermoore.com.
You can also read more about the special offer here:
My Halloween Gift to Dark Outdoors Subscribers
The Road to 100 Episodes!
We’re also closing in on a major milestone for Dark Outdoors®—our 100th episode, arriving Halloween!
What a journey it’s been investigating terrifying encounters, true crime, dangerous wildlife and strange mysteries connected to the outdoors.
Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared episodes, purchased my books and music or helped spread the word about the show. Your support means a great deal to me.
Stay tuned for more darkness as Halloween approaches!
God bless!
Chester Moore
Dark Outdoors®