Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Bone and Sickle
Episode: Wild Men, Furry Saints, and Burning Dancers
Description: This time round we look at the medieval myth of the Wild Man, its connection to seasonal folk traditions, peculiar influence on Church teachings, and a macabre historical incident featuring dancers costumed as Wild Men.
We begin with a bit of Edgar Allen Poe filtered through Roger Corman, namely a clip from the director’s 1964 production The Masque of the Red Death. In the film, Corman incorporates a grisly scene borrowed from Poe’s short story “Hop Frog,” an accident revolving around highly inflammable ape costumes.
We then turn to Poe’s historical inspiration for this scene...