Dark History - Obscurix

What is Shanghaiing? A Quick Overview of Forced Labor at Sea

Shanghaiing was the forced conscription of sailors using deception, drugs, or coercion — a legal practice in U.S. ports until it was banned in 1906.

Grave Robbing: How Stolen Bodies Shaped Medical Science

Explore the dark history of grave robbing — from 18th-century body snatchers to today’s black markets — and how it shaped modern medicine.

Famous Occultist Aleister Crowley’s Last Words

People claim the famed occultist Aleister Crowley left the mortal plane with some interesting choice words, but it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake about the magician’s life. Were Aleister Crowley’s last words profane or profound? Were they an admission of guilt or repentance for his witchy ways? Well, that really depends on […]

Gloomy Sunday: Sad Truth about the Urban Legend

Music has the power to dominate our neurons and control our emotions. A good song can brighten our day while a sad one can leave us in tears. But it’s hard to imagine a song can push us over the edge in a way legend says “Gloomy Sunday” has done to many. Content Warning: Suicide […]

The Dark Truth About Cadbury Chocolate and Child Labor

Cadbury eggs are a staple of the Easter holidays in the United States. The rest of the world knows them for their milk chocolate. Unfortunately, this chocolate company isn’t so sweet. According to media reports, Cadbury Chocolate has ties to child labor. It’s hard to imagine that something so sweet comes with such bitter truths. […]

How the Malleus Maleficarum Sparked Deadly Witch Hunts

Witch hunts are a terrible stain on our collective human history. They account for the murders of up to 60,000 women, and the Malleus Maleficarum justified the witch hunts more than any other text. Clergyman Heinrich Kraemer published the manuscript in 1486. In the years that followed, he used the book as a blueprint for […]