DARK HISTORY
The world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. History is filled with violence and death and war and destruction. Obscurix is home to the darkest, most disturbing pieces of our shared human past — from mass murders and massacres to executions and historic tortures, brutal battles, and genocides. We at Obscurix don’t condone the atrocities of our ancestors, but we do believe those memories have shaped the world into its present shape. By remembering the uncomfortable information of eras past, we hope to do a better job of shaping the world of tomorrow.
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?
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
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
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
