Top Weird News & Oddities of 2015

A look back at the strangest and most-viewed posts on Cult of Weird for 2015.

Not only did 2015 mark the 5th anniversary of the Cult, it was a great year in weird. Goatman sightings, mummified monks, furry trout, and other oddities were abundant in the news. Here’s a quick look at some of the things that happened this year:

• The Ouija board turned 125
• Cannibal grandma arrested in Russia
• We found Bigfoot at the first ever Milwaukee Paranormal Conference
• Grave Digger Candles opened up shop
• Doug died.
• Bookmarks, t-shirts, and other Cult swag printed
• Remember the Charlie Charlie Challenge?
• Goonies 30th anniversary celebration in Astoria
• Sasquatch taxidermy debuts at World Taxidermy Championship
• Don Featherstone, creator of the pink plastic flamingo, died.
• Artifacts from the Franklin Expedition revealed
• A creepy green worm terrified the world
• Nosferatu director’s skull stolen from his grave

Cult of Weird was viewed by well over a million curious visitors this year, and that’s not even taking into account social media.

Thanks to all of you who read, comment and share! Without you, this wouldn’t be possible.

2015 Top Cult of Weird Posts

Perhaps due to our involvement in the Milwaukee Paranormal Conference, I had a renewed interest in the bizarre history and folklore of my home state this year. While the scope of Cult of Weird is not limited to any particular region, many of the most-viewed stories featured here come from the desolate reaches of Wisconsin.

Man Catches Rare Furry Trout

A fisherman claimed to pull this furry trout from a Wisconsin river. Is it a hoax? Fur coat? Trout koozie? You decide. This was shared by National Geographic, making it the most-viewed article of the year.
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Scan Reveals Mummified Monk in Buddha Statue

A CT scan of a 1,000-year-old Buddha statue revealed the mummified remains of a Chinese monk inside. And ancient writings on paper scraps were used to replace his organs.
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The Tragic Story Behind Chicago’s Mass Circus Grave

A mass grave in Chicago contains the remains of the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus, which was wiped out in a devastating train accident in 1918.
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Witchcraft and Murder in 20th Century Pennsylvania

How superstition and paranoia lead to a brutal murder in Pennsylvania in 1928.
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1947 Buick Frankenstein Hearse

A beautiful, one-of-a-kind vintage hearse found rusting in a field in Greece.
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Ed Gein Cauldron Hits the Auction Block

A cauldron once owned by Ed Gein and witnessed holding human entrails came up for auction. And guess who bought it…Zak Bagans of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventurers.
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Feather Crowns Foretell Impending Death

In Appalachian culture, a lump of feathers in your pillow, called a death crown, is believed to signify impending death.
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Earliest Known Murder

A 430,000-year-old fractured skull shows evidence of the earliest known murder.
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Digging Up Ed Gein in Plainfield, WI

Our latest expedition to Plainfield in search of Gein history for this post turned out to be more than just a road trip into the depths of human depravity, according to the controversy it sparked.
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Family Tormented by Haunted Bunk Beds

In 1988, the bizarre events experienced by a family in Horicon, Wisconsin made national headlines and became the subject of an Unsolved Mysteries episode.
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St. Nazianz: A Town Founded by Heretical Mystic Cult

This small Wisconsin town was has a long history of unusual happenings centered around a German priest who brought his followers here after the church removed him from his duties for heretical works.
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Artist Troy Walter submitted this illustration for the October Instagram giveaway. For a chance to win a “box of weird” each week, viewers had to share a photo answering that week’s question.

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