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Limu Emu and Doug. Here we have the Limu Emu in.
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Its natural habitat, helping people customize their.
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Car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating.
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It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Limu. Is that guy with the binoculars watching us?
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Cut the camera.
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They see us. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty. Liberty Savings Vary Unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. And affiliates excludes Massachusetts Bohemia 1229amonk named Herman the Recluse watched the bricks stack up around him, sealing him in punishment for his sins. Then Herman made a desperate offer. Set him free, and in one night, he'd bring glory to the monastery by creating a book containing all the world's knowledge. A manuscript of that size would take 30 years to write. Herman had 12 hours. Impossible. Still, his offer was accepted. His execution could wait one more day. In the morning, the monks unlocked Herman's room, ready to drag him back to his brick tomb. But there was the book. Complete, over 600 pages. When Herman was asked how he achieved this, he said, I prayed for help. The monks were confused. Herman's sins were envy, lust, fornication and worse. Why would God help them? But Herman didn't pray to God. He prayed to someone else. Herman heard the bolt slide into place and footsteps disappear down the hallway. He was alone. His cell was 12ft by 8ft. Stone walls, one high window, a table, quill, ink, blank parchment and candles. Herman thought about the promise he'd made. Complete the manuscript by dawn or face immurement. Imm what now? Immurement or immuration is a type of torture where you're enclosed in a tight space and left to die.
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Ew.
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It sounds like a Spirit Airlines flight. Herman was found guilty of serious crimes against God. His punishment was he'd be forced to stand in a stone room no bigger than a coffin, then walled in alive. If the cold didn't kill him, the thirst would. Or starvation. Or the rats. Definitely a Spirit Airlines flight. Just had the screaming children and a guy next to you eating a tuna sandwich. With his shoes off. Herman lit the candle and started writing. The manuscript needed to contain all the world's knowledge. Art, science, history, philosophy, mathematics. But Herman decided to start with the Bible. Writing the Bible would help him atone for his sins. Herman was working through Genesis chapter one when he heard the bell ring for midnight prayer. He swore he had just sat down, but had been three hours. He wasn't halfway finished with the first page. Then he heard three chimes. The Martins bell. Somehow, another three hours had passed, and he barely wrote another word. Herman started to panic. The sun would be up in a few hours. The heavy door would open and he'd be dragged to a stone box. He'd been praying to God for help and forgiveness. He received neither. His sins were extreme. God wasn't listening. So Herman decided to pray to someone else.
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Satan. Lucifer. If you can hear me, I'll give you anything. My soul, my eternal life. Anything. Please let me live.
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And Herman's prayer was answered. Suddenly, the room got cold and the darkness coalesced into a human form. Or almost human. It was over 6ft tall with broad shoulders, strong features, handsome even. But the eyes were wrong. They were too dark. No, this guy had pde. What? BDE Bad Devil energy. The entity spoke with too many voices at once. Some laughing, some screaming, and asked if Herman was sure about his offer.
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You made an offer.
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Did you mean this?
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Yes. Anything. My life, My soul. For eternity.
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Right? Herman did nothing. But his hand grabbed the quill, dipped it in ink, and he started writing. He was a passenger in his own body. But the words poured out. 400 pages. Then 500 pages. Then on page 577, Herman didn't write words. He drew a full page illustration of the manuscript's true authority. The first self portrait in history of the devil himself. Worst centerfold ever. You stepped on my cliffhanger. I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little bit. I don't need you to lighten the mood. I need you to keep the jokes at the top of the scene and let me build the drama. We're gonna be here all night. The holidays sneak up fast, but it's not too early to get your shopping done and actually have fun with it. Uncommon Goods makes holiday shopping stress free and joyful with thousands of one of a kind gifts you can't find anywhere else. This this year, I found the perfect gift for my brother in law. The Glass Topper Cocktail smoker. Handmade from white oak, it transforms a regular cocktail into something special. Just pour your drink, set the topper on, add the wood chip blend and light it up. A cloud of aromatic smoke infuses the glass. Suddenly, it's a high end bar experience right at home. And Uncommon Goods has something for everyone. Moms, dads, teens, book lovers, history buffs, football fans, foodies, mixologists, even gardeners. These gifts aren't just unique. They're often handmade. Crafted in small batches by independent artists. And with every purchase, Uncommon Goods donates a dollar to a nonprofit of your choice. Having given over $3 million so far. So shop early, have fun and cross some names off your list today. To get 15% off your next gift, go to uncommongoods.com thewifiles that's uncommongoods.com the y files for 15% off. Don't miss out on this limited time offer. Uncommon goods were all out of the ordinary.
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Limu GAME Here we have the Limu emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating.
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It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug Limu. Is that guy with the binoculars watching us?
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Cut the camera. They see us.
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Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Ferry Unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts. What do you think makes the perfect snack?
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Hmm. It's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.
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Could you be more specific?
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When it's cravenient. Okay, like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. p.m.
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I'm seeing a pattern here.
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Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.
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Crave, which is anything from am pm.
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What more could you want? Stop by ampm, where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience ampm. Too much good stuff.
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At dawn, the monks found Herman collapsed over stacks of parchment. They expected to find him dead or insane. Instead, they found the manuscript. 620 pages. But what was most striking was the size, not the length of the book, the actual size. It was 36 inches tall, 20 inches wide, 9 inches thick. It weighed 165 pounds. Just the book. The abbot lifted the COVID and couldn't believe it. The complete Old Testament was there. Every book, every chapter, every verse. Perfect Latin calligraphy. He turned the pages. The New Testament. Matthew through Revelation. Not a single error. Not one smudge or correction. But the Bible was just the beginning. The next section contained Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, the complete history of the Jewish people from creation through the Jewish revolt against Rome. 40 years of historical documentation transcribed perfectly. Then the siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Second Temple, the fall of Masada. The monks kept turning pages. Isidore of Seville's etymologies was next. 20 volumes of knowledge, grammar, rhetoric, mathematics, medicine, agriculture, architecture and warfare. Everything scholars knew about the natural world. Then the Chronicle of Bohemia, the complete history of their own land. Kings in battles and politics going back 400 years. Herman had documented their entire civilization. Next were two medical texts. Techniques for identifying diseases, treatments, herbal remedies. Then a text on anatomy and physiology. How the body worked, why it failed, and how to heal it. Then the pages turned dark. A whole chapter with magic formulas. Incantations in Latin, some in languages the monks didn't recognize. Symbols that predated Christianity. Geometric patterns that seemed to move in candlelight. There were protection spells, ways to trap evil spirits in physical objects. There are even instructions for identifying demonic possession. 7 signs, 14 symptoms. The possessed would speak in tongues, display superhuman strength, and no secrets they couldn't possibly know. They react violently to holy water and blessed salt, or sacred relics. Herman had created an operational manual for spiritual warfare. As the monks turned the pages, they became more and more concerned. Then page 577, a full page. Portrait of Satan. Green face, red horns. Two forked tongues. Clawed hands reaching outward. Trapped between two towers. Opposite Satan. The heavenly city. Fortified walls and golden spires. The eternal battle between good and evil. The manuscript continued. Alphabets in multiple languages. Spells for protection against night creatures. A few monks asked why there are so many rituals for creating weapons to fight unholy forces. Herman said he didn't know. But the abbot sighed and in a shaky voice said, I do. Housekett Castle sits on a limestone cliff in the forests of Bohemia, a few miles north of the monastery. The castle had always been strange. First, its location doesn't make sense. It has no strategic value. It's not near any trade routes. It not near a water source. Then there's the building's design. It didn't have a kitchen, no sleeping quarters. But the most concerning design elements were the fortifications. They faced the wrong way. They didn't face out. They faced toward the courtyard. The castle wasn't built to keep enemies out. It was built to keep something in. Before the castle existed, the locals spoke of a crack in the limestone that exposed a bottomless pit. They called it a hole to hell. They threw rocks in and never heard them. Land they lowered in rope, and no matter how long, it never touched the bottom. Strange sounds came from the hole. Whispers, screams, words and languages nobody recognized. Local tribes said the hole was torn open thousands of years ago, and something ancient and evil lived deep in the earth. Was it a magic seal fetus? No. A crab cat? No, a magic seal fetus Demons. Yeah, that makes more sense. In Herman's time, the situation was desperate. Entire villages were terrorized. Farmers found their livestock drained of blood. Animals were twisted in unnatural shapes. Travelers who went too deep in the forest were Found days later in pieces, if they were found at all. The local clergy was overwhelmed. Whatever was down there, the church couldn't stop it. No army could stop it. This was spiritual warfare. But the priests knew they needed something more powerful than prayers and holy water. They needed instructions for identifying, confronting, and defeating these forces of darkness. And just a few miles away, a monk named Herman the recluse had created exactly the weapon they needed. Herman's codex had turned the tide of the war. For 40 years, the evil was contained. Villages were resettled. Travelers reached their destination safely. Creatures still crawled from the pit every night. But now they faced organized resistance. But the war was taking its toll. The monks were exhausted and running out of resources. For every demon they banished, two took its place. Even with Herman's manual, they would eventually lose. In the late 13th century, Duke Ottokar II investigated the hole. And just as the legend said, it had no bottom. The duke needed to know what was in there. The castle dungeon was empty, and prisoners were given a choice. Death by torture or go in the hole and report everything they see. The guards lowered the first prisoner. They heard screaming. They felt the rope twitch violently and then go still. When they pulled the man up, his hair was completely white. He aged 50 years in minutes. And he was babbling about frogs the size of men, shadows with eyes, and a massive entity staring up from below. Dugadakar tried again, with a different prisoner. Same result. Rapid aging and total insanity. Each experiment revealed more horrors. This was more than a pit. It was a gateway. A source of evil that would bring demons into the world until the end of time. The duke decided that if the church couldn't close the gateway with prayer, he would close it with stone. Massive limestone blocks were quarried and brought to the site. Monks blessed every stone. They consecrated the mortar. They prayed over every beam of wood. Piece by piece, a fortress took shape above the sealed pit. And finally, a chapel was built on top of the slabs. The chapel was dedicated to the warrior Saint Michael. Yes. Smart. If you got a demon leaking Hellmouth in your basement, building a church on top of it, it's just good property management. Well, it was a symbol of faith, conquering evil. It's a divine cork, human, a holy bottle cap, and a fizzy drink from hell. Let's call it what it is. When the last stone was set, the gateway to hell in Hauska Castle was finally sealed. And it would stay sealed for 700 years. Then new dark forces arrived that didn't want the evil contained, that wanted to channel it for their own purposes. That was 1940, when the Nazis took Hauska Castle and started digging. May 1940. Northern Bohemia. SS officer Klaus Mendel stood at the edge of the forest studying Hauska Castle through binoculars. Gray stone. No strategic value. No transportation routes. No resources. Worthless. But Himmler's orders were clear. Secure the castle. Excavate the chapel floor. Tell no one why. Mendel read the files. Medieval texts about bottomless pits. Prisoner experiments from the 1270s. Ancient artifacts, mystical manuscripts. Superstitious nonsense. But he wouldn't tell Himmler that. Himmler believed in the occult and more importantly, so did the Fuhrer. They thought these things held real power and the power could be controlled and weaponized. The SS convoy arrived with 40 men and equipment. Radar, medical instruments. And prisoners. Lots of prisoners. The chapel floor was limestone slabs, each weighing over a ton. Prayers had been carved into the stone. Latin phrases meant to bind and seal the pit. The jackhammers didn't care about prayers. After seven days, they finally broke through the floor. The pit lived up to its reputation. It was deep and dark. Not only was it bottomless, the hole seemed to swallow all sound around it. The first prisoner was a math professor from Prague, 43 years old. His hands were shaking when guards strapped him to the harness. They lowered him slowly, 50ft, 100. At 200ft, the screaming started. They hauled him up fast. His black hair had turned white. He looked like he was 80 years old. And he was manic, laughing and rambling. As the sedative took effect, he whispered, they're waiting. So many teeth. He died that night of heart failure. Over three weeks, they lowered 11 more prisoners. One described frog creatures, the size of men. Hundreds climbing the walls of the hole. Another came up, speaking a language no one recognized. One prisoner clawed his own eyes out. He said seeing was worse than blindness. Three prisoners didn't come back at all. Over time, the castle changed. Animals avoided the area. The forest was deadly quiet. No birds, no insects. At night, green lights flashed in the chapel windows. Soldiers heard sounds in the walls. Scratching, whispering. Three guards deserted. Mendel didn't bother searching for them. The remaining men stopped sleeping intentionally. Their dreams became vivid nightmares that felt more real than reality. They went through gallons of coffee and lots of amphetamines. Anything to stay awake. Then Mendel the skeptic began to see movement at the edge of his vision. He felt like he was being watched. He could swear he heard the wind whisper his name. In January 1945, orders came from Berlin. The Allies were coming. Destroy everything. The equipment, the research, all documents, everything. And that was Fine. With Mendel, surrender was better than spending one more night at that castle. They poured concrete into the hole, a titanium plate was welded over the top, and steel locks were added. Finally, landmines were placed all over the property. And 80 years later, the land mines are there still. The current owners say the mines make it too dangerous to dig. But locals know that's only half the story. The Nazis came looking for something in Hauska Castle. Nobody knows for sure what they found, but they made it so whatever it was, nobody would ever find it again. Something people ask me all the time is what shirts I'm wearing on the show. And I'm about to let you in on the secret. It's True Classic. You've probably seen me in the long sleeve Henleys because let's be honest, half my closet is True Classic at this point. And that's not a gimmick. These shirts just work. True Classic tees started with a simple idea. Make premium clothes that feel amazing, look even better and don't cost a fortune. And they've nailed it. Over 25 million shirts sold more than 200,000. Five star reviews true Classic tees fit right where you want them to. Shoulders, chest, arms. But still give you a little room to breathe. No bunching, no stiff fabric, no weird oversized look. Just that clean, tailored fit that makes you feel like you've got your life together. They've also expanded their line so it's not just tees anymore. We're talking polos, joggers, even hoodies. All with that same perfect fit and price point that won't make you wince. Forget overpriced designer brands and skip the cheap throwaway stuff. True Classic is built for comfort, built to last, and built to give back. You can find them on Amazon, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, or head to truclassic.com thewi files to try them out for yourself. That's trueclassic.com thewifiles.
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Limu game and Doug Here we have the Limu Emu in.
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Its natural habitat, helping people customize their.
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Car insurance and save hundreds with with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating.
B
It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.
A
Cut the camera.
B
They see us. Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings. Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.
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Every now and then I rinse it out and I need to rinse tonight. And I needed more. My kid went so bad. And the smell never leaves. I don't know what to do. I'm always in the dark. The sweat and dead short smells like a dark. I'm down here.
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Downy Rinse fights stubborn odors in just one wash. When impossible odors get stuck in. A Monk created a 165 pound manuscript with perfect handwriting across 620 pages. A few miles away, a duke built a fortress with fences facing inward. Both in 13th century Bohemia. But what's true? Well, the Codex Gigas, which is just Latin for big book. The codex is definitely real. It's been in Sweden's national library since 1648. And today you can see digital scans of every page. You can read the spells, study the patterns, look at the drawing of Satan on page 577. It's all there. Herman the recluse existed, but the codex took decades to complete, not one night. It was actually 20 to 30 years of continuous work. That's the realistic timeline. The overnight creation legend emerged because the handwriting consistency seems impossible. Everyone's handwriting changes as you age, but the writing in the codex doesn't. It stays consistent. But that consistency proves methodical work, not rushed panic. A monk working through one desperate night would show mistakes, sloppiness, declining quality. The codex shows none of that. Same spacing, same pressure, same style, start to finish. And carbon dating confirms the book took about 25 years to write. We know Herman existed because he signed the codex, but there's no historical record of a monk named Herman committing crimes against God or to being sentenced to immurement. That part of the story first appeared hundreds of years after the codex was written. The devil portrait on page 577 is weird, but it's not unique. Medieval manuscripts often included images of Satan as warnings about morality being drawn. Opposite the heavenly city is standard Christian iconography. Good versus evil, heaven versus hell. The most unusual aspect of the book isn't the concept, but it's the size and detail. Scribes didn't create books this big. It was just too expensive. The codex is made from over 160 animal skins. The ink was expensive. The gold leaf used to decorate the pages was expensive. When the church burned thousands of books referencing dark magic and the devil, they didn't burn the codex, probably because it was so unusual and so valuable. Monks often protected rare works like this. There is one unresolved mystery about the codex, though. Right after the section on exorcism, 10 pages were carefully cut out and nobody knows what was on those pages. But legend says they contain instructions for summoning demons or the devil himself. As For Houseke Castle, the pit is really there. Limestone caves are common in Bohemia, so it's probably just a sinkhole or a deep cavern, and probably isn't bottomless. But we don't know for sure. Nobody's seen it in hundreds of years. And if you find pictures online, they're fake. Now, at first, the castle's design does seem strange. The fortifications do face inward, but Otaker II used the castle as a prison for a while. Inward facing defenses would help guards keep an eye on the prisoners. And the location also doesn't make sense unless it's a prison, because it has no strategic value, no water source, it's not near any trade routes. But if Ottokar was building a prison, he'd probably want it somewhere remote. Speaking of Ottokar, he did conduct experiments on prisoners there in the 1270s. Those are documented. What he found in the pit and why he sealed it, we don't know. Now, Himmler's interest in the occult is also a fact. He created the largest collection of books on witchcraft, the supernatural, and occult practices in history. Over 13,000 manuscripts. And some believe Himmler stored his collection in Hauska to protect it from Allied bombing. Others say the SS was there for something else. Either black magic rituals or experiments on locals trying to create a master race. But without documentation, all we have are rumors. There's also no evidence that Himmler read the Codex, Gaius. We can assume he was aware of it, but the Swedish National Library has no record of any Nazi official requesting access to the book. But the occupation of the castle, the destruction of records, and even placing landmines around the property, that's all true. Houseket Castle opened to tourists in 1999. You can take guided tours, you can walk through the chapel, you can see the frescoes, you can stand over the sealed pit. And many people have reported strange sightings at the castle. And if you're brave enough, you can go see for yourself. So how do we explain the Codex? Why create such a strange and dark book? Well, medieval people lived in constant fear. Plague, war, famine. When they couldn't explain suffering, they named it demons, monsters, evil crawling from the ground. Which is probably why the Codex survived and became so famous. If there were a manual for fighting evil, then evil could be fought. And if evil could be fought, it could be defeated. And the Codex explains how to do it. So the Codex isn't about making a deal with the devil, it's about. It's about fighting him. The Codex is about hope. Herman spent 30 years creating a manuscript that gave people hope. In the face of unknown terror. Whether the demons were real doesn't matter. The fear was real. Herman didn't need supernatural help to create something extraordinary. He had something more powerful. Faith. The Codex and Housekett Castle exist. Both are steeped in legend, but more importantly, both are testaments to human courage and determination in the face of evil. And both were created to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. And both were created to give people hope. Now, that's not legend, that's history. And it's history worth remembering. Thank you so much for hanging out today. My name is AJ Here's Hecklefish Phsu Domine L Dona? S Requiem out this has been the why Files get fun or learn something. I'd really appreciate it if you like subscribe Share Comment that stuff. I think that stuff really helps. Like most topics we cover on the channel, today's was recommended by you, by lots of you. So if there's a story you'd like to see or see a deep dive on, go to the y files.com tips send us an email, jump on Discord, send us a message however you want to reach out. We're always looking for new ideas. Remember, the why Files is also a podcast. Twice a week I post deep dives into the stories we cover on the channel, and I also post episodes that wouldn't be allowed on the channel. And you'll see those marked unredacted. The podcast is called It's Very Creative the Y Files Operation Podcast, and it's available everywhere you get your podcasts. And if you are listening on an audio platform, do me a favor and follow like whatever those buttons are. Those really do help a lot. Now, if you need more Y Files in your life, you might need an exorcist. No, you can check out our Discord. There are thousands of people on there 24. 7. They're into the same weird stuff we talk about here. It's a great community, it's really supportive, it's a lot of fun, and it's free to join. And speaking of 24. 7, make sure you check out our 24. 7 stream on the Y Files backstage linked down below. Over there we run episodes back to back with some fun content in between that we couldn't really run over here. Actually, the live chat is more entertaining than the videos. Special thanks to our patrons who made this channel possible and made every episode happen. I could not run the Y Files without our Patreon members. Could not do any of this without you. And if you'd like to support the Channel. Keep us going and join this amazing community. Become a member on Patreon. For as little as three bucks a month, you get access to perks like videos early with no commercials, exclusive merch only available to members, plus two private live streams every week just for you. And those are a lot of fun. The whole WAFOSS team is on the stream, so you get to meet Gino, Victoria, hybrid, Mary Jane, AC's there, sometimes everybody, and I'm there as well. And also you could turn on your webcam, jump up on stage, ask a question, tell a joke, recommend the topic if you want to learn more. What I learned during research, whatever. You can ask whatever you want. I think it's the best work there is and it's a great way to get to know us as people. Another great way to support the channel is grab something for the WI FI store. I grab a heck of a T shirt, one of these festival coffee mugs. You can stick your demon claw into your your fork, tongue, whatever you want to stick in there. I'm not here to judge you grab a heck of a T shirt. I'll get something on my face. On it. I'll get one of these. Squeezy adorable. Look. Oh, look at how cute he is. I can't even stand it. Get one of these heck of his tongue doll toys. But if you're going to buy merch, make sure you become a member on YouTube. YouTube members get 10% off everything in the WFA store forever. So it's only $3 a month. So if you're going to spend $40 on T shirts or fistable coffee mugs, become a member on YouTube. Use the code. It pays for itself. And look, if you just want to cancel after you buy merch, that's totally fine. The membership is there to save you money, not make me money. In fact, all the money from the YouTube membership goes to the team, not to me. Keep that secret under your hood, Zach. Those are the plugs. I cut them down a little bit. Felt a little better. We have new ones coming though. I promise. Anyway, that's gonna do it. Until next time, be safe, be kind, and know that you are appreciated.
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I believe a secret code inside the Bible said I I was I love my UFOs and paranormal fun as well as music so I'm singing like I.
B
Should.
A
But then another conspiracy theory becomes the truth, my friends and it never ends no, it never ends I feel the crap cat and got stuck inside mel's home with mk ultra of being only 2 aware did Stanley Kubrick fake the moon landing alone on a film set or were the shadow people there? The Roswell aliens just fought the smiling man I'm told and his name was cold But I can't believe I'm dancing with the fishes Head to fish on Thursday nights with AJ2 and what falls on your feet all through the night? The Mothman sightings and the solar stones still come to Agatha the secret city underground mysterious number stations Planet Surf 02 Project Stargate and what the dark watchers found in a simulation don't you worry though the black knights had a light it so miss so I can't believe I'm dancing with the fish on Thursday night with they J2 and weapons to the night All I ever wanted was to just hear the truth of weapons on my feet all through the night had no fish on Thursday night When they change you and weapons I bring it all through my heart All I ever wanted was to just hear the.
B
Truth.
A
Love to dance on the dance floor because she is a camel and camels love to dance when the feeling is right Always in time. What's that sound? That's the sound of Downy unstoppable scent beads going into your washing machine and giving your clothes freshness that lasts all day long. There it is again. It's like music to your ears. Or more like music to your nose. That freshness is irresistible. Let's get a Downy Unstoppables bottle shake. And now a sniff solo. Nice. With Downy Unstoppables, you just toss wash. Wow. For all day freshness.
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Date: November 3, 2025 | Host: AJ ("A"), with Hecklefish ("B")
In this captivating episode, The Why Files explores two legendary European mysteries: the creation of the "Devil's Bible" (Codex Gigas) and the enigmatic "Hole to Hell" beneath Houska Castle in Bohemia. Through storytelling that blends legend, history, and investigative analysis, the episode delves into the origins of these tales, their dramatic retellings, and what the evidence actually supports. The hosts also examine the Nazi regime’s rumored obsession with occult phenomena, particularly their secret excavations at Houska Castle during WWII. At its heart, the episode investigates how myths arise from real fears and the enduring power of hope in humanity’s darkest hours.
[01:29–06:21; 07:43–15:10]
The Legend:
“If you can hear me, I’ll give you anything. My soul, my eternal life. Anything. Please let me live.” — (A, 03:33)
The Manuscript’s Contents:
The Devil’s Portrait:
“Worst centerfold ever.” — (B, 04:32)
[15:10–25:50]
Local Folklore and Medieval Fears:
Historical Experiments:
“His hair was completely white. He aged 50 years in minutes... babbling about frogs the size of men, shadows with eyes, and a massive entity staring up from below.” — (B, 12:10)
Castle as a Prison:
[15:10–25:50]
Nazi Experiments at Houska:
“At 200ft, the screaming started. They hauled him up fast… his black hair had turned white. He looked like he was 80 years old. And he was manic, laughing and rambling. As the sedative took effect, he whispered, ‘they’re waiting. So many teeth.’” — (B, 22:56)
End of Occupation:
[25:50–28:36]
On the pressures of medieval life:
“Medieval people lived in constant fear. Plague, war, famine… When they couldn’t explain suffering, they named it demons, monsters, evil crawling from the ground… If there were a manual for fighting evil, then evil could be fought. And if evil could be fought, it could be defeated.” — (B, 28:15)
On the Codex’s meaning:
“The Codex isn’t about making a deal with the devil, it’s about… It’s about fighting him. The Codex is about hope.” — (B, 29:16)
On legend versus history:
“The Codex and Houska Castle exist. Both are steeped in legend, but… both are testaments to human courage and determination in the face of evil. And both were created to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. And both were created to give people hope. Now, that’s not legend, that’s history. And it’s history worth remembering.” — (B, 29:55)
| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------|-----------| | Intro & Legend of Herman the Recluse | 01:29–06:21 | | Dawn Discovery & Contents of Codex | 07:43–11:15 | | Magic, Exorcisms & Satan’s Portrait | 11:15–13:20 | | Background on Houska Castle/Hole to Hell | 13:20–16:50 | | Medieval / Ottokar II’s Experiments | 16:50–19:00 | | Nazi Occupation & Occult Experiments | 19:00–25:50 | | Debunking Myths / What’s True | 25:50–28:36 | | Episode Conclusion & Takeaways | 28:36–29:55 |
The episode masterfully blends myth and documented history, showing how the terrors of the medieval world gave rise to enduring legends such as the Devil’s Bible and the Hole to Hell. Both real artifacts—Codex Gigas and Houska Castle—are steeped in myth, but ultimately stand as monuments to human resilience, faith, and the longing for hope in dark times. The hosts draw a poignant line between these stories and modern fears, reminding listeners that even the most extraordinary legends often have human roots.
Episode Highlight:
“The Codex isn’t about making a deal with the devil… It’s about hope. Herman spent 30 years creating a manuscript that gave people hope in the face of unknown terror. Whether the demons were real doesn’t matter. The fear was real. Herman didn’t need supernatural help to create something extraordinary. He had something more powerful. Faith.” (B, 29:16)
For listeners fascinated by the interplay of myth and history, this episode is a riveting, well-researched journey into Europe’s darker legends—and how these tales still haunt the imagination today.