All language subtitles for Beyond.the.Unknown.S03E16.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH

WILDMAN: A Hollywood star.

Was she duped
by a sinister curse?

He said that Jayne Mansfield
would be dead within a year.

WILDMAN:
An out‐of‐this‐world relic
hidden in King Tut’s tomb.

COX: No one could explain how
the ancient Egyptians could have

possibly gotten this glass.

WILDMAN:
And the strange tale
of a murderous shark.

MILLIGAN:
This is one of the most gory
and disgusting things

that you could think to see
at an aquarium.

WILDMAN:
But first, a red‐hot theory

behind the sinking
of the Titanic.

He may have just discovered
a 100‐year‐old secret

that could rewrite history.

WILDMAN:
Amazing mysteries,

bizarre phenomena,

and chilling secrets.

I’m Don Wildman.

Join me on a journey
beyond the unknown.

♪

April 15, 1912.

The world wakes up
to astounding news ‐‐

the Titanic,
a luxurious ocean‐liner

bound from Southampton, England,
to New York,

has sunk.

♪

Newspapers report that 4 days
into her maiden voyage,

the Titanic struck an iceberg
in the North Atlantic.

The iceberg ripped a
300‐foot gash across her hull.

And 2 hours
and 40 minutes later,

the mighty ship sank.

In all, more than
1,500 people died.

It’s the greatest disaster
in the history of ocean travel.

SNYDER:
It was a hard pill to swallow.

How could this amazing vessel
sink so easily

just after bumping
into an iceberg?

WILDMAN:
In the years that follow,

Historians pore over
every detail of the tragedy.

And eventually, in 2012,
a new piece of evidence emerges

that turns the story of the
famous shipwreck on its head.

♪

Wiltshire, England.

49‐year‐old historian
Senan Molony

is researching the Titanic
for an upcoming book

when something catches
his attention.

It’s a photograph of the ship

taken when it was still in port
in Southampton, England,

before it set off
on its fateful voyage.

When Molony looks closer,
he spots something unusual.

There appears to be a 30‐foot
long black mark across the hull.

The streak is located
in the exact same spot

where the Titanic would later
be pierced by the iceberg.

♪

Molony suspects that the
strange mark in the photograph

might be connected
to the sinking of the Titanic.

Molony had to rush off and get
to the experts immediately.

♪

WILDMAN:
Molony shares the photographs
for professional analysis

with engineers at the
Imperial College London.

They determine
that the black mark

lines up with an area in the
Titanic called a coal bunker.

This 3‐story‐tall room
was used to store coal

for the ship’s engines.

SNYDER: The Titanic was
a steam ship,

which meant that
basically, this coal

was used to fuel the ship.

They had over 6 tons of coal
onboard the ship.

♪

WILDMAN: Intrigued, Molony digs
into the history

of the Titanic’s coal bunker.

And what he discovers
is incredible.

He finds a report in which
several surviving crew members

claim that a fire had broken out

in the coal bunker
of the Titanic

before the ship
set sail for America.

The report goes on to claim
that the ship’s crew

was unable to extinguish
the blaze.

But to keep
the voyage on schedule,

the ship’s owners covered it up,

and the liner set off
as planned.

SNYDER: Molony was shocked
and appalled at the fact

that they would set sail
with a fire

that was continuing to burn.

♪

WILDMAN:
Based on this information,

Molony formulates a new theory
about the infamous disaster.

The heat from the raging inferno

weakened a specific section
of the Titanic’s steel hull,

the same section that was hit
and ripped open by the iceberg.

Molony argues
that if not for the fire,

the Titanic might have withstood
the fateful impact.

Molony may have just discovered
a 100‐year‐old secret

that could rewrite history.

♪

WILDMAN:
On December 31, 2016,

Molony reports his story to
the British newspaper The Times.

It makes headlines
across the world.

Many experts back up
Molony’s theory,

but not everyone is convinced.

Critics maintain that the force
of the immense iceberg

was too much
for any ship to resist.

They point to evidence that
suggests the Titanic’s rivets

were made of weak wrought iron,

causing them to become
extremely brittle in cold water.

But until more proof
comes to light,

historians will remain divided.

♪

SNYDER: We may never know
for sure if this coal fire

had anything to do
with Titanic’s sinking,

but Senan Molony’s research
shed new light

on an age‐old tale
of a disaster at sea.

♪

WILDMAN:
In the meantime, this piece
of the historic ship’s hull

is on display at Titanic:
The Artifact Exhibition

in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It recalls the incendiary
new theory

that might just be
the tip of the iceberg.

♪

This crumpled car is a chilling
reminder of a horrific tragedy

that haunts Tinseltown
to this day.

This car wreck recalls

one of the most notorious
deaths in Hollywood history.

♪

WILDMAN:
From Marilyn Monroe...

to Natalie Wood...

James Dean...

to Paul Walker ‐‐

Hollywood lore is filled
with the tragic tales

of stars who met untimely
and mysterious endings.

But perhaps the most
perplexing death of them all

was that of actress
Jayne Mansfield.

In the ’50s, Jayne Mansfield
was the top of the game.

She had a successful
movie career.

She was a genius
at self promotion

long before that became a thing.

She is iconic.

WILDMAN:
Mansfield has acted
in dozens of films,

including "The Girl
Can’t Help It,"

"The Wayward Bus,"

and "Kiss Them for Me."

♪

But by the 1960s,

her star had dimmed,

and the actress was forced
to make a living

by crisscrossing the country

to appear in nightclubs
and other attractions.

One such trip would prove fatal.

It’s June 29, 1967,
in Slidell, Louisiana.

[ Tires squeal, crash ]

Local police come upon the scene

of a grisly traffic accident.

In the wreck are a semi truck
and a 1966 Buick Electra,

the same one on display
at this Hollywood museum.

The top section of the sedan
has been ripped away,

and inside the twisted remains

are the lifeless bodies
of two men and a woman.

They’re identified as
34‐year‐old Jayne Mansfield,

her 41‐year‐old boyfriend
Sam Brody,

and their driver.

It was a shocking,
shocking scene.

WILDMAN:
Police believe the car slammed

into the back
of the semi at high speed.

[ Horn honks, crash ]

And with its lower profile,

the Buick slid
underneath the rig

and had its passenger cabin
sheared off.

But what prompted
the accident is a mystery.

The highway is dead straight,

and the weather that night
was crystal‐clear.

How could this have happened?

How could this guy have gone
under a truck

with a clear night?

WILDMAN:
Initially, the police suspect

that the Buick’s brakes
must have malfunctioned.

But there’s no evidence
of any faulty parts.

Next, investigators turn to
Jayne Mansfield’s driver

to see if he was intoxicated
at the time of the crash.

But witnesses testify
to his sobriety.

MICHAELS: There was no alcohol
involved.

He was sober.
He was well rested.

WILDMAN:
It seems the investigation
has reached a dead end.

♪

But then, there’s a bizarre
break in the case.

Investigators learn that
in the months before her death,

Jayne Mansfield was involved

with an infamous
and outspoken cult leader ‐‐

the high priest
of the Church of Satan...

Anton LaVey.

LaVey’s anti‐Christian teachings
and bizarre rituals

have garnered him
thousands of followers

and plenty of media coverage.

MICHAELS: Anton LaVey,
very much like Jayne,

was a genius
at self‐promotion.

He courted the famous,

and they embraced him
because he was so unusual.

♪

WILDMAN:
LaVey and Mansfield first met
on the set of a publicity shoot.

Soon, they began
a torrid affair.

But when the initial
attraction dimmed

and the actress started
a new tryst with her lawyer,

a man named Sam Brody,

the Satanist flew into
a jealous rage.

And according to legend,

LaVey found a diabolical way
to get revenge.

MICHAELS:
Anton cursed them all,

and he said that Sam Brody would
be dead within a year.

WILDMAN:
Just weeks later,

Brody and Mansfield were killed
in the horrific car crash.

So was Jayne Mansfield really
the victim of a satanic curse?

♪

For weeks after the crash,

rumors swirl that Mansfield’s
devilish dalliance

may have brought her demise.

But then investigators
finally cracked the case,

and it has nothing to do
with Lucifer at all.

♪

The night of the wreck,

officials from the town
of Slidell, Louisiana,

were spraying mosquito repellent
along the highway.

As a result, a thick,
chemical cloud hung in the air.

Police conclude that
Mansfield’s driver

became disoriented
in the heavy mist

and didn’t see the semi.

[ Horn honks, tires squealing ]

They never saw it coming.

They never touched
their brakes.

Full‐speed
right under the truck.

WILDMAN:
There is some lasting good

that comes from the sudden and
tragic death of Jayne Mansfield.

As a result of the crash,

the government requires
that all semi‐truck trailers

be equipped
with a protective bar

to prevent cars
from sliding underneath them

in rear‐end collisions.

MICHAELS: It’s about 18 inches
off the road

attached to the
back of the truck,

and everyone knows it
as the Mansfield Bar.

♪

WILDMAN:
Today, this 1966 Buick Electra,

the same one in which
Jayne Mansfield was killed,

is on display

at the Dearly Departed
Tours and Artifact Museum

in Los Angeles, California.

It’s a grim reminder of
the terrible crash

that doomed a star
of the silver screen.

♪

Some believe this time‐worn item
is from another world.

COX: This artifact recalls
the Egyptian ruler

and a visitor
from beyond the stars.

♪

WILDMAN:
For centuries, rumors have
swirled about a possible link

between ancient Egypt
and extraterrestrial beings.

As the theory goes,

an advanced civilization
from beyond the stars

visited Earth
thousands of years ago

and gifted their technology
to the pharaohs.

As proof,
alien enthusiasts point

to the massive pyramids of Giza.

They say the Egyptians ‐‐
lacking basic tools

like cranes,
compasses, and even wheels ‐‐

could not have built
the soaring structures alone.

People wondered how they moved
those incredibly large stones

to make the pyramids.

WILDMAN:
And that’s not all.

Proponents of the idea
also cite hieroglyphs,

unearthed by archeologists,

that appear
to depict flying machines ‐‐

many in the shape of saucers.

But perhaps the ultimate
evidence for this far‐out idea

was found during the world’s
most famous excavation.

November 4, 1922.

In Egypt’s Valley of the Kings,

British archeologist
Howard Carter

has just made
an astounding discovery ‐‐

the ancient lost tomb
of a pharaoh named Tutankhamen,

better known as King Tut.

At 9 years old,
King Tut took the throne

and reigned for nearly a decade,

but the king’s life
was cut tragically short

when he died suddenly
around the age of 19.

During his burial,
royal attendants

filled his final resting place
with opulent objects

intended for use
in the afterlife.

The treasure hoard is nothing
short of spectacular.

The tomb was amazing,

because whereas
previous tombs

usually had been raided
centuries prior

and were almost empty,

this one was filled with
jewels, precious stones,

couches, and chairs that were
made of gold, golden statues.

♪

WILDMAN:
But amid these treasures
is something strange.

It’s a decorative breastplate

that seems to celebrate
the Egyptian sun god Ra.

In the center is the likeness of
a sacred beetle,

known as a scarab.

COX: There were scarabs
all over ancient Egypt.

They were usually made
out of precious stones.

WILDMAN:
But this one appears
to be fashioned

from some kind of yellow glass.

While there were other pieces
of glass in King Tut’s tomb,

this stands apart.

It’s unlike any other
manmade glass

that was created at the time.

So where did the ancient
artisans

get the amber‐colored material?

In the following years,

a number of intriguing
theories emerge.

Some argue that hoaxers
may have placed the glass

into Tutankhamen’s tomb.

But it’s clear the main chamber
of the vault

had never been opened.

COX: The Pharaonic tombs
were usually raided by people

pretty soon
after the person was buried.

But this one was filled
to the brim with riches.

WILDMAN:
With no logical explanation,

an extraordinary
possibility emerges.

And the theory was that
the ancient Egyptians

had gotten this glass...

from aliens.

WILDMAN:
So is this proof

that aliens really visited
the land of the pharaohs?

WILDMAN:
For decades, historians have
puzzled over a bizarre relic

found in King Tut’s tomb ‐‐

an ornate piece of jewelry
adorned with polished glass.

What’s weird is that the object

is unlike any manmade glass
from that era.

So where did this
baffling bauble come from?

♪

In recent years,

a number of scientists
and historians

have looked into the case.

And when the scarab itself
is carefully analyzed,

it throws up a tantalizing clue,

something that seems
almost inexplicable.

Whereas most glass is forged
in furnaces

that reach around 2,000 degrees
Fahrenheit,

this one was done
at temperatures

between 3,000 and 4,000 degrees.

So, I mean,
this is unimaginably hot.

We’re talking
nuclear‐explosion hot.

♪

WILDMAN:
It’s a telling clue.

During the 1940s,
the Manhattan Project

exploded several nuclear devices
in the New Mexico desert.

Afterwards, scientists found
that large quantities of sand

near the blast sites
had been turned to glass.

But since this technology
didn’t exist in ancient Egypt,

another likely culprit
emerges...

one that did indeed
come from outer space,

but had nothing
to do with aliens.

A meteor came down,
which is incredibly hot,

hit this huge area of sand,
and pretty much melted the sand,

and when it was done,
it left behind glass.

♪

WILDMAN:
In fact, this phenomenon
has been documented

in the North African region
before.

A naturally formed
yellow glass,

now known
as Libyan Desert glass,

has been found throughout
the Sahara Desert.

Historians now believe
that some of the material

found its way
into King Tutankhamen’s scarab.

Someone went out
into the desert,

saw this beautiful glass,

and decided to take it,
sculpt it into a scarab,

and give it to
King Tut as a gift.

WILDMAN: Still, some believe
the bejeweled breastplate

may have come
from beyond the stars.

COX: People who want to
find a connection

between ancient Egypt and aliens

will continue to find
that connection

and do so to this day.

WILDMAN: Today, a piece of
Libyan Desert glass

is on display
at the Corning Museum of Glass

in Corning, New York.

It recalls the explosive truth

behind a mysterious piece
of Egyptian treasure.

♪

The Bennington Museum
in Bennington, Vermont,

is home to one of the state’s
most impressive collections

of antiques and art.

But hidden among
the 19th‐century instruments

and beautiful paintings

is a drab looking folder
that belies a haunting tale.

FITZGERALD:
The artifact is made of paper.

Sticking out are old documents
that seem to be part of a case.

Prominently displayed
are the words "Missing Person."

WILDMAN:
The clippings in this file

recall a series
of baffling disappearances

and the possibility of visitors
from another planet.

FITZGERALD: This is the story
of ordinary people

who vanished from
the face of the earth.

♪

WILDMAN:
It’s November 12, 1945,
in Bennington, Vermont.

In the mountains above town,

a group of friends are enjoying

an afternoon hike
through the woods.

A few hours into the trip,
one of them wanders ahead.

♪

But when the rest of the party
steps into the open space,

their friend is nowhere
to be found.

FITZGERALD:
They were surprised.

He was from the area.

To disappear like that
was unthinkable.

♪

WILDMAN:
The hikers scour the area
for their missing comrade,

but to no avail.

It’s as if
he vanished into thin air.

There are no footprints
to where he might have gone.

There was nothing ‐‐ no trace.

♪

WILDMAN: The hikers
report the disappearance

to the authorities.

Search parties are sent
into the woods,

but they, too, come up empty.

And as it turns out,
this is only the beginning.

♪

The following winter,
an 18‐year‐old college student

goes for a late afternoon
walk in the same woods.

According to witnesses,
she rounded a bend on the trail

and then was simply gone.

Once more,
the police search the area,

but never find the young coed.

♪

4 years later,

a woman is dressing
after a bracing swim in a creek

when she, too,
vanishes without a trace.

The following year,
2 more people go missing

from the peaks above Bennington.

The strange events
leave the townsfolk on edge.

FITZGERALD: No one really
could explain it,

and people were growing
really scared about this.

It was like a bad dream
or a science fiction story.

WILDMAN:
The forest soon acquires
a fitting nickname,

one based on another region

known for
baffling disappearances.

They dubbed it
the Bennington Triangle,

due to the similarities
to the Bermuda Triangle,

where ships and planes
had gone missing.

WILDMAN: Over the years,
different theories emerge

to explain the bizarre episodes.

Some suggest
that the missing people

must have been killed
by wild animals,

such as bears or wolves.

But no traces of any
human remains are ever found.

Police had scoured the area
and came up with nothing.

♪

WILDMAN:
Others say the departed

were victims of a serial killer.

But this theory also
has its flaws.

FITZGERALD:
They had no evidence
of any struggle

or anything left behind
by any kind of violent incident.

♪

WILDMAN: So if the culprit
is neither man nor beast,

what sinister force is behind
the disturbing disappearances?

People were desperate
for an explanation,

but completely unprepared
for the answer.

♪

♪

WILDMAN:
In the 1950s, the forests
above Bennington, Vermont,

bore witness to a set of strange
disappearances.

In the aftermath,

the region was dubbed
the Bennington Triangle.

♪

With no other
viable explanation at hand,

locals offer
an otherworldly possibility.

FITZGERALD:
They believed that there was
something really sinister

in the Bennington Triangle.

WILDMAN: Many town residents say
they’ve seen strange lights

descending from the sky,

right over the area where
the vanishings occurred.

And that’s not all.

Loggers say they’ve
witnessed weird beings

moving along mountain paths.

The loggers claimed that
they had seen

large dark humanoid figures
lurking in the woods.

♪

WILDMAN: Then in 1987,

more than 40 years
after the disappearances began,

an author named Joseph Citro
publishes a novel.

In it, he theorizes
that the region has long been

a landing spot
for alien aircraft.

Citro believed that this served
as some kind of base

for alien activity
here on Earth.

If it were aliens,

it seems like they got
what they wanted...

and they left.

[ Warbling ]

♪

WILDMAN:
While many are skeptical
of this explanation,

others are convinced

the missing were abducted
by extraterrestrials.

The cases remain unsolved,
and it’s really considered

one of the greatest mysteries
of this century.

WILDMAN: And to date,
these newspaper clippings

detailing the unusual events

are in the archives of the
Bennington Museum in Vermont.

They’re a reminder of
the chilling disappearances

that haunt the town
to this very day.

♪

These menacing mandibles recall
a baffling mystery

that came straight from
the belly of a beast.

This artifact belonged
to a terrifying predator

that unlocked a shocking murder.

♪

WILDMAN:
April 25, 1936 ‐‐ Australia.

A crowd has gathered
at Sydney’s Coogee Aquarium

for a glimpse
of its newest acquisition ‐‐

a tiger shark.

The creature had been captured
just days earlier off the coast,

but as they peer into the tank,

visitors notice
something shocking.

Floating in the water
is a human arm.

MILLIGAN:
People were freaked out.

This was one of the most gory
and disgusting things

that you could think to see
at an aquarium.

WILDMAN: Not only that,
but some say

the arm was actually
regurgitated

by the shark itself.

To get to the bottom
of this bizarre mystery,

the limb is taken
to a forensic pathologist

named Dr. Sidney Smith.

MILLIGAN:
He was highly renowned,
well‐respected,

and known to uncover the truth
with very little to work with.

WILDMAN: Upon examining
the severed appendage,

Dr. Smith determines
that the limb belonged to a man

and that it had been inside
the shark for at least 8 days.

Initially, the pathologist
suspects that the arm,

which was severed
at the shoulder,

was likely bitten off
during a shark attack.

But as his examination
continues,

he notices something peculiar.

Shark teeth typically leave
jagged wounds,

but this arm appears
to have been cut straight off,

as if by a knife.

This leads Dr. Smith
to a shocking conclusion.

The man was not the victim
of a shark attack, but murder.

MILLIGAN: This was a stunning
turn of events.

This may be an
actual murder he came upon.

WILDMAN:
Despite the decomposing state
of the severed limb,

Dr. Smith manages to take a set
of fingerprints from the hand.

Investigators run the prints
through a police database

and match them to a 40‐year‐old
crook named James Smith.

The victim, who has
no relation to Dr. Smith,

was a small‐time
thief and scam artist

who had been reported missing
2 weeks earlier.

But despite this discovery,
the question of how he died

and who fed him to a shark
remains a mystery.

MILLIGAN:
This must have been a strange
case for authorities,

and the story was about
to get even stranger.

♪

WILDMAN:
It’s 1935 in Sydney, Australia.

Visitors to the city’s aquarium

have just witnessed
a disturbing sight ‐‐

a recently captured shark
has regurgitated a human arm.

Fingerprints reveal
that the limb

belonged to a small‐time
criminal named James Smith.

Police dig into Smith’s
criminal associates

and zero in on one man ‐‐

a small‐time crook
named Patrick Brady.

They learn that Brady and Smith
were partners in a forgery scam,

but it seems things
had turned sour.

Shortly before Smith
disappeared,

he and Brady were seen having
a heated argument.

Investigators believe
that the confrontation

escalated into murder.

♪

And having killed his partner,

Brady was faced with the problem
of how to dispose of the body.

Officials believe that Brady
dismembered Smith,

threw his body parts
into the ocean.

He probably figured it was
the best way

to keep James Smith
from ever being found.

♪

WILDMAN: But Brady didn’t count
on a shark

coughing up a key piece
of evidence.

MILLIGAN: Brady thought it was
the perfect crime,

but what he didn’t account for

was this freak accident
would come back to bite him.

♪

WILDMAN: On May 16th, 3 weeks
after the arm was discovered,

police arrest Patrick Brady

and charge him with
the murder of James Smith.

the authorities had done
this amazing job

connecting all the dots.

They figured out
everything about it.

WILDMAN:
Despite their detective work,
the case founders.

The prosecution
is missing one thing ‐‐

an eyewitness who can
definitively tie Brady

to the murder.

♪

MILLIGAN: The authorities
had to be so frustrated.

They came so close,

but in the end,
they didn’t have enough.

♪

WILDMAN:
Today, this Tiger shark jaw
is on display

at the
Academy of Natural Sciences

of Drexel University
in Philadelphia.

It recalls a bizarre murder

and the attempt to hide evidence
that could hardly be stomached.

♪

Windham, Connecticut,
boasts 4 bronze bullfrogs

on a bridge that spans
the Willimantic River.

These beguiling statues
speak of a harrowing incident

that left the people of Windham
hopping with fright.

It was a tale of terror
that left a peaceful community

convinced that they were
on the brink of destruction.

♪

WILDMAN:
Windham, Connecticut ‐‐ 1754.

This agrarian community of
1,000 English settlers

has fallen on hard times.

It is in the throes
of a parching drought,

and the people live in constant
fear of being attacked

by neighboring Native Americans.

If Windham had been attacked
at this time period,

they wouldn’t have survived.

WILDMAN: To protect the town
from this grim fate,

local lawyer
Colonel Eliphalet Dyer

forms a plan.

Dyer was very aware

that the town was vulnerable
to a possible attack.

So he started recruiting
for militia

out of the farmers
and the other workers

in his community at the time.

WILDMAN: And the rag‐tag group
will be called into action

sooner than they think.

One night in June,
the settlers are asleep

when a strange chorus
pierces the night.

This sound comes
out of nowhere.

[ Shrieking ]

It was thunderous.

It was shrieking and screaming
and roaring.

It woke everyone up in town.

They think, "The Indians must be
massed outside our village,

and this is a
huge battle cry

just before they come
and kill us all in our beds."

WILDMAN:
The villagers descend
into all‐out panic.

Women were screaming,
and little kids started crying.

People were huddling
in their beds.

They were diving for cover.

WILDMAN: As the townsfolk
cry out in terror,

Dyer quickly assembles his men.

The militia are grabbing

any kind of weapon they
can get their hands on ‐‐

pitchforks, guns, rolling pins,

whatever they can get.

WILDMAN:
They brace for the onslaught.

But the attack never comes.

They’re exhausted from terror,
and nothing’s happened.

WILDMAN:
By morning, the horrific cries
have died down,

but the villagers still
don’t know if they’re safe.

So Colonel Dyer forms a posse

and sets off into the woods
to investigate.

SCHLOSSER: They’re looking
behind every rock,

every tree, and every shrub,

expecting to find warriors
waiting to attack,

and there’s no one there.

They are totally baffled.

What in the world
is going on?

Where’s the enemy?

WILDMAN:
But a few miles out of town,

as the men
near the crest of a hill,

the bizarre cries return.

[ Shrieking ]

They think they’re about
to be attacked.

They’re terrified.

♪

WILDMAN:
It’s 1754 in Connecticut.

The villagers of Windham

are searching for a tribe
of Native Americans

who they believe were shouting
battle cries during the night.

As Dyer and his men
creep up the hill

towards the source of the noise,

they brace themselves
for battle.

[ Shrieking ]

But when they reach the peak,
they encounter an eerie sight.

SCHLOSSER:
They get to the top.

There’s nothing there ‐‐
no enemy.

WILDMAN:
Instead, all they see
is a half‐empty pond.

As they’re walking
towards the pond,

they look down
and look around.

They see hundreds and hundreds
of dead bullfrogs

all over the ground.

And the frogs that are
still alive

are making a kind of
roaring sound at each other.

[ Soft roar ]

WILDMAN:
The embarrassed militiamen
breathe a sigh of relief.

♪

But the question remains ‐‐

why are there
so many dead frogs?

SCHLOSSER: The theory is
that because of the drought,

many colonies of frogs
from several areas

all decided that night

to migrate to the
only source of water

that was left in the area,
which was this mill pond.

WILDMAN:
Windhamites believe that when
there wasn’t enough water

to satisfy the frenzied mob,

a massive and deadly
battle ensued.

SCHLOSSER:
Their battle cries multiplied

by hundreds and hundreds
of frogs

coming from
many directions

were what caused
this huge sound

that seemed
to surround the town.

WILDMAN:
260 years later, the legacy of
a bullfrog battle endures

as a piece of local folklore.

They actually put the frog
on their town seal.

When they were minting
their own money,

they had pictures
of the babbling frogs

on their 1 dollar bill,

and they’ve even created
monuments to the frogs

at each corner
of the bridge.

WILDMAN: And so today,

these whimsical frog sculptures
greet visitors to Windham ‐‐

a reminder of the case
of mistaken identity

that terrified an entire town.

♪

Steaming hot springs,

sprawling glaciers,

and fiery volcanic craters are
just some of the natural marvels

that give Iceland
its nickname ‐‐

the land of fire and ice.

♪

And set amid this
majestic landscape

in the town of Stokkseyri

is a magical institution ‐‐

the Icelandic Elves Museum.

This quirky establishment

is devoted
to the mythical creatures

that are believed to roam
the surrounding countryside.

But among these whimsical
displays is an item

that suggests these fanciful
beings might actually be real.

ALCOCK: The artifact
is very brightly colored,

it’s made of smooth plastic,

and it says
"Watch out for the Elves."

♪

WILDMAN:
For some, this unusual sign

is proof that
elves really do exist.

This is a story about a
political leader, a big problem,

and a band of magical elves.

♪

WILDMAN:
Of all the fantastical beings

that fill
the annals of mythology,

perhaps none gripped
the imagination

more than a group
of diminutive creatures ‐‐

elves.

ALCOCK: Elves are humanoid,

but they are
supposedly invisible,

so people cannot see them.

[ High‐pitched laughter ]

♪

WILDMAN:
In Northern European cultures,

elves are largely regarded
as friendly species.

ALCOCK:
Almost anyone you speak to today
will have heard of elves.

It’s become
a part of mainstream culture.

♪

WILDMAN:
But the fabled creatures
are about to step

out of the storybooks...

and into the headlines.

It’s 1980 in Iceland.

The people of this small nation
have just made history

by electing the world’s
first female president ‐‐

50‐year‐old
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.

ALCOCK:
Finnbogadóttir was really
a groundbreaking woman.

She was very keen to introduce
new public works

that would help to bolster
the economy of Iceland.

♪

WILDMAN: One of
Finnbogadóttir’s first plans

is the building of a new highway

between Iceland’s
two biggest cities

Reykjavík and Kopavogur.

It would allow the
much faster transition

of goods and services
between the two.

WILDMAN:
Later that year, construction
launches on the project.

But from the outset,

the work hits a series
of unexpected setbacks.

First, several of the drill
bits used by the crew break.

It seems the rocky ground
is harder than they anticipated,

so they send for more
durable replacement parts.

♪

But when the new parts arrive,
the same thing happens again.

ALCOCK: Drills were breaking
not just once,

but twice, three, four times.

WILDMAN:
And it’s not just their drills
that are beset by problems.

The heavy machines
used to clear the earth

also start to malfunction.

Tools seemed to vanish
into thin air.

ALCOCK:
They hit problem after problem,
and this began to spook

the workers who were
working on the project.

WILDMAN:
For their part, the workers
have their own theory

as to what is behind
the incessant delays ‐‐

elves.

In Iceland, it turns out elves
are a serious business.

Over 50 percent of people said
that they believed in elves.

♪

WILDMAN:
Unlike other northern cultures
where elves are regarded

as predominantly friendly,

Icelandic lore represents them
as mischievous creatures.

ALCOCK: The elves of Iceland
are considered to be

rather troublesome
when provoked.

WILDMAN: And it seems the elves
have good reason to be annoyed.

The proposed roadway is to run
through a part of Iceland

known as Elf Hill.

Elf Hill was considered
to be the home of the elves.

WILDMAN: It seems there is only
one solution to the problem ‐‐

all construction
on the new road must halt.

The word got out,
"The elves were angered,

the curse was upon us."

♪

WILDMAN: For the new
Icelandic president,

the entire affair has become
a monumental headache.

ALCOCK: She understands
the elves are something

that actually
matters to people.

She also knew that this road
was imperative

to the economic success
of the country.

WILDMAN:
So who will win?

The Icelanders...

or the elves?

♪

WILDMAN: Elves.

These tiny mythical beings

have captured the imagination
for centuries,

but an extraordinary
event in Iceland

could prove these
magical creatures...

are real.

Although construction
of a roadway has been

supposedly stalled
by mettlesome elves,

President Finnbogadóttir
remains determined

to move forward
with her project.

So the savvy politician
concocts an audacious scheme.

She unveiled plans to take
the road around the hill

rather than cut
straight through it.

WILDMAN:
And that’s not all.

She also announced plans
to establish Elf Hill

as a protected landmark.

The solution paid respect
to the locals’ belief in elves

and their cultural heritage.

WILDMAN:
And when construction
of the roadway resumes,

there are no more reports

of missing tools
or broken equipment.

Upon its completion,

the roadway becomes
a vital conduit

between Iceland’s two
biggest metropolitan areas.

Today, Elf Hill is a popular
tourist attraction.

Visitors head there every year
to look for the elves

and learn more about
their mysterious ways.

♪

WILDMAN: And this sign
that warns travelers

to watch out for the elves

is on display
at the Icelandic Elves Museum

in Stokkseyri, Iceland,

it serves as a reminder
of tiny creatures

who once created
a giant roadblock.