The Goatman & Torajan Death Rituals

Sinister Sisters

On this week’s episode, Felicia’s urban legend might be the Greatest Of All Time while Lauren’s cultural tale might be the weirdest of all time!

First, Felicia explores the urban legend of the Goatman of Maryland - a half goat / half human hybrid cryptid who is rumored to reside in the woods of Prince George's County and reportedly responsible for countless unexplained dog disappearances & deaths over the decades since the 1970s. There are several theories on this Greek mythology-inspired urban legend with how the Goatman may have come to be…but is truth stranger than fiction?

Next, Lauren documents the funeral rituals of the Torajan people on Sulawesi Island. Every 3 years, for more than 900 years, the people of the Lembang Paton Village perform the Ma'nene death ritual aka "The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses" in which natives of this Indonesian island dig up the bodies of their dead mummified relatives to clean them, dry them, and nicely dress them to spend time with them before burying them again. If you thought your family get-togethers were awkward…