Legendary Locations Season 2 Review: The Devils Letter, The Bent Pyramid And Other Exciting Destinations

Two seasons of "Legendary Locations" are currently viewable on Discovery and Tubi (I think). The show is hosted by Josh Gates. See my season 1 review here

Each episode visits three interesting locations. Some of my favorites are listed below.

Season 2:

Episode 1- Out of This World- The Devil's Letter is a one page 14 line document that is housed in Biblioteca Lucchesiana in Agrigento Sicily. In the 17th century Sister Maria Crocifissa della Concezione said the Devil wrote this letter and wanted her to sign it but she refused. No one was able to decipher it until cryptologists finally cracked the code in 2017. It turns out the Sister was a gifted linguist and knew Ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic and the Runic alphabet. The phrases that have been deciphered refer to her thoughts on the church (and would be considered heretical at the time). Many think she was probably schizophrenic and that she penned the letter herself.
Episode 2- End Of The World- The tiny village of Aneyoshi Japan escaped the mega earthquake/tsunami of 2011 because they listed to the warnings of their ancestors. Over the years rocks had placed on the hillside. These "tsunami stones" instructed villagers to only build ABOVE the lines. Those who built higher up were safe. Many others who did not heed the warning perished.
Episode 3- Rock and a Hard Place- The harbor in Portland Oregon was a dangerous place back in the day. Ships needed men to work on them. Smugglers would capture unsuspecting bar-goers with trap doors. The drugged men were then transported through an underground tunnel system and onto ships. This is the origin of the term "Shangaied". The Salem Witch Trials continue to endure as a symbol of religious extremism. In 1692 teenage girls started coming down with strange afflictions. They accused some women of witchcraft. The hysteria grew until some 200 people were accused. Twenty were executed. What was really behind this? There have been a number of theories including property disputes, mass hysteria, ergot poisoning (hallucinations brought on by grain infected by a fungus), etc.
Episode 4- Truth or Consequences- Houska Castle in the Czech Republic was completed in 1278. The castle is built over a supposed hell hole. and was meant to seal in the demons that lived in the pit below. The Nazis took over the castle during WWII. They apparently wanted to harness the evil spirits to help them take over the world.
Episode 5- Slave To Love- Loftus Hall is a large 500 year old mansion in Ireland. According the folklore, Lady Anne wanted to get married but there were no suitable suitors. A mysterious stranger arrived and bewitched the family. At dinner Anne dropped something on the floor. Bending down to pick it up she sees her beloved has cloven hooves instead of feet. I would think they might have noticed that earlier. Anyway, the father kicked the kick out of the house. The "devil" turned into a fireball and exited through the ceiling. The hole is still visible in the house today. Anne went crazy. Turns out she was preggo. They walled her up in a room where she had the baby alone. The mother then killed what he viewed as the "spawn of Satan". When descendants were renovating the house in the 1800s, they found a baby's body in the walls. What a strange story.
Episode 6- What Lurks Within-The Trans-Allegheny Insane Asylum in Weston, WV. This is where icepick lobotomies became famous. Yes it is as brutal as it sounds. This site is currently a favorite among ghost hunters.
Episode 7- Flesh and Blood- The Bent pyramid outside of Cairo, Egypt is not nearly as famous as it's cousins. It's called the Bent pyramid because the original angle was too steep and they had to change it mid-build. The Egyptians learned from their mistakes as is evidenced in their later creations including the Great pyramid in Giza.
Episode 8- About Time- Built in 1410, the Prague Astronomical Clock is believed to be cursed. It was said that a clockmaker (Master Hanus) was blinded by the town leaders so he couldnt build a better clock elsewhere. He went mad and died by flinging itself into the clock. Anyone who tried to repair the clock could go mad and die. This story was later refuted but it makes ya think (especially if you were in charge of clock repairs).
Episode 9- Moment of Truth- A Viking massacre is believed to have occurred in Derc Ferna (Dunmore Cave) in Ireland in 930 AD. The remains of some 1000 people (including women and children) have been found there.
Episode 10- Can You Dig It? Spike Island in the 1850s was the largest prison in the world. Many Irish freedom fighters were sent there (along with all manner of criminals). Conditions were very bad and resulted in some 1200 deaths. The island had a long history before becoming a prison. In the 1300s the island served as a Monastery. Tours of the site are currently offered.
Episode 11- Vocation, Vocation, Vocation- In 1612 on the island of Ganryu in Japan there was a fight to the death between two samurai Sasaki Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi was big into psychological warfare. He arrived two hours late for the battle and had not bothered to comb his hair (which was viewed as an insult to his opponent). He also had a strange weapon. He carved his sword out of a boat oar on the way to the island. Smartly he knew how long his rival's katana was (so he made his oar sword one inch longer). That did the trick. Mushai won but is said to have been greatly affected by the duel and never participated in another. On Ganryu island a statue exists of the great battle. What ever happened to samurai? When Japan was no longer as war, there were no longer a need for samurai. Changes during Tokugawa period (1600s to mid 1800s) created military reform and got rid of the hierarchical caste system (of which the samurai were a part). Interestingly, many samurai ended up becoming civil servants.
Episode 12- Man vs Nature- Kantemo Cave is located in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Explorers witness an interesting adaptation for snakes here. Red Yellow Rat Snakes hang from the ceiling in an attempt to capture bats as they fly by. These snakes are non venomous so they have to rely on constriction in order to kill their prey. A snake can survive on one bat for about a week. Tours are now offered of the caves. Just dont open your mouth while you in the caves!
Episode 13- Fight or Flight- Arizona's Yuma Prison was notorious for being a very harsh prison. Many men were killed or died there. Pearl Hart was the only woman known to have robbed a stage coach in Arizona. She was sent to Yuma Prison in 1890. Pearl had a knack for self promotion. She posed for pictures and soon became known nationwide as the "Lady Bandit". Due to her popularity, the governor visited her on several occasions. She then told everyone she was pregnant. She had only had three visitors (a priest, the governor and the prison super). Pearl was pardoned in December 1903. We never heard of her having a child. That Pearl was a smart cookie. She was part of Buffalo Bills Wild West Show for a while. She had minor run ins with the law. She later remarried and changed her name. Pearl died in 1955 at the age of 84.