1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Hello, it's Richard mclinsmith here, just to let you know 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: that after this week's new episode, we'll be taking a 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: short break over the holiday period. We'll be dipping back 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: into the vaults for the next two weeks, after which 5 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: we'll return with season nine, Episode eight on Friday, January ninth, 6 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: twenty twenty six. Also, thank you so much to everyone 7 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: who's taken the time to fill out the survey, and 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: if you haven't, you can still do so for another 9 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: week for a chance to win one of ten signed 10 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: copies of the Unexplained Book. You can find it on 11 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: the homepage of our website at Unexplained podcast dot com. 12 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 1: Forward slash survey until next time, Happy holidays to all, 13 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: and have a great new year. In September nineteen thirty four, 14 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: political tensions were running high across Spain. Elections the previous 15 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: year at fueled anxiety for some and excitement for others 16 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: there might be a fascist takeover in the offing. Hints 17 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: of revolution were in the air, but on the twenty 18 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: seventh of that month, despite the febrile atmosphere, all appeared 19 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: to be calm. In the home of the Palason family. 20 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: The Palazons lived on the second floor of a four 21 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: story apartment building on the corner of Gascon to Go 22 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: Tour Street, with its smooth stone facat and nondescript cafe 23 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: taking up most of the bottom floor. The building looked 24 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,639 Speaker 1: much the same as any other in the bustling city 25 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 1: of Saragosa in northeast Spain. Birds chirped on the street 26 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: outside and cars droned by as the Palason family members 27 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: got ready for the day ahead, when suddenly a burst 28 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: of loud, maniacal laughter was heard echoing down the corridor outside. 29 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: Startled by the peculiar sound, a member of the family 30 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: opened the front door to see what an earth might 31 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: be causing it. Outside, the corridor was empty save for 32 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: a few other confused looking neighbors who'd also been brought 33 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: to their doors by the strange noise. They listened together 34 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: as the unnerving cackling continued for a moment longer before stopping, 35 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: suddenly leaving a haunting silence in its wake. Up and 36 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: down the corridor. The confused residents shuffled back into their apartments, 37 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: none the wiser as to what had caused the bizarre outburst, 38 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,239 Speaker 1: But the return to normality wasn't to last. That short 39 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: burst of eerie laughter would prove to be just the 40 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: start of a deeply disturbing two months ordeal for the 41 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: palace On family and their neighbors, in a haunting that 42 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: would become known as El Duende, The Goblin of Sara Gosa. 43 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: You're listening to Unexplained and I'm Richard mc lane Smith. 44 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: A few hours after the strange laughter erupted, daily life 45 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: was proceeding as normal in the palace On household. Later 46 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: in the morning, Pasquala Alcacer, the family's young maid, arrived 47 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,239 Speaker 1: to begin her shift. In the corner of the kitchen. 48 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: Below a band of white tiles was a cast iron 49 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: wood fire stove. Pasquala opened the oven's firebox and stacked 50 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: up some wood in preparation for cooking the family's lunch. 51 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 1: Then struck a match and brought it close to the kindling. 52 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: From out of nowhere, a strange voice cried out, no, 53 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: you're hurting me. The palace On family was sitting quietly 54 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: in the living room listening to the radio when they 55 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: heard a shriek coming from the kitchen. It was followed 56 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: by the sudden appearance of a pale Pasquala with a 57 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: look of utter terror on her face. Just then the 58 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: voice came again, louder, this time shouting out to them 59 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: from the kitchen light light. I cannot see Pasquala couldn't 60 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: understand it, she said. It seemed to be coming directly 61 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: from inside the stove. It was as though a small 62 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: child were trapped in there. Together, she and the family 63 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: went next door to investigate, but found nothing untoward. They 64 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: began to wonder if it was all somehow connected with 65 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: the strange, maniacal laughter they'd heard earlier that day, Perhaps 66 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: some one was playing a practical joke on them. But 67 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: over the next few days it was clear that something 68 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: was not right in the apartment. Strange sounds began to 69 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 1: drift through the rooms, the kind of noises you might 70 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: at first blame on a loose pipe or a wind 71 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: in the walls. But then the sounds grew louder, clearer. 72 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: They always seemed to emanate from the same place, the 73 00:04:55,360 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: kitchen stove. Sometimes it was only a rattle, a scrape, 74 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 1: or the hollow clang of metal shifting when no one 75 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: was near it. Other Times it sounded a lot like laughter, 76 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 1: a shrill, unhinged cackling that seemed to rattle up through 77 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: the stove's chimney and spill into every corner of the home. 78 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: Other times, a mournful wail would seep out, and then disturbingly, 79 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: the voice returned. One evening, the family gathered round the 80 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: stove under candlelight, growing increasingly anxious about what was happening 81 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: in their home. Then the laughter came again. Where are you? 82 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: One of the masts hesitantly inside the stove, came the 83 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: immediate reply, startling them all. From then on, the voice 84 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: was a constant presence in the household. At first, it 85 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: was the voice of a child, high pitched and playful, 86 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: but then it began to shift. Each word became thicker, rougher, 87 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: until it carried the guttural weight of something not entirely human. 88 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: Sometimes the voice barked out orders in the middle of 89 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 1: the night. Turn on the light, it demanded in its hideous, 90 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: raspy growl. Other times it would call out the name 91 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: of the maid, Pasquala, followed by bursts of cruel, maniacal laughter. 92 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: All the while, Pasquala would stand frozen in the kitchen doorway, 93 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: her face drained of blood as the family watched on helplessly. 94 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: Some nights, the voice would just scream raw, tormented screams 95 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: that would rise out from the stove and echo hideously 96 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: around the apartment. Desperate for an answer and starting to 97 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: worry for their sanity, the Palazons invited the neighbors in 98 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: to hear it for themselves. They all confirmed that they 99 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: too could hear the peculiar, disembodied voice. It seemed that 100 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: whatever had been responsible for that first burst of laughter 101 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: that had rattled round the building only a few days previously, 102 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: had now taken up residents in the Palazon's home. By 103 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: mid November, Terrified, exhausted, and scared for their sanity, the 104 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: Palazons finally picked up the phone and called the police. 105 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: It's likely the authorities would not have taken much interest 106 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: in the case had word about the apparent haunting not 107 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: already spread so rapidly. With the whole building now aware 108 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: of the strange voice coming from the stove, it wasn't 109 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: long before curious onlookers began to gather outside the front 110 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: door to try and hear the voice for themselves. The 111 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: papers quickly picked up on the story too. With the 112 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: crowds outside the apartment growing, the Zaragosa Police announced that 113 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: it was time to put an end to the circus, 114 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: as they called it, so a team was swiftly put 115 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: together to dispel the family's claims once and for all. 116 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: It was a cool, overcast afternoon when the police entered 117 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: the building for the first time. The sound of heavy 118 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: boots echoed along the corridor as they steadily made their 119 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: way to the Palaceon apartment. Despite the police insistence that 120 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: there was a perfectly rational explanation for what was happening, 121 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: the Palaceons were happy to finally have their assistance. The 122 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: family invited the officers in, but before they even stepped 123 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: through the doorway, a strange voice rang out from inside 124 00:08:46,080 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: the kitchen. It spoke each man's name one by one. 125 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: The police officers froze on the threshold. None of them 126 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 1: had announced themselves, yet the voice seemed to know exactly 127 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: who they were. A little unnerved, the men proceeded into 128 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: the kitchen just then the voice came again from the 129 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: direction of the stove, announcing each man as they entered. 130 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: Then a low chuckle rising into a wild, unhinged laughter, 131 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: echoed through the room, again, seemingly coming from the stove. 132 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: Whenever someone crossed the threshold of the kitchen. The voice 133 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: called out again, recognizing instantly who had entered and who 134 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 1: had left, and no one could explain how. At one point, 135 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: an officer flicked off the kitchen light. Instantly, a devilish 136 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: voice ripped through the room light. I cannot see. The 137 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: officers exchanged wary glances. Some shifted nerves, their hands resting 138 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: on the grips of their pistols, glancing back to the stove. 139 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: One officer spoke, who are you? He asked. For a moment, 140 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: they heard nothing save for the faint murmur of the 141 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 1: spectators gathered in the street outside. Then another officer stepped forward, 142 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: What do you want? Again? There was no reply. Do 143 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: you want money? A sharp response came back, as if 144 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: the voice was insulted by the question. No, do you 145 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 1: want a job, said another officer. No, then who are you? 146 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: What is it you want? Man? Said the officer then, 147 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: his voice beginning to waver, The answer was immediate nothing 148 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,719 Speaker 1: and I am not a man. The words brought a 149 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: stunned silence from all who were present. Gathering himself, another 150 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: officer asked, can you see us? If you can, how 151 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: many people are in the room? Without hesitation, the voice 152 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: gave the correct number. The police had come expecting a 153 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: clearly disprovable hoax. Instead, they found themselves confronting something that 154 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: should not have been possible, and they were no closer 155 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: to solving any of it. Nonetheless, most of the public 156 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 1: remained convinced that the whole event was just some kind 157 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: of prank, but some began to whisper a different theory, 158 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: that what spoke from the stove was not a hoax 159 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: at all, or simply a disembodied ghost, but a duende. 160 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: In Spanish folklore, the duende is a kind of natural spirit, 161 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: sometimes an elf, sometimes a goblin. Like sprites and bogarts, 162 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: their nature ranges from mischievous to malevolent, and to those 163 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: who believed that voice in the stove was proof that 164 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: one had taken up residents inside the pallace on home, 165 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: they began to call it the stove goblin. A goblin 166 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: is a small, grotesque humanoid found in the folklore of 167 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: many European cultures. Exhibiting a wide range of temperaments and 168 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 1: magical abilities. Goblins can be nefarious, bestial creatures, like the 169 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: Red Cap. One of the most frightening goblins of all, 170 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 1: the Red Cap comes from Scottish folklore. Red caps are 171 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: said to inhabit ruined castles that lie along the border 172 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: between Scotland and England. Looking like sturdy old men, but 173 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: with taloned hands and large teeth, they are reputed to 174 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: murder travelers who have strayed from their route. Once the 175 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:00,679 Speaker 1: murder has taken place, this demonic goblin reputedly dyes its 176 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: hat with their victim's blood, hence the name. Legends also 177 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 1: say that red caps carry heavy iron pikes with which 178 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 1: they stab their victims, and despite wearing heavy iron shod boots, 179 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: they can move incredibly quickly. It's said to be impossible 180 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: to outrun a red cap goblin. In the folklore of 181 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: northern Spain, the equivalent of a goblin is called a trasgout. 182 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: These are said to be evil spirits with a tendency 183 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: to enter homes and move objects, who will create disorder 184 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: in the household if they feel they've been insulted or 185 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: are being neglected. Having failed to solve the problem with 186 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: routine police questioning, the authorities began to apply logic to 187 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: the situation. They reasoned that since the chimney was likely 188 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:57,080 Speaker 1: connected to many other units in the building, the voice 189 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: was most likely coming from a different part of the building. 190 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: Perhaps they thought a prankster was hiding in the walls 191 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: and casting their voice into the network of chimney pipes 192 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: and flues to scare the building's residents. Stonemasons who'd previously 193 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 1: worked on the building were called in along with the 194 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: building's architect. They were asked to inspect the entire structure 195 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: from top to bottom in the hope of discovering the 196 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: hiding place of the troublesome ventriloquist. At some point towards 197 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: the end of November in nineteen thirty four, an architect 198 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: and some workmen meticulously searched every square inch of the 199 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: Palason's building from the cellar to the attic, giving particular 200 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 1: attention to the interior of the Palazon family residence. The 201 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: assembled experts found no place where a prankster could hide, 202 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: let alone project their voice in a loud and clear 203 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: way throughout the building. Just how such a person might 204 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: remain hidden, Yet to be fully aware of what was 205 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 1: happening at the Palazon's kitchen was even more perplexing. One 206 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: of the masons was tasked with taking the measurements of 207 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: a section of war next to the stove to find 208 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: the size of the chimney opening. But no sooner had 209 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: he leant in to take his measurement, the guttural voice 210 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: appeared once more. You need not trouble it's six inches. 211 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: To the astonishment of everyone in the kitchen, it was 212 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: exactly as the voice had said. Unnerved, many of the 213 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: workmen present quickly crossed themselves and hurried straight out of 214 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: the apartment, leaving their tools behind. While answers to the 215 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: mystery continued to evade the authorities, public interest in the 216 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: Zaragosa Goblin, as it became known, was growing so much 217 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: that some began making sightseeing trips from nearby Billboo just 218 00:15:55,880 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: to come and hear it. Doctors and psycho ecologists were 219 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: also drafted in to assist the investigation, along with a 220 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: priest who sprinkled the stove with holy water to little 221 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: or no effect. One psychiatrist on the scene by the 222 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: name of Joaquin Arieira, became especially suspicious of the Palazon's 223 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: young maid, Pasquala Alcacer. After subjecting her to a series 224 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: of questions, he soon concluded that she had been responsible 225 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: for the voice all along. He described the case as 226 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: a mixture of hysteria and subconscious ventriloquism. Ventriloquism has deep roots, 227 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: often linked with mystical practices and religious ritual There is 228 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 1: even archaeological evidence suggesting that the phenomenon could be traced 229 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: back to at least two thousand BCE. The term derives 230 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: from the Latin words venta or belly, and loqui, meaning 231 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,239 Speaker 1: to speak, because early practitioners were thought to speak from 232 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 1: their stomachs. Some ancient cultures believed that ventriloquists could speak 233 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: to spirits and convey messages from the gods. In ancient Greece, 234 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: a famous ventriloquist named Eurocles was also thought to be 235 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: able to communicate with the dead. It's possible even that 236 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: the Oracle of Delphi, who was widely believed to channel 237 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: divine prophecies, which were highly regarded in ancient Greece, was 238 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: little more than a polished circus act using ventriloquism to 239 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: fool her supporters. During the Middle Ages, the practice was 240 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 1: linked with sorcery and heresy. Not surprisingly, this has made 241 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: ventriloquism both fascinating and feared. It has been a subject 242 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: of interest in cognitive science because it provides insights into 243 00:17:55,400 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 1: how our brains integrate multisensory information. Quism has even been 244 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: used as a therapeutic technique, for example, in the case 245 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: of a boy with Asperger's syndrome who used a ventriloquist's 246 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 1: puppet to help him communicate with his family and friends. 247 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,119 Speaker 1: But while you may have seen a ventriloquist with a 248 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 1: puppet perform on television, experts in the field are rare, 249 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: with likely fewer than four hundred professionals in the world, 250 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: so it would seem very unlikely that the palace On 251 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: Family made. Pasquala Alcace was so talented in the art 252 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 1: that she could throw a voice entirely different from her 253 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 1: own throughout an entire building. Pasquala flat out denied any involvement, 254 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: telling anyone who'd listen that she was a victim of 255 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: the so called goblin, just like everyone else. But psychiatrist 256 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 1: Ariea was determined to be proved correct. He asked Pasquala 257 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: if she would leave the building to run some errands, 258 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: in the expectation that the voice would stop once she'd gone. 259 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,959 Speaker 1: The maid agreed to do what she was asked, but 260 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:07,640 Speaker 1: much to the psychiatrist's annoyance, and confusion. With Pasquala out 261 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 1: of the building, it is said the voice continued to 262 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: issue forth from the stove, despite repeating the experiment on 263 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: multiple occasions. The voice continued to talk and cry out 264 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: even when Pasquala was on a different street, nowhere near 265 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: the property. With the ventriloquism theory dismissed, the pallace On 266 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: family and their neighbors became engulfed by the feeling that 267 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: there was indeed something very sinister at work in their building. Privately, 268 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: some of the investigators were inclined to agree with them, 269 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: and so it was decided that the only logical next 270 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: step was to evacuate the building. With the residents moved 271 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:02,640 Speaker 1: out at the property, the army was brought in. They 272 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 1: cut all electrical and telephone wires connected to the building 273 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: to prevent any potential pranksters from finding a way to 274 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 1: broadcast their voice. A team of police and volunteers also 275 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: began guarding the building morning and night, maintaining a thirty 276 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: yard perimeter so any mischief maker who might be behind 277 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: it all could not get in or out. Even the 278 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 1: Governor of Zaragosa intervened, forcing the media to commit to 279 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,479 Speaker 1: a blackout as the building was searched for evidence of 280 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:38,199 Speaker 1: a perpetrator, and so with every resident evacuated, the lights 281 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:42,880 Speaker 1: extinguished and the building stripped of any possible trick or device, 282 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:47,679 Speaker 1: the police, along with the building's owner, Signor Grialba, and 283 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 1: his young son arturo Re, entered the four story property 284 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: on the corner of Gascon Goteur Street. With the building 285 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: now completely vacant. The footsteps echoed even louder this time 286 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,160 Speaker 1: as the officers climbed the stairs up to the second floor, 287 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: using flashlights to guide the way. Then together they pushed 288 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:13,959 Speaker 1: on into the Palaceon's apartment. They shuffled into the kitchen 289 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: and stood in silence, with the empty stove looming before them, 290 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: lit up by their torches. One officer cleared his throat 291 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: and then, with some trepidation, called out are you there. 292 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: For a moment, there was no reply. Then incredibly, that 293 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: same guttural cackle, rising up from nowhere, came bursting out 294 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: of the stove. But that wasn't all. According to a 295 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: report later published in British newspaper The Times of London, 296 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: the voice in the stove spoke incessantly, railing against the police, 297 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: spitting rapid fire insults at them. Then it turned its 298 00:21:55,840 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: fury back onto the palace on family. I will kill them, 299 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 1: all of them, it insisted. The officers stood rooted to 300 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: the spot, their faces growing ever more pale in the 301 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: half light. Just then, the building owner's son, our Turo, 302 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: piped up, let's go dat. This whole thing is crazy. 303 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: From deep inside the stove, came the voice's response, No, 304 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 1: not crazy, little one. Our Tiro was stunned. After that, 305 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:34,919 Speaker 1: after two months of near constant noise, the stove fell silent, 306 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: and the voice seemed finally to have gone eager to 307 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: restore order. The local magistrate dismissed the entire affair as 308 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: nothing more than a strange anomaly that would be best 309 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:57,719 Speaker 1: forgotten about, and moved on from the police packed up 310 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 1: and withdrew. Two days, however, a small group of neighbors 311 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: were gathered in the Palazon's apartment when the voice suddenly returned. Cowards, here, 312 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: I am the Goblin, it seemed, was back. Later it 313 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: would taunt the police again, promising to show itself, but 314 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: the apparent entity never did. By now, interest in the 315 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: Zaragosa Goblin had reached fever pitch far and wide. One 316 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: Barcelona radio station attempted to get a microphone in the 317 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: room so they could broadcast the goblin's voice. It's even 318 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 1: rumored that a team of detectives from Scotland Yard in 319 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 1: London were planning a trip to the apartment to try 320 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: and solve the case, while the National Guard were called 321 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: in to keep the growing crowd of sightseers a safe 322 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:54,120 Speaker 1: distance away. On November thirtieth, deciding that he had had enough, 323 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: the Governor of Zaragosa, still convinced it was a prankster, 324 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: put out a public appeal for any information that could 325 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: help identify the culprit. The governor also ordered a more 326 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: thorough investigation of the people at the center of the affair. 327 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: The entire Palazon family, along with their maid Pasquala, were 328 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:20,439 Speaker 1: brought in for severe questioning. Then, on December fourth, the 329 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 1: governor announced that he'd finally found the explanation for the 330 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: extraordinary events. Just like psychiatrist Joaquin Arieira, he also believed 331 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: that the source of all the torment and the perpetrator 332 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: of the voice was indeed the maid Pasquala Alcacer. According 333 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,400 Speaker 1: to the official statement, Alcacer was believed to be suffering 334 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,919 Speaker 1: from a condition called unconscious ventriloquism, which caused her to 335 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: throw her voice without being aware that she was doing it. However, 336 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 1: many people rejected the finding, pointing out that not only 337 00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 1: did the phantom voice seem too low to belong to 338 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: a female, but it had been demonstrated several times that 339 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 1: it continued when the young maid was nowhere near the building. 340 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,880 Speaker 1: Alcasa herself firmly denied the allegation, but the officials would 341 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 1: not budge, insisting that they had witnessed her carrying out 342 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: the ventriloquism while she was in custody. With the case 343 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: then seemingly solved, residents were urged to simply go back 344 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:31,199 Speaker 1: to their normal lives. For the Palasons and Pasquala Alcacet, 345 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 1: it had all proved too much. The maid was relieved 346 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: of her duties and the family moved on to another city. 347 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 1: With no evidence to arrest Pasquala Alcacet. She also left 348 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: Zaragosa to return to her hometown. While she escaped the 349 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: judgment of those in Zaragosa who believed her to be guilty, 350 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: the stigma of the accusation against her hung over her 351 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 1: for the rest of her days. It said that she 352 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: subsequently lived a very reclusive life and claimed to never 353 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 1: fully recover from the blame that was foisted on her. 354 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 1: But Squala steadfastly refused to speak about the incident for 355 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,360 Speaker 1: almost her entire life. In old age, she did finally 356 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:26,680 Speaker 1: relent and gave one interview. When asked where the voice 357 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaker 1: was coming from, all she could say was it came 358 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: from within the wall. Either way. With Pasquala and the 359 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: Palazons gone, the building eventually settled back down into relative normality, 360 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:45,679 Speaker 1: although tenants would occasionally report ghostly sounds, to what degree 361 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,479 Speaker 1: they were imagined or where in fact a continuation of 362 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: the supposed Goblin haunting was hard to say. With opinion 363 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: divided on whether it really had been a manifestation of 364 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:02,400 Speaker 1: a malevolent spirit or just an incredibly elaborate hoax. The 365 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:06,440 Speaker 1: city of Zaragoza soon forgot the whole incident of the Goblin. 366 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 1: In any case, larger events were at play. In October, 367 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: a worker's uprising known as the Revolutionary General Strike of 368 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:22,119 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty four took place in Catalonia and Astorias. The 369 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 1: uprisings were repressed by Spanish government forces, but it proved 370 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 1: to be just the start of a series of events 371 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: that would ultimately lead to the Spanish Civil War. Just 372 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:37,360 Speaker 1: a few years later, in nineteen seventy seven, the four 373 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: story apartment block on the corner of Gascon de Gotur 374 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: Street was demolished, but there is still a reminder of 375 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: the strange events where a new building now stands on 376 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:53,920 Speaker 1: a stone wall near the entrance. Emblazoned in glittering gold letters, 377 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: you can find the new building's name. It reads Edificio Duerdende, 378 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: Goblin Building. No culprit was ever found or any cause 379 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,919 Speaker 1: settled upon for the strange events that took place in 380 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 1: that troublesome year of nineteen thirty four on Gascon de 381 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 1: Gator Street, and so the case of the Zaraghos of 382 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:30,679 Speaker 1: Goblin remains to this day Unexplained. This episode was written 383 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:35,959 Speaker 1: by Diane Hope and Richard McLain Smith. Thank you as 384 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:39,680 Speaker 1: ever for listening Unexplained as an Avy Club production podcast 385 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: created by Richard McLain Smith. All other elements of the podcast, 386 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: including the music, are also produced by me Richard McLain Smith. Unexplained. 387 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: The book and audiobook is now available to buy worldwide. 388 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: You can purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones and 389 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: other bookstores. Please subscribe to and rate the show wherever 390 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts, and feel free to get in 391 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 1: touch with any thoughts or ideas regarding the stories you've 392 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 1: heard on the show. Perhaps you have an explanation or 393 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: a story of your own you'd like to share. You 394 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: can find out more at Unexplained podcast dot com and 395 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 1: reaches online through X and Blue Sky at Unexplained Pod 396 00:29:20,400 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: and Facebook at Facebook dot com, Forward Slash Unexplained Podcast, 397 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: DoD