Everyone in Salem Was Hiding Something | Young Goodman Brown | Nathaniel Hawthorne

A young Puritan husband ventures into the forest outside Salem on a secret errand he refuses to name — and the people he encounters on that dark path are not strangers.

IN THIS EPISODE: “Young Goodman Brown” — a classic from Nathaniel Hawthorne, modernized specifically for Weird Darkness — follows a young Puritan husband who kisses his wife goodbye at sunset and walks alone into the forest outside Salem village. He won't tell her where he's going or why. He promises to be back by sunrise. But the woods are darker than he expected, and the faces he sees on that shadowy path are ones he recognizes from church, from the village, from his own family. By morning, nothing will look the same to him again.

SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Young Goodman Brown” – original story as written by Nathaniel Hawthorne: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/512/512-h/512-h.htm#chap04

=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: January 20, 2026
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/YoungGoodmanBrown
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
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