Don't Look Now

One of the most enduring myths from the time of Spanish conquest of the New World is the take of El Dorado, the city of gold. We discuss the actual historical roots of the myth and how the Spanish and other colonial powers began to dream of cities full of gold.

This week's podcast details two tales of missing persons who were assumed dead in strange circumstances and were eventually found years later. Always good when a disappearance has a happy (ish) ending.

This week we discuss the Unification Church, more commonly known as The Moonies. The church was founded by Sun Myung Moon and began to grow in the years after World War II. Moon claimed to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, sent to complete his mission on earth and bring about The Kingdom of God. The church is widely considered to by a cult and is mostly known for it's huge mass marriage ceremonies, marrying thousands of couples at once. Interestingly the church has branched in to politics and business, with forays into seafood and world politics. Come take a listen and learn more.

The fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was the deadliest industrial disaster in US history. 146 workers lost their lives when a fire started in the factory, located on the 8th - 10th floors of the Asch Building near Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. The owners of the building kept the doors of the factory locked during working hours to prevent the workers from taking unauthorized breaks and lead to the great loss of life. Come learn about the fire, and the effect it had on worker safety in America.

Time for a little story about mysterious treasure, tons of gold, land lost to immanent domain, and the whole lot possibly stolen by... LBJ? The treasure of Victorio Peak was found by Doc Noss in 1937, and supposedly dwelled without hidden caverns under the mountain. However, before he could removed it all, the area was taken over as part of White Sands Missile Range. Legal battles raged over who owned the treasure and who could search for it and rumors even persist that Lyndon Johnson himself showed up on the scene to run off with the gold. Come take a listen to the story of lost Mexican gold... it's a wild one.

Time for a deep dive into some lesser known mythology. Rather than Greeks, Romans, or Norse, we take a look at a figure from Irish mythology, The Morrigan. The Morrigan is an Irish goddess of war and fate that plays a role in many ancient Gaelic stories. She backs various figures in battle, controls the fate of kingdoms, and often like to hang out as a raven or cow. What's not to like? Tune in and find out more.

Today's topic is one from the all time annals of unethical experimentation, The Tuskegee Experiment. From 1932-1972 black men who were infected with syphilis were monitored by their doctors without being told of their condition and without being treated long after the disease became easily curable. Since their infected status was kept from them, they unknowingly infected their partners and children were born with congenital syphilis. The experiment was not ended until a whistleblower finally went to the press about it, not due to any sudden bout of ethical or moral concern. Come take a listen and learn about the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and other unethical medical experiments from history.

This week we continue our discussion of the Terra Nova expedition, Robert Falcon Scott's attempt to become the first human to reach the south pole. This week we discuss the push for the pole and the result of the race between Scott and Amundsen including the tragic aftermath. Take a listen and join us for some time spent in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

This week we discuss the Terra Nova expedition, a largely privately funded attempt by Robert Falcon Scott to become the first human to reach the south pole. While history most often centers on the race between Scott and Norwegian Roald Amundsen to reach the pole, the expedition was took part in a great deal of other exploration and scientific discovery. This week we learn about the start of the expedition and the discoveries made in 1910-1911, before the push for the pole.

This week we discuss the Greek Myth of King Midas and his wish for a golden touch. Learn more about the myth, the truth behind the historic King Midas, and variations on the tale that appear around the world in various forms.

Most people have heard the story of Lady Godiva's ride au natural through the town of Coventry and possibly Peeping Tom who was disrespectful enough to watch her and ended up going blind. However, did you know that the whole story is about taxes? Take a listen and find out how much, if any, of the story is based on fact and if there ever was indeed a Lady Godiva in 11th century England.

Over the years, almost half a dozen movies have been made about Bufford Pusser, .Tennessee Sheriff, that fought organized crime and attempted to avenge the death of his wife. We discuss the real story of Buford Pusser and a little bit about the history of Moonshine.

John Wesley Hardin was the son of a Methodist minister, but it didn't seem to rub off on him. Born in 1853, he became a notorious outlaw of the wild west (or maybe more correctly a serial killer in folk hero disguise). Killing a man when he was 14, he was finally sentenced to jail in 1877 having claimed to have killed 42 men, though only 27 were verified. Somehow he was released from prison and pardoned in 1894, promptly passing the bar exam and gaining the right to practice law before killing a man for a $5 bet and then being killed himself in a saloon dispute.

We continue last weeks topic of the crusades. Europe's drunken weekend continues with wave after wave armies sent off to "fight the infidels", be they in the holy land or sometimes the south of France. Richard the Lionheart and Frederic Barbarossa make an appearance, and a pope attempts to lead an army into battle. Nothing goes well.

Today we delve into history a bit and discuss the crusades and most specifically the First Crusade. We often hear the crusades referenced in western language all the time with various causes and quests being termed a "crusade", but most people don't know much about the actual crusades themselves. Violent, homicidal, ill planned hoards of knights and peasants trying to free the the holy land in search of the salvation promised them for their violent acts... the crusades are not for the faint of heart. Take a listen!

To kick of 2024 we discuss the Great Library of Alexandria. Supposedly created around 300BCE in the Ptolemaic Kindom of Egypt shortly after the breakup of the empire of Alexander the Great, the Great Library is famed for having collected all the written knowledge that the rulers of Alexandria could get their hands on. Any ship passing through the trading port was required to submit any books for copy and installation in the library. However, was this library really as vast and wonderous as was recounted? Why is there no direct archeological evidence of its existence? Take a listen and learn all about The Great Library!

This week, for Christmas, the podcast looks at the history of Krampus, Santa's much less friendly BFF that punishes children for being bad. From his origins in the myths of the Alps, to Krampus Spinoffs like Frau Perchta, to modern Krampus celebrations in Austria, we have all your Krampus needs covered. Listen up and be good boys and girls or Krampus might have to birch you... or drag you off to hell depending on your take of the legend.

Ever wonder where some of your favorite Christmas traditions came from? This week's podcast takes a look at the origins of Christmas Trees in the United States, Gingerbread Houses, and the origin of the ugly Christmas Sweater. Kick back, drink some egg nog, and enjoy.

This week's podcast gets back to our roots in weird cults. The cult du jour is The Family, an Australian group also known as the Santiniketan Park Association and the Great White Brotherhood (yes, they are that racist). The cult started as a new age group led by founder Anne Hamilton-Byrne, that taught a strange amalgamation of Christianity and Eastern Religion with Hamilton-Byrne claiming to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Sadly, the group eventually led down the path of Hamilton-Byrne skimming money from everyone involved and a large number of children being illegally adopted and abused. While the cult is nominally still around, it faded after the 90s when the abuses were brought to light and charges were filed. Hamilton-Byrne lived to be 98 years old, passing away in 2019.

Time for a bit of classical music lore. We discuss the life and times of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, from his days as a child prodigy to his early death and burial in a common grave. What are the most common theories about the cause of his untimely death? Did F. Murray Abraham do him in? Come take a listen.