In this standalone episode, I discuss the black legend of the Order of Assassins, a medieval sect of Islam known for their reliance on infiltration and murder who were misrepresented by other Muslims, misunderstood by Crusaders, and mythologized by Europeans, such that now they have become a staple of fantastical historical fiction and the subject of a massive video game franchise. Thanks HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/historical16 and use code historical16 for 16 free meals plus free shipping! Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch, which make perfect gifts!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), including "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "daedalus," "daemones," and "Plague." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the next leg of my journey through the lore and history behind the Indiana Jones films, I explore the historical reality of Thuggee strangler bandits in 19th-century India and refute the myth that they were a blood cult devoted to the worship of Kali. Go to HelloFresh.com/historical50 and use code historical50 for 50% off plus free shipping! Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch, which make perfect gifts!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), including "daemones," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Low Horizon," "Oneiri," "daedalus," "Salue," and "Run." "Adventure Theme" by Adam Monroe was licensed commercially through Pond5. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In another volume of my Encyclopedia Grimoria, my occasional episodes on the history and mythology of magic, I look at the development of traditions that the biblical King Solomon was actually a flying-carpet-riding, magic-ring-wielding wizard and alchemist who bound demons to do his will! It's a weird one.  Go to HelloFresh.com/historical60 and use code historical50 for 50% off plus free shipping! And please help the show by completing this short questionnaire: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch, which make perfect gifts!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), including "daemones," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Seeker," "Global Warming," "Oneiri," "daedalus," and "Cold War Echo." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is the first in a series of standalone episodes exploring the macguffins and historical mysteries of the Indiana Jones films. I'll be doing several of these, not in a row, leading up to the release of the final Indy film this summer.  In this episode, I discuss the legend of the Ark of the Covenant, theories about its possible resting place, and the claims of a variety of hoaxers and pseudoarchaeologists. I hope you enjoy! Go to HelloFresh.com/historical60 and use code historical60 for 60% off plus free shipping! And please help the show by completing this short questionnaire: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch, which make perfect gifts!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), including "Remedy for Melancholy" and "daemones." Other music, including "Cicle Deserrat" by Cicle Kadde; "Delicates," "Cherry Heath," "Leatherbound," and "Preston and Carle" by Eltham House; "The Gran Dias" by Butterstone; "Palms Down" and "Tarte Tatin" by Confectionery; and "Access Road 442" and "Access Road 214" by Trailhead were licensed through a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of the episode's publication. "Adventure Theme" by Adam Monroe was licensed commercially through Pond5.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode, I talk with expert Dr. Douglas Selvage about the KGB disinformation campaign to convince the world that the U.S. government engineered HIV as a bioweapon and what it can show us about the Covid lab leak hypothesis. Go to HelloFresh.com/historical60 and use code historical60 for 60% off plus free shipping! And please help the show by completing this short questionnaire: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch, which make perfect gifts!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), including "Remedy for Melancholy." Other music, including "Cicle DR Valga" and "Cicle Deserrat" by Cicle Kadde; "Voyager," "Delicates," "Cherry Heath," "Temperance," "Leatherbound," and "Silent Ocean" by Eltham House; "The Gan Dias" and "Brer Krille" by Butterstone; "Lick Stick" by Nursery; "The Crisper" by Confectionery; and "Curio" by Vacant Distillery were licensed through Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of the episode's publication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the story of the most egregious newspaper hoax of modern times: the Hitler Diaries. How did this crude forgery fool experts like the historian Hugh Trevor-Roper? And how did it influence Rupert Murdoch in his development as a purveyor of fake news? Please help the show by completing this short questionnaire: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "Remedy for Melancholy," "daedalus," "daemones," "Wake Up," "Mare," "Cold War Echo," and "Sentinel." Additional Music: "Dragon and Toast" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This full-length, standalone episode explores and explodes the myths and conspiracy claims about Hitler escaping Berlin at the end of WWII. Shockingly, it seems the History Channel misled us on this one! Please help the show by completing this short questionnaire: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "Remedy for Melancholy," "Run," "daedalus," "Global Warming," "Cold War Echo," "Homeroad," and "Low Horizon." Additional Music: "Leaving Home" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of my series on the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, I look at the capture and prosecution of Richard Hauptmann and the evidence against him, and I address numerous conspiracy claims. Please help the show by completing this short questionnaire: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Nothing (Bonus Track)," "Wake Up," "daemones," "daedalus," "Global Warming," "July," "Cold War Echo," "Great Expectations," and "Comatose." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part one of this 2-part series, I dig into the Crime of the Century, the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, including Lindbergh's background, the crime itself, negotiations with the kidnapper, and one of the greatest manhunts in American history. Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include ""daemones," Remedy for Melancholy," "Brave New World," "Nothing (Bonus Track)," "Cobweb Morning," "daemones," "daedalus," "Comatose," and "Oecumene Sleeps." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion to my series on the Wall Street Putsch, I give further historical context to the January 6th Insurrection by discussing the Fascist propaganda of the '20s and '30s that helped drive a plot to stage a Fascist coup, and I recount the details of the plot itself, its exposure, and how the press dismissed it.  Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "Remedy for Melancholy," "Realness," "Wake Up" "Modum," "daemones," "Global Warming" and "Scenery." Additional Music: "Leaving Home," "Lightless Dawn," "Echoes of Time" and "Twisting" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this two-part series, just days after the anniversary of January 6th, I tell the story of another plot by the wealthy and powerful to supplant a rightfully elected president during a time of economic emergency, the details of which also came out in congressional investigation. Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com sometime before the release of the next episode. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "daedalus," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Oneiri," "Wake Up" "Nothing (bonus track),"and "Cold War Echo." Additional Music: "Mesmerize" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this annual holiday special, I look at the original Protestant "War on Christmas," with its emphasis on iconoclasm, and use that to springboard into a discussion of Christmas iconography and images of Jesus Christ generally, asking, "What did Christ really look like?" Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "Remedy for Melancholy," "Holiday Gift," "Mercy" "daemones," "daedalus," "Comatose," and "Cold War Echo." Additional Music: "Wish Background," "Mesmerize," "Relaxing Piano Music," and "Parting of the Ways, Part 1" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On November 24, 1971, an unidentified man hijacks a Boeing 727 and extorts $200,000 of ransom money before parachuting to an uncertain fate over Washington State. Listen to this enduring American mystery as told by award-winning podcaster Lindsey Graham on History Daily, where you can hear the fascinating stories of what happened “on this day” in history every weekday. Find History Daily wherever you listen to podcasts, or over on Podfollow or at Noiser. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Intro music is "Brand New Day" by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this new Apocryphal Catechism episode, the 2022 season finale, I explore the evolution of the figure of Lilith, from Mesopotamian demon, to the first woman created by God, and back to a succubus mother of demons. It's a tale of syncretism, superstition, forgery and dubious interpretation of scriptures. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other background music is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "daemones," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Cold War Echo," "daedalus," "Wake Up," and "Oneiri." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever wondered about common beliefs about what's good or bad luck and what might be a portent of doom, then this episode is for you. In it, I look at the murky origins of superstitions and the folklore it's related to, like Jack-o-Lanterns, will-o'-the-wisp, and the fearsome Black Shuck. Halloween may be over, but my spooky theme persists.  Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other background music is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "Remedy for Melancholy," "Wake Up," "Seeker," "Denouement," and "daedalus." Additional Music:  "The Bee Sting" by Creepy Pizza (Bandcamp)  Used with the permission of the artist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of my Halloween series on the folklore of vampires, I explore the origin and evolution of the legend from folklore to fiction and on to modern myth, looking at the changing appearance of the vampire, conceptions of its abilities and attributes, and different ideas about how they are made and how they are its weaknesses warded off and killed.  Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other background music is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "Remedy for Melancholy," "daedalus," and "Cold War Echo." Additional Music:  "Leaving Home" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second part of my series has been delayed a week. In the meanwhile, please enjoy this episode of The Conspirators podcast that serves as a perfect bridge between parts one and two of my series on vampires. Throughout history, many cultures have considered blood to have magical properties. In fact, some people have held blood in such high regard that they actually turned to drinking blood in order to prolong their lives. The Conspirators is a bi-weekly show dedicated to the dark and disturbing stories from history your teacher never told you about. On the show I discuss unsolved mysteries, serial killers, survival stories, strange disappearances and other bizarre true events from the past. www.theconspiratorspodcast.com Find The Conspirators podcast here on Audioboom, or wherever you get your podcasts. The notes for this episode, with Nate Hale's sources, can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we move into October, let us look at the legend and folklore behind the most horrifying creature ever imagined by mankind: the vampire! This is the start of a two part series for the Halloween season. Squeamish listeners beware! Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other background music is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). His tracks include "Remedy for Melancholy," "Oneiri," and "Cold War Echo." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I continue my meditation on demagoguery in this new episode, looking at a controversial Depression-era politician variously called a reformer or a demagogue, a hero or a despot. What should we make of Huey Long today? Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Most of the background music is by by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Tracks include "Seeker," "Remedy for Melancholy," "July," "September," "daedalus," "September," "Wake Up," "and "Salue."   Additional Music:  "Mesmerize" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With noted historians advising the U.S. President that American democracy may currently be in jeopardy, I look at other times in history when democracy was at risk, and I look closely at Donald Trump's role in the perils we currently face, seeking historical parallels for an otherwise truly unique threat.  Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! Most of the background music is by by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Tracks include "Cold War Echo," "Remedy for the Melancholy," "Something (Bonus Track)," "Oneiri," "Harbor," "September," "Wake Up," "and "Comatose."  Additional Music:  Leaving Home Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, took a large toll on America’s sense of security. In the dawn of this new era, Congress moved to take swift action by creating the Patriot Act. The stated goal was to identify and strike back against terrorists, but in practice, the law had much wider-reaching effects. But everything changed in 2013 when an intelligence contractor named Edward Snowden decided to expose the truth, leaking more classified documents than any whistleblower in American history. This four-part series from American Scandal follows Edward Snowden’s transformation, from a respected intelligence officer, to the most wanted whistleblower in the world. This is just a preview of Edward Snowden from American Scandal, but you can listen to the rest of this episode at wondery.fm/AS_Blindness Background music during my intro is "Realness" by Kai Engel, licensed under a Creative Commons attribution license (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of this series examining the historical and pseudohistorical basis of the Netflix program Stranger Things, I explore urban legends about two supposed secret experimental programs, The Philadelphia Experiment and the Montauk Project, one as background for the other, which gives us once and for all the strange inspiration for the blockbuster streaming series. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! All of the synthwave music on this episode is by Karl Casey of White Bat Audio. Tracks "Virtual Death," "Night of the Creeps," "Running from Death," "Midnight Empire," "Journey into the Black," "Distant Planet," "Unsolved Mystery," and "Radiation Storm" are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Additional Music: Leaving Home Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of this series examining the historical and pseudohistorical basis of the Netflix program Stranger Things, I look at U.S. government sponsored psychic experimentation programs focused on exploring ESP and psychokinesis as tools of spycraft. Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!   Buy and read my principal source for this episode, the fascinating Phenomenon: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis by Annie Jacobsen.  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! All of the synthwave music on this episode is by Karl Casey of White Bat Audio. Tracks "Unsolved Mystery," "You're Next," "Dark Night," "Alien Crypt," "Unholy Spirit," "Saturna," "The Call," "Fantasy," "Cold Case," and "Distant Planet" are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this series, I explore the historical and pseudohistorical basis of the Netflix program, Stranger Things. In Part One, I look at U.S. intelligence's human experimentation programs focused on developing mind control techniques.  Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts! All of the synthwave music on this episode is by Karl Casey of White Bat Audio. Tracks "The Call," "Something Sinister Awaits You," "Creature," "Cold Case," "After the War," "The Dome," and "80s Sci Fi Movie Theme" are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  Additional Music:   "Leaving Home" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I look at the history of gun culture in America, gun ownership as a social identity, and the long history of gun control legislation passed in response to outrageous acts of gun violence.  Pledge support on Patreon to get ad-free and exclusive episodes. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy of Melancholy," "Tumult," "Seeker," "Wake Up," "Oneiri," "Nothing (Bonus Track)," and "Cold War Echo" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional Music:  "Maestro Tlakaelel" by Jesse Gallagher, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0). "Lightless Dawn" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever been told that the Flood of Genesis really happened exactly as described and that Noah's Ark really exists and is waiting to be recovered? This episode is all about those arguments and why they are demonstrably wrong.  Pledge on Patreon to get ad-free episodes and exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!      Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.      Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy of Melancholy," "Something (Bonus Track)," "Salue," "daedalus," "July," "Wake Up," "Cold War Echo," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).   Additional Music: Leaving Home Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this new Apocryphal Catechism--first since my episode on Gnosticism 2 years ago!--I delve into the mysteries and problematic details of the Book of Enoch and Enochic traditions. In it, I discuss the allegorical meaning of the myth of the Watchers, the expansion of the story of Noah and the mystery of a missing Book of Noah, and the question of whether the Book of Enoch foretold the coming of Christ or if the lore of Christ's life might actually be a retelling of Enoch's legend. Pledge on Patreon for ad-free episodes and exclusive minisodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!     Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.     Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy of Melancholy," "Great Expectations," "modum," "daedalus," "Wake Up," "daemones," and "periculum," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).  Additional Music: Dragon and Toast Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I tackle a topic that I have already edged around in several different episodes: the myth that the ancient earthworks of America were not built by Native Americans but rather by some lost "superior" race.  Pledge support on Patreon for ad-free episodes and exclusive content. Read The Mound Builder Myth by Jason Colavito. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.    Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Evermore," "Wake Up," "Brooks," "daemones," "modum," "daesalus," "Oneiri," and "Mercy," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional Music: "Maestro Tlakaelel" by Jesse Gallagher, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of my series on claims that giants actually existed in antiquity, I focus on claims about Native Americans being giants and on giant bones being excavated from indigenous burial mounds, and I investigate fake news about this topic from the 19th century press and on the Internet today! Support the show on Patreon to get an ad-free feed of the show with exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!   Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Salue," "Wake Up," "Mare," "Comatose," and "Cold War Echo," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part one of this series, I look at biblical and mythological claims about giants as well as more modern cases of giant bones supposedly having been discovered.  Pledge support on Patreon for ad-free episodes and exclusive content! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Daylight (PON II)," and "daemones," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional music: Spacial Harvest Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This podcast features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lost civilization. A worldwide catastrophe. A global cover-up. In this episode I tell an incredible tale, and I connect it to the rhetoric behind Putin's invasion of Ukraine.  Pledge support on Patreon to get exclusive content, ad-free episodes, and early release! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "daemones," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Comatose," "daedalus," "modum," "Something (Bonus Track)," "Wake Up," "Cold War Echo," "Oneiri," and "Run," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of my series on conspiracy claims about the Kennedy assassination, I tell the end of Oswald's story, including his flight from the scene, his murder of a Dallas policeman, and his capture and interrogation. Then I must tell the story of the vigilante who shortly thereafter took his life, Jack Ruby, around whom swirl many more baseless conspiracy claims. Pledge support on Patreon for ad-freeand early release episodes, as well as regular exclusive episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the show merch!    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.    Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Wake Up," "Harbor," "Cold War Echo," "Oneiri," and "Seeker," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).    Additional Music:    Symmetry Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)    Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License   http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this penultimate episode of the series, I finally get into the nitty gritty of JFK assassination forensics, addressing claims about his rifle, witness testimony, number of shots fired, gunshot timing, supposed activity on the grassy knoll, and bullet trajectory. In the process, I speak frankly about this act of horrendous violence and its victims' wounds--listener discretion is advised. Pledge on Patreon to get exclusive tie-in episodes as well as ad-free episodes and early release! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!   Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Oecumene Sleeps," "daedalus," "Oneiri," "Cold War Echo," "Wake Up," and "Seeker," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).   Additional Music:   Long Note Two Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Dragon and Toast Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of my series on JFK assassination conspiracy speculation, I discuss Oswald's attempted killing of Gen. Edwin Walker, his pro-Castro political activism in New Orleans, and his failed attempt to travel to Cuba via Mexico, finally placing him at the Texas School Book Depository after his return to Dallas.  Pledge Support on Patreon for exclusive episodes, ad-free content, and early releases. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Mare," "Daylight (PON II)," "Something (Bonus Track)," "Wake Up," and "Traffic," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).  Additional Music:  Leaving Home Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first installment of what may be a lengthy series, I tackle the granddaddy of all conspiracy theories: the JFK assassination. However, unlike most conspiracist takes, I focus the largely overlooked life of Lee Harvey Oswald, demonstrating the veracity of the lone gunman theory.  Pledge support on Patreon and get every new episode free, plus exclusive episodes, for just a buck a month, and unlock early release by pledging a couple bucks more! Buy my main source, "Case Closed" by Gerald Posner, here: https://amzn.to/3J5DBuX Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch! Makes a great present! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Smoldering," "Imminence," "Wake Up," "Traffic," "Warm of Mechanical Heart," "Global Warming," and "Salue," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional Music: Parting of the Ways - Part 1 Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ATTACHMENTS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of my series on the Wilmington Coup, I describe the voter intimidation and fraud that White Supremacists engaged in before perpetrating an outright massacre of the Black residents of the city and overthrowing the lawfully elected city government at gunpoint, as well as the structures of systemic racism they established after seizing power, all in an effort to show that the orchestrators of the attempted coup of January 6th, 2020, must be held to account.  Pledge support on Patreon and receive ad-free episodes and exclusive minisodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "Comatose," "Remedy for Melancholy," and "daemones," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional Music: Leaving Home Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year having passed since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2020, I talk about the post-election white supremacist coup in Wilmington, NC, 1898, as a cautionary tale against failing to hold the orchestrators of such an insurrection responsible today. If this topic interests you, buy and read my principal source: the Pulitzer Prize-winning Wilmington's Lie by David Zucchino. Pledge support on Patreon and get ad-free episodes and exclusive minisodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch! Makes a great present! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Other music, including "daedalus," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Wake Up," and "Sentinel," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional Music: Lightless Dawn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 4th annual Christmas special, I delve into the misconceptions, myths, and little known history surrounding several well-known Christmas carols.  Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch! Makes a great present! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus. Many of the public domain Christmas songs in this episode were arranged and composed by Anndy Negative and can be found here, as well as one, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," by Benny Martin. All licensed under Creative Commons. Some music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Holiday Gift," "September," AND "Behind Your Window," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).  Additional Music: Oh, Christmas Tree Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this follow-up to my episode on curriculum controversies in American history, I talk about the New York Times Magazine's 1619 Project, the far left's criticism of it, the reservations some historians have over specific claims in it, and how this pushback was presented as discrediting the project entirely by conservatives afterward kicking up a controversy over it. Pledge support on Patreon for ad-free episodes and exclusive, fully produced minisodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!     Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus.    Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Wake Up," "Remedy for Melancholy," "daemones," "Cold War Echo," "Something (bonus track)," "Nothing (bonus track)," and "Seeker," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking the Right's obsession with Critical Race Theory as a starting point, I look at the history of reactionary protest to progressive curriculum as indoctrination, along the way discussing National History Standards, the Kanawha County Textbook War, opposition to supposedly communistic curriculum by the HUAC and the American Legion, and lastly, the United Daughters of the Confederacy's efforts to indoctrinate Southern youth with the Myth of the Lost Cause.  Pledge support on Patreon for ad-free episodes and exclusive content! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "July," "Something (Bonus Track)," "periculum," "Delirium," "Interception," and "Realness," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional Music: Drone in D Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Halloween episode, I examine the long history of claims about demonic possession and the practice of exorcism, revealing a phenomenon that is dark and evil in a different way that one might imagine.  Pledge support on Patreon to get exclusive access to patron episodes, early access to episodes, and ad-free content. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!   Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Wake Up," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Passages," "Seeker," "Laburnum," "Realness," "Mare," and "daedalus," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In another attempt to address and refute current anti-vax arguments, I address the conspiracy theory that the Covid vaccine or vaccination records are a fulfillment of the prophecy of the Mark of the Beast in Revelation. In the process, I look at interpretations of this scriptural passage throughout history.  Pledge support on Patreon and get access to an ad-free feed with exclusive mini-episodes. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Salue," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Comatose," "Oneiri," and "Seeker," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).   Other music:   Dragon and Toast by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of this series on conspiracy theories about the Jesuits, I discuss the order's suppression and restoration, the conspiracy theories about them spread by the Left in France during the Bourbon Restoration, and elsewhere during the 19th and 20th centuries through to today. Pledge support on Patreon for ad-free episodes and exclusive minisodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Comatose," "daedalus," "Anxiety," and "Chance," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).  Other music:  Leaving Home by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4708-leaving-home License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I once more journey into the madness of a grand unifying conspiracy theory, this one rooted in anti-Catholicism, tracing the conspiracy theories surrounding the Jesuits to the Counter-Reformation and examining assassination plots attributed to them, like the Gunpowder Plot, as well hoaxes and forgeries, like the Popish Plot and the Secret Instructions and Jesuit Oath.  Pledge support for the show on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historicalblindness Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus.     Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Wake Up," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Interception," "periculum," "daedalus," "Comatose," and "Cold War Echo," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of this Royal Blood Mystery, I look at the case for Ludwig II's madness as well as the competing theories of murder and conspiracy explaining his death.  Support the show by pledging on Patreon and get access to ad-free episodes and exclusive minisodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus.    Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "laburnum," "Great Expectations," "July," "September," and "Low Horizon," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time again to enter the opulent and enigmatic world of royalty in another Royal Blood Mystery. Perhaps no story takes place in more sumptuously lavish setting or provides more mystery than that of Ludwig II of Bavaria, whose death in Lake Starnberg in 1886 remains a historical mystery. This is the story of a young German king with his head in the clouds, whose preoccupation with medieval romance led to his downfall. Pledge support on Patreon for additional content. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!   Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Seeker," "Nothing (Bonus Track)," "daedalus," "Mercy," "Salue," and "daemones," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here it is: the extra-long conclusion of my series on UFO lore and the disinformation activities of US government intelligence services. In this finale, after a weird sojourn into the world of cattle mutilation, I share the story of Rick Doty and Bill Moore's psychological operation against government contractor Paul Bennewitz as convincing evidence of the disinformation U.S. intelligence has fed to UFOlogists for decades, and I further consider what this might suggest about the truth behind the UFO mystery. Pledge support on Patreon for ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus episodes! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Mercy," "Seeker," "Interception," "Realness," "Traffic," "Cold War Echo," and "Wake Up," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).  Other music:  "Leaving Home" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of my series delving into UFO lore and its connection to psychological warfare programs and the disinformation activities of the intelligence community, I look at the "granddaddy of all UFO sightings," over the U.S. capital in 1952, the activities of the CIA in its wake. Pledge support on Patreon for exclusive content and ad-free episodes!  Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch! Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.    Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Traffic," "Delirium," and "Passages," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Other music: Spacial Harvest Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In anticipation of the recently released Pentagon UFO report, I embarked on an investigation into modern UFO lore and fallen down a rabbit hole into the underground world of US military intelligence and their use of the UFO myth for disinformation purposes. Strap in for part one of a wild ride. Pledge support on Patreon! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Cold War Echo," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Salue," "Comatose," "Sentinel," and "Daylight (PON II)," are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1836, a prostitute is murdered, a young man is arrested, a newspaperman becomes obsessed with the case, and mobs of rowdy youth choke the streets, convinced there is a conspiracy at work. This is the story of the sensational Robinson-Jewett murder trial.  Pledge support on Patreon for ad-free episodes and extra content! Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Run," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Wake Up," "Comatose," "Maree," "Meekness," "Chance," "Daylight (PON II)," and "Realness" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While in the past I've discussed newspaper hoaxes as a historical forerunner of today's "fake news," in this episode I go deeper into the history of American journalism, looking at the party press era and yellow journalism to seek historical insight into journalistic bias and search for any example of the kind of propaganda we see in conservative news outlets today. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  And check out the new show merch!   Support the show at www.patreon.com/historicalblindness. Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Something (bonus track)," "April," "Great Expectations," "Delirium," "Homeroad," "Scenery," "Salue," and "Wake Up" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In place of the full-length second part of my history of astronomical discovery, Hidden Bodies, which has been reserved exclusively for my patrons on Patreon, please enjoy this bonus Blind Spot about media hoaxes related to some of the erroneous astronomical observations discussed in the last episode. Patrons on Patreon had access to this minisode more than a week ago. It's a good example of the content typically exclusive to patrons. Pledge support for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/historicalblindness! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Backward notions of our place in the universe, illusory signs of extraterrestrial life, phantom planets--In this episode, I survey the development of our understanding of the solar system and beyond, learning how erroneous ideas, even those that were popular for a long time, are eventually overturned, revealed to be false by the light of science.  Pick up my principal source for this episode, Dispatches from Planet 3 by Marcia Bartusiak. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!   Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.     Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Seeker," "Sentinel," "Tumult," "July," and "Harbor" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I explore the long history of vaccine criticism and anti-vaccination rhetoric in order to dispel myths and misconceptions about this historic medical breakthrough and to encourage vaccination against Covid-19.  Find out where you can get vaccinated if you are a U.S. resident.  Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services. Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at "@HistoricalBlindness," or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.    Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Salue," "Denouement," "Sentinel," "Plague," "Harbor," "Comatose," "Tumult," "Seeker," and "Wake Up" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi Patrons! Ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility, I want to talk about trans persons in history, and how academia handles trans history, with a special focus on the incredible story of Chevalier d'Eon, a story of mystery and intrigue with enough twists that it would make for a compelling film.  Pledge support at www.patreon.com/historicalblindness. Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!    If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services. Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.   Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Seeker," "Plague," "Maree," "Denouement," "Mercy," "Evermore," "daemones," "Global Warming," and "Homeroad" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following up my series on the Lost Tribes of Israel, we look at the rich American tradition of archaeological frauds claimed as evidence of Pre-Columbian Trans-Oceanic Contact, the "Mound Builder Myth," and Mormon beliefs about American prehistory. Pledge support on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historicalblindness  Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!   If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services. Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Seeker," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Delirium," "Great Expectations," "Sentinel," "Tumult," "Mercy," and "Harbor" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part 2 of my series on the legend of the Lost Tribes, we see how this historical myth has evolved in different eras as the basis for numerous insidious theories of racial origin. Here again are many of the hallmarks of subjects I cover on the podcast: bad etymology, pseudo-archaeological hoaxes, outrageous interpretations of scriptures, and people holding up false history as justification for hate and exploitation.  Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!  If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services. Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Comatose," "Smoldering," "Interception," "Laburnum," and "Wake Up" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first part of a 2-part series on the Lost Tribes of Israel. This topic contains a lot of the hallmarks of this podcast's most interesting subjects: myth, legend, apocryphal scripture, texts of uncertain authorship, literary hoaxes, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, faulty scholarship, and dubious religious beliefs.  If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services. Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "Daylight PON II," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Marée," "daedalus," "Low Horizon," "Salue," and "daemones" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look at Presbyter Johannes, or Prester John, a legendary Christian king of a faraway land filled with wonders. Who authored the hoax that propagated his legend, and how valid are the various theories of his historical identity?  If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, visit The Podcast Professor at www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to learn about our audio editing and consultation services.    Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness, or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional music, including "daemones," "Smoldering," "Global Warming," "Marée," "daedalus," "Plague," "Comatose," and "Behind Your Window" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm running late on the next full-length episode, so here's a patron exclusive I did in January last year when I was running behind for other reasons. After talking about what's going on with me know (and what was going on with me back then), enjoy an episode about the mysteries surrounding Cleopatra and her son, which ties in a bit with the cold open on the last episode, about the destruction of the library at Alexandria. (Disclaimer: I am aware that I get it a bit wrong in this minisode when assigning responsibility for the fire that may have destroyed the library, but my last episode got it right, so it's all good.) If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, contact visit the Podcast Professor www.profpodcast.com or email profpodcasting@gmail.com to talk about our audio editing and consultation services.   Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or at venmo.com/HistoricalBlindness. Additionally, you can support the show by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. Additional background song, "laburnum," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this volume of my Encyclopedia Grimoria, I continue to seek the origin of magic in history, having followed the trail in my previous exploration from ancient Persia to ancient Egypt, where I now find the enigmatic figure of Hermes Trismegistus and his Emerald Tablet.  If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, contact the Podcast Professor at profpodcasting@gmail.com to talk about our audio editing and consultation services.   Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact him at alexkishmusic.com to get music for your own projects. The background song behind the cold open, "The Bee Sting," is used courtesy of Creepy Pizza. Additional background music, including "Comatose," "Marée," "daedalus," "Plague," "daemones," "Modum," and "Interception" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the third annual holiday special, I look at the legendarium of the Three Wise Men and the Star of Bethlehem. Were they and their visit to the Christ Child real? If a myth, what was the reason for the inclusion of the brief passage in Matthew that originated their legend?  If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want some help with the podcast you already make, contact me the Podcast Professor at profpodcasting@gmail.com to talk about our audio editing and consultation services.  Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.   Background music, including "April," "Seeker," "Brave New World," "Periculum," "Laburnum," "Modum," "Meekness," "Brooks" and "Holiday Gift" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).   Additional music:  Canon in D Major Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Angels We Have Heard on High Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Wish Background Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is simultaneously political and holiday-themed. With the Presidential power of pardoning under scrutiny, I look at the history of its use and misuse as I speculate about how our current lame duck may abuse it and consider whether it should be reformed.  Donate at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or support the show by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible.  Background music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "Run," "Plague," "November," "Laburnum," "Modum," and "July" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).  Additional music: Mesmerize by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4994-mesmerize License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've got a little holiday treat for you this Thanksgiving! Listen to this Blind Spot minisode that I released last year to patrons on Patreon all about the myths and misconceptions surrounding the history of Thanksgiving. Then go lecture your families about it (perhaps on a video chat this year)! Meanwhile, I'll be giving thanks for all my listeners! Pledge support for the show on patreon.com/historicalblindness. Shop at Sudio.com from the 23rd-30th of November for 25% off earbuds, headphones, and speakers, and use the promo code "historical" for an additional 10% off! Donate at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or support the show by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Visit AlexKishMusic.com and contact him to get compositions for your own projects. Other background tracks, including "Melancholy" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi patrons! This episode is yet another political topic. With the topic of Supreme Court expansion in the public discourse after the controversial confirmations of justices nominated by Donald Trump, I look at the history and structure of the Supreme Court, the changing size of its bench, and the historical basis of arguments for judicial reform. Pledge at Patreon before Dec. 1st to be entered to win a pair of Sudio earbuds, and shop at Sudio.com from the 23rd-30th of November for 25% off earbuds, headphones, and speakers, PLUS an additional 10% off when you use the promo code "historical"! Donate at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or support the show by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Visit AlexKishMusic.com and contact him to get compositions for your own projects. Other background tracks, including "Brand New World," "September," "Meekness," "November," "July," and "daemones" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional music, "Ambiment" and "Drone in D," by Kevin MacLeod, also licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this post-election episode, written a week before the American presidential election, I look to contested elections in American history for some insight into what is happening today, with especial focus on the outmoded institution of the Electoral College of the United States and the elections of 1824 and 1876.  Pledge on Patreon at patreon.com/historicalblindness to get ad-free and exclusive episodes. All active patrons will be entered to win a new pair of earbuds from Sudio on December 1st! Shop Sudio.com between November 23rd and 30th to receive 35% off your purchase AND and extra 10% off with the discount code "historical"! Sign up for a 14-day trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible to support this show! Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish of AlexKishMusic.com. Contact him to get compositions for your own projects. Other music, including "November," "Mercy," "Harbor," "Tumult," "Denouement," and "Wake Up," are by Kai Engel, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0). Additional Music: Drone in D Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of my series on the early modern witch craze and the myths, misconceptions, and theories about witches spread by academics, I am again joined by Sarah Handley-Cousins of Dig: A History Podcast to discuss the founding of Wicca, the emergence of the midwife-witch myth, and folk healers as targets of witchcraft accusations.  If you're an American, PLEASE VOTE! Support the podcast by signing up for a free 30-day trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/historicalblindness Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact Alex to get compositions for your own projects. Other music, including "Wake Up," "Sunset," "Seeker," "Mareé," "Nothing (Bonus Track)," "Global Warming," and "Something (Bonus Track)" by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0). Additional music: Thunderbird Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Lightless Dawn Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first of a two part series, I'm joined by Sarah Handley-Cousins of Dig: A History Podcast to talk about the early modern witch craze and the historical myths and misconceptions surrounding it.  If you're an American, PLEASE VOTE!  Support the podcast by signing up for a free 30-day trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/historicalblindness  Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact Alex to get compositions for your own projects. Additional music, including "Oneiri," "Remedy for Melancholy," "September," "Seeker," and "daedalus" are by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the extra-long conclusion of my series on Illuminati conspiracy theories, I talk about how conspiracy theories about the Illuminati played a large role in the presidential election of 1800 as well as how they have remained ubiquitous in American political discourse since then.  Visit https://howto.vote/ to find information on registering to vote and voting this year. Please don't wait.  Get a 30-day free trial of Audible with a free audiobook AND support this show by visiting http://www.audibletrial.com/historicalblindness  Some background music on the episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact Alex at AlexKishMusic.com to license music for your own project. Other background tracks, including "Sunset," "Wake Up," "Low Horizon," "Global Warming," "Sentinel," "Evermore," "Great Expectations," "Cold War Echo," and "Scenery," are by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0).    Additional Music: Lightless Dawn by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3982-lightless-dawn License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this patron exclusive minisode released in April of 2019, I delved into the mystery of a day with no light, when darkness fell over New England and many feared that God's judgment was at hand. But was the Dark Day really a mysterious phenomenon as it is unceasingly portrayed? I'm releasing this patron exclusive on the free, ad-supported feed now because its topic has been on my mind for the last couple months, during the devastating wildfires that have been ravaging the West Coast of America where I live. If you are able, please consider supporting wildfire relief and recovery efforts in California and in Oregon. Or you can donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund. Background track on the new intro of this minisode is "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0).    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A contemplation of the modern conservative conspiracy theory of a "deep state" leads me back to the dawn of modern conspiracy theory, the Enlightenment, when the ultimate conservative conspiracy theory was born as an explanation of the French Revolution: the Illuminati!  Get a 30-day free trial of Audible with a free audiobook AND support this show by visiting http://www.audibletrial.com/historicalblindness Some background music on the episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact Alex at AlexKishMusic.com to license music for your own project. Other background tracks, including "Wake Up," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Delirium," "Laburnum," and "Marée," are by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0).    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the aftermath of an explosion that killed a king and upset the foundations of power in Scotland, various suspects in the murder vie for control of the country. What evidence exists to prove who was behind the regicide, and can it be trusted?  This episode is sponsored by Sudio. While as patrons you won't hear their ad, you can still support the show by making a purchase of one of their fine audio devices at Sudio.com and entering the promo code "rockingprek" at check out for 15% off.   Some background music on the episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact Alex at AlexKishMusic.com to license music for your own project. Other background tracks, including "Cold War Echo," "Cobweb Morning," "Sentinel," "Homeroad," "daemones," and "daedalus," are by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0).   1 Like Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1567, the King of Scotland is murdered, and even today, mystery surrounds the crime. In part one, we look at the life and reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, from birth to her consort's demise to learn what led up to the murder and better understand the questions that remain.  This episode is sponsored by Sudio. While as patrons you won't hear their ad, you can still support the show by making a purchase of one of their fine audio devices at https://www.sudio.com/us/ and entering the promo code "rockingprek" at check out for 15% off.  Some background music on the episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact Alex at https://www.alexkishmusic.com/contact to license music for your own project. Other background tracks, including "Seeker," "Great Expectations," "Mare," "Mercy," "Low Horizon," and "Evermore," are by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion to this series about an age of miracles in the midst of the Enlightenment, we look at the strange development of convulsionism among the adherents of François de Pâris. Along the way, we see the emergence of egalitarianism and democratic ideals in pre-Revolutionary France as well as signs of disorder between the powers of the throne, the Church, and the sovereign court.  Much of the music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact Alex at https://www.alexkishmusic.com/ to license his music. Other songs, including the tracks "daedalus," "Evermore," "Mare," and "July" are by Kai Engel and licensed under a Creative Commons International Attribution license (CC BY 4.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the center of the High Enlightenment, as Western culture moved toward rational worldview, a series of miracles deepens a religious schism and contributes to a lack of faith in the royal government, laying the groundwork for a future revolution. But what really happened at the tomb of François de Pâris in the cemetery of Saint-Médard? Part one of two. Featuring a promo for Pontifacts, the podcast that ranks all the popes, from Peter to Francis! Background tracks "July," "Brand New World," "Scenery," "Interception," "Meekness," "periculum," "modum," and "Delirium" by Kai Engel, licensed under a Creative Commons International Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). Other music copyright film composer Alex Kish. License his music by contacting him at https://www.alexkishmusic.com/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this new episode, I play the devil's advocate and investigate the supposed miracles of an Italian monk said to have the superhuman ability of unencumbered flight! Was he the returned messiah, a servant of the devil, or a charlatan? Or did he just have a superpower? To provide material support to the Black Lives Matter movement, visit https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019. To support the Black Lives Matter movement’s fight against racism and police misconduct in other ways, visit https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/. Background tracks "Something (Bonus Track)," "Smoldering," "July," and "Daylight (PON II)" by Kai Engel, licensed under a Creative Commons International Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). Other background music is copyright Alex Kish, alexkishmusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we see anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and hate speech surge during the coronavirus pandemic, a historical pattern can be discerned, a tradition of fear and resentment that is well illustrated in the medieval legend of the Wandering Jew. Join me as I explore this Christian legend, connecting it every step of the way with the long history of using Jews as scapegoats for calamities of all kinds.   Background tracks "Wake Up," "Imminence," "Smoldering," "Homeroad," "Delirium," "daedalus," "July," and "Behind Your Window," by Kai Engel, licensed under a Creative Commons International Attribution License.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I address some false historical claims about pandemics and focus in on a devastating and mysterious plague in 16th century Mexico in an effort to find some historical perspective on our current global health crisis. WARNING: many may find the content of this episode disturbing, especially during the current public health emergency.  Background tracks "Seeker," "Comatose," "Daylight (PON II)," "daedalus," and "daemones" by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I tell the story of a legendary artifact and the drama surrounding its purported discovery in the 1930s. This is a sequel of sorts to the last episode because the revived Clampers play a central role in this story.  Featuring a promo for The History of Malls. "Scenery," "Global Warming," "Meekness," "Anxiety," and "daedalus" by Kai Engel are licensed under an International Attribution Licence.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I look at the long and storied history of a California Gold Rush era secret society with roots all the way back to the beginning of time! It's a scarcely credible tale that includes a sex slave mutiny, lusty monks massacred by well-endowed Native Americans, and the Chinese discovery of California! It's so crazy, it's hard to believe! Background tracks "Headway," "Meekness," "Salue," "Brand New World," "Scenery," and "Delirium by Kai Engel, licensed under and International Attribution License. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, the first in likely numerous eventual episodes on apocryphal texts and doctrines, I look at Gnosticism, a school of thought within early Christianity that inverted Judeo-Christian norms with its creation mythology. Background tracks "Sentinel," "Seeker," "July," "Passages," "Global Warming," "Plague," "Comatose," and "Periculum" by Kai Engel, licensed under a Creative Commons International Attribution License. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I embark on a journey into the arcane and esoteric, investigating the history of magic as an ongoing series to which I plan to frequently return. In the first volume of my Encylopedia Grimoria, I start at the end, with an entry for Z, to understand the beginning. I look at the figure of Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, as the supposed originator of all things magical.  Background music tracks entitled "daemones," "Mare," "Evermore," "Cobweb Morning," "daedalus," "periculum," "Brooks," "Interception," and "modum" by Kai Engel are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of the season premiere, we find that all is not what it seemed with the death of King Edward II. Indeed, there is ample evidence that Edward II did not die in Berkeley Castle at all, but escaped to live out the remainder of his life as a hermit. So what is to be believed about Edward II's end?  Background music tracks entitled "daedalus," "Meekness," and "Nothing (Bonus Track)" by Kai Engel are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the premiere full-length episode of the 2020 season, I dig into the historical mystery of Edward II's demise, examining the context of his reign and the circumstances of his death, asking who was responsible and whether the grisly details of his murder were accurate or mere legend. "daedalus" and "Nothing (Bonus Track)" by Kai Engel are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year, I look at various personifications of the Christmas holiday, from the mock kings of antiquity to the very complicated evolution of the holiday's modern poster boy, Santa Claus. It's a story of ancient gods and goddesses, mischievous elves, and a legendary saint, and how they all got mixed up and baked into one colorful holiday treat!  Much of the Christmas music on this episode, including the tracks “Wish Background,” “Deck the Halls A,” “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and “O Holy Night,” by Kevin MacLeod and available at incompetech.com. Rendition of “O Come All Ye Faithful” by Jingle Punks available through the Youtube Audio Library. Additional music, including the tracks “Holiday Gift,” “Nothing (Bonus Track),” “Something (Bonus Track),” “Brooks,” and “Daedalus,” by Kai Engel and available at freemusicarchive.org. All music licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a re-release of a patron exclusive mini-episode that I produced as a companion to my episode on Holocaust denial earlier this year. If you want access to an ad-free feed and extra content like this, visit Patreon.com/HistoricalBlindness and pledge at whatever tier you can. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the conclusion of my Halloween series on werewolves and the 2019 pre-hiatus finale, I go further into the lore, considering the connection between werewolfery and insanity and the influence of Early Modern witch hunts on the conception of the werewolf. Be sure to visit the website at historicalblindness.com for images and links. Hope this one makes you howl... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first part of my especially spooky Halloween series, I begin a hunt for the true nature of the werewolf, looking at its roots in antiquity and mythology and the evolution of the notion through folklore and etymology. In this first installment, I explore werewolf claims in relation to real wolf attacks, trace the idea of their vulnerability to silver, and suggest that the werewolf may have first been a metaphor for savagery and cannibalism later applied to murderers who acted more as animals than men and were punished as such. Happy October! Look for part two before Halloween! WARNING: Listeners sensitive to such content should be advised that this episode contains vivid descriptions of violence against women and children.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final installment of this in-depth series, I move away from modern Russian revisionists to look at some classical revisionists who were otherwise highly respected as scholars but whose revised timelines and claims of vast conspiracy reflect poorly on their legacies. This episode leads me more into the science denial of revisionists, the mythological and religious basis of much chronology, and the historical blindness at the heart of our understanding of ancient history. Visit the blog at historicalblindness.com for images, citations, and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of my chronicles, I discuss another Russian theorist who in the '50s and '60s challenged not only historical chronology but establishment astronomy and physics as well with his claims of ancient interplanetary collision. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com for images, academic citations, and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look at conspiracism and "alternate history" as a genre in Russian scholarship, and the theories of one Russian mathematician who would rewrite all of history using science. Be sure to visit the website at HistoricalBlindness.com for a full transcript, images, citations, and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a coda to my series on Nazis and the occult, I felt compelled to address the modern myth that the Holocaust didn't happen or was exaggerated. In this episode, I examine Holocaust deniers and their fallacious arguments. Visit the blog at HistoricalBlindness.com for images, citations, and links to further reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final installment of my series on Nazi Occultism, I finally get to the weird Nazi obsessions with lost civilizations and mythical artifacts. Like a true-life Indiana Jones villain, Himmler dedicated his pseudo-archaeological expeditions to proving misguided theories of anthropogenesis and cosmogenesis and to finding artifacts that may never have existed. Some legends, it seems, are true. Be sure to visit HistoricalBlindness.com for the full text of the episode along with images and citations and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of my series, I question how involved in the occult Adolph Hitler was and look to the SS and Heinrich Himmler as the neo-pagan and mystical influence at the heart of Nazism. Be sure to visit historicalblindness.com and find the blog post for this episode to view images, follow links to further reading, and review my citations.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here is the episode whose release I delayed by a week. In it, I explore the dark roots of Nazism, from a neo-paganism preoccupied with the Nordic Pantheon, to a folksy back-to-the-land movement that evolved into a nationalist sentiment, to an ideology of racial supremacy all tied up with contemporary myths and pseudoscience. This will be the first in a series. As always, visit the blog at HistoricalBlindness.com to access the episode transcript, associated images, links to further reading, and citations for books and academic sources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuing from my series on the Great Sea Serpent, I examine another supposed aquatic monster, for a study of whether dinosaurs survived in the deep waters of the earth wouldn't be complete without an examination of the Loch Ness Monster legend. This one started out as a Blind Spot coda to the Leviathan series, but Nessie demanded her (his?) own full-length episode. Instead, as a coda to the last several episodes and a transition to the next topic, keep an eye out for an upcoming Blindside exclusive. As always, visit historicalblindness.com after Tuesday for the full transcript with images and links to further readings.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's part two of my series on sea serpents! In this episode, much like the mythological motif of a god wrestling against a serpent that represents chaos at the dawn of creation, we see science struggling against the notion of sea serpents in the 19th century, which would throw their scientific worldview into chaos. Be sure to visit the website at historicalblindness.com to view images and find links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Without further delay, please enjoy this first installment in a series on the myths and mysterious sightings of sea serpents. In the last episode we discussed the extinction of the the dinosaur, but did all of them die off? Could there be some surviving dinosaurian species that has was the basis of our foundational sea monster and dragon myths, creatures that have been encountered by sailors throughout history? Be sure to visit the website at historicalblindness.com to view images and find links to further reading as well as a list of scholarly sources.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I examine another massive extraterrestrial impact, this one prehistoric and blamed for ending most life on earth. But what really caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? Do we know, or is it a blind spot in prehistory? Be sure to visit the website at historicalblindness.com to view the blog post with images and further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I look at the Tunguska Event. This is a cosmic horror story about an explosion of mysterious origins in a remote wilderness. I tell the tale of the blast, its aftermath, its investigation over several decades, and the mystery that continues to surround it. Visit the blog at historicalblindness.com for images, links to further reading and citations for academic sources.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a companion piece to my episode on the Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk, I look at another influential but dubious anti-Catholic book. In The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop crafts a far reaching conspiracy theory founded on a questionable understanding of history to claim that Roman Catholicism has a secret pagan core. But pseudohistory, while academic sounding enough to convince many, is just fiction in fancy clothes. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to view images associated with the topic and find links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, as a response to the growing nativism in our our own time, I look at early 19th century anti-Catholic narratives, specifically escaped nun stories and convent exposes, and hoaxes that in some cases led to riots. Check out the blog at historicalblindness.com for images to go with this story, as well as a list of citations and some links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm re-releasing my first Patreon bonus episode here for all my listeners to check out. Each month, I release a Blindside episode that serves as a companion piece for or a continuation of a recent episode. This first Blindside goes into the Red Barn Murder, which I had occasion to briefly mention in my episode on Spring-Heeled Jack back in October. Consider pledging as little as a dollar a month to my Patreon campaign at www.patreon.com/historicalblindness to get ad-free episodes, teasers, and all Blindside bonus content.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a coda to my series on the Killing of Dr. King, I look at some events that transpired in far more recent history than I customarily examine. In the 1990s, James Earl Ray's final attorney, one Dr. Pepper, managed to make a media circus of the case with the revelation of a dubious confession by someone other than Ray. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com for images and links to further reading.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the third part of this series on the King assassination, I look at James Earl Ray's views on race and indications that he not only was planning King's assassination for some time, but also that he may have had accomplices. Introduction provided by Sebastian Major, host of Our Fake History. Be sure to check out his show if you aren't already listening! And visit the website at historicalblindness.com after Tuesday February 12 to check out the blog post with images and links to further reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuing my series on the MLK assassination, I examine Dr. King's relationships with people in power who some say might have arranged for his death, and I evaluate his convicted assassin's claims that he was a patsy set up by a mystery figure named Raoul. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to view images and find links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this premiere installment of a series on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I honor Dr. King ahead of the MLK holiday by telling the story of his life and work beginning my examination of the circumstances surrounding his much-debated death. Some soundbites on this episode are from the fantastic documentary King in the Wilderness. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com for links to further reading and videos of MLK's moving speeches.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Holidays! As promised, my Christmas Special is here, in which I examine the origin of Christmas traditions with special guest Brian Earl of the Christmas Past podcast. Check out his show and his website at ChristmasPast.media.  All Christmas music on this episode is from composer Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com, licensed under Creative Commons. Attributions below:   "Wish Background" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Oh Holy Night" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Angels We Have Heard on High" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As promised, here's more bonus content while on my hiatus. This is my first interview on the show. Mike Dash is a great historian who does fascinating work that I have drawn from in a few episodes. You can find work on Smithsonian.com and at his own blog, as well as in his numerous books. I hope you enjoy Mike's interview as much as I enjoyed speaking with him! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this companion piece to my episode on the devilish Spring-Heeled Jack, I follow the trail of the Great Devon Mystery, looking to uncover the truth behind the so-called Devil's Hoofmarks. In February of 1855, mysterious tracks appeared overnight all across the county of Devon in England. In this final Halloween episode and the last episode before the show's hiatus, I consider what might have left its mark in the snow that night. Find the blog post for this episode at historicalblindness.com to see imagery and follow links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first of our two Halloween episodes, I am joined by Diane Student of History Goes Bump in my investigation into the original Victorian bogeyman, the Leaping Terror of London: Spring-Heeled Jack! Find the blog post at historicalblindness.com for images and links to further reading, such as my main source, Mike Dash's wonderful research on the topic.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I explore the ambiguities and misrepresentations in the legend that has evolved around the so-called Great Discoverer. Joining me is Moxie LaBouche of the podcast Your Brain on Facts. Visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to read the blog post with images and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a companion piece to the last episode on the Phantom Airships of 1896-7, I take a look at the work of an outsider artist that some say proves the existence of a secret society of airship builders at work in California in the 1850s. Visit the blog post at historicalblindness.com to find links to sources and further reading as well as examples of Dellschau's beautiful artwork. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I return to our survey of historical UFO sightings to examine the flap of airship sightings in 1896-7. Were there powered, steerable aircraft flying all over the country years before the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, or was it a mass hysteria or a hoax? Featuring Deana Marie of Twisted Philly and Marie Mayhew of Whatever Remains. Visit the website at historicalblindness.com to read the blog post, check out images from contemporary newspapers, and find links to further reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, to cite precedent for my pet theory on the Campden Wonder case of the previous episode, I tell the tale of the most famous case of imposture in history. Enjoy this true crime tale from Reformation-era France, and visit the blog post at www.historicalblindness.com for images and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we tell an astounding story of true crime from the Restoration period of English history. This tale has it all: a missing person, a dubious confession of murder, accusations of witchcraft, a public execution, and a twist involving highwaymen, slavers, and Turkish pirates! Check out the blog post at historicalblindness.com for images and links to further reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a companion piece to the Bastard Princes in the Bloody Tower, I look at the mystery surrounding the fate of Louis XVII: did he die in prison or escape and later assert his birthright? Visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to read a crafted version of this episode's script, complete with images and links to further reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conclusion of our look at the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, we consider the possibility that the princes may have survived and made attempts to reclaim their birthright. And looking at evidence that they were indeed murdered, or at least that they died, we look at other possibilities for who was responsible. Visit the website at historicalblindness.com to read the blog post, view images and follow links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is part one of a 2-part series looking into the famous historical mystery of the Princes in the Tower. In this first installment, we give context by exploring the War of the Roses that led up to this particular family squabble, and we consider whether history has been fair to Richard III. Visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to read the script, view accompanying imagery, and find links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This investigation into a nursery rhyme and whether it was inspired by a true crime or a folk legend was prompted by a digression in the last episode on the Green Children of Woolpit, and it turned out to be something of a rabbit hole on its own merit. Visit the blog post at historicalblindness.com to view imagery and click through to source reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we study a ubiquitous folk tradition, the Green Children of Woolpit, First we consider its origins and its transmission through the ages, evaluating the qualities that seem to identify it as little more than a fairy tale. Then we examine the possibility that it may have been based on some true event. Check out the blog post at the website, historicalblindness.com, for accompanying imagery and links to further reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A brief look at a New Testament mystery, this one is not only a companion piece to the last episode on the Man in the Iron Mask, being that it's also about a historically unidentified person, but also serves as a clarification to a statement I made a few times in my series on the Priory of Sion and the mysteries of Rennes-Le-Chateau. Visit the website at historicalblindness.com to read the blog post, view associated imagery, and link to further reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I lead an investigation into the legend of the Man in the Iron Mask, tracing the lore as it evolved and looking into all the usual suspects. Visit the Historical Blindness blog for imagery and links to sources as well as recommended reading on the Books page.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuing my investigation of the mystery profiled in the last episode, I take a closer look at the riddle of Abbé Saunière’s wealth and the legends of treasure at Rennes-le-Château. I explore the supposedly unusual decor of the church, the plausibility of a Templar connection as well as other possible origins for a treasure, and the first rumors of treasure that started the legends. Check out the blog post at HistoricalBlindness.com for full show notes complete with imagery and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look at a historical mystery that spiderwebs into hoax and pseudo-history, involving hidden treasure, ancient codes, secret societies, and a cover-up to obscure the true Easter story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we study of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the legend of the Marian apparition behind it. As with our study of the Turin Shroud, we look closely at the miraculous claims about this item.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we take a look at the most studied artifact in history: the cloth said to be the burial shroud of Christ, which bears a mysterious image believed by many to be his wounded body.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An examination of the so-called Battle of Los Angeles, when during WWII LA believed it was under attack. Also, a brief discussion of the conspiracy theory that would paint the incident as an alien encounter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this overview of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, we take a look at difficult to explain sightings in the sky from Ancient Egypt through to the age of ballooning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An examination of the Great Lighthouse Mystery, in which three lighthouse keepers mysteriously vanished from a barren island far off the coast of Scotland in December of 1900.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I share a twisty tale of a ghost ship featuring mutineers and pirates in the modern era. This episode's topic was chosen in response to a patron poll that expressed interest in another episode about a mysterious disappearance, like my episodes on the Lost Colony and the Dare Stones.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this companion piece to my last episode on the blood libel, I expose the 19th and 20th centuries' conspiracy theories attributing plots of global domination to the Jews. The focus of the episode is on the forged document known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which has fueled anti-Semitic conspiracy theory ever since.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this exploration of one of the darkest and most destructive myths in history, I examine the blood libel, the accusation that Jews of the Middle Ages and beyond ritually murdered Christian children, a lie that I trade back to its roots in medieval England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of a Halloween special, Mike Brown and I continue to scrutinize claims of devil worship throughout history. Go back and listen to part one, if you haven't already. Listener beware: this subject matter involves alleged violent crimes against children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This special two-part crossover Halloween edition explores the Satanic Panic and accusations of devil worship throughout history. Special thanks goes out to our guest co-host, Mike Brown of Pleasing Terrors. Check out his show if you don't already listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a bit of a warning for any Southern patrons, I tackle some major myths in Southern and Civil War history in this episode, and there is the possibility it may offend those who embrace those myths. Please listen with an open mind and check out the sources I mention (plus, when the episode is released on the website on Tuesday, you'll find the books linked in the reading list and as always you'll find links to sources in the text of the blog post). In no way am I attempting to denigrate an entire region or culture, nor am I suggesting that Southerners shouldn't love their home states or take pride in their heritage. Rather, I am encouraging listeners, as always, to question received history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this companion piece to Episode 11, I detail the later misfortunes of Aaron Burr and explore the further mystery of his daughter's disappearance at sea and the many versions of the ensuing legend surrounding her fate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode provides an account of America's first "Trial of the Century," a murder mystery involving both Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton that, as our first documented court case, has become the first entry in the modern True Crime genre.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a companion piece to our story on Mulhatton, we take a look at some other fabulous caves full of hidden treasure that may have been total fabrications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we take a look at the fake news of the late 19th century, focusing on the life and work of one of the greatest hoaxers who ever lived. After a brief overview of "fake news" today, we look back at the distinguished history of 19th century newspaper hoaxes before following the hoaxing career of Joseph Mulhatton, the Modern Munchausen and Monarch of Mendacity! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After digging deeply into the folklore of the White Lady of the Berlin Schloss, harbinger of Hohenzollern doom, this companion piece explores other legends of guardian spirits and ominous entities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a departure from our usual fare, we explore the legends of the German White Lady, harbinger of Hohenzollern doom, and its many variations, spiderwebbing throughout German history and mythology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the capstone to our series on mysterious foundlings, we examine the story of Louisa, a vagabond woman who lived among haystacks in England, and the outrageous claim that connected her with an aristocratic forger on the Continent who may or may not have been the natural-born daughter of a Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of our exploration of the mysterious foundling of Bavaria, Kaspar Hauser, we examine the suspicious attacks on his person as well as the outrageous theories regarding his royal patronage, and we try to discern the truth of the matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As an interlude to our 2-part exploration of Kaspar Hauser, Wild Boy and Foundling of Bavaria, we look at a story that bears some striking similarities. Eleven years before Hauser appeared in Nuremberg, a beautiful woman appeared in England, speaking an unrecognizable tongue, and she became both a beloved sensation and a scoundrel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1828, a strange teenager walked awkwardly into Nuremberg claiming to have been held captive his entire life. Was he an abused child, a wild boy, an impostor... or perhaps someone of noble birth hidden away from the world? In Part One, Foundling, we explore the popular narratives of wild foundlings and look at Kaspar's introduction into society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Blind Spot, we look at some further theories put forth supposedly proving that the Nazis burned the Reichstag themselves and then undertook to cover up their crime with murder, and we examine the documents that serve as the supposed evidence of these crimes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag, a grand building that housed the German legislature in Berlin, was set afire. One man was caught in the act, but had he set the blaze alone? Was he a patsy? Was the fire a Communist act of terror or a "false flag" operation designed to further the Nazi agenda? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aside from the Voynich Manuscript, there is perhaps no other unreadable book that has fueled more speculation than the Rohonc Codex. In this Blind Spot, the first of a series of interstitial mini-episodes, we look at its known history, attempts at deciphering it, and theories regarding its authenticity or fraudulence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Voynich Manuscript has fueled debate and speculation for decades. Is it written in code or in some unrecognizable language? Do its illustrations depict otherworldly flora? Is it a book of magic? Who wrote the book and why? Join us as we delve into all these questions and answer none of them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was dancing in the streets, but this was a danse macabre, compelling people to dance until they died. Was it demonic possession or divine punishment? Was it a physical ailment or a mental illness?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1930s, the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke took another turn, when an amazing and dubious archaeological find raised a whole new narrative of what happened to the colonists.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part one of our study, we tell the story of the failed colonies at Roanoke Island and discuss theories regarding the Lost Colony's fate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices