Historical Blindness

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

A teaser announcing the topic of our next two episodes!