Don't Look Now

We discuss the history of the Heaven's Gate cult that burst into the national consciousness in 1997 after a mass suicide of its members in the belief that they would spiritually join an alien spaceship they were sure was hidden in the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet.

Plato famously mentions the lost civilization of Atlantis which was a naval power that was supposedly defeated by Athens, long before his day, which was eventually plunged into the sea by the gods as punishment for their hubris.  The idea of Atlantis has stayed with popular culture for thousands of years, but is it just a made up nation for an allegory, or was it in any way based on fact?  We discuss the possibilities in today's episode.

Myths of dragons and dragon-like creatures exist in cultures around the world.  How do dragons differ around the world?  How are they similar?  What would lead just about all cultures to create myths with these creatures?  Come listen and possibly find out.

The Bell Witch is a long time legend of the American South.  From 1817 to 1821 a supernatural entity is said to have hounded the family of John Bell, a local farmer, leading to his death.  The tale became so famous that Andrew Jackson is said to have stayed in the Bell home for a night in order to investigate.  Was the witch a supernatural phenomenon or the culmination of tensions and abuse in the family?  Take a listen and see what you think.

The Holy Grail is the name given to the cup from which Jesus drank at the last supper, mythically imbued with magical healing and restorative power.  Where did this concept come from?  Where does myth tell us the grail can be found?  Take a listen and find out more lest you be taunted a second time.

We discuss one of the oldest cryptids in the United States, the Jersey Devil of the pine barrens of the Garden State.  First discussed close to 300 years ago, join us for a discussion of the origins of the devil (spoiler: the most likely scenario involves a well known founding father), and sightings of it that lead up to the present day.

The legend of King Arthur has been around for well over a thousand years.  How did the stories first come to be and how did the modern version of Arthur, Camelot, and the quest for the Holy Grail grow out of them.  Was there ever a real Arthur that the stories were based on?  Take a listen and find out!

Who stood 4'11", had two thumbs, and "discovered" Florida?  Juan Ponce de Leon, that's who.  We discuss the history of the world's most famous ponce and how he came to find Florida and if he really was searching for the fountain of youth at the time.

The Ideal Maternity Home was operated in Nova Scotia from 1928-1947 by Lila and William Young.  The home served as a place for unwed mothers to give birth to their children outside the view of a disapproving society.  It also had a much darker side: illegal adoptions without material consent or knowledge, disposal of "non-perfect" babies, indentured servitude, and horrible treatment of both mothers and children.  

Roughly 11,000 years ago human beings began living in settlements and forming larger social groups due to the revolution that was the development of agriculture.  Where did it all start?  Did it spread from a single source or develop in parallel across the globe?  What were the first foods that people intentionally grew?  Come check in out in this week's episode.