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. 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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...

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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. 

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