History Loves Company

What do 17th Century England, the Devil, aliens and unusual weather patterns all have in common? They're linked to the mysterious and unusual phenomenon we now know as crop circles. What are some of the events from history regarding these most curious and, oftentimes, unsettling monumental creations? What causes them? And of these causes, are any of them definitive? You'll have to listen to find out in this, the final installment on our month-long series on the spooky and mysterious, this week on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

Few monumental sculptures throughout the world have captured humanity's collective imagination quite like the Sphinx. Now part of a vast archaeological complex at Giza in Egypt, it's served as a curiosity to several generations of visitors and even thinkers and statesmen. But what is it about this mysterious sculpture that enthralls us? How and why was it made? And, most importantly, how did it lose its nose? Find out the answers to these, and other, questions, this week in part three of our spooky October series!

These days, people dance 'til they drop for fun, often at competitions for prize money or other rewards. But in early 16th Century Strasbourg, a town now situated along the French-German border, dancing 'til one dropped took on an entirely new meaning when a so-called dance outbreak swept through the city and its environs, affecting hundreds of people and even claiming the lives of several victims. What caused this mysterious outbreak? Was it, as they thought at the time, the work of the Devil? And how did it finally end? Discover the answers to these and other questions in this week's truly unsettling episode.

For the most part on this podcast, we've focused on the factual. History is, of course, chock full of a near-infinite selection of interesting stories that bear repeating. But what of the fictional? Surely, there's history behind such things that never were, as fantasy writers Michael Page and Robert Ingpen once referred to them. In this, the first installment in a series of spooky-themed topics throughout the month of October, we'll be leaving the factual behind for a look at the history behind the greatest civilization that never was: the mythic lost (or eighth) continent of Atlantis!

The Southern Colombian and Northern Ecuadorian coasts are home to a large rainforest, likely one of the wettest in the world. With average annual rainfall exceeding over forty feet (around thirteen meters) per year, it hardly seems the place for a great civilization to emerge. And yet, in the mid-4th Century BC, it did in the form of the amazing Tumaco Culture. Tune in this week to find out how they lived and the incredible artifacts they left behind!

Everyone knows about the October Revolution, the genesis of the greater Russian Revolution that took place in the final days of the Great War (World War One). But what many people don't realize is that this wasn't the first revolution to grip the country. Almost a century earlier, a failed revolt led by generals and military leaders attempted to bring an end to the absolute monarchy, one of the last of its kind in Europe. Join me as we explore this forgotten revolt, this week on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

Last time, we charted Vlad the Impaler's ascent to the Wallachian throne and how he earned his notorious moniker. But even he couldn't rule forever and the latter half of his life reflects this as he became embroiled in conflict after conflict, not just with those longing for his own throne, but with outside forces as well. Find out what ultimately became of Vlad in part two of his amazing story!

In the years since the late 19th Century, the name Dracula has conjured up images of a vampire living in a secluded castle, but what if I told you that the name comes directly from an actual historical figure? Not a vampire, mind you, but someone who was just as bloodthirsty. Join me this week for a look at the meteoric, albeit chaotic, rise of Vlad the Impaler, one of the most notorious figures in all of history.

The human desire to create art isn't a new one. In fact, it dates back to our very beginnings, when various hunter-gatherer societies wandered the world in search of food and proverbial greener pastures. One such work to survive from that metaphorically dark period of human history is the so-named Venus of Willendorf. Discovered during an archaeological dig in Austria in 1908, she's become legendary in the years since, though she's still just as mysterious to us now as she was then. Find out more about her in this week's episode!

With the Great Famine in 1845 in Ireland, millions of destitute Irish fled to the United States in search of a better life. But their arrival on these shores was anything but warm and welcome. So harshly were they treated and severely discriminated against that, by the time the country entered into a war with Mexico, several troops of Irish ancestry defected to the other side. But this is more than just a tale of bigotry and injustice. It's one of courage, tenacity and, above all, standing up for what's right. Tune in to learn more.