The only literary sources we have about the Viking settlements west of Greenland come from the Icelandic Sagas. The only problem is that the Sagas can be totally off-the-wall. Corpses reanimate and speak prophecies, giant-eyed doppelgängers vanish into thin air, and one-legged creatures murder unsuspecting Norse explorers. But, this same sources also describe interactions between the Norse and the Vinland's first people that sound remarkably believable. The people the Norse called the Skraeling's act quite a lot like the Algonquin speaking peoples of Canada's east coast. How do we separate the historical wheat from the legendary chaff? Tune-in and find out how female axe murderers, Vinland's first Viking baby, and the loudest bull in the world all play a role in the story.

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Between the 9th and 11th centuries Norse explorers undertook a series of remarkable journeys through the North Atlantic. Iceland and Greenland were settled by medieval farmers eager to find new uninhabited lands. But just how far west did these seafarer's manage to travel? The unique Icelandic texts known as the sagas tell tales of journeys to a fertile and abundant country south west of Greenland named Vinland, or the Land of Wine, for the wild grapes that allegedly grew there. Archaeology has proven that the Norse managed to reach Northern Newfoundland, but could the rocky North Peninsula really be the "land of wine" blessed with "frostless winters?" Where was Vinland? Did it ever truly exist? Tune-in and find out how magical sleeps, violent troll tests, and saga story-time all play a role in the story.   

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In this Bonus Episode Sebastian takes questions from listeners about the series on the original Ponzi Scheme. The host investigates the history of the expression "robbing Peter to pay Paul", locates early usages of the phrase "getting Ponzied", and muses about whether all expansionist empires are actually just big Ponzi Schemes. Sebastian also throws out a possible replacement for "Watergate" as the go-to synonym for a scandal. Tune-in and find out how cheeky bank ads, skin grafts, and Atilla the Hun all play role in the story.

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Charles Ponzi's remarkable rise and fall played out over the course of a wild eight month period. He went from being a failed importer-exporter mired in debt to Boston's most talked about self-made millionaire in a matter of weeks. After rebranding his company as the Securities Exchange Company, Ponzi started offering remarkable 50% returns to investors after only 90 days. But almost immediately Ponzi's plan to use postal coupons to game international exchange rates became impractical. But, instead of grabbing as much cash as he could and making a dash, Ponzi believed he could transform his scam into a legitimate business. Was Ponzi ever really serious about going straight? Tune-in and find out how the America's nation menace, Babe Ruth, and guy named Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford all play a role in the story.

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The name Charles Ponzi has become synonymous with financial frauds. In 1920 the formerly obscure Italian immigrant suddenly became one of the most famous men in Boston when his Securities Exchange Company started offering investors remarkable returns. Ponzi claimed that he had discovered an ingenious method of using postal coupons to profit off international exchange rates. However, before the year was out his scheme had totally unraveled. What many Bostonians did not know was that Ponzi was a two-time ex-convict with a history as fraudster. Still, there may have been more to Ponzi than his dishonest reputation would lead you to believe. Ponzi claimed that he was a misunderstood genius. Should we believe him? Tune-in and find out how wasted undergrads, Canadian scammers, and the Hawk Tuah Girl all play a role in the story.

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In this Bonus Episode Sebastian takes questions about the recent series on Buffalo Bill and the Wild West Show. He unpacks Bill's influence on the cowboy hero archetype, dives into the contentious history of scalping, and learns some fun facts about Bill's legacy in Belgium. Tune-in and find out how historical reenactors, P.T Barnum, and questionable mascots all play a role in the story!

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Head to DRINKAG1.com/FAKE you’ll get the welcome kit, a Morning Person hat, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, a AG1 Flavor Sampler and you’ll get to try their new sleep supplement AGZ for free.

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Buffalo Bill's Wild West first started touring outdoor arenas in 1883. What started as a western themed circus soon grew in ambition. In the quest to appeal to respectable middle-class family audiences Buffalo Bill was soon promoting his show as an educational experience. The Wild West was supposedly an authentic exhibition of Western American history and culture. Elaborate historical reenactments became key parts of the program. However, these reenactments were rarely accurate and were often totally fictional. What kind of a story was Buffalo Bill trying to tell about America? Tune-in and find out how tiny sharp-shooters, signed pictures of Sitting Bull, and a bow from Queen Victoria all play a role in the story.

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Buffalo Bill Cody was one of America's great mythmakers. The man born William Cody reinvented himself as the west's greatest rider, scout, and buffalo hunter before taking his schtick to the American stage in the early 1870's. Buffalo Bill would eventually develop his frontiersman act into the Wild West Show, an outdoor exposition that was part circus, part rodeo, and part historical reenactment. Between 1883 and 1913 the show was seen by millions. "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" helped reinforce popular legends about the American West and essentially invented the "western" entertainment genre. The man behind the show was a liar and hum-bug artist in the vein of P.T Barnum. How did Bill's mythical version of the west affect popular understandings of history? Tune-in and find out how 19th century social media influencers, fake duels, and Buffalo Bill's Buffalo Blob all play a roll in story.  

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In this bonus episode Sebastian takes questions about the recent episodes on Thailand's legendary elephant duels and the seafaring Welsh Prince Madoc. The host does his best to pinpoint the "real" last elephant duel and takes questions from a practicing druid. We also hear from a Welsh listener with some fascinating thoughts about the Madoc episode.

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There's a story that in the year 1170 a Prince from Wales, named Madoc, led a group of Welsh colonists over the Atlantic to North America. This group allegedly mingled with the local indigenous people and eventually assimilated into their culture. However, they left behind their language. For centuries it was believed that a lost tribe of welsh-speaking indigenous people lived somewhere in America. Is there anything to the legend of Prince Madoc or is this just a strange case of fake history? Tune-in and find out how penguins, elephants in Virginia, and Welsh utopians all play a role in the story. 

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