Our Fake History

In 1897 Queen Victoria marked her diamond jubilee and Britain was in a celebratory mood. The British Empire had never been stronger. Few could imagine that this world-spanning empire might very well be peaking. But in 1897 Britain was in no mood for painful self-reflection. Instead Britons were gaily celebrating the what they perceived to be the "triumphs" of empire. Earlier that year a British punitive expedition sacked the West- African city of Benin. The victorious Brits carried off thousands of priceless cultural treasures, many of which were then displayed as trophies of war and instructive curios at the British Museum. The British press had painted Benin City as a hopelessly "savage" place, but these artworks instead reflected a society of great sophistication and artistic skill. Perhaps Britain had been wrong about Benin. How did a British expeditionary force end up at the gates of Benin City in the first place? Tune-in and find out how miscommunications, shady treaties, and pageants with machine guns all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looting has been a part of warfare since the earliest times. Despite the fact that looting was common for much of history, it was always recognized as an especially harmful and humiliating by-product of armed conflict. By the late 19th century, the looting of sacred objects and culturally significant works of art was widely considered a war crime and was forbidden by a number of international treaties. But despite these high minded treaties, the treasures of Indigenous people, Africans, and South Asian people were still considered "fair game" by European colonialists. In 1897 the British returned from the West African Kingdom of Benin with a remarkable haul of looted art of religious objects. Many of these objects, known collectively as the Benin Bronzes, are still in Britain today as part of the collection held by the British Museum. What do these works of art mean to the people of Benin? How did they fall into the hands of the British? Why are they still considered some of the most controversial museum objects in the world? Tune-in and find out how tamed lice, a leopard sacrifice, and wall five times longer than the Great Wall of China, all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Titanic myth isn't really built on lies, so much as a series of amplified "half-truths". Stories about the Captain imploring his crew to "Be British" and the band playing even as water sloshed around their waists, all helped make the disaster feel meaningful. These stories helped turn a tragedy into a triumph. Contradictory accounts were often ignored, or faded into obscurity, when they didn't fit with the myth. It should come as no surprise that the Titanic has also been the subject of an elaborate conspiracy theory. Which stories should we believe? Tune-in and find out how out of control pianos, famous last words, and the phrase "practically unsinkable" all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When the wreck of the Titanic claimed over 1500 lives in 1912 the tragedy seemed too full of irony and meaning for it simply to be a freak accident. Surely someone was to blame. There had to be villain. Since that time many figures have been put forward as the villain of the Titanic story. Can responsibility for this disaster be laid at the feet of a reckless captain or a greedy businessman? Or even better, was the Titanic actually the victim of 3000 year old Egyptian priestess? Tune-in and find out how an annoying eavesdropper, a spoiled prince, and the mother of the occult all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The sinking of the RMS Titanic is one of the best remembered nautical disasters in history. Over 1500 passengers died after the luxury ocean liner struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic in April 1912. Since that time there have been many more disasters at sea that have been deadlier and arguably more historically consequential. And yet, all of those subsequent tragedies are still dwarfed in public memory by the Titanic. This is at least partially due to the fact that the Titanic story has been so thoroughly embraced by pop-culture. But, it goes deeper than that. Perhaps the reason the Titanic story has been so embraced by novelists, playwrights and screenwriters is because it is, what one scholar has called, a "modern myth par excellence." But, has this myth clouded our understanding of the historical facts? Tune-in and find out how a giant vengeful bird, an icy representation of nature's supremacy, and K-Ci and Jojo all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In part two of this OFH Special Presentation Sebastian pulls a little something out from behind the Patreon paywall. What was once a massive extra episode on the history and weird mythology of the Knights Templar is now being presented as a two part series for the wider OFH audience. Founded in the aftermath of the first crusade, this order of warrior monks would eventually become one of the most wealthy and influential organizations in the medieval world. However, the Templars' sudden fall from grace in early 14th century would create a mystery that future generations couldn't help but try and solve. How was it that a group of medieval knights became the topic of so much modern conspiracy writing? Tune in and find out how mislabeled buildings, demon rings, and idolized bearded heads all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this OFH Special Presentation Sebastian pulls a little something out from behind the Patreon paywall. What was once a massive extra episode on the history and weird mythology of the Knights Templar is now being presented as a two part series for the wider OFH audience. Founded in the aftermath of the first crusade, this order of warrior monks would eventually become one of the most wealthy and influential organizations in the medieval world. However, the Templars' sudden fall from grace in early 14th century would create a mystery that future generations couldn't help but try and solve. How was it that a group of medieval knights became the topic of so much modern conspiracy writing? Tune in and find out how mislabeled buildings, demon rings, and idolized bearded heads all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the course of 150 episodes there have been theories, stories, and sidebars that have fallen through the cracks. Tales that don't quite fit the main thrust of an episode sometimes get cut for time. Interesting, but obscure, takes on historical controversies can go unexplored. Sometimes Sebastian will learn a great story about a figure only after he has wrapped a series on them. These odds and ends are usually left to languish in podcast limbo. Today Sebastian celebrates 150 episodes by taking a look back and rescuing some of these orphan stories from the void. Tune-in and find out how misunderstood midwives, a salt covered lions heart, and a very special announcement all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The character of Stagger Lee has been one of America’s most enduring folk heroes. There have been over 400 songs written about the swaggering, gun-toting, bad man. He has gone by many names: Stacks Lee, Stagolee, Staxs O’Lee. Sometimes he is presented as a malevolent villain, others a heroic defender of the oppressed. No matter the telling Stagger Lee is always a badass. Is this figure just a piece of fiction dreamt up by blues musicians and perpetuated by their rock’n’roll progeny, or was there a real man behind the murderous myth? Tune-in and find out how Biggie Smalls, 19th century fightin’ words, and a milk white stetson hat all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1906 Alberto Santos-Dumont performed a number of short flights in front of a large crowd in Paris. These were done in his newly constructed heavier-than-air flying machine, the No.14-Bis. After these successful hops newspapers roared that Santos had once again "conquered the air". Until at least 1908 he was widely recognized as the inventor of the first airplane. Now very few remember the achievements of Santos-Dumont outside of his native Brazil. What changed? It turns out that there are many potential contenders for the first "controlled" heavier-than-air flight. This story goes well beyond the Wright Brothers. Tune-in and find out how gliding Germans, pesky catapults, and some guy named "Bamboo Dick" all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.