Our Fake History

In this throwback episode Sebastian takes you back to the conclusion of the African Samurai series. In the 1580’s Japan was a on the precipice of a massive transformation. For over a century the country had been embroiled in war, but by 1581 the end seemed to be in sight. The powerful Lord Oda Nobunaga was on the path to unifying the fractured nation. It was at this time that a remarkable man from East Africa, known as Yasuke, came into his service. Nobunaga would take a shine to this foreigner and would eventually honour him with a ceremonial sword and a...

In this throwback episode Sebastian was inspired by a recent controversy around the Assassin's Creed videogame series to revisit his series on Yasuke, the African Samurai. Near the end of Japan’s “Warring States” period a remarkable visitor arrived in the country with a group of European Jesuit missionaries. He was a soldier originally from East Africa acting as a bodyguard for the ranking Jesuit in Japan. The Japanese would come to know this man as Yasuke and through a surprising series of events he would go on to become the first non-Japanese person to be recognized as a Samurai. Unfort...

In this throwback episode Sebastian takes you back to Season 4 to finish up the series on Blackbeard. Thanks to the mysterious pirate historian Captain Charles Johnson, Blackbeard became a truly legendary villain. According to the Captain, Blackbeard indulged in practically demonic behavior. The devil himself was rumored to be a crew member aboard Blackbeard’s infamous flagship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge. However, most of the really scandalous stories about the pirate cannot be verified by independent sources. Does Blackbeard really deserve his terrifying reputation? Tune in and find out how sniveling puppies, swimming headless bodies, and the ultimate double-cross all...

In this throwback episode Sebastian takes you back to season four and a fan favorite about one of history's most notorious pirates. Blackbeard may be the most iconic pirate to ever roam the seas. His fearsome reputation and distinctive sense of personal style have made him the template upon which countless fictional pirates have been based. But how much do we really know about Blackbeard? How many of his infamous exploits really took place? Do we even know this guy’s real name? Tune-in and find out how gentleman pirates, punk rock poseurs, and the criminal patriots all play a ro...

The man credited with reviving the Olympics in the late 1800's was a French aristocrat named Baron Pierre De Coubertin. In his memoir he claimed that idea to revive the Olympic games had been his and his alone. However, historians have pointed out that the "Olympic Idea" had been floating around Europe for many decades before De Coubertin started his quest to create an international Olympic games. Modern Olympic precursors existed in Greece and England before the first IOC sanctioned games. Was the "Olympic Idea" stolen by the IOC? Tune-in and find out how goat-legged gods, Mario Kart tracks, and...

Ahead of the Olympic Games there is always some discussion of the so-called "Olympic Spirit." This is a spirit of fair play and virtuous competition allegedly inherited from the ancient Greeks. But, a close look at the ancient Olympics and what you discover is that "sportsmanship" was in short supply. The Greeks had a "conquer or die" mentality at ancient Olympia. The most celebrated athletes were those who had sacrificed their lives for a taste of victory. Few batted an eye when athletes died during the competition. On top of that the rowdy festival that accompanied the games could be...

When the Olympic games were revived in the late 19th century there was a widespread belief in the "purity" of ancient Greek athletics. The original members of the International Olympic committee believed that the ancient Greek games at Olympia were noble and unblemished expressions of sporting virtue. They may have been viewing the past with rose-coloured glasses. The real ancient Olympics were rough, unhygienic, often corrupt and frequently violent. But, they were also super cool. The ancient games were rife with mythology and fake history. What should we believe about the ancient games? Tune-in and find out how ancient death...

In this throwback Sebastian does his best to get you geared up for an upcoming trilogy on the Olympics by returning to this much-loved episode on the mythical origins of popular sports. The question of who invented a particular sport can sometimes be a matter of national pride. As such sports history can become hotly contested. It should then come as no surprise that the origin stories of many popular sports are often riddled with historical myths. Tune in and find out how A Little Pretty Pocket Book, a civil war hero, and Sebastian losing his citizenship all play a...

There are few pieces of Hawaiian folklore as beloved as the tales of the Menehune. This group of pint-sized magical wonderworkers have been given credit for building a number of Hawaii's oldest structures. Legend has it that this group of dwarves were contracted by early Hawaiian chiefs to complete great feats of engineering in just one night. While these magical tales may seem fantastic, some have argued that they may contain kernels of historical truth. Were the Menehune actually the first Hawaiian settlers whose achievement have been literally dwarfed through storytelling? Or is there something else going on in this...

On this throwback episode we revisit Episode #14 from Season One of the podcast. The Pacific Ocean is the most expansive body of water on planet earth. Despite this fact ancient people managed to venture forth into its immensity and create a civilization of incredible sophistication. The question of how the ancients managed to settle the Pacific perplexed academics for generations. This left the door open for some pretty wild theories about the origins of the Polynesians. Chief among these theorists was the Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl . Heyerdahl’s audacious stunts would make the world question the conventional wisdom on the Po...