Historical Blindness

I'm re-releasing my first Patreon bonus episode here for all my listeners to check out. Each month, I release a Blindside episode that serves as a companion piece for or a continuation of a recent episode. This first Blindside goes into the Red Barn Murder, which I had occasion to briefly mention in my episode on Spring-Heeled Jack back in October. Consider pledging as little as a dollar a month t...

As a coda to my series on the Killing of Dr. King, I look at some events that transpired in far more recent history than I customarily examine. In the 1990s, James Earl Ray's final attorney, one Dr. Pepper, managed to make a media circus of the case with the revelation of a dubious confession by someone other than Ray. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com for images and links to fu...

In the third part of this series on the King assassination, I look at James Earl Ray's views on race and indications that he not only was planning King's assassination for some time, but also that he may have had accomplices. Introduction provided by Sebastian Major, host of Our Fake History. Be sure to check out his show if you aren't already listening! And visit the website at historicalblindnes...

Continuing my series on the MLK assassination, I examine Dr. King's relationships with people in power who some say might have arranged for his death, and I evaluate his convicted assassin's claims that he was a patsy set up by a mystery figure named Raoul. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to view images and find links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

In this premiere installment of a series on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I honor Dr. King ahead of the MLK holiday by telling the story of his life and work beginning my examination of the circumstances surrounding his much-debated death. Some soundbites on this episode are from the fantastic documentary King in the Wilderness. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness....

Happy Holidays! As promised, my Christmas Special is here, in which I examine the origin of Christmas traditions with special guest Brian Earl of the Christmas Past podcast. Check out his show and his website at ChristmasPast.media.  All Christmas music on this episode is from composer Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com, licensed under Creative Commons. Attributions below:   "Wish Background" Kevin...

As promised, here's more bonus content while on my hiatus. This is my first interview on the show. Mike Dash is a great historian who does fascinating work that I have drawn from in a few episodes. You can find work on Smithsonian.com and at his own blog, as well as in his numerous books. I hope you enjoy Mike's interview as much as I enjoyed speaking with him! Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

In this companion piece to my episode on the devilish Spring-Heeled Jack, I follow the trail of the Great Devon Mystery, looking to uncover the truth behind the so-called Devil's Hoofmarks. In February of 1855, mysterious tracks appeared overnight all across the county of Devon in England. In this final Halloween episode and the last episode before the show's hiatus, I consider what might have lef...

For the first of our two Halloween episodes, I am joined by Diane Student of History Goes Bump in my investigation into the original Victorian bogeyman, the Leaping Terror of London: Spring-Heeled Jack! Find the blog post at historicalblindness.com for images and links to further reading, such as my main source, Mike Dash's wonderful research on the topic.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

I explore the ambiguities and misrepresentations in the legend that has evolved around the so-called Great Discoverer. Joining me is Moxie LaBouche of the podcast Your Brain on Facts. Visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to read the blog post with images and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a companion piece to the last episode on the Phantom Airships of 1896-7, I take a look at the work of an outsider artist that some say proves the existence of a secret society of airship builders at work in California in the 1850s. Visit the blog post at historicalblindness.com to find links to sources and further reading as well as examples of Dellschau's beautiful artwork. Learn more about yo...

I return to our survey of historical UFO sightings to examine the flap of airship sightings in 1896-7. Were there powered, steerable aircraft flying all over the country years before the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, or was it a mass hysteria or a hoax? Featuring Deana Marie of Twisted Philly and Marie Mayhew of Whatever Remains. Visit the website at historicalblindness.com to read the blog...

In this episode, to cite precedent for my pet theory on the Campden Wonder case of the previous episode, I tell the tale of the most famous case of imposture in history. Enjoy this true crime tale from Reformation-era France, and visit the blog post at www.historicalblindness.com for images and links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we tell an astounding story of true crime from the Restoration period of English history. This tale has it all: a missing person, a dubious confession of murder, accusations of witchcraft, a public execution, and a twist involving highwaymen, slavers, and Turkish pirates! Check out the blog post at historicalblindness.com for images and links to further reading! Learn more about y...

As a companion piece to the Bastard Princes in the Bloody Tower, I look at the mystery surrounding the fate of Louis XVII: did he die in prison or escape and later assert his birthright? Visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to read a crafted version of this episode's script, complete with images and links to further reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conclusion of our look at the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, we consider the possibility that the princes may have survived and made attempts to reclaim their birthright. And looking at evidence that they were indeed murdered, or at least that they died, we look at other possibilities for who was responsible. Visit the website at historicalblindness.com to read the blog post, view im...

This is part one of a 2-part series looking into the famous historical mystery of the Princes in the Tower. In this first installment, we give context by exploring the War of the Roses that led up to this particular family squabble, and we consider whether history has been fair to Richard III. Visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to read the script, view accompanying imagery, and find links t...

This investigation into a nursery rhyme and whether it was inspired by a true crime or a folk legend was prompted by a digression in the last episode on the Green Children of Woolpit, and it turned out to be something of a rabbit hole on its own merit. Visit the blog post at historicalblindness.com to view imagery and click through to source reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...

In this episode, we study a ubiquitous folk tradition, the Green Children of Woolpit, First we consider its origins and its transmission through the ages, evaluating the qualities that seem to identify it as little more than a fairy tale. Then we examine the possibility that it may have been based on some true event. Check out the blog post at the website, historicalblindness.com, for accompanying...

A brief look at a New Testament mystery, this one is not only a companion piece to the last episode on the Man in the Iron Mask, being that it's also about a historically unidentified person, but also serves as a clarification to a statement I made a few times in my series on the Priory of Sion and the mysteries of Rennes-Le-Chateau. Visit the website at historicalblindness.com to read the blog po...

I lead an investigation into the legend of the Man in the Iron Mask, tracing the lore as it evolved and looking into all the usual suspects. Visit the Historical Blindness blog for imagery and links to sources as well as recommended reading on the Books page.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuing my investigation of the mystery profiled in the last episode, I take a closer look at the riddle of Abbé Saunière’s wealth and the legends of treasure at Rennes-le-Château. I explore the supposedly unusual decor of the church, the plausibility of a Templar connection as well as other possible origins for a treasure, and the first rumors of treasure that started the legends. Check out th...

A look at a historical mystery that spiderwebs into hoax and pseudo-history, involving hidden treasure, ancient codes, secret societies, and a cover-up to obscure the true Easter story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we study of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the legend of the Marian apparition behind it. As with our study of the Turin Shroud, we look closely at the miraculous claims about this item.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we take a look at the most studied artifact in history: the cloth said to be the burial shroud of Christ, which bears a mysterious image believed by many to be his wounded body.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices