The Raven's Grove

In this Western fiction themed episode of Random Factdumps, we take a closer look at some lesser known facts about Western fiction as a genre, including: which fictional characters are named after the hero of the 1826 novel, "The Last of the Mohicans"; what impressive marksmanship feat Daniel Day-Lewis pulled off in a movie set during the Seven Years War with a flintlock musket; what tro...

In this episode, we take a look at five facts about the Wild West, such as why we call it "Riding shotgun"; where the term "shot of alcohol" comes from; how spiking a drink got it's name; why some countries call a dollar a "buck"; and how a brutal murder of a legendary lawman is connected to a reportedly cursed hand in poker. WARNING: This episode of The Raven&#39...

In this episode, we take a look at some of the differences between the original versions of the Arthurian legends in mythology and medieval literature, and their various forms in popular media. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features major spoilers for the following pieces of media: the book "The Once And Future King" by T.H. White; the Disney animated film, "The Swo...

In this special chocolate-themed episode of Random Factdumps, we take a look at seven facts about the world's favourite sweet treat, such as: where did chocolate and cocoa originally come from? Who were the first people to make hot chocolate? How did chocolate come to Europe? Which famous crown head of Europe used chocolate as a form of medicine; how the Marvel character Venom could curb his c...

In this language focused episode of Random Factdumps, we take a look at the origins and functionality of some of the most famous invented languages from fiction, such as: Atlantean; Klingon; Sindarin; Quenya; Huttese; and the Elder Speech from the Witcher franchise. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following Triggers: World War I mentions World War II mentions Death ment...

In this episode, we talk about how the Mayan hieroglyph code was cracked by archaeologists and linguists, and why it took such a long time. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following Triggers: Blood & Gore mentions Self-harm mentions Human sacrifice mentions Nazi mentions Soviet mentions Fascism mentions Communism mentions Bullying mentions Death mentions So, if any...

In this episode, we take a look at the habits, ecology, biology, threats and some of the different species of rays found around the world. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following Triggers: Blood and Gore mentions Animal Predatory Behaviour mentions Humans hunting animals mentions Luxury animal product use mentions Death mentions Self Harm mentions War mentions Weapon...

In our newest segment, "If I Ran The Museum", I'll be conducting a thought experiment about what artefacts and pop culture props I would put in a hypothetical museum exhibition about some of my favourite fictional franchises and real world cultures from history and archaeology. Today, we're talking about the imaginary museum exhibition I would do for the "Indiana Jones"...

In this episode, we take a closer look at five facts about the academic discipline of archaeology: The differences between palaeontology and archaeology; why Lara Croft and Indiana Jones are not technically archaeologists by modern standards; which tool is the most highly valued by field archaeologists; a quick look at the various specialties in archaeology as an academic discipline; and finally,...

In this Geek-themed episode, we take a look at some more random geeky facts, such as: how the actor to first play Hellboy got the role; the details about Johnny Silverhand's guitar; the potential timelessness of one of my all time favourite book series; how one man helped a sitcom get science right; and the link between one of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th century and Star Wars....

In this Halloween-themed episode, we take a look at five spooky facts, including: the links between The Addams Family and the Lord Of The Rings; why there might or might not be a kindly werewolf on remote islands off the Scottish coast; the link between a classic adventure story, a lighthouse and one of the greatest works of Gothic Horror literature; and why you should always double check translat...

In this episode, we take a look at the origins, backstory, sidekicks and various different versions of the scourge of Gotham's underworld, the Dark Knight himself, BATMAN. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following triggers: Crime mentions Death and Murder mentions Weapon mentions Combat mentions Bodily trauma from combat mentions Adoption mentions Drug mentions Drug...

In this episode, we take a closer look at some more plot holes from famous movie, comic book, tv show and video game franchises, such as: which drug can't The Flash tolerate, and why it doesn't make any sense; how come Superman treated a fellow superhero so poorly, going against character in a big way; which Far Cry protagonist doesn't fit the mould; and an animation error/plot hole tw...

In this newest segment, we talk about the origins, powers, weaknesses, changes and various different versions of famous superheroes. Today, we're talking SUPERMAN. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following Triggers: Apocalypse mentions Death mentions Genocide mentions Immigration mentions Drug mentions Adoption mentions Fascism mentions Dictator mentions Terrorism m...

In this episode, we take a look at three lesser known stories about music, such as: which iconic John Williams score is recently being used again after a 19 year hiatus; how a horror movie forever changed the trajectory of music; and which piece of Star Wars music is actually in one of the most ancient languages on the planet. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following T...

In this episode, we take a look at some facts about the comedy genius, Mel Brooks, including: two links between Mel Brooks and horror fiction; the reason why you don't see official Spaceballs merchandise; how Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks almost came to blows over a movie scene; and why Rick Moranis disappeared from acting. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following triggers: D...

In this episode, we take another look at some facts about Egyptian culture and mythology, such as: the story of how getting a goddess drunk saved humanity; which major artefact the Mummy movies got badly wrong; the Pharaoh who was a major tomb robber; and the differences between red and black in Egyptian colour theory. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following Triggers:...

In this episode, we take a closer look at some more fun stories about music, including: the contested origins of an iconic symbol of heavy metal; the story of Prince's safe; which rock star paid a small fortune to take his own song off the air; a metal band that is named after a piece of armour; and how one of the most renowned and revered writers in the English language still influences music...

Oh, what a day, WHAT A LOVELY DAY!!! In this episode of The Raven's Grove, we take a closer look at some facts about perhaps the most iconic film franchise to come out of Australian cinema: the Mad Max franchise, including: how having a background in medicine influenced the action scenes; the reality behind a certain flamethrower guitar; and why the original Australian version had to be change...

In this episode, we take a look at three of the weirdest weapons and covert military projects in history: the Bat Bomb; Project Pigeon; and Operation "Acoustic Kitty". WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following Triggers: War mentions Battle mentions Death mentions, including Animal death Bomb mentions Fascism mentions Imperialism mentions Body harm mentions Rec...

In this episode, we take a closer look at some more of the various differences between modern depictions of the Norse gods and goddesses and their mythological counterparts. We also take an in-depth look at the myths of the Aesir-Vanir War, and the myth of Ragnarok. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features MAJOR spoilers for the following pieces of Media: "Thor: The Dark World&...

In this (expanded) episode, we take a look at the various differences between the versions of four of the Norse gods in modern media and their mythological counterparts: Odin; Thor; Loki; and Balder. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features MAJOR spoilers for the following works of media: ​"Thor" (2011) ​"The Avengers" (2012) ​"Thor: The Dark World" (2013) ​"Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) ​"Ave...

In this special 100th episode, we take a look at the differences between the versions of three major Mayan gods in the video game "Smite" and their respective mythology counterparts: Kukulcan, the Feathered Serpent; Chaac, the god of rain; and the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following triggers: Snake mentions Death mentio...

In this episode, we take a look at the origins, aesthetics, style, history, demise and cultural impact of Grunge music. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following Triggers: Drug mentions Sexism mentions Sexual Assault mentions Death mentions Suicide mentions Gun mentions So, if any of those are in any way an issue for you, please give this episode a miss.

In this episode, we take a look at the history of a cornerstone of modern military forces: the fighter plane. From WWI to the modern day, we talk about the evolution of the fighter plane. WARNING: This episode of The Raven's Grove features the following Triggers: War mentions Battle mentions Death mentions Gun mentions Cannon mentions Bomb mentions Body harm mentions Reconnaissance mentions Fa...