A Popular History of Unpopular Things

Join Kelli in this shorter history on the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, an early Renaissance-era book written in a made up language (dubbed Voynichese) with strange diagrams that seem... out of this world. I love a good *history mystery* :) Sources Dave Roos, “Why the Voynich Manuscript May Be the World’s Most Mysterious Book” History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/voynich-manuscript-mysteryCipher Manuscript, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. https://colle...

Join Kelli as she goes over the story of a feral boy found in the woods outside of Hamelin, Germany. He was brought to King George I's court in England and named Peter, and he entertained curious onlookers for months. He had strange mannerisms and was an oddity, until he fell out of favor and "retired" to a farm, where he lived peacefully until his 70s. But what was really going on with Peter? Was he really feral as people thought? Did he clamber around on all fours like a beast? Or was ...

Join Kelli as she goes over a strange event from the 17th century Dutch Republic - the time a political leader was killed, strung up, dismembered, and then cannibalized. As always, we set up the history surrounding this event to get a good understanding of the Rampjaar - the disaster year - and why the Dutch people took out their frustrations on Johan de Witt. And we also look into the alleged cannibalism that took place. What does it all mean? What is the bigger picture? What in the wo...

Join Kelli as she goes over the popular legend of Boudica, the short-lived queen of the Iceni peoples in Iron Age Britain. Much of what we know about Boudica comes from heavily-biased Roman sources, written decades or over a century after the events they describe. So how much of her story is fact, and how much is fiction? And was Boudica even a real person? Let's dive into the available written and archaeological sources and analyze why the Romans might have written about her the way they did...

Join Kelli as she talks about Rome's first ever Black Banquet, hosted by Emperor Domitian in 89 CE. Today's episode covers some Roman history including the creation of the Colosseum, the Flavian Dynasty, Cynicism and Stoicism, Memento Mori, and Domitian's spooky banquet - so scary, his guests fled in terror, fearing for their lives! Happy early Halloween, APHOUT fans <3 Referenced Sources: C. Suetonius Tranquillus, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, first composed in 121 CE. https://pe...