OFH Throwback- Episode #24- Did Ty Cobb Kill a Guy?
In this throwback episode Sebastian take you back to Season One and Episode #24. Ty Cobb has been remembered as one of baseball’s greatest villains. Despite being universally recognized as one of the game’s most talented players, Ty Cobb is mostly remembered as a violent racist who was hated by all who knew him. However, a new biography is claiming that Ty Cobb’s reputation was unfairly tarnished by an unscrupulous biographer looking to make a name for himself by exposing the “real Ty Cobb”. Was Ty Cobb really the monster that so many believe him to be? Tune in and find out how forged letters, pistol whippings, and Tommy Lee Jones all play a role in the story.
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1:01:24
Episode #221- Did India's Thugs Really Exist? (Part II)
In the early 19th century central India was one of the most dangerous places a person could travel. Murders and robberies were incredibly common. Every year dozens, sometimes hundreds, of bodies were found in shallow graves near the highways. These unfortunate travelers were often the victims of gangs of murderous bandits. But who were these killers? The British authorities came to believe that these highway murders were the work of an India-wide network of cultists known as Thugs. But were the Thugs actually a coherent criminal sub-culture? Were they truly devoted to a religion based on human sacrifice? Or were real bandits being transformed into bloodthirsty fanatics by colonial propaganda? Tune-in and find out how poison milk, thug snitches, and the common enemies of all mankind play a role in the story.
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1:36:17
Episode #220- Did India's Thugs Really Exist? (Part I)
In 1830 an anonymous letter was published in the Calcutta Literary Gazette warning that India was being threatened by a horrifying cult of murderers. These stranglers were known as Thugs and according to the letter they represented the single greatest threat to law and order in the country. These Thugs apparently worshipped the Hindu goddess Kali and performed their crimes in her name. This letter motivated the British authorities to take immediate action against this group. However, many scholar think that the anonymous author, a British administrator named William Sleeman, may have exaggerated the Thug threat. Some have even argued that the Thugs never truly existed. What should we believe about this storied group of highway robbers? Tune-in and find out how sketchy confessions, Queen Victoria's favorite book, and Indiana Jones all play a role in the story.
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1:17:47
Episode #219- Who Was the Real Mulan?
The story of Mulan might be the best known piece of Chinese folklore. In China the story has been around for over 1500 years and has inspired dozens of poems, songs, plays, and films. Thanks to Disney, Mulan has become an international icon. The story of a young girl disguising herself as a male soldier to save her father from the military draft has proved to be surprisingly sturdy. However, many in China have complained that western adaptations of the tale misunderstand the source material. Some wonder if western creators are capable of capturing the "real" Mulan. This raises the question: is there a real Mulan? Is one version of this story more authoritative than another? Was there a real person who inspired this legend? Tune-in and find out how teenage siege-breakers, army buddies, and flexible Confucians all play a role in the story.
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1:32:34
OFH Throwback- Episode #47- Who Was the Queen of the Pirates?
In this throwback episode Sebastian takes you back to Season 2 and Episode #47. Piracy on the high seas has existed for as long as human beings have had boats. For most of history these maritime marauders were almost exclusively men. However, there have also been a handful of notable women who lived the pirate life. Their stories can often blur the line between myth and history. Tune in and find out how severed ears, guardian lizards, and the real life Captain Jack Sparrow all play a role in the story.
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