Our Fake History
A podcast about myths we think are history and history that might be hidden in myths! Awesome stories that really (maybe) happened!
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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Podcast Episodes
Episode #205- Why the Mona Lisa?
Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is undoubtedly the world's most famous painting. But, despite this, many visitors to the Louvre come away disappointed after they see the masterpiece. The real-life painting has a hard time…
Episode #204- Who Were the Magicians of the Golden Dawn?
In the late 19th century many Victorian's were experiencing a crisis of faith. Changing technology and scientific breakthroughs had many questioning the traditional explanations of humanities place in the cosmos. Some re…
OFH Throwback- Episode #31- What Was the Charge of the Light Brigade?
In this throwback episode we revisit Episode #31 from Season 2. The Crimean War cavalry action known as “the charge of light brigade” was immortalized by the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson. The poet described a glorious charg…
Episode #203- What Was the Great East Asian War? (Part III)
In the Imjin year of 1592 the Japanese orchestrated a blitzkreig invasion of Korea. Within just two months they had captured both Seoul and Pyongyang. However, conquering Korea and holding Korea turned out to be two very…
Episode #202- What Was the Great East Asian War? (Part II)
When the Japanese army landed in Korea in 1592 the Korean defenders were woefully underprepared. Confused diplomacy and divisive court politics had hampered Korean preparations for the coming Japanese attack. The only Ko…
Episode #201- What Was the Great East Asian War? (Part I)
In 1592 the Japanese launched a massive invasion of the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi believed that Korea would submit without much of a fight and that his army would very quickly move on to th…
OFH Throwback- Episode #4- Real Ninjas?
For this throwback Sebastian takes you all the way back to a first season favorite. Ninjas, Japan’s shadow warriors, have been a pop-culture staple for generations. The legend of the ninjas has become so overblown, that…
Episode #200- Can I Ask Who's Calling?
Our Fake History celebrates 200 episodes by opening up the phonelines and taking calls from listeners and past guests. Fans from all over the world pose questions and queries and Sebastian does his best to answer thought…
OFH Throwback- Episode #128- Did St. Patrick Kill a Wizard?
There are few Christian saints more misunderstood than St. Patrick. Ireland’s patron saint is best known for driving the snakes off the island, but that isn’t even close to the most interesting thing about him. Both the…
Episode #199- Was the Spanish Armada a Big Deal? (Part II)
The attempted invasion of England in 1588 was doomed even before the first ship left harbor. The Spanish plan was fatally flawed and pretty much every commander knew it. The plan was audacious, but it was also weirdly va…
