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 #250 - Is Macbeth Cursed?
Every theatre kid can tell you that Shakespeare's Tragedy of Macbeth is a cursed play. Some believe that even saying the name of the play in a theatre where it is not being performed can jinx a production. Stories of misfortune, injury, and death haunt productions of Macbeth like the ghost of a slain friend. It has been suggested that the curse of Macbeth goes all the way back to it's first performance in 1606. However, evidence of this is sketchy at best. When did people start believing that there was a hex on Macbeth? Does it date to the 17th century or is something else going on here? Tune-in and find out how an arrow through Laurence Olivier's leg, Shakespeare in drag, and Charlton Heston's flaming thighs all play a role in the story.
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Podcast Episodes
Episode #207- What Are the Olympic Myths? (Part I)
When the Olympic games were revived in the late 19th century there was a widespread belief in the "purity" of ancient Greek athletics. The original members of the International Olympic committee believed that the ancient…
OFH Throwback- Episode #71- Who Invented Your Favourite Sport?
In this throwback Sebastian does his best to get you geared up for an upcoming trilogy on the Olympics by returning to this much-loved episode on the mythical origins of popular sports. The question of who invented a par…
Episode #206- Were Magical Dwarves the First Hawaiians?
There are few pieces of Hawaiian folklore as beloved as the tales of the Menehune. This group of pint-sized magical wonderworkers have been given credit for building a number of Hawaii's oldest structures. Legend has it…
OFH Throwback- Episode #14- Did Gods Colonize the Pacific?
On this throwback episode we revisit Episode #14 from Season One of the podcast. The Pacific Ocean is the most expansive body of water on planet earth. Despite this fact ancient people managed to venture forth into its i…
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…
