Throughout the Middle Ages and the Reformation, a story was told of the first female Pope, who had hidden her sex and been elevated to the highest position within the Church by accident. The story of Pope Joan is a total myth, but even today it serves as a useful lesson to illustrate the historical roots of the sexism and misogyny that still keeps women out of leadership positions.

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Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com.

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Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Cicle DR Valga," "Jadie Grange," "Preston and Carle," "Delicates," "Calisson," "Palms Down," and "Black Ballots."

Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons.

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In the face of trans erasure and genocide, this episode affirms the existence of transgender people throughout history, focusing on the trans empress of the Roman Empire, long misgendered and called Elagabalus, though that was not her name.

For an easy and effective way to make a political impact, visit 5calls.org and make your voice heard. Specifically, see the site's guidance for Opposing Efforts to Dehumanize Transgender and LGBTQ+ People.

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Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com.

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Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Gemeni Mist," "Evidence Room," "Cicle Vascule," "Cicle Gerano," "Where It All Happened," and "Access Road 214."

Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "daedalus," and "Seeker," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons.

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An examination of Aspasia, a woman of ancient Athens who was universally agreed to have been extremely influential in politics and philosophy, depicted as both a harlot and a sage.

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Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com.

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Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Cicle DR Valga," "Black Ballots," and "Delicates."

Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "daemones," "daedalus," "Daylight PON II," "Wake Up," "Seeker," and "Nothing," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons.

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In the 4th and final part of my series on the legends surrounding Lincoln and his assassination, I look at the false urban legend that John Wilkes Booth was not actually killed but rather escaped justice.

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Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com.

Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts!

Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Cicle Deserrat," "Delicates," "Black Ballots," and "Access Road 442."

Additional music, including "Interception," "Remedy for Melancholy," and "Oneiri," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons.

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In the 3rd part of my series on the legends surrounding Lincoln, I further examine conspiracy theories suggesting the plot to assassinate was much larger, involving some of the favorite culprits of conspiracists: the government, the Catholic Church, the Freemasons, and Jews.

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Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com.

Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts!

Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Zeriba Village," "Illa Villardo," "Cover Letter," "Cicle Gerano," "Starlight Corps," "An Unknown Visitor," and "Leatherbound."

Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," "daemones," "Sentinel," "Daylight PON II," "and "Cold War Echo" is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons.

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In the second part of the series, we look at the plot to assassinate Lincoln, and the claims that it was a much larger conspiracy than history suggests.

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Pledge support on Patreon to get an ad-free feed with exclusive episodes!

Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!

Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com.

Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts!

Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Cicle DR Valga," "Illa Villardo," "Bauxite," "Cover Letter," "Cicle Vascule," "Invernen," "Dawn Line Approaching," and "A Pulse of Rain."

Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons.

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In the 2025 season premiere, I kick off a series about the myths and conspiracy theories surrounding Abraham Lincoln's assassination with a look at the misconceptions and legends that surround this much mythologized figure.

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Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com.

Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts!

Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "Cicle DR Valga," "Illa Villardo," "Bauxite," "Cover Letter," "Cicle Vascule," "Invernen," "Dawn Line Approaching," and "A Pulse of Rain."

Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons.

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In this year's annual holiday special, I examine the roots of the Christmas tree custom to determine its origins and whether it is indeed a pagan survival, as many claim.

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Check out my novel, Manuscript Found!

Find a transcript of this episode with source citations and related imagery at www.historicalblindness.com.

Direct all advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Visit www.airwavemedia.com to find other high-quality podcasts!

Some music on this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of this episode's publication. Tracks include "The Coil Winds," "Basketliner," "Shine and Wither," "Felted Rows," "A Catalog of Seasons," "Cover Letter," "Illa Villardo," and "Evidence Room."

Additional music, including "Remedy for Melancholy," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons.

Other music: "A Very Brady Special" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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In this holiday special minisode from last year, I tackle the claims of entheogen theorists who suggest, falsely, that almost all Christmas traditions really derive from Siberian cultures' use of hallucinogenic mushrooms!

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Further support the show by giving a one-time gift at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or finding me on Venmo at @HistoricalBlindness. 

One song used in this episode, "July," is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).

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In this special presentation, I share an episode of the wonderful podcast Plodding Through the Presidents, in which hosts Howard and Jessica Dorre discuss the many myths, mysteries, and scandals surrounding the early presidents who shaped our country. In this episode from their archives, they explore the role of the Illuminati in the Election of 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and then they talk with Mark Cheathem, a history professor at Cumberland University who teaches a course on conspiracy theories, about the so-called Corrupt Bargain of 1824. Check out Plodding Through the Presidents wherever you get your podcasts, and visit the webpage for this episode here.

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This holiday bonus minisode presents my personal thoughts on the upcoming holiday, in the wake of the election, reflecting on the establishment of the national holiday during the Civil War.

Music on this episode is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons. Tracks include "September," "Tumult," "Harbor," and "Seeker."

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