The Toadmen, Masters of Equine Magic
A strange initiation ritual involving a toad was required for members of a secret caste of nineteenth-century horse mystics.
The Pirate Creed
Examining the 18th-century social contract of Captain Bartholomew Roberts and his men shows just how organized and codified pirate societies could be.
How to Create a Human Being
The Book of Stones, a central alchemical text, contained formulae with the power to create living tissue from ordinary matter, supposedly.
The Marvelous Automata of Antiquity
Centuries before the computer, whimsical automata pushed the uncanny boundary between human and machine.
The Divine Power of Kings to Heal by Touch
Healing ceremonies showed that monarchs ruled by God’s will, as divine power worked through anointed hands.
George Washington’s “Yelp Reviews”
Staying at inns allowed Washington to examine the state of the infrastructure for traveling in the new federal Republic. The only problem was, he hated it.
The Completely True History of April Fools’ Day
The door to spring is guarded by fools, but that's ok, because they're not all that serious. And everybody knows the password: April Fools!
The French King Who Believed He Was Made of Glass
King Charles VI of France was the most exalted representative of a rash of "Glass Men," who appeared throughout Europe between the 15th and 17th centuries.
The Lost Tradition of New Year’s Day Calling
The colonial Dutch tradition of making social calls on New Year's Day in New York was no match for 19th-century-style partying.