Fantastic Footnotes Podcast

About Fantastic Footnotes Podcast

A podcast digging up the weird, wild, and occasionally spooky stories you only find in the footnotes of history. fantasticfootnotes.substack.com (https://fantasticfootnotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

History is weird, especially if you read the fine print.

Category

history · leisure

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Sept 2025

Latest episode

28 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Jul 2026

   Note Stack 7-28-26

   This month on The Note Stack we talk about the Bayeux Tapestry, a ritual cave, the discovery of plane wreckage, and a Maya signature. We also have a discussion about historical sources and why we do (or do not) believe what they say. Then, of course, we share our Substack picks and what we are reading and watching. News Roundup The Bayeux Tapestry Returns to England For the first time in nearly 1,000 years, the Bayeux Tapestry has returned to England, where it is now on display at the British Museum on loan from France. The 230-foot-long embroidered linen, which depicts the Norman Conquest of 1066 and the Battle of Hastings, was transported in a highly secretive, climate-controlled operation through the Channel Tunnel. The loan is part of an exchange between Britain and France and coincides with renovations at the Bayeux Museum, where the tapestry is normally displayed. Original article here (https://apnews.com/article/bayeux-tapestry-british-museum-london-b62ee313ab3d4a2e00635587b84a4fbe) Australian Cave Reveals 25,000 Years of Ritual Practices Archaeologists have discovered evidence that Cloggs Cave in southeastern Australia was used for spiritual rituals continuously for at least 25,000 years, making it one of the world’s longest-known traditions of ceremonial activity. Microscopic plant remains called phytoliths show that people repeatedly burned bundles of grass inside the cave. Evidence they have found inside the cave aligns with the oral traditions of the GunaiKurnai indicating that the cave was used as part of a ritual ceremony. No evidence has been found of cooking or fires being used as warmth. Original article here (https://www.iflscience.com/rituals-for-magic-and-healing-have-been-performed-in-an-australian-cave-for-25000-years-84199) The Pan Am Crash That Changed Air Travel Searchers have located the wreckage of Pan American’s Clipper Endeavor, a Douglas DC-4 that crashed into the Atlantic shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico in 1952. Although everyone survived the emergency water landing, confusion, language barriers, and the lack of preflight safety instructions contributed to the deaths of 52 of the 69 people aboard as the aircraft sank. The tragedy prompted safety reforms, including the mandatory preflight safety demonstrations that passengers still receive today. Original article here (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-1950s-airplane-disaster-prompted-the-flight-safety-demonstrations-passengers-know-today-seachers-just-found-the-wreckage-in-the-atlantic-ocean-180989170/) Ancient Maya Scholar Signs His Work For the first time, archaeologists have identified an individual Maya mathematician and astronomer by name. While studying more than 1,000-year-old inscriptions at the ancient city of Xultún in Guatemala, researchers deciphered the signature of Sak Tahn Waax (”White-chested Fox”), who authored an intricate mathematical calculation related to astronomical cycles. The discovery is significant because Maya scientific achievements are rarely attributed to named individuals. Original article here (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-sak-tahn-waax-a-maya-math-whiz-who-lived-more-than-1000-years-ago-and-left-behind-a-really-elegant-complex-formula-180989125/) Instead of Listener Comments… Instead of listener comments this week, Chris and I have a discussion about source criticism. Why do we believe some sources and not others? What types of scrutiny do we apply to historical sources? This is a good starter site (https://thomasleibundgut.com/wp-content/uploads/Romans_Handout_Source-Criticism.pdf) if you are interested. Featured Substacks Tina’s Pick: The Mushroomist (https://substack.com/@themushroomist) Here is the article on Lobster Mushrooms (https://open.substack.com/pub/themushroomist/p/lobster-mushroom-the-ultimate-mushroom?r=5ebvjr&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) I mention in the podcast Chris’ Pick: Dr. Sam Illingworth (https://substack.com/@samillingworth) Reading List Tina is reading: * Hiking Through: One Man’s Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail — Paul Stutzman * Biking Across America: My Coast-to-Coast Adventure and the People I Met Along the Way — Paul Stutzman * Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President — Candice Millard * The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey — Candice Millard Chris is reading: Link to the Duke Study on Motivation (https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/programs/executive-education/duke-management-program/how-to-motivate-teams) Slow AI: Knowing When to Use AI and When to Leave It Alone — Dr. Sam Illingworth Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions — Dan Ariely This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fantasticfootnotes.substack.com (https://fantasticfootnotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   21 Jul 2026

   The U.S. Army's Great Camel Experiment

   In the 1850s, the United States government came up with an unusual solution to the challenges of crossing the deserts of the American Southwest: camels. In this episode, we explore the strange but true story of the U.S. Camel Corps. We’ll follow the USS Supply across the ocean in search of camels, meet the men who brought them to America, and see how these animals performed in some of the harshest terrain in the country. Along the way, we’ll encounter a camel charge, a Confederate camel named Douglas, escaped camels roaming the American West, and the bizarre legend of Arizona’s Red Ghost. As promised here are the links to the camel racing video and the picture of Douglas’ grave. Camel Racing (https://youtu.be/6ll4-OiLn4E?si=RZJYX0rDifxNKEMO) Douglas the Camel (https://www.visitvicksburg.com/blog/douglas-the-camel/) Book Source Johnson, Forrest Bryant. The Last Camel Charge: The Untold Story of America’s Desert Military Experiment. New York: Berkley Caliber, 2012. Website Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose%E2%80%93Baley_Party (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose%E2%80%93Baley_Party) https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2019/february/camel-carrying-supply-ship (https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2019/february/camel-carrying-supply-ship) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Indian_Wars (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Indian_Wars) https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bealeroad/ (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bealeroad/) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whatever-happened-wild-camels-american-west-180956176/ (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whatever-happened-wild-camels-american-west-180956176/) https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Journals/SWHQ/61/1/Operation_Camel*.html (https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Journals/SWHQ/61/1/Operation_Camel*.html) https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/historyculture/camel-expeditions.htm (https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/historyculture/camel-expeditions.htm) https://armyhistory.org/the-u-s-armys-camel-corps-experiment/ (https://armyhistory.org/the-u-s-armys-camel-corps-experiment/) https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/mule-health-facts (https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/mule-health-facts) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Camel_Corps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Camel_Corps) https://volunteerencounter.com/how-far-and-for-how-long-can-a-horse-run/ (https://volunteerencounter.com/how-far-and-for-how-long-can-a-horse-run/) https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-much-weight-can-a-camel-carry/ (https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-much-weight-can-a-camel-carry/) https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-do-camels-survive-in-deserts.html (https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-do-camels-survive-in-deserts.html) https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/Directors-Select-Articles/The-United-States-Army-Camel-Corps-1856-66/ (https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/Directors-Select-Articles/The-United-States-Army-Camel-Corps-1856-66/) https://charlespaolino.com/tag/samuel-addison-bishop/ (https://charlespaolino.com/tag/samuel-addison-bishop/) https://historynet.com/soldiers-hump-the-southwest-with-camels/ (https://historynet.com/soldiers-hump-the-southwest-with-camels/) https://nhm.org/stories/topsy-camel (https://nhm.org/stories/topsy-camel) https://forttejon.org/camel.html (https://forttejon.org/camel.html) https://www.uiw.edu/sanantonio/TheCamelsarecomingTheCamelsarecoming.html (https://www.uiw.edu/sanantonio/TheCamelsarecomingTheCamelsarecoming.html) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/camelot-121505856/ (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/camelot-121505856/) https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-long-can-a-camel-go-without-water/ (https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-long-can-a-camel-go-without-water/) https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grave-of-douglas-the-confederate-camel (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grave-of-douglas-the-confederate-camel) https://www.military.com/history/rebels-vicksburg-vowed-revenge-against-yankee-who-killed-their-camel.html (https://www.military.com/history/rebels-vicksburg-vowed-revenge-against-yankee-who-killed-their-camel.html) https://ultimateflags.com/confederate/old-douglas-confederate-camel/ (https://ultimateflags.com/confederate/old-douglas-confederate-camel/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fantasticfootnotes.substack.com (https://fantasticfootnotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   14 Jul 2026

   UFO in the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

   There has been a lot of talk lately about disclosure with a capital “D.” The big one... the disclosure that would shift our entire worldview. Yes, I’m talking about the disclosure where the government affirms the existence of extraterrestrial (or extradimensional, depending on your persuasion) life. We have seen the release of four rounds of government files, followed by the release of the new Spielberg flick Disclosure Day, which some claim is the soft disclosure meant to get us ready for the hard truth. I don’t claim to have any knowledge of alien life, but I do have this fun story to share. I stumbled across it a few years back and thought it was interesting. Many people claim this is the first UFO sighting and possible abduction in what would become the United States. Now, let me be clear, I am speaking of the actual governmental district of the United States and its colonies. I fully recognize that Native Americans have stories going much farther back than this one. But this story takes place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1639. To understand the story, we need a little background. The Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by the Massachusetts Bay Company. In 1629, a group of English Puritans obtained a charter from the King of England that allowed them to establish a colony and conduct business in the New World. Unlike some other charters of that time period, it did not specify that the colony had to have any of its operations in England. That allowed the company, its leadership, and many of its members to pack up and cross the Atlantic. They hoped to create a society where they could practice their religion free from interference by the Church of England. One of the colony’s most influential leaders was a man named John Winthrop. He served as governor twelve times and, fortunately for historians, kept detailed journals of life in New England. Much of what we know about the early Massachusetts Bay Colony comes directly from his writings. In these journals, there are two incidents that John Winthrop recorded that could be seen as early UFO events. What do you think? The First Incident - 1639 On March 1, 1639, Winthrop recorded an unusual event witnessed by three men near what is now Boston. “In this year one James Everell, a sober, discreet man, and two others, saw a great light in the night at Muddy River. When it stood still, it flamed up, and was about three yards square; when it ran, it was contracted into the figure of a swine: it ran as swift as an arrow towards Charlton, and so up and down about two or three hours. They were come down in their lighter about a mile, and, when it was over, they found themselves carried quite back against the tide to the place they came from. Diverse other credible persons saw the same light, after, about the same place.” So these guys are out on their boat, see a weird light, watch it for a while, and somehow end up back where they started, against the tide no less. If you dig into the theories of what this was, ball lightning, St. Elmo’s Fire, and will-o’-the-wisp are the three explanations you will see most often. None of these fully explain what they saw, so I’ll leave it up to your interpretation. But if I were a betting person, I’d say ball lightning was what they were seeing. Ball lightning is very bright, can change shape, and can appear almost anywhere. It moves around and, based on the videos (https://youtube.com/shorts/wbmwXGibdHI?si=ysKgrp9X9iCm-bmh) I’ve seen, would be downright terrifying if you didn’t know what it was. Now, that being said, it doesn’t totally fit. Ball lightning usually lasts for just a few moments, it doesn’t go “swift as an arrow,” and it certainly doesn’t account for the missing time. I’m willing to say that this one was ball lightning and chalk the rest up to hyperbole, but if you tell me you know 100% it was a UFO, I won’t fight you too hard. The Second Incident - 1644 In 1644, Winthrop records these incidents in his journal. “(January 18) About midnight, three men, coming in a boat to Boston, saw two lights arise out of the water near the north point of the town cove, in form like a man, and went at a small distance to the town, and so to the south point, and there vanished away. They saw them about a quarter of an hour, being between the town and the governor’s garden. The like was seen by many, a week after, arising about Castle Island and in one fifth of an hour came to John Gallop’s point.” The next paragraph in his journal is unrelated and all about Castle Island and its necessity to the security of the colony. He then continues: “The 18th of this month two lights were seen near Boston (as is before mentioned), and a week after the like was seen again. A light like the moon arose about the N.E. point in Boston, and met the former at Nottles Island, and there they closed in one, and then parted, and closed and parted diverse times, and so went over the hill in the island and vanished. Sometimes they shot out flames and sometimes sparkles. This was about eight of the clock in the evening, and was seen by many. About the same time a voice was heard upon the water between Boston and Dorchester, calling out in a most dreadful manner, ‘Boy, boy, come away, come away’; and it suddenly shifted from one place to another a great distance, about twenty times. It was heard by diverse godly persons. About 14 days after, the same voice in the same dreadful manner was heard by others on the other side of the town towards Nottles Island.” His last paragraph adds even more mystery to the situation: “These prodigies having some reference to the place where Captain Chaddock’s pinnace was blown up a little before, gave occasion of speech of that man who was the cause of it, who professed himself to have skill in necromancy, and to have done some strange things in his way from Virginia hither, and was suspected to have murdered his master there; but the magistrates here had not notice of him till after he was blown up. This is to be observed that his fellows were all found, and others who were blown up in the former ship were also found, and others also who have miscarried by drowning, etc., have usually been found, but this man was never found.” Now this one? This one I don’t think was a UFO. The orbs they describe in this incident sound very much like ball lightning. They looked like the moon, shot out flames and sparkles, and their movement seems much more meandering and slow. It also says they vanished, which is exactly what ball lightning is reported to do. It simply “pops” and disappears. As for the voices, in my opinion, that’s the power of suggestion combined with the increased distance that sound can travel in cold air. If you had heard that the boat that blew up in the harbor was carrying a necromancer whose body was never found, I think we’d all be a little more likely to believe we heard something that maybe we didn’t. To me, this incident sounds much more like a natural phenomenon mixed with a ghost story. So, what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts one way or the other. UFO? Abduction? Or just some rare ball lightning? Sources: https://www.leidenmedievalistsblog.nl/articles/whats-wrong-with-medieval-pigs-in-videogames https://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2019/05/come-away-come-away-necromancer-of.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://marbleheadmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pp-187-260-331Winthrop_s_Journal_History_of_New_Englan.pdf https://www.masshist.org/beehiveblog/2019/01/great-sights-upon-the-water-unexplained-phenomena-in-early-boston/ https://historyofmassachusetts.org/massachusetts-charter-1629/ https://www.winthropsociety.com/doctext https://www.history.com/articles/ufo-sightings-speed-appearance-movement https://www.facebook.com/100071131374238/posts/this-map-offers-a-vivid-comparison-between-bostons-original-1630-shoreline-and-i/986315303749506/ https://salempl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Original-Narratives-of-Early-American-History-Winthrops-Journal-vol.-2.pdf https://www.boracayislandnews.com/explainer-the-difference-between-st-elmos-fire-and-santermo/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_de_Menou_d%27Aulnay http://www.chaddock.net/chadhist.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning https://www.boracayislandnews.com/explainer-the-difference-between-st-elmos-fire-and-santermo/ https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/cis/historical/historical-sketch.htm This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fantasticfootnotes.substack.com (https://fantasticfootnotes.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

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