High Tales of History

It's the season finale! Your favorite Midwestern history sisters get baked and tuck into the deliciously weird history of the foods that shaped human civilization. From the birth of bread in the Fertile Crescent to the global spread of rice. From the mythology and tooth-breaking beginnings of corn to the weird history of their personal favorite--potatoes--this episode serves up the surprising story of how everyday staples changed peopledom...and Stonerdom.

Along the way, they trade laughs and their personal favorite munchies while unpacking the history and global impact behind each food. It’s part history lesson, part comedy smoke sesh, and all about the munchies that made us!

The next season starts August 28th, 2026! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the first episode back and we'll see you in the Smoke Circle then!
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Mentioned In the Stories:
Our History of Cheese Episode
Episode 48: How Indigenous Women Inspired the Women's Rights Movement⁠
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The Socials and Patreon!
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YouTube-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@High Tales of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
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Source Material and References:
Sources:
https://foodmuseum.org.uk/the-history-of-bread-making-a-universal-lens/
OTR History of Bread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=892yaBEwtbM
OTR History of Rice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ivJsV1A5oU
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/amazing-journey-maize
https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/ancient-dna-continues-rewrite-corns-9000-year-society-shaping-history
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2282/sioux-story-of-the-gift-of-corn/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-potato-changed-the-world-108470605/
OTR History of the Potato: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjVJqw1AUag
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Intro/outro music: "Loopster" by Kevin MacLeod (⁠incompetech.com⁠) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What if the original Jaws story was real? In 1916, shark attacks along the New Jersey coast turned a summer beach season into a nationwide panic.
In our penultimate episode for the season, Laurel and KT *dive* (ha!) into the terrifying true story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks — a twelve day reign of terror that shocked the public, inspired Jaws, and forever changed the way people think about sharks. From beach panic to scientific debate, this episode explores the real history behind one of America’s most infamous summer horror stories.
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Mentioned In the Stories:
Map of the Jersey Shore Attacks
Ocean Ramsey Redirecting a Great White Shark
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The Socials and Patreon!
Patreon-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Best Buds Club!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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TikTok⁠- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistoryPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  
YouTube-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@High Tales of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
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Source Material and References:
Sources:
Capuzzo, Michael, and Taylor Mali. Close to shore: the terrifying shark attacks of 1916. Ashland: AudioBookShelf, 2011.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/150702-shark-attack-jersey-shore-1916-great-white⁠
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Intro/outro music: "Loopster" by Kevin MacLeod (⁠incompetech.com⁠) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It's 1937 in China. Japan has invaded China some years prior and the Chinese people are under a ruthless Japaneses occupation. This story is about when people get fed the fuck up and rise against their oppressors.
While most historians agree that WWII started with the invasion of Poland, some historians will say this is an even earlier catalyst for the war--and it all took place at the Lugou Bridge, most commonly known as the Marco Polo Bridge (although that guy had nothing to do with the bridge besides being awestruck and writing about it in his journal...) This must be some bridge and some "incident," right?!
For episode 120, KT is taking us to China in 1937 with the event that started the Second Sino-Japanese War.
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Episode 4: Hatori Honzo
Episode 93: Yi Sun-Sin, the Korean admiral
GEICO Marco Polo ad
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The Socials and Patreon!
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YouTube-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@High Tales of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
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Source Material and References:
Sources:
https://www.pacificatrocities.org/blog/the-marco-polo-bridge-incident-a-catalyst-for-the-second-sino-japanese-war 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polo_Bridge_incident 

https://www.britannica.com/event/Marco-Polo-Bridge-Incident 

https://origins.osu.edu/read/marco-polo-bridge-incident-1937 
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Intro/outro music: "Loopster" by Kevin MacLeod (⁠incompetech.com⁠) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Come, dear Listener! The game is afoot!
The sisters are relocating the Smoke Circle to the cozy sitting room of 221B Baker Street! In this episode, Laurel takes you through the history of Sherlock Holmes' from literary creation to global phenomenon, exploring the life of Sherlock's creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the birth of his great detective Sherlock Holmes, and his influence on modern media and forensic science.
Find out who Sherlock Holmes is REALLY based on, how Sherlock's fandom is the first "modern" one (complete with fanfic!), and how badly the creator wanted to kill off his creation.
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Mentioned In the Stories:
⁠Episode 98: The Queen's Seer: A History of Divination, from the Elizabethan Period and Beyond⁠
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The Socials and Patreon!
Patreon-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Best Buds Club!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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YouTube-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@High Tales of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
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Source Material and References:
Sources:
Doyle, Arthur Conan. The complete Sherlock Holmes. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books, 2015.

https://www.history.com/articles/was-sherlock-holmes-based-on-a-real-person

https://historynet.com/sherlock-holmes-history/

https://www.jstor.org/stable/41398643?seq=1

https://www.pbs.org/articles/sir-arthur-conan-doyle-reluctant-creator-of-sherlock-holmes
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Intro/outro music: "Loopster" by Kevin MacLeod (⁠incompetech.com⁠) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Think Merlin was a happy, magical wizard? Think again.
Join us in the Smoke Circle as KT takes us through the dark history of Merlin's origins and his evolution through time. From demon spawn to bard, from "madman" to the wise sage of Camelot, Merlin has a fascinating history. Join us as we contrast the myth with historical realities, and examine how folklore reflects cultural and historical transformations.
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Mentioned In the Stories:
And this is website working on getting all that poetry up for everyone to see and read:https://merlinpoetry.wales/welcome/ 
Episode 91: A History of Witches
⁠⁠Episode 87: The Sword in the Bosnian Stone
Episode 97: Divining the Future in Ancient Civilizations
Episode 98: The Queen's Seer: A History of Divination, from the Elizabethan Period and Beyond
Episode 45: The Satanic Panic
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The Socials and Patreon!
Patreon-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Best Buds Club!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
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Source Material and References:
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Merlin-legendary-magician

https://www.medievalists.net/2020/10/merlin-demons/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Myrddin-Wyllt

https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/early-welsh-literature/pages/merlin.shtml

https://blogsarchive.sites.haverford.edu/celticfringe/2014/03/10/757/

https://www.swansea.ac.uk/press-office/news-events/news/2025/02/rediscovering-myrddin-early-merlin-poems-reveal-the-poet-and-prophet-behind-the-myth.php
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Intro/outro music: "Loopster" by Kevin MacLeod (⁠incompetech.com⁠) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/