History Buffoons Podcast
Two buffoons who want to learn about history!
Recent Episodes
Nov. 19, 2025
The Origin of Weird: Uther Pendragon and Lady Igraine
A dragon-tailed comet blazes across the sky, a king takes it as a sign, and a wizard decides the future is worth a dangerous bargain. We dive into the charged origin of King Arthur—not at the anvil, but at Tintagel—where Uthe...
Nov. 17, 2025
The Tudor Wizard: Cardinal Wolsey
Power doesn’t just sit on a throne—it lives in the hands that organize, negotiate, and quietly make things happen. We dive into the life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the butcher’s son who became England’s most formidable power ...
Nov. 10, 2025
Holy Hitman Roofie: Thuggee Cult of India
A friendly smile by the fire, a shared meal on a dusty road, and a scarf that turns into a weapon in a heartbeat. We dive into the shadowed world of the Thuggee—bands of highway killers who claimed divine orders from the godd...
Nov. 5, 2025
The Origin of Weird: L. Ron Hubbard and His Lackluster Naval Career
A man drops depth charges on a rock formation, shells the wrong country for target practice, and later rebrands himself as a decorated hero and spiritual “Commodore.” We follow L. Ron Hubbard from pulp fiction pages to a chao...
Nov. 3, 2025
PerSwede Them: Black Sox Scandal
A powerhouse roster, a miserly owner, and a storm of quiet resentment set the stage for baseball’s most infamous fall. We trace how the 1919 Chicago White Sox—frustrated by low pay and trapped by the reserve clause—slipped fr...
Oct. 27, 2025
Feared and Revered: The Wendigo and Other Cryptids
A classic cocktail opens a door to stranger places. We start with the crisp snap of a gin and tonic and its unexpected past as a colonial malaria remedy, then step into the woods, deserts, and fog banks where four legends sti...