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Tag: magic

The Osaka Incident of 1827, part 2

November 1, 2023 Isaac Meyer

If you’re going to accuse a gang of spirit mediums of practicing a banned religion on the down low, you have to prove they’re actually members of that religion. But what if your only understanding of how this religious group worships comes from stories about outrageous magical villains?

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast Filed under: cons, magic

The Osaka Incident of 1827, part 1

October 19, 2023 Isaac Meyer

A group of spirit mediums found a way to use their psychic prowess to get rich in the physical realm. But when an investigator started looking into a suspiciously successful prosperity scheme, he uncovered a case of divine fraud.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast Filed under: cons, magic

Lie Detector Tests

October 4, 2023 Isaac Meyer 1 Comment

Let’s dive into the dangerous, divine, and occasionally kinky history of trying to figure out who’s telling the truth.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast Filed under: criminal justice, magic

The death of Thomas Overbury, part 2

August 9, 2023 Isaac Meyer

Mirror mirror on the wall, who really killed Thomas Overbury? We’re getting deep into what might just be the weirdest trial we’ve ever covered on this show, with accusations flying about witchcraft, a poisoned enema, Spanish treachery, and a cameo from Sir Francis Bacon.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast Filed under: magic

The death of Thomas Overbury, part 1

July 26, 2023 Isaac Meyer

We begin a twisted tale of witchcraft, poison, and legal arguing over magically cursed genitals in the court of King James I. Sir Thomas Overbury tried his best to climb to a coveted position at court, but he made a lot of enemies along the way.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast Filed under: magic

Jacques Le Gris

September 16, 2021 Demetria Spinrad

What if a legal trial was also a battle to the death? In this episode, we look at the strange…

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast Filed under: magic

About Me

My name is Isaac Meyer, and I’m a  former PhD student at the University of Washington, specializing in modern Japan (with sub-specializations in modern China, modern Europe, and international relations). Today, I work as a teacher at an independent school in the Seattle area.

I also have a tendency to go off on random historical tangents. One day, I decided to combine these two traits in podcast form, and thus was born the History of Japan Podcast!

In 2018, I decided start the Criminal Records Podcast with my wife, Demetria Spinrad. This podcast gives me the chance to talk about world history–and the weird, wonderful world of historical crime and punishment.

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Support the Facing Backward network on Patreon to get access to our bonus features, including our bonus episodes about historical fiction.

The History of Japan Patreon is still live, and subscribers will be able to get the weekly newsletter there as well.

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