1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: To succeed in life, a person must never rely on 7 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: only one perspective. It's important to view problems from all 8 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: sides and see every angle. That might mean getting a 9 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: second opinion or imagining yourself in someone else's shoes, And 10 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: for one group of French shepherds, those shoes were pretty 11 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: darn big. Along the southwestern coast of France is the 12 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: Lawn region, just below Bordeaux, out on the Bay of Biscay, 13 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: and is covered in a lush forest of maritime pine trees. 14 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,759 Speaker 1: But land didn't always look this way. In fact, more 15 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: than a century ago it wasn't nearly as verdant and 16 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: full of life. It was maintained as a feeding ground 17 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: for the one million sheep in the area. Locals would 18 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: burn parts of the land to keep it suitable for 19 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: the sheep to graze, leaving it soft, flat and marsh covered. 20 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: It was almost impossible to get around on foot, and 21 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: there were no proper roads on which to drive, so instead, 22 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: shepherds found another way to navigate the uneven terrain. They 23 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: walked around on stilts. These were five foot tall leg 24 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: extensions that were fastened to the shepherd's legs so they 25 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: could walk above the flocks without sinking into the soil. 26 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: A long staff was used to keep them from falling 27 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: over and to direct the sheep where they needed to go. 28 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: Those who lived in land during the nineteenth century learned 29 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: how to walk on these stilts as children. They could 30 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: do everything in them too, including running and jumping, as 31 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: though they weren't wearing anything at all, and there was 32 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: perhaps no greater proof of their dexterity than a land 33 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: stilt walker named Sylvain Dornan. Dornan was from Sahl and 34 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: had no connection to the stilt walkers of Lan. His 35 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: father had actually made a living harvesting resin from pine trees, 36 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: but Sylvain became a baker. But after moving to Arkaschon 37 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: and seeing the flock of tourists visiting the city, the 38 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: young Dornan got an idea he would go out in public, 39 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: surrounded by crowds, and show off his moves in a 40 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: pair of stilts. He would dance and perform for passers by, 41 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,119 Speaker 1: who would tip him for the entertainment, and his notoriety 42 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: even earned him an invitation to climb up to the 43 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 1: second level of a brand new building in Paris, one 44 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: called the Eiffel Tower while wearing his stilts, which he 45 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: did with a wild boar by his side. But Dornan 46 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 1: wanted to take things even further. He'd always been fascinated 47 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: by the stories of Russians who had come to France 48 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: from their home country on foot, so he decided to 49 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: do the same, just in the opposite direction. After obtaining 50 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: sponsorship from a local magazine, the famous baker prepared for 51 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: his journey to Russia on stilts, and he built two pairs. 52 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: One measured a little over three feet tall while the 53 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: other was almost six feet in length. Then he donned 54 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: the full regalia of land shepherds, packed a bag and 55 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: left Paris on March twelfth of eighteen ninety one. Over 56 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: two thousand spectators were there to see him off. Dornan 57 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: averaged about thirty seven miles a day and met all 58 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: kinds of people during his travels. Some were friendly and 59 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: would walk alongside him for short stretches. Others, like neighborhood children, 60 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: would tease him and throw rocks as he walked, and 61 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: more than one police officer gave him trouble for his stunt, 62 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: but he eventually made it, crossing almost three thousand miles 63 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: in just under two months. He returned home a hero 64 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: and went right back to work at his bakery, although 65 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: he occasionally strapped on his stilts every now and then 66 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: to dance or race in front of wrapped audiences. Over time, 67 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: stilt walking died out, at least where the land shepherds 68 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,839 Speaker 1: were concerned the hard to navigate. More marshlands were soon 69 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: covered in pine trees, and the landscape dried up, forcing 70 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: the sheep elsewhere to graze. But not all is lost. 71 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: Some French dancers perform on stilts to this day, continuing 72 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: the tradition made famous by Sylvain Dornan, who took one 73 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: large step for man and one enormous leap for stilt 74 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: walkers everywhere. It may not be the world's oldest profession, 75 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: but it's right up there. Piracy has been around for 76 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: as long as people have known how to sail. The 77 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: earliest references to pirates comes from the records of a 78 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: pharaoh writing in the fourteenth century BCE. The Egyptians struggled 79 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: to tamp down the problem, and by the time of 80 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: ancient Rome, the Mediterranean Sea was infested with pirates. Now 81 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: these ancient seafarers caused a relentless headache for the Romans. 82 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: They preyed on merchant ships. They attacked coastal villages and 83 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: took loads of people hostages. Four captives were forced into slavery, 84 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: while the rich were ransomed back to their families for 85 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: exorbitant sums. Virtually no one was safe, but every once 86 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: in a while a hostage turned out to be more 87 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: trouble than they were worth. That's exactly what happened in 88 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: seventy five BC when a band of pirates from southern 89 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: Turkey captured a small vessel crossing the aeg and c. 90 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: They overpowered the crew and looted the hull, but the 91 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: real prize was the ship's owner, a twenty five year 92 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: old Roman nobleman, who was on his way to Rhodes, 93 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: where he planned to study public speaking under a famous orator. 94 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 1: From the moment he was on board, the pirates knew 95 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: that they had gotten more than they bargained for. This 96 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: youth didn't seem remotely worried about being captured, and immediately 97 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: started bossing his captors around like servants. When he found 98 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: out how much they were planning to ransom him for, 99 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: he laughed in their faces and advised them to double 100 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 1: the amount. The pirates tried to ignore him, though, dismissing 101 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: the young man's comments as the arrogant boasting typical of 102 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: Roman elites. They sent a message to his family demanding 103 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: payment for his release, and then they set sale for 104 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 1: their island hideout. And meanwhile, the young noblemen continued to 105 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: make their lives a living nightmare. He complained about the cooking, 106 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: he argued endlessly with the crew, and he shushed them 107 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: from disturbing his naps by working too loudly. Pretty soon, 108 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: the pirates were starting to wonder if he was even 109 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: worth all the trouble. If he didn't shut up soon, 110 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: they were liable to throw him overboard and just be 111 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: done with it. But the real ordeal was just getting started. 112 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: One evening, the youth appeared on deck in an annoyingly 113 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: cheerful mood Waving around a roll of parchment, he announced 114 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: that he was eager to share some poems he'd been 115 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: working on. The pirates were horrified, but short of cutting 116 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: his throat and giving up on the ransom altogether, there 117 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: was nothing they could do. For the rest of the journey, 118 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: they were subjected to bad poetry and half finished speeches. 119 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: If they ever failed to praise their hostage for his writing, 120 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: he would storm off in a huff, call them illiterate savages, 121 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: or threatened to have them executed once he was freed. 122 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: It was enough to make even the most hardened pirate 123 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: reconsider their life choices. After thirty eight long days, the 124 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: young man's family finally paid the ransom. The pirates were 125 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: all too eager to say goodbye. They dropped him off 126 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: on dry land and wasted no time in turning around 127 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: and sailing in the opposite direction. It felt good to 128 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: be paid, but even better to be free of their hostage. Unfortunately, 129 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't the last time that they would see him. 130 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: A few weeks later, the pirates were anchored at their 131 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: hideout when a fleet of Roman warships arrived on their shores. 132 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: The navy quickly captured the pirates, who were stunned to 133 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: learn that this force was led by their former hostage. 134 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: The young nobleman hadn't been exaggerating when he told the 135 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: pirates to increase the ransom. While his name wasn't famous yet, 136 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: Julius Caesar would soon be the most powerful man in 137 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: the world, even though he was just a student at 138 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: this point. The future dictates already had enough influence to 139 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: see his captors thrown in prison. Then, true to his word, 140 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: he personally oversaw their crucifixions. It was a humiliating, painful 141 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: end for the pirates, but after everything they'd been through, 142 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: it might still have been preferable to another night of 143 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: bad poetry. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of 144 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, 145 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast 146 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Mankey 147 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award 148 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, 149 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: and television show, and you can learn all about it 150 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 1: over at the Worldolore dot com. And until next time, 151 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: stay curious.