1 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Manky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio 2 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: and Grim and Mild. Our world is full of the unexplainable, 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: and if history is an open book, all of these 4 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. In 6 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: the chile Lands of Norway, there is a story about 7 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: a knight who captures the heart of the Norwegian people. 8 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: He is Sir Niles Olav, a brave and gallant soldier 9 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: who has served in the Norwegian Army for over forty years. 10 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: Named after a distinguished member of the King's Guard and 11 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: King Olav, it seems that he was always destined for greatness. 12 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: Sir Niles Olav is a true patriot, having been promoted 13 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: to the rank of Brigadier and I did for his 14 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: outstanding service to his country. He became a young recruit 15 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: for the Norwegian Army in nineteen seventy two. Full of 16 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: energy and enthusiasm, Niles quickly won the soldier's hearts with 17 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: his playful antics and his unwavering loyalty. It soon became 18 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: apparent that Niles was special and the army promoted him 19 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: to corporal. The promotion was a great honor for Niles, 20 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: and he took his duties very seriously. He marched alongside 21 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: his fellow soldiers, saluting them as they passed. He was 22 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: always the first to rise in the morning and the 23 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: last to go to bed at night. The soldiers could 24 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: count on Niles to be by their side no matter 25 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: what as time progressed. He was promoted to sergeant in 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety three and given a custom made uniform that 27 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: fit him perfectly. It was a beautiful sunny day and 28 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: the brass buttons on his suit gleamed in the sunlight. 29 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: In two thousand and one, the army promoted him yet again, 30 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: this time to honorable Regiment sergeant major. In two thousand 31 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: and five, Niles advanced to honorary Colonel in chief. Since then, 32 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: he has attended countless ceremonies and events, always looking sharp 33 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: in his uniform. Accolades and awards kept coming. He has 34 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: received promotions and awards for his service to his country. 35 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: Niles became the pride of the Norwegian Army and he 36 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 1: continued to work tirelessly for his country. In two thousand 37 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: and eight, King Harold the fifth of Norway knighted Niles, 38 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: bestowing him the title of Sir Niles Olav, knighted to 39 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: the Order of Saint Olav. He was now a true 40 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: knight with all the privileges and responsibilities that came with 41 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: that title. During the ceremony that took place in Scotland 42 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: instead of Norway, Sir Niles Olav walked alongside one hundred 43 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: and thirty of the King's Guard. British Major General Ewan 44 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: Laudon performed the ceremony of knighthood on behalf of King 45 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: Harold the Fifth. Sir Nils Olav received another promotion in 46 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen to the rank of Brigadier, which also means 47 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: that currently he outranks one of his namesakes. Two bronze 48 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: statues are dedicated to him, one in Oslo, Norway, at 49 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: the King's Guard Compound, and the other stands in Edinburgh, Scotland. 50 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: So who is Sir Nils Olav. You might think that 51 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,519 Speaker 1: he's a brave soldier, a gallant knight, or a loyal patriot, 52 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: and you would be right. Ever, the distinguished diplomat Sir 53 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: nows Olav is credited with uniting Norway and Scotland together 54 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: in a way that no one has done before. But 55 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: Sir nows Olav is different from your average knight. He's 56 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: a bit shorter than most, and he has an almost 57 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: insatiable fetish for raw fish, krill and squid. No one 58 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: seems to mind that though. Sir niles Olav is full 59 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: of personality. After all, he's been known to charm everyone 60 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: he meets, from bar keeps to foreign diplomats. After each 61 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: promotion and celebration, Sir noles Olav is happy to return 62 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: home to the Edinburgh Zoo, not far from his statue. 63 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: You see, Sir nows Olav is a penguin, that's right, 64 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: a king penguin, to be precise. When he isn't marching 65 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: alongside the King's guard or dining on fish and squid, 66 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: he and the other penguins charm everyone from school children 67 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: to dignitaries. And of course, even when he's not in uniform, 68 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: he's always dressed for the occasion in that classic black 69 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: and white penguin suit. When the temperature drops and the 70 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: snow starts to fall, it's nice to get away for 71 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: a while. There's nothing like trading your boots for a 72 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: pair of flip flops and soaking up the sun while 73 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 1: everyone else is stuck shoveling a path back at the office. 74 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: That's why certain places seem perfect for vacation spots. But 75 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: one place turned into more than that for a bunch 76 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: of people. It became home, at least for a little while. 77 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: Off the coast of southern Europe is the island of Malta. 78 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: It's located in the Mediterranean between Italy and Libya, and 79 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: despite its small size, it boasts a diverse culture, spanning music, art, literature, 80 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: and architecture. In fact, architecture is where Malta shines. The 81 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: temple complex known as Gigantia meaning Giantess, was constructed during 82 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: the Neolithic era. It's one the oldest freestanding structures in 83 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: the world. In the northern region of Malta, in the 84 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: village of Meliaha is something much newer, but still just 85 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: as impressive. It exists along the coast to overlooking the 86 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: clear blue waters of Anchor Bay. It was built because 87 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 1: of one man born in nineteen twenty nine. This individual 88 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: gained quite a following over the years, and in nineteen 89 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: seventy nine a group of fans decided to erect a 90 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: monument to him in Malta. They came to Meliaha, all 91 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixty five of them, and got to work. 92 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 1: They had timber imported from the Netherlands to build houses 93 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: and shops for themselves, and wooden shingles were brought in 94 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 1: from Canada. They worked day and night, hammering eight tons 95 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: of nails and slathering on two thousand gallons of paint 96 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: to bring their creation to life. The workers toiled for 97 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: seven months building an homage to this one man, a sailor, 98 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: and in January of nineteen eighty he arrived along with 99 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: his wife and child. What the people had constructed wasn't 100 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: a statue though, nor was it a monument. It was 101 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: a town. It didn't look like much at first. In fact, 102 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: the place looked like it had been constructed one hundred 103 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: years prior and then left to rot. The buildings leaned 104 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: to and fro rufe sagged in the middle. Even with 105 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: the fresh paint, it looked almost like the structures needed 106 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: another few coats. But then again, its rustic look was 107 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: part of its charm. They wouldn't have seemed right if 108 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 1: everything was shiny and new. In the end, nineteen wooden 109 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: buildings were erected to welcome the sailor, his family, and 110 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: many others to the village. The goal was to turn 111 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: it into a thriving hub of fun and mischief for 112 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: everyone who lived there. Soon after the sailor arrived with 113 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: his wife and child in tow, others followed suits he 114 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: brought along his father, a grizzled sailor himself. There was 115 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: a scam artist who often tried to con local eateries 116 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: out of food, and there was even a rival for 117 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 1: his wife's affections who attempted to kidnap her on more 118 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: than one occasion. But the sailor prevailed because he not 119 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: only had the support of the town behind him, but 120 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: he also had his secret weapon, spinach. Now if all 121 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: of this sounds familiar, that's because this sailor was none 122 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: other than Popeye himself, portrayed by Robin Williams in the 123 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty musical comedy by the same name. When the 124 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 1: movie set department needed to create the coastal town of Sweethhaven, 125 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: they didn't have green screens or backlots to rely on. 126 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: They built an entire fishing village on the coast of Malta, 127 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: and when filming wrapped up several months later, they left 128 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: it all behind. The village decided not to tear it 129 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: down either. It didn't matter that the film was a 130 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: flop back in the United States. They capitalized on the 131 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: fact that they had a living, breathing movie set right 132 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: in their backyard, and so the village hired actors to 133 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: portray the iconic characters from the comic strip, turning this 134 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: fake town into a very real theme park. Popeye Village 135 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: now welcomes thousands of guests every year to its shores, 136 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: from movie fans, two couples getting married, to tourists looking 137 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: for a unique activity while visiting the island. Not many 138 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: people remember Robin Williams's debut film role, but thanks to 139 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: one village in Malta, they can experience what it was 140 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: like on set for themselves and come home with the 141 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: memory of making a little movie magic in the process. 142 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet 143 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn 144 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. 145 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: The show was created by me Aaron Manke in partnership 146 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: with how Stuff Works, I make another award winning show 147 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television 148 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: show and you can learn all about it over at 149 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: the World offlore dot com. And until next time, stay curious.