logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2020
42m 28s

St. Patrick Didn't Get Rid of Any Snakes...

History Unplugged
About this episode
Nearly 1,600 years after Patrick arrived on Ireland (first as a slave, then as a missionary who brought Christianity to the island), he is celebrated as the patron saint of the Emerald Isle and apocryphally believed to have eliminated snakes from the... 
Up next
Nov 27
The Battle of Agincourt, 1415: Longbowmen, Bands of Brothers, and Henry V’s Triumph
<p>From Shakespeare's 'band of brothers' speech to its appearances in numerous films, Agincourt rightfully has a place among a handful of conflicts whose names are immediately recognized around the world. The Battle of Agincourt, fought in 1415, is famous for the decisive role of ... Show More
53m 15s
Nov 25
Clarence Dillon: The Roaring 20s Wall Street Baron Who Wrote the Rules for Corporate Takeovers, Junk Bonds, and Bankruptcy
<p>J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Charles E. Mitchell are names that come to mind when thinking of the most prominent icons of wealth and influence during the Roaring Twenties. Yet the one figure who has escaped notice is an enigmatic banker by the name of Clarence Dillon. ... Show More
45m 11s
Nov 20
A Utah Indian Chief Controlled the 1800s Mountain West Through Slave Trading, Building Pioneer Trails, Horse Stealing, and Becoming Mormon
<p>The American Indian leader Wakara was among the most influential and feared men in the nineteenth-century American West. He and his pan-tribal cavalry of horse thieves and slave traders dominated the Old Spanish Trail, the region&rsquo;s most important overland route. They wid ... Show More
1 h
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Saint Patrick
<p>Man, myth or legend... who was the real Saint Patrick? Did he really banish all the snakes from Ireland? Where does the shamrock tradition come from? And was he even Irish?</p><br><p>In this episode, Tristan is joined by Professor Lisa Bitel of USC Dornsife to find out more ab ... Show More
38m 45s
Mar 2024
St Patrick (Repeat)
Though St Patrick is honoured by millions of revellers worldwide every year, few know more about him than the popular myths concerning shamrocks and snakes. The real story of St Patrick reads like an adventure story, involving kidnapping, enslavement, and daring escapes. But how ... Show More
51m 47s
Mar 2023
St Patrick
Though St Patrick is honoured by millions of revellers worldwide every year, few know more about him than the popular myths concerning shamrocks and snakes. The real story of St Patrick reads like an adventure story, involving kidnapping, enslavement, and daring escapes. But how ... Show More
51m 47s
Mar 2022
164. Saint Patrick
Happy St. Patrick's Day!  No, Tom isn't turning Brixton's River Effra green, nor is Dominic distributing shamrocks throughout the Oxfordshire countryside, but they're here anyway with a very special pod on the mysterious Apostle of Ireland.  When was St. Patrick alive? Where wa ... Show More
58m 32s
Mar 2024
St Patrick: Pirates, Snakes and Goatees
<p>He wasn't Irish. He didn't wear green. There were no snakes. So who was the real St Patrick? How did his myth grow? And how did he invent the goatee?</p><br><p>Podcaster and comedian Alison Spittle joins Maddy and Anthony today as we head back to 4th/5th century Ireland. Aliso ... Show More
46m 42s
Jun 2023
346: The Mystery of the Holy Grail
“Who drinks the water I shall give him, will have a spring inside him welling up for eternal life.” A deeply mysterious object which doesn’t appear in the Bible, was the Holy Grail really the chalice used by Jesus during the Last Supper, and the very cup that caught his blood at ... Show More
54m 22s
Mar 2023
The Deeply Weird Stories of Patron Saints
Did you know there’s a Patron Saint of (repentant) murderers? And another one for ugly people? In today’s episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore how some Catholic Saints became the holy intercessors for some — frankly, weird — things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio ... Show More
40m 56s
Apr 2022
Saint George
<p>The 23rd of April marks Saint George's Day - but who are we actually celebrating? Is there any truth behind the myth of the man who slew the dragon and rescued the princess - and where does the Patron Saint of England actually come from? Spoiler alert - it's not where you thin ... Show More
1h 13m
Mar 2025
Where does St Patrick's Day come from?
If you’re a fan of sitcoms, no doubt you've seen episodes in which the characters were celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. It's a big deal in the UK and Ireland of course, as well as across the pond in North America. Each year in the build up to March 17th, bars and pubs, especially ... Show More
4m 59s