August 31, 2021 • 9 mins
Some curiosities don't fit into the Cabinet. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy them.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is
full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book,
all of these amazing tales are right there on display,
just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet
(00:27):
of Curiosities. Many folkloric and mythological objects do not appear
in real life. Poseidon's trident, Paul Bunyan's acts, and King
Arthur's sword ex Caliber. They're all known to just about everyone,
(00:48):
yet they're nothing more than fiction. The same goes for
certain structures. There have been no reports of a witch's
house running through the Russian wilderness on chicken legs, and
yet the tale of Bobby Yaga is one that's passed
down from generation to generation. But sometimes an item or
building jumps out of the story and into reality. In Japan,
(01:09):
for example, there's a bridge with a tall tale behind it.
About fifty miles from Tokyo in Yamanashi Prefecture is the
city of Otsuki. It's history dates all the way back
to the Goman period. Between fourteen thousand and three b
c e. The city was nearly wiped off the map
in nineteen two days before the end of World War Two,
(01:31):
following a bombing by the United States, but it was
able to bounce back after two other towns and four
villages combined to form a new Otsuki in nineteen fifty four.
Despite hundreds of years of change and turmoil, including near extinction,
one of the city's lasting treasures is the Saruhashi Bridge,
also known as the Monkey Bridge. It's listed as one
(01:52):
of the six official Places of Scenic Beauty in Japan,
and those who crossed the gorge know that it's a
well earned designation. Although no one knows exactly when the
bridge was built, an early military document from fourteen seventy
nine does mention its existence. It is supported by four
pairs of cantilever beams underneath, which are embedded directly into
(02:14):
the cliff on each side. The beams are also tented
with their own peaked roofs to keep the rain and
other debris a way, while the actual center of the
bridge is held up by an arch Of course, a
bridge doesn't wind up in the cabinet of curiosity simply
because it's beautiful. No, it's the reason for its nickname
that elevates it from a basic way of crossing a
(02:34):
river into an architectural marvel. According to the legend, the
monkey Bridge earned its name in one of two ways.
The first comes from a story that dates back to
the seventh century, which told of a couple who desperately
needed to cross the gorge with no bridge in place
at the time. Monkeys living in the surrounding forest emerged
(02:54):
and used their bodies to form a makeshift bridge so
that the couple could cross safely. A gardener, am Shiracho,
watched all of this happen, so he took it upon
himself to build a permanent bridge so that others could
cross the gorge easily and without any help from the
local wildlife. The other tale isn't as romantic, but it
does make more sense. Before the Saruhashi Bridge was installed,
(03:18):
there was another, more dilapidated structure in its place. It
was said to have been so dangerous that the only
creature capable of crossing it was an agile monkey. Whether
either of those tales is true remains to be seen,
but the saru Haashi bridge is highly revered. It's one
of Japan's three unique bridges, and its beauty has inspired
(03:39):
numerous paintings over the last two centuries. Japan is rich
in history and mythology, and much of its architecture incorporates both.
The truth behind iconic bridges like the Monkey Bridge, though
is not as magical as the stories convey, and yet
their elegance and composition make them wonders of the world.
(04:01):
Beauty and industrial construction don't have to be mutually exclusive.
All it takes is a skilled builder, or in some cases,
a bunch of monkeys. The bridge the gap between them.
(04:26):
When an author dies, we have their books to remember
them by. Mary Shelley wrote numerous novels and short stories,
but the work she is best remembered for is Frankenstein,
her story of a mad scientist who brings to life
a creature made of cadaver parts. Frankenstein has been adapted
into countless films and is considered by many as the
birth of the science fiction genre. Shelley's legacy is more
(04:48):
than just a catalog of literary works, though she paved
the way for the films, books, and comics we enjoy today.
Much like Shelley, there was another author whose novels broke
ground and influenced those who followed him. Robert Louis Stevenson,
the man behind Treasure Island, is why pirate tropes like
X marks the spot and parrots on the shoulders are
(05:10):
there in the first place. But Stevenson left behind more
than his books, and his legacy goes beyond the pirate genre.
He practically created. A piece of the author lives to
this day, and one lucky person still owns it. In
a twelve year old girl named Annie I'd moved to
the island of Samoa in the South Pacific. Her father,
(05:31):
Henry Clay I'd, had been appointed American Land Commissioner there
by President Benjamin Harrison. While in Samoa, Henry met Robert
Louis Stevenson, the author. His wife and her children from
her first marriage had moved to the island so Stevenson
could recover from the Scottish climate that had been making
him sick. The two men became fast friends. Stevenson was
(05:52):
quite involved in Samoa and politics, and advocated for the
rights of Polynesians in the press. He wrote letters to
various international publication about his concerns for those at the
mercy of colonizing countries like England and the United states.
He had lived in Samoa since eighteen eighty nine, two
years before I'd arrived, and he had seen firsthand the
havoc that great powers were doing to the region. Despite
(06:16):
i'd being on one side of the conflict and Stevenson
on the other, a friendship bloomed between them. It was
during one of their conversations when Henry talked to his
friend about some trouble he was having with his daughter Annie.
She had been sad because she had been born on
December Christmas Day and had never had a proper birthday celebration.
The festivities had always been directed towards the birth of well,
(06:39):
someone else. Sure, she received Christmas presents, but she had
never felt the joy of opening gifts specifically given to
her for her birthday. But on June nine, Annie received
the greatest gift of all. It had arrived in the
form of an official document delivered to her father. It read,
in short, I, Robert Louis Stevenson, have transferred and do
(07:03):
hereby transfer to the said a h i'd all and
whole of my rights and privileges on the day of
November formerly my birthday. In other words, Robert Louis Stevenson
had given his own birthday No. To twelve year old
Annie I'd. The contract also directed her to use it
with moderation and humanity, and that if she didn't, then
(07:26):
the rights to Stevenson's birthday would revert to the President
of the United States. The documents also made Annie his
named daughter. She didn't leave her parents or live with him,
but Stevenson, in his contract did engage the girl to
adopt the name Louisa, at least in private, he added,
and she did. She also celebrated November as her birthday
(07:48):
for years to come. When she got older, she and
her family moved back to the United States, and she
eventually married a U. S congressman. A couple didn't have
any children, so Annie passed the birthday down to her niece.
The niece held onto it until her death, when it
eventually found its way to her granddaughter, Heather fin of Ireland.
Heather was born on February four but also pops open
(08:10):
a bottle of champagne every November to celebrate. It's safe
to say that Heather will leave the November thirteen declaration
to the next in line for now, though Stevenson's memory
lives on, not as an author or political agitator, but
as someone who just wanted to give his friend's daughter
the one thing she had never received a birthday gift.
(08:34):
I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet
of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn
more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com.
The show was created by me Aaron Manky in partnership
with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show
called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show,
(08:57):
and you can learn all about it over at the
World of Lore dot Come and until next time, stay curious.
H
Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is
full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book,
all of these amazing tales are right there on display,
just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet
(00:27):
of Curiosities. Many folkloric and mythological objects do not appear
in real life. Poseidon's trident, Paul Bunyan's acts, and King
Arthur's sword ex Caliber. They're all known to just about everyone,
(00:48):
yet they're nothing more than fiction. The same goes for
certain structures. There have been no reports of a witch's
house running through the Russian wilderness on chicken legs, and
yet the tale of Bobby Yaga is one that's passed
down from generation to generation. But sometimes an item or
building jumps out of the story and into reality. In Japan,
(01:09):
for example, there's a bridge with a tall tale behind it.
About fifty miles from Tokyo in Yamanashi Prefecture is the
city of Otsuki. It's history dates all the way back
to the Goman period. Between fourteen thousand and three b
c e. The city was nearly wiped off the map
in nineteen two days before the end of World War Two,
(01:31):
following a bombing by the United States, but it was
able to bounce back after two other towns and four
villages combined to form a new Otsuki in nineteen fifty four.
Despite hundreds of years of change and turmoil, including near extinction,
one of the city's lasting treasures is the Saruhashi Bridge,
also known as the Monkey Bridge. It's listed as one
(01:52):
of the six official Places of Scenic Beauty in Japan,
and those who crossed the gorge know that it's a
well earned designation. Although no one knows exactly when the
bridge was built, an early military document from fourteen seventy
nine does mention its existence. It is supported by four
pairs of cantilever beams underneath, which are embedded directly into
(02:14):
the cliff on each side. The beams are also tented
with their own peaked roofs to keep the rain and
other debris a way, while the actual center of the
bridge is held up by an arch Of course, a
bridge doesn't wind up in the cabinet of curiosity simply
because it's beautiful. No, it's the reason for its nickname
that elevates it from a basic way of crossing a
(02:34):
river into an architectural marvel. According to the legend, the
monkey Bridge earned its name in one of two ways.
The first comes from a story that dates back to
the seventh century, which told of a couple who desperately
needed to cross the gorge with no bridge in place
at the time. Monkeys living in the surrounding forest emerged
(02:54):
and used their bodies to form a makeshift bridge so
that the couple could cross safely. A gardener, am Shiracho,
watched all of this happen, so he took it upon
himself to build a permanent bridge so that others could
cross the gorge easily and without any help from the
local wildlife. The other tale isn't as romantic, but it
does make more sense. Before the Saruhashi Bridge was installed,
(03:18):
there was another, more dilapidated structure in its place. It
was said to have been so dangerous that the only
creature capable of crossing it was an agile monkey. Whether
either of those tales is true remains to be seen,
but the saru Haashi bridge is highly revered. It's one
of Japan's three unique bridges, and its beauty has inspired
(03:39):
numerous paintings over the last two centuries. Japan is rich
in history and mythology, and much of its architecture incorporates both.
The truth behind iconic bridges like the Monkey Bridge, though
is not as magical as the stories convey, and yet
their elegance and composition make them wonders of the world.
(04:01):
Beauty and industrial construction don't have to be mutually exclusive.
All it takes is a skilled builder, or in some cases,
a bunch of monkeys. The bridge the gap between them.
(04:26):
When an author dies, we have their books to remember
them by. Mary Shelley wrote numerous novels and short stories,
but the work she is best remembered for is Frankenstein,
her story of a mad scientist who brings to life
a creature made of cadaver parts. Frankenstein has been adapted
into countless films and is considered by many as the
birth of the science fiction genre. Shelley's legacy is more
(04:48):
than just a catalog of literary works, though she paved
the way for the films, books, and comics we enjoy today.
Much like Shelley, there was another author whose novels broke
ground and influenced those who followed him. Robert Louis Stevenson,
the man behind Treasure Island, is why pirate tropes like
X marks the spot and parrots on the shoulders are
(05:10):
there in the first place. But Stevenson left behind more
than his books, and his legacy goes beyond the pirate genre.
He practically created. A piece of the author lives to
this day, and one lucky person still owns it. In
a twelve year old girl named Annie I'd moved to
the island of Samoa in the South Pacific. Her father,
(05:31):
Henry Clay I'd, had been appointed American Land Commissioner there
by President Benjamin Harrison. While in Samoa, Henry met Robert
Louis Stevenson, the author. His wife and her children from
her first marriage had moved to the island so Stevenson
could recover from the Scottish climate that had been making
him sick. The two men became fast friends. Stevenson was
(05:52):
quite involved in Samoa and politics, and advocated for the
rights of Polynesians in the press. He wrote letters to
various international publication about his concerns for those at the
mercy of colonizing countries like England and the United states.
He had lived in Samoa since eighteen eighty nine, two
years before I'd arrived, and he had seen firsthand the
havoc that great powers were doing to the region. Despite
(06:16):
i'd being on one side of the conflict and Stevenson
on the other, a friendship bloomed between them. It was
during one of their conversations when Henry talked to his
friend about some trouble he was having with his daughter Annie.
She had been sad because she had been born on
December Christmas Day and had never had a proper birthday celebration.
The festivities had always been directed towards the birth of well,
(06:39):
someone else. Sure, she received Christmas presents, but she had
never felt the joy of opening gifts specifically given to
her for her birthday. But on June nine, Annie received
the greatest gift of all. It had arrived in the
form of an official document delivered to her father. It read,
in short, I, Robert Louis Stevenson, have transferred and do
(07:03):
hereby transfer to the said a h i'd all and
whole of my rights and privileges on the day of
November formerly my birthday. In other words, Robert Louis Stevenson
had given his own birthday No. To twelve year old
Annie I'd. The contract also directed her to use it
with moderation and humanity, and that if she didn't, then
(07:26):
the rights to Stevenson's birthday would revert to the President
of the United States. The documents also made Annie his
named daughter. She didn't leave her parents or live with him,
but Stevenson, in his contract did engage the girl to
adopt the name Louisa, at least in private, he added,
and she did. She also celebrated November as her birthday
(07:48):
for years to come. When she got older, she and
her family moved back to the United States, and she
eventually married a U. S congressman. A couple didn't have
any children, so Annie passed the birthday down to her niece.
The niece held onto it until her death, when it
eventually found its way to her granddaughter, Heather fin of Ireland.
Heather was born on February four but also pops open
(08:10):
a bottle of champagne every November to celebrate. It's safe
to say that Heather will leave the November thirteen declaration
to the next in line for now, though Stevenson's memory
lives on, not as an author or political agitator, but
as someone who just wanted to give his friend's daughter
the one thing she had never received a birthday gift.
(08:34):
I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet
of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn
more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com.
The show was created by me Aaron Manky in partnership
with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show
called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show,
(08:57):
and you can learn all about it over at the
World of Lore dot Come and until next time, stay curious.
H
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities News
Host
Aaron Mahnke
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