April 21, 2026 • 11 mins
Two curious tales, one part of the world. Sometimes you don't have to roam far to find a good story.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
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 of Curiosities. In fifteen ninety three,
(00:37):
Mexico City was somehow both old and new at the
same time. Built over the Aztec city Tenochtitlan, it was
the seat of power for what was known as New Spain,
the area encompassing much of North America. Back then, there
was no such country as the United States nor Mexico.
It was all an extension of the Spanish Empire into
(00:59):
the New World. At the center of Mexico City Lady
Plaza Mayor, a wide open plaza where the Viceroy's palace sat,
and on October twenty sixth, fifteen ninety three, palace guards
noticed an odd man wandering the plaza.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
He looked dazed and uncertain. More oddly than that, though
he was wearing some kind of uniform, but not won
anyone in Mexico City recognized. The guards approached this man,
asking him who he was and where he came from.
The man introduced himself as gil Perez. He asked the
guards where he was, and they told him that he
was in Mexico City, and he seemed completely incredulous over
(01:38):
that news. When pressed to tell them where he came from,
all he would say is this. He was a guard
at the Governor's palace in Manila. He had dozed off
at his post, and when he opened his eyes, he
was here in Mexico City. The guards were stunned. Manila
was in the Philippines. This man had to be lying.
There was no way that he could have traveled across
(02:00):
the Pacific Ocean, almost nine thousand miles to reach them there,
all while unconscious. They seized him immediately and brought him
before the local officials of the Spanish Inquisition. And I
bet you weren't expecting that little turn of events, were you,
Because no one expects the Spanish Inquisition. And as you'd expect,
our friend gil Perez was interrogated, but he held fast
(02:23):
to his story. The more they questioned him, the more
he revealed about his duties back home in Manila. He
even told them that the day before his miraculous appearance
in Mexico City. The governor of the Philippines himself, Gomez
Perez Das Mouranus, had been killed by pirates at sea.
They were merely watching his palace until a new governor
(02:44):
could be appointed. Of course, this story didn't buy him
any credibility with the Viceroy of Mexico City. They had
heard no such story of the slain Philippine governor. He
was held in custody, presumed to be a deserter or
even a spy. But then something miraculous happened. In early
fifteen ninety four, several months after the man's unexpected appearance,
(03:06):
a galleon arrived in Mexico from the Philippines. The men
on board told the viceroy that the governor had been
killed back in October, the very same day that gil
Perez said he had. Even more fortunate for Perez, one
of the sailors said that he recognized the guard, having
seen him by the governor's palace on October twenty third.
(03:27):
As a result, the Spanish Inquisition had no choice but
to release Perez, who returned home to resume his position
under a new governor. We know little else about his
life after this, but his story has a life of
its own. The earliest version of this legend comes from
sixteen ninety eight in a historical account of the Spanish
(03:47):
conquest of the Philippines. Although the writer does not name
the guard, his version says that some form of witchcraft
teleported the man, But as the story has gotten told
and retold over time, it was opened up to more
possible interpretations, and the name of the guard himself, Gil Perez,
comes from a nineteen oh eight Harper's Magazine version of
(04:08):
the story. In the century plus since Folklora's, spiritualists and
hobbyists have all put forward their own theories for the
transported Spaniard. Everyone agrees, though, that Perez did not have
control over this ability himself. If he had been a
witch or sorcerer who transported himself, he probably wouldn't have
done it while dressed conspicuously in his work uniform. Never
(04:32):
mind the fact that if he did have control over
the ability, then he could have teleported himself out of
prison once he was caught in Mexico City. A recent
theory is that he fell through a rip in space time,
or maybe he was even abducted by a Ufo, as
many Ufo abductees claimed to have lost large patches of
time and then wound up in wildly different places than
(04:53):
where they began from. Both of these theories rely on
wild speculation rather than any facts about the story, but
by this point most assumed that the story of gil Perez,
however intriguing it might be, is just an urban legend
rather than a fact. But one thing is for sure,
whoever this unlucky man was, if he existed at all,
(05:14):
he probably never fell asleep on the job ever. Again,
although they were brothers, Ada Hualpa and Wascar felt no
(05:35):
love for one another. Compassion wasn't exactly encouraged within the
Incan Empire, a brutal warrior led society that spanned half
of the west coast of South America. Ada Hulpa and
Wascar were princes, which made their father the king. But
the thing about the Inca line of succession was that
there was at one a king could pick whoever he
(05:56):
wanted to follow him after his rule, and even stranger.
Inca nobles were expected to marry their sisters to keep
the bloodline pure, but at the same time were allowed
to have concubines with whom they could sire many children,
and so the king had over two hundred children with
as many as fifty wives. Wascar was born of a
sister wife, but Adawalpa's mother was likely a woman outside
(06:19):
of the family, and this alone was enough to create
animosity between the two men, and to make matters worse,
the king chose one of his other brothers as his successor.
As a consolation prize, he put Wascar in charge of Cusco,
the Inca capital, and he put Adawalpa in charge of
the army. This worked to keep the peace for a time.
(06:40):
Wascar became beloved by the people of Cuzco and learned
administration in the process, while Adawalpa earned the love of
the Inca generals and learned how to conduct a war. However,
tragedy struck in fifteen twenty seven when a strange plague
spread across the empire. The disease killed both the king
and his chosen successor, and this was the worst possible
(07:03):
outcome because now there was no clear indication of who
should inherit the throne. So it wasn't a surprise when
Wascar sent the troops under his command at Cusco north
to attack Ottawalpa, where he was stationed in the region
of Quito. But these troops were no match for Otdawalpa
and his generals. They routed the opposing army with ease,
(07:23):
and then Adawalpa sent his general self to conquer Cusco.
As they went, they massacred much of the population that
was loyal to Wascar. When they arrived at Cusco, they
stormed the city and took Wascar prisoner. Adawalpa was very
pleased with himself. He had proven once and for all
that he was the strongest brother. But the deranged military
(07:43):
king was about to find himself on the receiving end
of some cosmic justice. That mysterious plague that had killed
his father was smallpox, and it was spread by the
Spanish conquistadors making their way across South America. When they
arrived in the Inca Empire, they wasted no time in
taking Adawalpa prisoner. This was easy to do. They simply
(08:03):
surrounded Atdawalpa's army encampment and sent emissaries to speak with
him under the banner of peace. When Adawalpa refused to
accept the authority of the Spanish crown and the Catholic Church.
They ambushed his camp and killed his men. Adawalpa then
tried to bribe the Spanish. While he was in captivity.
He sent his generals to collect all the silver and
(08:24):
gold they could from the empire to trade for his release.
He also gave one last horrible order. He commanded that
his general's murder Wascar, who was still being held prisoner
in Cusco, and they carried out his order with glee.
Wascar and every one of his wives and descendants were slaughtered.
The streets of Cuzco were filled with the screams of
(08:45):
the victims. It was cruel, but Adawalpa didn't want to
leave any chance for the Spanish to find and free
his brother. He wanted to make sure that he was
the only Inca king that they could negotiate with. And meanwhile,
his generals were doing everything they could to round up
enough gold and silver for his ransom. They confiscated and
melted down every piece available in the empire. But all
(09:08):
of this mass mobilization made the Spanish nervous. They saw
how many generals were loyal to Adawalpa and how big
their armies were. If they were capable of collecting all
the gold and silver in the empire, what else were
they capable of speaking with some of the native peoples.
They learned of Adawalpa's conquests and how he had massacred
all who opposed him. They thought that it was only
(09:29):
a matter of time before the Inca armies would march
to free their king. Not even giving them the chance,
the Spanish abruptly executed Adawalpa in fifteen thirty three. His
remaining generals immediately rebelled, trying to salvage the empire and
keep it out of Spanish hands, but they were fragmented
without a leader. The Spanish marched on Cuzco and took
(09:51):
the gold and silver for themselves. They easily defeated any
resistance that was left within the empire. It was a
curious case of a quarrel between two brothers leading to
neither of them getting what they wanted. Perhaps the empire
was doomed regardless, but also perhaps if the two brothers
could have learned to rule together, they might have saved
(10:11):
an entire kingdom. I hope you enjoyed today's guided tour
through the Cabinet of Curiosities. This show was created by
me Aaron Mankey in partnership with iHeart Podcasts, researched and
written by the Grim and Mild team, and produced by
Jesse Funk. Learn more about the show and the people
(10:31):
who make it over at Grimandmild dot com slash Curiosities.
You'll also find a link to the official cabinet of
Curiosity's hardcover book, available in bookstores and online, as well
as ebook and audiobook. And if you're looking for an
ad free option, consider joining our Patreon. It's all the
same stories, but without the interruption for a small monthly fee.
(10:52):
Learn more and sign up over at patreon dot com
slash grimand Mild, and until next time, stay Curious.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Two
Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
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 of Curiosities. In fifteen ninety three,
(00:37):
Mexico City was somehow both old and new at the
same time. Built over the Aztec city Tenochtitlan, it was
the seat of power for what was known as New Spain,
the area encompassing much of North America. Back then, there
was no such country as the United States nor Mexico.
It was all an extension of the Spanish Empire into
(00:59):
the New World. At the center of Mexico City Lady
Plaza Mayor, a wide open plaza where the Viceroy's palace sat,
and on October twenty sixth, fifteen ninety three, palace guards
noticed an odd man wandering the plaza.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
He looked dazed and uncertain. More oddly than that, though
he was wearing some kind of uniform, but not won
anyone in Mexico City recognized. The guards approached this man,
asking him who he was and where he came from.
The man introduced himself as gil Perez. He asked the
guards where he was, and they told him that he
was in Mexico City, and he seemed completely incredulous over
(01:38):
that news. When pressed to tell them where he came from,
all he would say is this. He was a guard
at the Governor's palace in Manila. He had dozed off
at his post, and when he opened his eyes, he
was here in Mexico City. The guards were stunned. Manila
was in the Philippines. This man had to be lying.
There was no way that he could have traveled across
(02:00):
the Pacific Ocean, almost nine thousand miles to reach them there,
all while unconscious. They seized him immediately and brought him
before the local officials of the Spanish Inquisition. And I
bet you weren't expecting that little turn of events, were you,
Because no one expects the Spanish Inquisition. And as you'd expect,
our friend gil Perez was interrogated, but he held fast
(02:23):
to his story. The more they questioned him, the more
he revealed about his duties back home in Manila. He
even told them that the day before his miraculous appearance
in Mexico City. The governor of the Philippines himself, Gomez
Perez Das Mouranus, had been killed by pirates at sea.
They were merely watching his palace until a new governor
(02:44):
could be appointed. Of course, this story didn't buy him
any credibility with the Viceroy of Mexico City. They had
heard no such story of the slain Philippine governor. He
was held in custody, presumed to be a deserter or
even a spy. But then something miraculous happened. In early
fifteen ninety four, several months after the man's unexpected appearance,
(03:06):
a galleon arrived in Mexico from the Philippines. The men
on board told the viceroy that the governor had been
killed back in October, the very same day that gil
Perez said he had. Even more fortunate for Perez, one
of the sailors said that he recognized the guard, having
seen him by the governor's palace on October twenty third.
(03:27):
As a result, the Spanish Inquisition had no choice but
to release Perez, who returned home to resume his position
under a new governor. We know little else about his
life after this, but his story has a life of
its own. The earliest version of this legend comes from
sixteen ninety eight in a historical account of the Spanish
(03:47):
conquest of the Philippines. Although the writer does not name
the guard, his version says that some form of witchcraft
teleported the man, But as the story has gotten told
and retold over time, it was opened up to more
possible interpretations, and the name of the guard himself, Gil Perez,
comes from a nineteen oh eight Harper's Magazine version of
(04:08):
the story. In the century plus since Folklora's, spiritualists and
hobbyists have all put forward their own theories for the
transported Spaniard. Everyone agrees, though, that Perez did not have
control over this ability himself. If he had been a
witch or sorcerer who transported himself, he probably wouldn't have
done it while dressed conspicuously in his work uniform. Never
(04:32):
mind the fact that if he did have control over
the ability, then he could have teleported himself out of
prison once he was caught in Mexico City. A recent
theory is that he fell through a rip in space time,
or maybe he was even abducted by a Ufo, as
many Ufo abductees claimed to have lost large patches of
time and then wound up in wildly different places than
(04:53):
where they began from. Both of these theories rely on
wild speculation rather than any facts about the story, but
by this point most assumed that the story of gil Perez,
however intriguing it might be, is just an urban legend
rather than a fact. But one thing is for sure,
whoever this unlucky man was, if he existed at all,
(05:14):
he probably never fell asleep on the job ever. Again,
although they were brothers, Ada Hualpa and Wascar felt no
(05:35):
love for one another. Compassion wasn't exactly encouraged within the
Incan Empire, a brutal warrior led society that spanned half
of the west coast of South America. Ada Hulpa and
Wascar were princes, which made their father the king. But
the thing about the Inca line of succession was that
there was at one a king could pick whoever he
(05:56):
wanted to follow him after his rule, and even stranger.
Inca nobles were expected to marry their sisters to keep
the bloodline pure, but at the same time were allowed
to have concubines with whom they could sire many children,
and so the king had over two hundred children with
as many as fifty wives. Wascar was born of a
sister wife, but Adawalpa's mother was likely a woman outside
(06:19):
of the family, and this alone was enough to create
animosity between the two men, and to make matters worse,
the king chose one of his other brothers as his successor.
As a consolation prize, he put Wascar in charge of Cusco,
the Inca capital, and he put Adawalpa in charge of
the army. This worked to keep the peace for a time.
(06:40):
Wascar became beloved by the people of Cuzco and learned
administration in the process, while Adawalpa earned the love of
the Inca generals and learned how to conduct a war. However,
tragedy struck in fifteen twenty seven when a strange plague
spread across the empire. The disease killed both the king
and his chosen successor, and this was the worst possible
(07:03):
outcome because now there was no clear indication of who
should inherit the throne. So it wasn't a surprise when
Wascar sent the troops under his command at Cusco north
to attack Ottawalpa, where he was stationed in the region
of Quito. But these troops were no match for Otdawalpa
and his generals. They routed the opposing army with ease,
(07:23):
and then Adawalpa sent his general self to conquer Cusco.
As they went, they massacred much of the population that
was loyal to Wascar. When they arrived at Cusco, they
stormed the city and took Wascar prisoner. Adawalpa was very
pleased with himself. He had proven once and for all
that he was the strongest brother. But the deranged military
(07:43):
king was about to find himself on the receiving end
of some cosmic justice. That mysterious plague that had killed
his father was smallpox, and it was spread by the
Spanish conquistadors making their way across South America. When they
arrived in the Inca Empire, they wasted no time in
taking Adawalpa prisoner. This was easy to do. They simply
(08:03):
surrounded Atdawalpa's army encampment and sent emissaries to speak with
him under the banner of peace. When Adawalpa refused to
accept the authority of the Spanish crown and the Catholic Church.
They ambushed his camp and killed his men. Adawalpa then
tried to bribe the Spanish. While he was in captivity.
He sent his generals to collect all the silver and
(08:24):
gold they could from the empire to trade for his release.
He also gave one last horrible order. He commanded that
his general's murder Wascar, who was still being held prisoner
in Cusco, and they carried out his order with glee.
Wascar and every one of his wives and descendants were slaughtered.
The streets of Cuzco were filled with the screams of
(08:45):
the victims. It was cruel, but Adawalpa didn't want to
leave any chance for the Spanish to find and free
his brother. He wanted to make sure that he was
the only Inca king that they could negotiate with. And meanwhile,
his generals were doing everything they could to round up
enough gold and silver for his ransom. They confiscated and
melted down every piece available in the empire. But all
(09:08):
of this mass mobilization made the Spanish nervous. They saw
how many generals were loyal to Adawalpa and how big
their armies were. If they were capable of collecting all
the gold and silver in the empire, what else were
they capable of speaking with some of the native peoples.
They learned of Adawalpa's conquests and how he had massacred
all who opposed him. They thought that it was only
(09:29):
a matter of time before the Inca armies would march
to free their king. Not even giving them the chance,
the Spanish abruptly executed Adawalpa in fifteen thirty three. His
remaining generals immediately rebelled, trying to salvage the empire and
keep it out of Spanish hands, but they were fragmented
without a leader. The Spanish marched on Cuzco and took
(09:51):
the gold and silver for themselves. They easily defeated any
resistance that was left within the empire. It was a
curious case of a quarrel between two brothers leading to
neither of them getting what they wanted. Perhaps the empire
was doomed regardless, but also perhaps if the two brothers
could have learned to rule together, they might have saved
(10:11):
an entire kingdom. I hope you enjoyed today's guided tour
through the Cabinet of Curiosities. This show was created by
me Aaron Mankey in partnership with iHeart Podcasts, researched and
written by the Grim and Mild team, and produced by
Jesse Funk. Learn more about the show and the people
(10:31):
who make it over at Grimandmild dot com slash Curiosities.
You'll also find a link to the official cabinet of
Curiosity's hardcover book, available in bookstores and online, as well
as ebook and audiobook. And if you're looking for an
ad free option, consider joining our Patreon. It's all the
same stories, but without the interruption for a small monthly fee.
(10:52):
Learn more and sign up over at patreon dot com
slash grimand Mild, and until next time, stay Curious.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Two
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities News
Host
Aaron Mahnke
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