Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities

Episode Title: Downpour
Release Date: November 13, 2025
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Production: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Overview

In this episode of Cabinet of Curiosities, Aaron Mahnke invites listeners on a guided tour through two peculiar and little-known historical events. The first segment explores the bizarre "Kentucky Meat Shower" of 1876—a story blending the unsettling and grotesque with scientific detective work and a splash of dark humor. The second segment uncovers the debated legend of "Black Caesar," an African pirate whose life sits at the intersection of history and folklore, questioning how real figures transition into legendary status. Each tale dives into the mysteries and misinterpretations that arise when the unexplainable meets the historical record.

Segment 1: The Kentucky Meat Shower

Timestamps: [00:38] – [05:53]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Springtime in 1876, Kentucky
  Aaron recounts the story of Mrs. Crouch, who was outside making soap when a mysterious red, gelatinous substance suddenly fell from the sky, splattering across her yard.

  • “She was shocked when a mysterious red gelatinous substance suddenly splattered against the top of her hand, staining the white animal fat beneath.” ([01:09], Host)

• Immediate Reaction and Community Involvement
  Mrs. Crouch—named “Margaret” by Aaron for narrative empathy—summoned her husband, Allen, and soon, curious townsfolk joined to investigate the "meat rain," with two even bravely tasting the substance.

  • “Two young men there were brave enough to even eat some of it, and they said that it tasted a bit like venison.” ([02:12], Host)

• Scientific Explanations: Bacteria or Meat?
  The substance was sent to Leopold Brandeis, who first suggested it was Nostoc, a kind of bacteria commonly mistaken for skyfalling matter. However, others, notably two histologists, identified various types of animal tissue—lung, cartilage, and muscle fibers—from different animals.

  • “The odd thing was that different samples appeared to be from different animals and different body parts. There was lung tissue, cartilage, muscle fiber. Some was probably from a horse, but it was hard to tell.” ([03:15], Host)

• The Vulture Theory—A Satisfyingly Gross Explanation
  One histologist proposed the infamous explanation: startled vultures, known to collectively regurgitate when frightened, had “vomited” mid-flight—raining chunks of partially digested meat onto the Crouch property.

  • “Vultures are known to spit up their food when they're startled or when they need to become lighter for flight. They're also sympathetic vomiters, meaning that if the group sees one vomit, the others will follow suit.” ([04:01], Host)

• Legacy: The Kentucky Meat Shower
  Aaron rounds off this tale with dark wit, noting both the memorable nature and the descriptive accuracy of the term "Kentucky Meat Shower."

  • “Today the event is known as the Kentucky Meat Shower, quite possibly the single most descriptively gross title in all of history.” ([05:15], Host)

Memorable Quotes

• “I guess what they say is true. What goes up must come down, in more ways than one.” ([05:45], Host)

Segment 2: Black Caesar – Pirate Legend and the Gaps of History

Timestamps: [06:21] – [12:53]

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Fall of Blackbeard and a Pirate’s Story
  The story begins during the final days of the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach) in 1718. Amidst the chaos, a crewman named Caesar, an African sailor, is ordered to destroy the ship if defeat is imminent—but hesitates.

  • “He was given a match and told to ignite the ship's gunpowder stores if they lost the battle. Prisoners kept nearby…implored Caesar to stay his hand. And so he did.” ([07:15], Host)

• The Transformation into Legend: Black Caesar
  Over time, Caesar’s story morphs into legend. Some tales claim he was a former African chieftain who escaped enslavement and became a notorious pirate in Florida, amassing treasure and lore.

  • “If Florida lore is to be believed, he did very well by himself. He had a whole island as well where he eventually buried his treasure.” ([08:55], Host)

• Fact vs. Folklore
  Aaron underscores the lack of evidence for the romantic version of Black Caesar’s story—historians suspect he was likely an enslaved man caught up in pirate life, rather than a legendary pirate chief.

  • “There is no historical evidence to corroborate the existence of Black Caesar as a fearsome solo pirate who had escaped enslavement.” ([09:40], Host)

• The Power of Story and Representation
  The segment closes with reflections on why such legends persist: histories full of erasure, the allure of underdog stories, and the need for heroes that folklore fulfills.

  • “If history leaves us gaps, it's the role of folklore to fill those in. It's a common human impulse—yearning for underdog stories that we can root for, swashbuckling tales that ignite our imaginations.” ([11:43], Host)

Notable Quotes

• “Sadly, most of these men's names are lost to time, but if history leaves us gaps, it's the role of folklore to fill those in.” ([11:29], Host)
• “Empires do not rule our hearts, even when they control the seven seas.” ([12:10], Host)

Noteworthy Moments

• Aaron’s Humanizing Detail ([01:36]):
  In a small but thoughtful turn, Aaron decides to give Mrs. Crouch the first name “Margaret” for the story, noting, “If her husband can have a first name, well, then so can she.”
• Sympathetic Vomiters Fun Fact ([04:10]):
  A delightfully odd piece of trivia about vulture behavior, perfect for “weird niche facts that are fun to bring out at parties.”
• Dissecting History Vs. Folklore ([10:55]):
  A compelling clarification by Aaron, separating the man involved in Blackbeard’s story from the larger-than-life pirate hero later cultivated by novels and tourism.

Structure & Tone

Aaron Mahnke’s tone is thoughtful, slightly cheeky, and consistently anchored in curiosity and empathy for those lost to time. Both tales are told with attention to the mundane alongside the marvelous, emphasizing not just what happened, but also why these episodes endure in our storytelling.

Segment Timestamps

• Kentucky Meat Shower: [00:38] – [05:53]
• Black Caesar and Pirate Lore: [06:21] – [12:53]

Final Thoughts

Downpour is an episode brimming with the weird and wonderful—offering explanations for “meat rain” and dissecting the border between folklore and history through the legend of Black Caesar. Mahnke not only entertains with macabre and curious facts but also urges listeners to question how legends grow where history leaves blanks, and to “stay curious” about both the known and the unknowable.