Downpour

Summary

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Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities

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

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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.

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Segment Timestamps

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

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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.

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Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One Bank Guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh really? Thanks Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com bank Capital One NA member FDIC.

[B]

Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio 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 of Curiosities. It was a clear spring day in 1876, and Mrs. Crouch was outside in the front yard of her home making soap. She took a gray scoop of lye from the barrel to her right and added it to the kettle over a fire in front of her, and then she reached over to her left and cut off a big white piece of hog fat from the block she had placed there. She then added this to the kettle as well, and then started to stir. And as she watched the solution boil, she thought that it looked like it could use a bit more animal fat. She reached her hand back over to the table, but was shocked when a mysterious red gelatinous substance suddenly splattered against the top of her hand, staining the white animal fat beneath. Now, at first she thought that she might have been injured somehow, or that someone, maybe her husband, was throwing some sort of food at her. When she looked around, though, there was nobody in sight. But what she did see made her stomach churn. More red globs of mysterious substance were falling all over her yard. They smacked against the fence, the porch, and the roof with a sickening squelch. And they weren't being thrown. No, they were falling from the sky. Now, I have to pause for a moment for just a little bit of housekeeping in a turn that was sadly, really typical for her era. Mrs. Crouch's first name was never recorded. So just for today, for this story to lend her a bit more humanity, let's call her Margaret, shall we? It was a very common name at the time, and if her husband can have a first name, well, then so can she. Right, so back to the strange shower. It only lasted a few seconds, and it was over before Margaret could even think to run inside. As soon as the red globs stopped falling. Though she called out for her husband, Allen, because, honey, he was not going to believe this. But the red globs were too many and too large, about 2 to 4 inches across to ignore. Allen called up some of his friends, and soon enough, there were several people from town in their yard trying to identify the mysterious substance. Most people thought that it looked like red meat. In fact, two young men there were brave enough to even eat some of it, and they said that it tasted a bit like venison. Of course, Margaret and Alan weren't about to go that far. Instead, they preserved some of the substance in a jar, and they sent it off to a man named Leopold Brandeis. Now, his credentials are lost to time, but it seems that he was somehow a member of the scientific community. He analyzed the substance, which at this point had turned a dark color, and put forth the explanation that it was Nostoc, a type of bacteria that blooms when it rains. The only problem with this explanation is that it hadn't been raining at the time of the event. The stuff literally was raining down by itself. It was also reddish when it first fell before drying out. Gnostic is always a dark green and it doesn't fall from the sky, although that was a common misconception in ancient times. Basically, Leopold Brandeis was providing an easy explanation from an unrelated phenomenon. But he still did play an important role in the story because he sent samples of the substance to two different histologists, which is a type of doctor that studies tissue. According to them, the samples were definitely animal remains. However, the odd thing was that the 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. But that was enough for one of the doctors to reach a different conclusion. He believed the substance was partially digested meat regurgitated from an animal's stomach. And since it had come from the sky, his theory was that it had been regurgitated by a vulture. Now, for those of you who love weird niche facts that are fun to bring out at parties, this one is a doozy. You see, 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. Looking back, it seems that Margaret simply got really lucky that day out in the yard, and there was apparently a group of vultures flying overhead, and they all sympathetically vomited on her. After eating a big meal of dead horse. And yes, that also means that those two neighbors of hers sampled vulture vomit. Today the event is known as the Kentucky Meat Shower, quite possibly the single most descriptively gross title in all of history. All because a few vultures happened to lose their lunch. I guess what they say is true. What goes up must come down in more ways than one.

[A]

Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One Bank Guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh, really? Thanks. Capital One bank guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com bank Capital One NA member.

[B]

FDIC this show is sponsored by American Public University. You want your master's degree? You know you can earn it. But life gets busy. The packed schedule, the late nights. And then there's the unexpected. American Public University was built for all of that American with monthly starts and no set login times, APU's 40 flexible online master's programs are designed to move at the speed of life. Start your master's journey today at Apu Apus. Edu. You want it? Come get it at Apu. It was November 22nd of 1718 on an island off the coast of North Carolina. The sounds of cannon and musket fire filled the air Within a small inlet. A pirate ship called the Adventure was beset by a pair of Royal Navy sloops. The skirmish that followed would be one of the most iconic in pirate history. The captain of the Adventure, a guy named Edward Teach, was slain on deck, along with around a dozen of his men. Now, those that were not killed during the fight would stand trial for piracy. Their leader, who went by the name Blackbeard, was infamous, so the punishment for taking part would be steep. Among the men put on trial was someone whose existence still frustrates historians to this day, a sailor of African descent who went by the name Caesar. According to Captain Charles Johnson's book A General History of the Pirates, Caesar was left in the hold by Teach during the fighting, and he was given a match and told to ignite the ship's gunpowder stores if they lost the battle. Prisoners kept nearby in the Adventure's brig, implanted, implored Caesar to stay his hand. And so he did. It seems that Caesar was not the sort of man who threw his life away on the orders of his captain, no matter how fearsome. Blackbeard Might have been. He was a legend in his own right, one that would be memorialized in Florida folklore. Centuries after his death, he was known by the moniker Black Caesar, and it's said that he left a vast trove of silver in the area that is now Biscayne National Park. One of the rivers, Caesar Creek, was named for him, as was Caesar Rock, an imposing boulder at the end of the creek. According to history, Caesar was once a chieftain back in Africa. Like many of his family, he found himself captured by slave traders during the voyage across the Atlantic. However, his ship was struck by a storm off the coast of Florida, which provided Caesar the opportunity to escape on a longboat. He and one other man were the only survivors. Using weapons they'd taken from the ship, the two men started a career of piracy. They would pretend to be shipwrecked sailors and then break out their muskets and cutlasses when a ship attempted to rescue them. Carried out in this small Florida channel, it was less like the daring scenes that we might imagine in pirate fiction and more like basic highway robbery. Over the many years, their wealth began to grow, and so too did their ambitions. More men joined their enterprise. The and their ship became a bigger one. In turn, Caesar and his original partner in piracy would have a falling out some years later, leaving Caesar to go it alone for many years to come. But 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. So how did such an enterprising, successful pirate wind up in the bottom of Edward teach's hold in 1718? Well, that's the thing that vexes historians. It's very likely that he didn't. There is no historical evidence to corroborate the existence of Black Caesar as a fearsome solo pirate who had escaped enslavement. The man who joined Blackbeard's crew was most likely a slave himself, whose enslaver happened to join up with Teach's crew. Out of curiosity, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fortunately, by the time the rest of Blackbeard's crew was sentenced to hang, this man, whatever his real name was, was acquitted of piracy. He subsequently vanishes from the historical record, and the name Black Caesar would then later appear in early 20th century as the hero of a pirate novel. Tourist spots in Florida began spreading the legend, and soon it overtook the lack of facts. The golden age of piracy was in some ways a reflection of how we want to see history. Most of the men who became household names led extremely short careers, and died in disgrace. It would take centuries for brief criminal conspiracies to turn into the stuff of legend. Black Caesar, even if he did or did not exist, represents an aspirational view of this period of time. Many African men could not go home after they'd been taken by enslavers and thus had to find the best circumstances they could. Service on a pirate ship meant that they could vote, had an equal share of treasure, and a certain degree of protection in the form of a common enemy. 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. It's a common human impulse yearning for underdog stories that we can root for, swashbuckling tales that ignite our imaginations and remind us that empires do not rule our hearts, even when they control the seven seas. 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 curiositiespodcast.com the show was created by me, Aaron Manke, in partnership with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, series and television show and you can learn all about it [e-mail] and until next time, stay curious. This show is sponsored by American Public University. You want your Master's degree? You know you can earn it. But life gets busy. The packed schedule, the late nights. And then there's the unexpected. American Public University was built for all of that. With monthly starts and no set login times, APU's 40 plus flexible online master's programs are designed to move at the speed of life. Start your master's journey today at Apu Apus Edu. You want it? Come get it at Apu.

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast.