The Middle of Nowhere

Summary

Cabinet of Curiosities – "The Middle of Nowhere" (March 3, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this intriguing episode, host Aaron Mahnke, the mind behind "Lore," guides listeners on a journey through two little-known corners of history. True to the show's style, he explores the fascinating story of Bir Tawil—a desert patch between Egypt and Sudan famously claimed by no nation—and then delves into the dramatic history of the Pankhurst family and the Women's Social and Political Union, whose militant work changed the trajectory of women’s rights in Britain.

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Story 1: Bir Tawil—A Country for No One

Theme: The only habitable land on Earth unclaimed by any country, and the stories and schemes it inspires.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Geographic Oddity:
  • Bir Tawil is a small, unclaimed sliver of land between Egypt and Sudan. It's unique for being "the only habitable land on planet Earth not claimed by one country or another."
    (01:35)
• Why It Exists:
  • Its existence is a result of conflicting colonial-era border definitions from British administrators in 1899 and 1902.
  • Both Egypt and Sudan claim the more valuable Halaib Triangle, but each renounces Bir Tawil in pursuit of Halaib.
• Characteristics of Bir Tawil:
  • No major cities or capital; mostly desert but larger in area than London or New York City.
  • Inhabited primarily by nomads and miners—"That's people who dig in the earth, not little kids. Just to clear that up."
    —Aaron Mahnke (02:43)
• Modern Claims and Stunts:
  • Internet myths paint Bir Tawil as free for the taking, attracting would-be monarchs and micronation enthusiasts.
    • 2014: Jeremiah Heaton (Virginia, USA) traveled there to "declare it the Kingdom of North Sudan" for his daughter's birthday, "the official title of princess."
      (03:29)
  • Heaton's story gained "eager press coverage and a crowdfunding campaign for his so-called country. He even claimed to have sold the film rights."
  • Heaton claimed his kingdom would be a "daring new idea in the world of geopolitics and technology," hinting at interest from companies for unregulated product development—though Mahnke dryly notes "such claims have yet to manifest. Surprise, surprise."
    —Aaron Mahnke (03:55)
• The True Inhabitants:
  • Contrary to internet myths, people do live there: the Ababda (Abada) people.
    • "In 2019, the first official tour group entered the area ... they had to gain approval and protection from the land's inhabitants, the Abada people. They consider the land to be their homeland, and they are quite protective of it."
      (04:47)
• Cautionary Note About Frontier Fantasies:
  • Places like Bir Tawil "make people in extremely regulated countries salivate with the possibility of freedom and adventure. But ... it's dangerous to assume that a place is up for the taking just because of a long out-of-date treaty."
    • "If you try to become king of the hill without understanding the hill itself, you either start a war or gain a reputation for being ignorant."
      —Aaron Mahnke (05:41)
  • "Neither reason, though, is worth building a whole career around, no matter how nicely that crown might fit on your head."
    —Aaron Mahnke (05:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Bir Tawil is the only habitable land on planet Earth not claimed by one country or another." (01:37)
• "That's people who dig in the earth, not little kids. Just to clear that up." (02:43)
• "[Jeremiah Heaton’s move] was allegedly in order to give his daughter a birthday present, the official title of princess. However sincere his reason, it was ultimately a cynical move..." (03:33)
• "If you try to become king of the hill without understanding the hill itself, you either start a war or gain a reputation for being ignorant." (05:41)

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Story 2: Deeds, Not Words—The Suffragettes’ Fight in Britain

Theme: The radical struggle for women’s suffrage in early 20th-century Britain, as led by the Pankhurst family and the WSPU.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Shifting Rights Over Centuries:
  • Women in Europe had periods of property and leadership rights during the Middle Ages and Enlightenment, but by the late 1700s, things worsened: "women being given the same legal status as children"—needing to defer to their husbands in all matters.
    (08:34)
• The Pankhursts Strike Back:
  • Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1903.
  • Their motto: "Deeds, not words"—"meaning they were done asking nicely for their rights."
    —Aaron Mahnke (09:45)
• Militant Tactics:
  • 1910: Hundreds stormed Parliament, facing brutal police resistance including beatings and sexual assault.
  • WSPU members turned to even stronger action: "smashing windows and setting buildings on fire ... accost[ing] politicians in the streets, and insult[ing] them, demanding the right to vote."
    (10:18)
• Prison Protests:
  • Imprisoned suffragettes staged hunger strikes and suffered brutal force-feeding, leading to laws allowing their temporary release and re-arrest once healthy.
• Turning Point—Emily Davison:
  • At the 1913 Epsom Derby, Davison dramatically attempted to "plant a WSPU flag" on the King’s horse, was fatally struck, and died soon after.
  • The incident caused "even more strife. The WSPU held a parade in her honor, but the government and even the Queen herself denounced Emily."
    (11:36)
  • Queen Mary called her a "horrid woman," despite not being opposed to women's rights.
    —Aaron Mahnke (11:50)
• The War Changes Everything:
  • World War I’s outbreak in 1914 forced women into jobs previously denied to them.
  • By war’s end in 1918, attitudes had shifted and women “finally won the right to vote in Britain.”
    • Germany and the US soon followed: "The US passed the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote in 1920."
      (12:25)
• Legacy & The Role of Radicals:
  • Some historians suggest the WSPU's militancy harmed the cause, but others argue "many social movements require a radical component" to push progress.
    • "They can either give in to the more moderate groups asking nicely for their rights, or they can ignore them and drive them into the arms of the radicals."
      —Aaron Mahnke (13:23)
  • "Their methods may seem curious to us today, but without them, women may not have ever gained equal status in the Western world."
    —Aaron Mahnke (13:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Their motto was literally ‘deeds, not words’, meaning they were done asking nicely for their rights." (09:45)
• "It was not a great plan. The horse was moving pretty darn fast." (11:44)
• "Queen Mary actually called her [Emily Davison] a horrid woman." (11:50)
• “Radical groups like the WSPU make the establishment wake up and realize people are willing to die for the cause in question.” (13:19)
• "Without them, women may not have ever gained equal status in the Western world." (13:35)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:14 — Introduction to Bir Tawil and the concept of unclaimed land.
• 03:29 — Jeremiah Heaton’s 2014 "Kingdom of North Sudan" stunt.
• 04:47 — The Abada people’s claim to Bir Tawil.
• 08:34 — Shifts in women’s rights and beginnings of the Pankhurst/WSPU story.
• 09:45 — Formation of the WSPU, introduction of their militant motto and tactics.
• 11:36 — Emily Davison’s fatal protest at the 1913 Derby.
• 12:25 — After World War I, rapid expansion of women’s suffrage.
• 13:23 — Reflection on the role of radical activism.

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Conclusion & Takeaways

Aaron Mahnke’s storytelling brings both tales to life with wit, skepticism, and historical insight. They share a common thread: the spaces—physical or political—created by lines drawn and rules made (or unmade), and how adventurous or determined individuals try to claim them, for better or worse. Ultimately, both stories underscore the complexities of ownership, activism, and the risks (or absurdities) of trying to lay claim to something whose story didn’t begin with you.

“Stay curious.” — Aaron Mahnke (13:44)

Transcript

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[Aaron Manke]

welcome to Aaron 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. We all know what Egypt looks like on a map. It's a squarish country cut out of northeast Africa, easily distinguishable on a map by the Nile river delta at the north end. But if you direct your attention to the southern border, you may see something a little odd. On some maps. There's a strange bump on the bottom of the Egyptian border, indicated by a dotted line that crosses into the territory of Sudan. This territory is called Birtwill, which means tall water well in Arabic, and it exists in a fascinating legal gray area. Birtwill is the only habitable land on planet Earth not claimed by one country or another. Egypt claims it's Sudanese territory, and Sudan claims that it's part of Egypt. With neither country claiming proper ownership, it's left to become a true no man's land. It has no capital and no major cities. According to most sources, the population consists mostly of nomads and miners who pass through the land. That's people who dig in the earth, not little kids. Just to clear that up. So how does something like this happen? What causes a territory with no ruler to appear in the middle of North Africa well, unsurprisingly, Bir Tawil exists because of borders drawn in the early 20th century by the British Empire. The original border between Egypt and Sudan was drawn during the British occupation of Egypt in 1899, without consideration for the actual geography and the cultural borders of the region. Three years later, in 1902, the British administrators of Egypt amended this oversight, creating the squiggly border that ceded some land to Sudan and created two new territories in the process, the Halaib Triangle and Beer to Will. After Sudan declared independence in 1956, the debate over the border began. Both Egypt and Sudan wanted control over the Halaib Triangle because it touched the Red Sea and was thus more valuable as a piece of land. Birl, meanwhile, was mostly desert, habitable and larger in area than London or New York City, but without any specific geographical advantage. This is the limbo that Bir Tawil has existed in ever since. It is perhaps not a surprise that the liminal space has attracted attention from all sorts of interests. It's not easy to get to, but self styled adventurers are eager to visit any land with no designated government. In 2014, for example, a man from Virginia named Jeremiah Heaton took the pilgrimage in order to plant a flag there and declare it the Kingdom of North Sudan with himself as its king. This was allegedly in order to give his daughter a birthday present, the official title of princess. However sincere his reason, it was ultimately a cynical move, prompting eager press coverage and a crowdfunding campaign for his so called country. He even claimed to have sold the film rights to his story. In an interview, he described his country not as a whim, but as a daring new idea in the world of geopolitics and technology. He said that many companies had approached him about using the land for unregulated product development and but such claims have yet to manifest. Surprise, surprise. And of course, micronation enthusiasts love claiming the land for themselves, even when the land itself already has its own occupants. You see, the Internet might mislead you if you were to do a Google search for beard to will. It's described as unclaimed land, but that land is very much claimed. In 2019, the first official tour group entered the area, but in order to do so, they had to gain approval and protection and from the land's inhabitants, the Abada people. They consider the land to be their homeland, and according to members of the 2019 tour, they are quite protective of it, no matter what maps drawn by the British might say, or indeed what a man from Virginia might say the world is a far different place now than it was in 2014. Places like Bir Tawil make people in extremely regulated countries salivate with the possibility of freedom and adventure. But much like the frontiers that our ancestors once trampled across, it's dangerous to assume that a place is up for the taking just because of a long out of date treaty. If you try to become king of the hill without understanding the hill itself, you either start a war or gain a reputation for being ignorant. Neither reason, though, is worth building a whole career around, no matter how nicely that crown might fit on your head.

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[Aaron Manke]

By the early 20th century, women's rights had experienced significant ups and downs throughout Europe, where the Middle Ages and the latter Enlightenment had seen women taking positions of leadership and owning property. The late 1700s and early 1800s saw many setbacks, with women being given the same legal status as children, which is to say, they had to defer to their husbands in all matters. Well, in 1903 in Great Britain, the women of the Pankhurst family had enough of these infringements on their rights. The family consisted of mother Emmeline and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia. Their father, Richard, was a wealthy lawyer who passed away in 1898, and Christabel wanted to follow in his footsteps and practice law, but she was only allowed to take the courses. The law prohibited her from actually becoming an attorney. Emmeline, meanwhile, was angered when she found out that women were barred from labor meetings. At the local meeting hall, which ironically, was named after her late husband, who had been a supporter of women's rights, the women took matters into their own hands, forming their own political group, naming it the Women's Social and Political Union, or WSPU for short. It was one of the earliest groups calling for women's suffrage, and from the beginning, their motto was literally deeds, not words, meaning they were done asking nicely for their rights. In 1910, hundreds of their members stormed Parliament after they refused to grant women the right to vote. The police completely turned on them, beating them and even sexually assaulting some of them. But this didn't stop the women. In fact, it only emboldened them. They began a militant campaign across England, smashing windows and setting buildings on fire. They took every opportunity to accost politicians in the streets and insult them, demanding the right to vote. The police kept up the pressure, arresting as many as they could and imprisoning them in small, crowded cells so that they were as uncomfortable as possible. And in turn, these suffragettes, as they were known as, went on hunger strikes, refusing to eat. While in prison, their jailers tried to force feed them, but this often led to injury. A law was actually passed allowing the release of the prisoners so that they could go eat again, but then making it so that they could be rearrested once they were healthy. Things reached ahead in 1913 at the Epsom Derby, a horse race that remains a significant English tradition to this day. The King himself doesn't race in the Derby, but but he has a horse ridden on his behalf by a jockey. Well, during the race in 1913, WSPU member Emily Davidson ducked under the railing on the side of the racetrack and jumped toward the King's horse. It hit her full on, fracturing her skull and sending the jockey and horse tumbling to the ground. Emily died shortly after. It's unlikely that she was actually trying to throw herself in front of the horse. It seems that she wanted to quickly plant a WSPU flag on it, but this was not a great plan. The horse was moving pretty darn fast. Her death caused even more strife. The WSPU held a parade in her honor, but the government and even the Queen herself denounced Emily. Queen Mary actually called her a horrid woman. Now, she wasn't necessarily opposed to women's rights, but she was as privileged a woman as there could possibly be. And she didn't understand why the average woman would be willing to die for a cause. World War I began the following year in 1914, and changed everything. Suddenly, all the men were fighting and dying in Europe, and the women were the ones left to work jobs that had previously been denied to them. By the end of the war in 1918, attitudes had changed significantly, and women finally won the right to vote in Britain. Germany joined them the same year, and the US passed the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote in 1920. Today, the WSPU and Emily Davidson have become a curious anecdote in history. Some historians say that they actually damage the cause by making suffragettes look bad in the press, while others argue that many social movements require a radical component to make the moderates look more reasonable. Essentially, radical groups like the WSPU make the establishment wake up and realize people are willing to die for the cause in question. They can either give in to the more moderate groups asking nicely for their rights, or they can ignore them and drive them into the arms of the radicals. Looking back, perhaps it's worth keeping an open mind about the tactics of the wspu. Their methods may seem curious to us today, but without them, women may not have ever gained equal status in the Western world. I hope you enjoyed today's guided tour through the Cabinet of Curiosities. This show was created by me, Aaron Manke, in partnership with iHeart Podcasts, researched and written by the grim and mild team and produced by Jesse Fung. Learn more about the show and the people who make it [e-mail] curiosities. You'll also find a link to the official Cabinet of Curiosities 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 and for a small monthly fee. Learn more and sign up [e-mail] grimandmild and until next time, stay curious.

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