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Secret elixirs Since ancient times, people have sought out aphrodisiacs. You know, those mysterious foods, herbs and even animal parts thought to ignite desire, spark passion and awaken romance. From Cleopatra's seductive secrets to modern day myths about oysters and chocolates, aphrodisiacs have captured our curiosity and fueled our fantasies for centuries. But do these so called love enhancers really work? Are they based on science or just like, I don't know, rumors and what's the strangest aphrodisiac ever used? Today, we're diving deep into the fascinating world of aphrodisiacs, exploring the wild, the weird, and the surprisingly real effects behind these tantalizing tales of romance. Welcome to the Dark History of Aphrodisiacs. Oh, which one do I want? Oh, this one might do it for me. No, that was a plant. Hi, friends. I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian, and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Here we believe history does not have to be boring. It might be tragic sometimes, a lot of the times it is, sometimes it's happy. But either way, it's our dark history. Before we get into it, don't forget to like and subscribe, because I'm always here for you posting new content. And I love hearing from you in the comments section because I read them at the end. You stick around for that? Well, you should. Now, let's get into today's topic. Huh? Mm. Aphrodisiac. Huh? What is it? What is that? What is that? What is that? What is that? Let me tell you what exactly is an aphrodisiac? You may be thinking a very simple definition is a food, drink, or drug that stimulates sexual desire. Early western aphrodisiacs were usually just foods and plants that looked like sex organs. I guess the logic was that if it looks like a penis and or vagina, it would be good for your penis and. Or vagina. Vagina, Vagina. It was pretty simple. These were phallic or penis shaped things like parsnips. How do you say that? What the is that? These were phallic or penis shaped things like parsnips and carrots. You know, they also ate foods shaped like testes, things like eggs and beets. And for the ladies, we got to eat artichokes, fish, figs, apples and oysters. Oysters creep me out because they really are a little, like, you know, they look a little wet, you know what I'm saying? And to this day, oysters honestly have the same reputation. And I've always wondered, like, is there actual science behind the whole oyster makes you want to, like, do it or something, right? Because there has to be a story. Well, what if I told you the whole reason we associate oysters with sexual is because of a severed penis? Ah, yes, you heard me correctly. Severed penis. Let me explain. Have you seen that painting of Aphrodite coming out of the clamshell? I Don't know how she looks. I don't know. It's iconic. Everyone knows her. Her hair's everywhere. She is a goddess. Looking at myself, but she's covering herself up still. She's very. She's very, like, oh, don't look at me. But, like, still look at me one time. Side note, I went to a psychic, and this psychic told me that I'm Aphrodite. That's really all he said. And I was like, okay, here's your money. Have a great day. Isn't that funny? I don't know. Okay, that's my story. Have a good day. So, Aphrodite, let's get back to that. Bailey. So this painting has a backstory. Okay? Aphrodite didn't just wake up that way. In a clamshell, you know? No. The goddess of love, Aphrodite, was actually born from sea foam, according to mythology. So I guess her dad was in a physical fight with his son, Cronus. Cronus must have been pretty mad because he went straight for his dad's balls. Literally. Cronus cut off his penis, and then he tossed it right into the ocean. Okay. He was pulling a Lorena Bobbit before the bobbit, you know what I'm saying? Through the penis. Very romantic. Sorry. I'm just saying. So cute. All of this white foam had appeared. Ew. But no, not ew. Because out of that white foam appeared Aphrodite. Now, because Aphrodite is the goddess of love, and because she was born from the ocean, it's believed that many things in the sea are infused with her powers of love, including oysters. And because of their shape and consistency, it reminded people of the vagina. But oysters were hard to get your hands on, just like the vagina, unless you lived, like, on the coast. Which is probably why oysters weren't the most popular aphrodisiac back in the day. But there was one especially notorious aphrodisiac that was used by both men and women all over the world. From ancient times in Greece all the way up to the 18th century, this magical aphrodisiac was known for giving you all kinds of sexual power instead. Stamina. Wow. Crazy episode, huh, you guys? I know. Sometimes I get so desperate. Oh, to find a skincare product right now, especially, my skin is just acting crazy. First of all, I'm stressed and I'm dry, and it's just like, I'm oily, I'm dry, I'm greasy, I'm breaking out. And then the reason I'M breaking out is cause I'm stressed, but I'm stressed cause I'm breaking out and I'm like, hello. That's why I'm always excited to have apostrophe on my side. The sponsor of today's episode. If you don't know, Apostrophe is an online platform that connects you with an expert dermatology team to get customized skincare and dermatology treatment for your unique skin. So whether you're dealing with dry skin, oily skin, fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, acne, Apostrophe helps you get access to the right products and treatments for you and your concerns. All you have to do is fill out an online consultation and then you take a few selfies of your skin, and then a dermatology provider will create a customized treatment plan just for you. I love it. It's so easy. Through apostrophe, you can get access to oral and topical medications that use clinically proven ingredients to address whatever skin concern you have. Right now, you can't tell if you're watching the video cause I wear a lot of makeup, but my skin is breaking out like crazy. So right now, like, stress acne's back. So I go right to apostrophe and I update the website and tell them, like, what's going on? And then they send me product right to my door. I. I freaking love it. I love it. It's so easy. You don't even have to leave the house or go to a dermatologist. Like, they come to you. It's the best h. I've been using it for years. Right now, we have a special deal for our audience. You can get your first Visit for only $5@apastrophe.com DarkHistory when you use our code darkhistory, that's a savings of $15. And this code is only available to our link listeners. So to get started, you go to apostrophe.com dark history and then you click get started. Then use code dark history at signup and you'll get your first Visit for only $5. It's the best. A big thank you to apostrophe for sponsoring today's episode. Now let's get back to today's story. Okay, so oysters weren't a realistic aphrodisiac for most people unless you lived by the sea. There was another aphrodisiac that was kind, kind of considered like a common viagra back in the day. It was called the mandrake root. Listen, the mandrake Root has been considered an aphrodisiac for centuries, Mainly due to its unusual appearance. Okay. Its powerful myths and chemical properties. So the mandrake root often splits in ways that look like a small human body. They're really creepy, honestly. It looks like it has limbs and a head. It looks like a little person. It's weird. In ancient times, people believed that plants resembling human forms held mystical powers over health, love, and fertility. This quote, unquote human like shape, helped establish the mandrake as a symbol of attraction, fertility, and sexual power. Now, this mandrake root was thought to possess magical properties and was often associated with love spells and fertility rituals. Legends even suggested that the plant would scream when pulled from the harming or killing the person who harvested it, which just kind of added to its aura of mystery and power. The root appears in classical texts like the Bible, where it's mentioned as an aid to fertility. In medieval times, mandrake was highly valued as a love charm or potion ingredient, and was believed to bring passion to those who used it properly. Mandrake contains psychoactive compounds which can cause hallucinations and sensations of warmth or relaxation when consumed in controlled small doses. These effects were thought to enhance feelings of desire and lower inhibitions, thus fueling its reputation as an aphrodisiac. It's important to note that the mandrake can be toxic and even deadly in large amounts. Okay. This made its use in love potions risky, but again, it also just heightened its allure as, like, a rare, powerful ingredient that only skilled healers and wise individuals could use. The mandrake's dangerous nature and legendary effects on the mind and body contributed to its mystique. As an aphrodisiac, it symbolized both the promise of heightened passion and the risk of venturing into the unknown. In literature and lore, mandrake often represents desire that is forbidden or difficult to control. Again, amplifying its allure. So when someone wanted to make an aphrodisiac or a love potion, they would steep some mandrake root in wine or vinegar. Ew. I know. And then they drink it. And then when you would drink it, you would get kind of like that warmth, that relaxation, that little loosey goosey, you know? Another big reason why a lot of ancient aphrodisiacs worked quotations, Was because of something called the placebo effect. Placebo effect is basically when you start feeling better, or in this case, experience arousal Just because you think you're getting treatment or something, you know, even if what you're actually Getting doesn't really do anything, like it's just a sugar pill. You still will think it's doing something because our brains are psycho. It's wild. So the mandrake root could be working, or some believe it could just be the placebo effect. So on top of things that were shaped like sex organs, ancient cultures believed foods that were rich and fatty increased your libido. Essentially, it seems like most food was seen as an aphrodisiac, which honestly kind of makes sense because it's hard to have a sex drive when you're hungry or starving. And back then, you know, a lot of people were. Unless you were wealthy or royalty, most people back then were hungry. And without decent nutrition, people's libidos and fertility suffered. And without sex, no babies. Which then brings us to the Catholic Church. Now, if you know anything about the Catholic Church, you know that they are. You know, this isn't me trying to be a dick, but they're pretty anti pleasure, right? They believed sex should only be done strictly for baby making purposes. But thanks to plagues and famine and diseases that didn't have cures yet, the population, specifically in the Middle Ages, was taking a real hit. At the same time, the Catholic Church was very worried about women practicing herbal medicine and casting spells. This was because they truly believed that witches were. Were the ones responsible for men losing their erections and women not getting pregnant. Of course, witches. It all makes sense, doesn't it? I don't know if you know this, but we did a dark history episode about witches, and we actually talk more about this if you wanna check it out. That's all. So the Church is like, witches are getting rid of boners, okay? And they were like, listen, people, you can take aphrodisiacs to combat witch spells as long as you also pray. So with the help of the Church, the aphrodisiac trade boomed. To be honest, I've been having a little hard time getting Joan's attention this episode. I guess she doesn't really care about aphrodisiacs, which is surprising. I mean, don't give me attitude. I don't know, I thought you were the one who's, like, looking for love forever. I don't know. Paul, on the other hand, has been taking notes, and this episod has actually inspired him to launch his very own limited edition aphrodisiac chocolate called Bone Me. Show him, Paul. I think he made it in the bathtub, but it's still good. Sadly, Paul is dead, so he kind of needs Help, you know, selling his product online. And I was like, paul, guess what? We've got Squarespace, the sponsor of today's episode. Squarespace is an all in one website platform for entrepreneurs. Whether you're just starting out or managing your growing brand, Squarespace makes it easy to create a beautiful website and sell anything all in one place, all on your terms. The best part about Squarespace is all of their features. They have something called design Intelligence, which uses AI technology to help you build a website that's personalized to you and your brand. So it makes sense, you know, they offer something called Squarespace Payments, which helps manage payments all in one place. Great. And there's a really cool feature, Squarespace's analytics tool. It helps you understand your website traffic, how your website's reach is growing, and even pinpoints where to focus new engagement. So it'd be great for you, Paul, to know who to target with your chocolate. Bone me. Hey, check out squarespace.com for a free trial. And when you're ready to Launch, go to squarespace.com darkhistory to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Thanks to the spice trade, the European market was flooded with all these new foreign spices. It was like a whole new world. A dazzling place with spices and stuff. I was trying to think of the next line. It wasn't coming to me. So spices everywhere. You could season your food. Wow. Mind blowing. You could buy perfume and smell nice. You could even get your hands on the latest trend and aphrodisiacs. Ambergris. Okay, so what is ambergris, Bailey? Well, ambergris is this waxy gunk that kept washing up on the beach. And no one really knew where it was coming from at first, but what they did know was that it had this really potent smell. So even though no one knew exactly what it was, this is where people get weird. They were buying it, they were mixing it with perfumes, they were spraying it on themselves. They were chopping it up and mixing it into their wine. It was sold in all kinds of forms and it was very expensive. It was known as the treasure of the sea. And also floating gold. Floating gold. Apparently, King Louis XV used it to add spice to his food and I guess give him a little after dinner dessert. Maybe. This substance called ambergris. It comes from the intestines of whales, specifically sperm whales, which actually kind of makes sense if you're looking for an aphrodisiac, something that's gonna get you hot and heavy. I would go towards the whale that is specifically named sperm whale. So that connection makes sense to me. But here's what happens when a sperm whale swallows. Who named it the sperm whale, really, when you think about it, you know what I'm saying? Cause we all. Sperm whale, like, what a lousy name. Okay. When a sperm whale swallows something sharp and hard to digest, usually like a squid beak. Squid beak. What's a squid? What's a squid? I know. This was new news to me. Breaking news, everyone. Breaking news. Squids have beaks inside there somewhere there's this hard, sharp piece. I'm not a fishologist, but basically. Okay, it's hard to digest. You get it? It. Basically when a sperm whale eats it, it marinates in their intestines. Eventually it gets wrapped up in this white gray goo, which becomes ambergris. I guess there's some debate about how the ambergris comes out of the whale. Some believe that the whale regurgitates it, earning it a less fancy nickname, whale vomit. But some experts believe that ambergris eventually passes along with fecal matter, forming an obstruction in the rectum. Sometimes, if it's not too big, the whale can pass the ambergris. Yes, this is what we are talking about. But other times, the ambergris gets so big, it eventually fatally ruptures the whale's rectum. Oh, my God. Either way, it's poop or vomit. Fun fact, though, this whale vomit or whale poop is still available in some expensive perfumes today. But not a lot of companies will admit it because it's not technically vegan. Isn't it though? Because whatever. I don't know. Now listen, there are actually laws in place that make it illegal in some countries. In the United States, the possession and trade of ambergris is actually prohibited. Prohibited by the Endangered species Act of 1973. So good luck trying to get that stuff, huh? Even though this was very popular in the Middle Ages, another less smelly and much more fun aphrodisiac shows up in the market around the same time. I'm talking opium, which kinda right off the bat feels kinda ironic because opium also had a reputation for making men impotent. They couldn't get boners. They couldn't get boners. But one chemist in the 1500s swore by opium. His name was Paracelsus, and he called it, quote, the stone of Immortality. And it was said to help men, quote, slow down sexually, aka, you know, not blow off too soon. This was thought to make you a better sexual partner. So Paracelsus would combine opium with a bunch of other ingredients to make a drug called laudanum. He made laudanum from opium Mixed with crushed coral, Crushed pearls, amber, and the bone from the heart of a stag. So a bunch of men started taking opium to help their performance in the bedroom, and they realized if they slowed down, Things could be pleasurable for the women, too. What? Yeah. And this is where a crazy theory comes into play. Around the same time, a dutch doctor named levinas. Lemnias. Sounds like a spell. Made a crazy observation. Now, this doctor said it was important for women to enjoy sex. I know, I know. Who would have thought? That's wild. People are like, what? Lemnius was a highly respected doctor. He worked all over western europe. He managed to treat people through three different epidemics and live to tell the tail. And lemnius was extremely serious about female pleasure, and not just because he was sex positive or evolved or anything. He believed that from a scientific standpoint, Women needed to enjoy sex. If women were having unenjoyable sex purely for procreation, Lemnius believed that their babies would grow up to be, quote, lazy and stupid. End quote. Honestly. Okay, okay, okay. Many scholars from the 15th to the 18th centuries even took this a step further and believed that you couldn't even successfully make a baby if the woman didn't have an orgasm during sex. Now, this idea actually came from ancient roman medical sources that talk about conception as the, quote, melding of two seeds. Oh, and if there was no pleasure, there was no seed. Now, to you and I, it's like, okay, yeah, women should get pleasure, period. Thank you. But back then, this was obviously a wild theory. The whole thing about women only being able to have kids if they had an orgasm Was debunked from cases of rape and sexual assault. But for a very long time, it was believed that, scientifically, Babies could only only be possible if both parties had an orgasm. So now society believes women need to experience sexual pleasure in order to successfully have babies and carry on the human race. They could get hornier faster with aphrodisiacs like opium and laudanum or ambergris. But there was another drug sweeping society, Something much more delicious than the others. And it all started with the incas and aztec. Just like the catholics, the incas and the aztecs Were obsessed with growing their populations. You couldn't win wars without a big army, and you couldn't have an army if you didn't have a lot of men. So they considered having children to be pretty essential. Naturally, this meant they used aphrodisiacs constantly. But the Incas and Aztecs took this a step further. They believed you can use them for magic, essentially like a love spell to change a person's mind if they weren't interested in you sexually. And they believed one of the most powerful ingredients for this was chocolate. But it wasn't chocolate like we think of today. Then. It was a drink called a texli. This was made from cacao beans, which were linked to the Aztec goddess of fertility. And this is what gave the chocolate its magical properties. A texli was very expensive, so not everyone could afford to drink it at the time. You had to be in the ruling class to access chocolate. The emperor of the Aztecs, Montezuma ii, was apparently obsessed with chocolate. Montezuma. I'm having a random flashback right now. You guys ever go to Knott's Berry Farm? They have this right there called Montezuma. I puked on it. I puked on Montezuma. I am so sorry, but it just goes in circles. They had to close it down for me because I puked and I ruined some of. Yep, Montezuma. Thanks for that memory. All right. If you look it up, it's still closed. It's still closed. So I know we're talking about aphrodisiacs right now, but Montezuma triggered that ride. Oh, God. What is up with that ride? They had, like, this whole, like, Aztec section. Have you been on Jaguar? It's, like, so slow. It doesn't matter. Montezuma puked. Obsessed chocolate. So back to Montezuma the Second. So Montezuma ii, he had cups decorated with jewels strictly for the purpose of drinking this chocolate aphrodisiac. He would send bowls full of chocolate to women who he was trying to do something with, see if they were available. And maybe it was magical, because these women would end up joining his harem. Montezuma's court went through 2,000 cups of chocolate every day. Oh, my God. They were busy. Montezuma himself, allegedly. We couldn't get a comment from him. Drink 50 cups of it a day? Yes. This is giving my strange addiction. Honestly, I'd be drinking 50 cups of chocolate a day, too, if they let me. Sure. Why not? Like, sure, I have it. Chocolate makes its way around the world into the hands of another famously freaky man, Giacomo Casanova. We've talked about him. Yeah, we've talked about everyone here, huh? Casanova was born on April 2, 1725, in Venice, Italy. He grew up to be an Italian adventurer, writer, soldier, spy, and even a diplomat he was busy. But honestly, he's probably most famous for being a playboy, a womanizer. You know, even to this day, sometimes. Maybe you've heard people refer to other guys as Casanovas. That's because of this guy. He traveled all around Europe seducing women and getting friendly with royalty. Very friendly. As a teenager, he lost his virginity to two sisters in Venice high society. And according to him, he had sex with about 130 people. And this was during a time when there was a lot of shame around having, like, sex with a lot of people, you know? And he was obsessed with aphrodisiacs, specifically chocolate. He was a lover. I bet he had a big ol. Mm. I bet. I guess one of his signature moves was when he was seducing a woman, he would offer her a dish of chocolate mousse. But guess what? This mousse had a secret ingredient. Ambergris. Oh, he's getting there. Double fancy in there. He would even eat this special chocolate mousse himself, specifically in bed. It was said Casanova was also a huge fan of oysters. I guess at one point, Casanova heard a story about a Roman emperor who ate 1200 oysters at a feast to help him perform. So Casanova was like, I'm in. He started eating oysters, but not, like, every once in a while. He wasn't normal about it. Casanova wrote in his memoir about how he would start his day by eating dozens of oysters for breakfast. Just pounding them. I don't know. I don't know. That's okay. I'm picturing Gaston from Beauty and the Beast downing all of those oysters instead of eggs. No one's thick like Gaston no one's hot like Gaston no one knows I loved Gaston now this might sound crazy, but Casanova was a total angel compared to the next guy we're going to talk about. He was French, he was freaky, and he almost ruined aphrodisiacs for everyone. And you actually already know his name. Guys, it's a very exciting day over here. Joan, do you want to tell them? Oh, my God. Quit acting so shy. Joan found love. We're so happy for her. She's gonna be less grumpy. We love that Paul set her up with his friend Patrick, and they just, like, seemed to hit it off right away, and we love that. And he asked Joan to be his valentine. Isn't that so cute? Patrick, do you have anything to say to the listeners out there? Awesome. We love. Okay, big talker. I can see why you like Him. Joan and Paul, how are you feeling about this? Oh, Paula, it's okay, though. You can come over on Valentine's Day and I'll cook us a delicious dinner. And listen, when you come over, it's gonna be great because we've got hungryroot. Ah, yes. And guess what? It's the easiest way to eat healthy. Hungryroot takes the stress of meal planning by recommending delicious recipes based on your taste, nutrition preferences and health goals. Just go to their website and then you tell them about your goals and preferences and they fill your cart with personalized recommendations. Love that they have recipes for every lifestyle. So I'm talking about, like, dairy free, gluten free, high protein. Hungry Root's food is high quality and nutritious. And it's made without high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives. And the best part, all of Hungry Roots recipes can be made in just 15 minutes or less. Quick and easy, just how I like it. On Valentine's Day, I think I'm going to cook the turkey, meatloaf and herby roast potatoes for our dinner. Mm. Ah, yeah. I don't care about Paul. Honestly, I'm a meat and potatoes kind of gal. Aw. You're going to love Hungryroot as much as I do. Take advantage of this exclusive offer. For a limited time, you can get 40% off your first box, plus get a free item in every box for life. Go to hungryroot.com darkhistory and use code dark history. That's hungryroot.com darkhistory code darkhistory to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your Choice for Life. Hungryroot.com Darkhistory code Dark History. Thank you, Hungryroot. Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom. So Casanova is getting freaky all over the world, eating dozens of oysters for breakfast and feeding his lovers chocolate mousse for dessert. Living the dream. But over in France, things are a little different. Have you guys ever heard of the word sadism? You probably have if you watched murder mystery makeup. Huh? Well, if you haven't, sadism is a word that describes certain types of people who get off on causing pain. It can range from enjoying seeing others in pain to actively causing it. The main thing you want, though, is for both parties to be consenting. Just throwing that out there. A lot of people think the word sadism comes from sadistic, but sadism and sadistic and all versions of that word were actually named after someone. The Marquis de Sade. That's his name. I know. I'm not just shouting something random. This guy was like Casanova, but on steroids. He was born in Paris just 15 years after. After Casanova. His real. Okay, listen. His real first name was Donation. That was his name. Or maybe it could have been like Donation. But listen. He was born into one of the oldest aristocratic families in France. But of course, with great wealth comes great dysfunction. Huh? His dad was pretty mia, I guess he was having affairs and, like, running around all over the country. Country. His mom was a lady in waiting to the princess at Versailles, and she was all about keeping up appearances. By the time he was only 4, the Marquis was known as a very naughty boy. He beat up the French prince so bad that his mom ended up sending him away to live with his uncle. The marquis's uncle and his servants ended up spoiling him rotten. I mean, the servants basically. Basically couldn't say no to this kid. So he got everything he wanted. And his uncle wasn't a very good influence. Rumor has it he even introduced his nephew to some pretty scandalous literature at a very young age. Basically, like our version of porn when he was only 6 years old. When he was 10, the Marquis was sent to school, but he misbehaved so badly that he was subjected to intense physical punishment by beating. They would beat him a lot. And he spent the rest of his adult life obsessed with flagellation and violence. And it became like his kink, meaning he came to associate pain with sex. Keep in mind, this is 18th century France. People are wearing really big wigs, corsets. They're extremely buttoned up. Everything is, like, very covered. You know, it was not exactly a time when BDSM was in the conversation. Okay, so when he was a teenager, the Marquis was having dozens of affairs, most of them with sex workers. And the first time he got in real trouble was when he was forced or when he forced a prostitute to use crucifixes during sex, which was considered completely blasphemous. He's like, hold this. I don't know what he wanted them to do with it. We can use our imagination, or maybe he just wanted them to hold it. We don't really know, but, you know, it was scandalous. He did get in a small amount of trouble, but the Marquis, he didn't care. He was used to getting whatever he wanted and doing whatever he pleased and honestly, getting him in trouble. Kind of just. I think he liked it. He liked it. He wanted to turn things up a notch when he was 23. He locked a woman in a house and ordered her to whip him while he masturbated into a holy chalice. Should we go to church after this? Okay. The holy chalice is like, essentially the communion cup where they put the blood of Jesus. Yeah. He liked mixing religion with sex. I'm not judging. On easter Sunday in 1768, he invited one of his servants into his room. He seduced her, cut her with a knife, and dripped hot wax into her wounds. Now, many said this is pretty sadistic, but I am intrigued. It's very Ricky Martin, but kind of like, not. But what? Okay. The family ended up paying this woman off to keep her from testifying and, like, you know, telling everyone. But the story spread like wildfire, and the damage was done. The family was totally humiliated. Once again, the Marquis did not give a damn. He was too busy getting into his latest obsession, aphrodisiacs. Naturally, the Marquis was very into doing anything he could to amp up his sex drive. And his personal favorite aphrodisiac was something called Spanish fly. Spanish fly is the stuff that comes from a specific kind of beetle called blister beetles. Apparently, when two blister beetles mate, the male gives the female this juice, literal beetle juice, to help protect her eggs. The beetlejuice has a chemical in it called cantharidin, and it causes really painful blisters. But somehow, at some point, someone discovered that in human men, cantharidin causes erections. So it was believed to be a very powerful aphrodisiac. Apparently, this was used all the way back in Roman times. Julius Caesar's wife Livia would blackmail men by slipping this betelgeuse into their food. These men would get boners, and then she could easily entice them into situations, and then, boom, baby, you've got blackmail, you've got mail. Nice. Spanish fly can also cause a burning feeling in the urinary tract, but this is just in small doses. In bigger doses, Spanish fly can actually be deadly. It was allegedly even one of the ingredients in the Aqua Tofana poison. I mean, all roads lead back to Aqua Tofana. Do they not? Do they not? We could use some now. But the Marquis either didn't know about this or he didn't really care, because he would lace candies and sweets with Spanish fly and offer them to girls that he was trying to sleep with. Oh. But guess what? Products that give men erections and urinary tract burning don't necessarily turn women on when they take them. In July of 1770, 2, the Marquis threw a little party in Marseille, Fl, France, and he decides to invite a group of his favorite sex workers over, hoping to have an orgy. You know, for the occasion, he made a special batch of chocolate that was laced with a ton of Spanish fly. And we don't know if he knew how dangerous this was, but either way, he wasn't exactly known for playing it safe. Hey, side note, but isn't it kind of wild when you think about it, how for centuries and years and years and years and years and years, men have been lacing our foods and drinks to have sex with us forever? Is that nuts? Wow. I mean, look at him. He's putting Spanish fly and shit, not telling anyone dick. When will it end, huh? Anyhow, so he gave these women a ton of this Spanish fly Beetlejuice chocolate, and I guess things went south real quick. Instead of sparking a passionate evening of lovemaking and tongues, the woman started feeling violently ill. Okay. They were like, I don't feel so hot. Projectile vomit everywhere. Stomach pain. Oh, it's coming out both ends now. Oh, my God. What did you give me? Did he apologize or get help? Well, of course not. He literally. I guess he literally ran away. Once the woman started spilling the tea about what happened. This was all over the news, and the police were happy for any excuse to arrest this guy because he was just one of those creepy rich guys who thought that he was above the rules. So they got him, and they charged him for poisoning and sodomy, and they sentenced him to the. The death penalty. Ooh. But somehow the Marquis managed to escape. Instead of being executed. He continued to go in and out of prison and even wrote some steamy novels while he was in there. His most popular novel, Justine, has a scene where a perverted priest defiles a girl with a strategically inserted communion wafer. Use your imagination. It completely scandalized French society for centuries. How can someone think of this? Before the Marquis, aphrodisiacs were seen as, you know, innocent, normal, kind of like mythological. There was, like, lore. It was kind of cute. After the Marquis, they started being associated with risk, moral outrage, and literally criminal behavior. Around this same time, there were tons of advancements in the world of science, which, great news for us, but bad news for aphrodisiacs, because science started to debunk most of them. Joan and I are going to celebrate Galentine's day this year, and she wants to go on a hike. I know. I was like, outside hikes are uncomfortable. I mean, sweaty, moving titties, popping out boob sweat. Not ideal, but that's why I'm happy I found some skims. Oh, yes. I've been talking about skims bras since I first got them and, like, their undershirts and stuff. This is one of them. I wear them. I live in them. I live in them. I do. I wear them as an undershirt everything. But I love their Fits Everybody crossover bralette. So I have boobs high and, you know, I can't go braless, especially if I'm doing some kind of physical activity. And sports bras do that, like, aggressive uniboob thing. So the skims bralettes make me feel supported and comfortable without feeling suffocated, you know. So whether I'm going on this hike or I'm just going to the grocery store, I'm always reaching for my skims bralette. Like every day shop Skims Best intimates, including the Fits Everybody collection and more@skims.com and Skims stores. After you place your order, be sure to let them know that we sent you. There's like a little dropdown menu. So you select podcast in the survey and then you can select our show in the dropdown menu. And if you're looking for the perfect gift for your valentine or maybe just yourself, Skims just launched their best valentine shop ever, available in sizes for women, men, and kids. So the bad press around the marquee, plus people not believing in witch spells anymore, plus people realizing that most aphrodisiacs didn't do anything, meant that less people were now using them. But a lot of aphrodisiacs had grown on people and had been incorporated into everyday life. Like perfume. Smelling nice is part of the science of attraction, after all. And two of the most powerful and expensive ingredients in the perfume trademark were ambergris and deer musk. Ambergris had this extremely strong odor that basically smelled like poop. Honestly, it did. On top of ambergris, people in the 18th century were very much obsessed with deer musk. Deer musk on its own has a very sharp, unpleasant smell, kind of like ammonia. But when it gets mixed in with perfume ingredients, people went wrong crazy over it for centuries. It was said that deer musk's sensual, animalistic scent enhanced intimacy. So it was like the ultimate aphrodisiac. The science behind what we call pheromones hadn't come out yet, but they essentially believed it acted as a pheromone. And if you wore it, you could maybe attract a mate or a deer and look, they Weren't exactly wrong because that's exactly what deer musk did in nature. But for other deers, you know, deer musk actually comes from this innocent looking creature called the musk deer. They really got creative with that name. Let's call it deer musk. Where do you get it? From the musk deer. All right, okay. So this deer is like, it's cute, it's small, no antlers. Okay. They do have creepy little things poking out, like vampire teeth, but for the most part, they're cute little bambies, you know. Only the male deer, though, make. They're the ones that make the musk, which is stored in a gland right by their wiener. It's like a private little pouch of funky cologne which they use to attract. For thousands of years, people in places like Tibet, Nepal, Siberia, and even India were hunting down these deer for their musk glands. Unfortunately, to get this musk, the deer had to die. It wasn't like you could just milk. You can't milk this little vampire deer and, like, send him on his merry way. They had to kill it, cut it open, get the gland, and get the fuck out of there. So once they got this, like, sack of hormonal goo, it would be dried out and you'd be left with this dried up little pouch that looks like a furry beanbag. And it would be filled with, like, stinky brown powder. This would be ground up and added to perfumes, aphrodisiac potions, even some traditional medicines. But the stuff was, again, top dollar. Deer musk was literally worth more than its weight in gold at times. And because of this, the musk deer population really took a hit. Musk hunting was wiping out the deer, and they almost became extinct. And then finally, in the 70s, most of the deer musk trade was banned. A lot of perfumes use synthetic musk now, but there are still a few that use musk from the deer. Some people claim that despite the ethical issues, the gland extraction, and the horrible natural smell, it is still the ultimate perfume. Vip. You know, they make all these synthetic options, but, like, there's nothing better than the natural, unfortunately. Am I saying go buy the natural version? No, because animals have to die for that. And if one of your fragrances has real musk in it, you're basically wearing a badge that says, I am desire. I am deer musk. I am wanted. I am the substance. Just kidding. What's interesting is that even though most aphrodisiacs had been debunked by the 20th century, there were still new ones. Popping up, promising to fix people's sex lives and make them more exciting. And for every new herb and plant, there were independent, semi sketchy studies being done to back them up. A big one was something called yohimbe, which comes from a tree in Africa. Up until Viagra came out on the market in 1998, Yohimbe was believed to help with erectile dysfunction. But people also used it for bodybuilding, and that actually becomes a common theme in modern days. A lot of supplements that were once seen as aphrodisiacs are now sold as bodybuilding supplements. Hmm. Part of this is because some aphrodisiacs are believed to have an effect on your hormones, and testosterone plays a big role in developing muscles. So do you take a Viagra and go work out and then you'll get really, like, swole? Even after Viagra popped up in society, it seems like people still love chasing a little magic potion or pill or. Or powder that will give them that certain je ne sais quoi. According to our expert, people want to think that they can stimulate desire with a pill or an herb. And I wonder if part of the attraction there is that it means we don't have to make any changes to our own behavior. It's like a shortcut. They'll come to me. I don't have to go to them. But instead of popping a pill or eating spiked chocolate mousse, maybe we should just go back to the old way of doing things like killing deer and getting their nut sack area. Thank you. I'm just kidding. Well, friends, aphrodisiacs. Do we believe it? Do we not? I don't know. But one time, many, many years ago, I worked at Sephora. I worked there for, like five years. And there was this one perfume specifically that swore it had aphrodisiacs in it. And every day I would go in and I would just douse myself in it. And it smelled so good. I loved it. And I love the idea of, like, oh, it's going to make people, like, be attracted to you. No, it never happened. But maybe it's just the idea. Who cares if it's a placebo? Look, moral of the story is do whatever you want. If you think it's an aphrodisiac and it's working for you and you love it and you're not hurting anyone else, keep doing it. Who gives a shit? But if someone is trying to sell you something like that, this is an aphrodisiac and it's gonna change your life. And get you laid every single day. Eh? Maybe save your money and just go on a walk. I don't know. Anyhow, I hope you have a really great day today. I hope you have a very special Valentine's Day. If you get laid tonight and you get pregnant, that means you will have a Sagittarius baby. And I welcome that. So get busy, okay? Happy Valentine's Day. Speaking of holidays, this time of year just makes me want to rewind and go back to one of my favorite holidays. Christmas Santa, Baby A Shoo Be Dooby Doo by Doo Boo. The original was written by one of my favorite celebrities. She was once described as the most exciting woman in the world and despite being canceled by the literal White House, she stayed true to herself and gave us iconic moments for over 60 years. So join us on our next episode where we will be talking about Eartha Kitt. Well, friends, thank you for hanging out with me today. Did you know you can actually watch these episodes on YouTube? Yeah, on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, don't forget to check out My Murder My Mystery and Makeup, where we've definitely talked about stuff that is sadistic or sadism, whatever. Hey, but while you're there, don't forget to subscribe. Now, let's read a couple of comments. You guys have left me Charismajade559 left me a comment saying I was having a bad week. All I had to do was watch you do this vampire episode and it made my week. Thank you so much, Bailey. Aw, thank you so much. I'm sorry you were having a really bad week. I feel like those happen. Okay, I. I feel you. And sometimes putting on some comfort television kind of makes things feel a little bit better. And honestly, the vampire episode was one of my favorites. So I'm glad that helped you out. Wasn't it fun? Wasn't it different and weird? I don't know. I love that episode too. But I hope your week is better. Thank you for leaving a comment. I appreciate you. Patty Heffernan, 2451 had an idea for me saying I feel like we need animations that are based on Bailey's narrations. Patty, there's an E in my name. I'm just kidding. Patty. Honestly, Patty, I'm down for this. Do you know someone who can draw really quick? I don't know how to do that stuff. Cause I would draw something and then have little animations up in my perfect world. Oh yeah. So if you know someone who could doodle, let me know and I can make that happen for you. Patty Yesenia P9541 left us an Episode Suggestion Digital Verbal Abuse the Dark History of Smarter Childs Ooo, you came in hot today with a good one. Ah, that's a good idea nowadays with the AI chatbots. But it all started with Smarter Child. Smarter Child was something else. Okay, I like this idea. I like where your head is at. I like this. I'm gonna write this down in my notebook and maybe I'll look into it. I feel like as AI is going and going it might just get worse and worse. Let me not get ahead of myself. Thank you for the suggestion. I appreciate you guys for watching and engaging. Don't forget to leave a comment because maybe you will be featured. Now I will be taking the box of chocolate from Paul. Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. And hey, if you don't know, Dark History is an Audioboom original Special thank you to our expert Alison Downham at Western Sydney University and I'm your host Bailey Sarian. I hope you have a good day. You make good choices and I'll be talking to you very soon. Goodbye.
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