Lore 316: A Spoonful of Sugar
Summary
This episode explores the folklore and history behind candy, from Japan’s protective Amabuya mermaid to global traditions of sweet offerings for spirits and the dead. Host Aaron Sorkin details the Aztec origins of chocolate and its journey from sacred ritual to European superstition. The narrative then shifts to a true crime story about Christiana Edmunds, a Victorian woman who poisoned Maynard’s chocolates in Brighton to manipulate a doctor, resulting in multiple deaths. Finally, the episode recounts the 1858 Bradford Humbug disaster, where a pharmacy mix-up led to arsenic-laced peppermint…
Topics discussed
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The Amabilla: Japanese mermaid spirit and candy
Global folklore: Monsters, sweets, and death rituals
History of chocolate: Aztec magic to European medicine
Christiana Edmonds: The Brighton chocolate poisoner
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Bradford Humbug Disaster: Arsenic in candy
Outro: Book promo, support options, and final ads
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