Death by Honey: The Legend of the Mellified Man
Summary
Hosts Noel Brown and Ben Bulland explore the legend of the "mellified man," a mythical practice where holy men allegedly preserved themselves in honey to create a miraculous medicine. Drawing from Li Shizhen’s *Bencao Gangmu* and Herodotus, they analyze the historical plausibility of this ritual, noting the lack of physical evidence and the high cost of honey. The episode also covers honey’s historical significance in human evolution, its antimicrobial properties, and its role in various cultural beliefs, concluding with a skeptical take on the story’s origins.
Topics discussed
Intro and the cruise ship tattoo debate
The question of cannibalism and human cake
Thanatology and the study of death
Sponsor: California manufacturing and agriculture
Word of the day: Mellification and honey cooking
Air fryers, Delta cards, and honey in movies
Honey's health properties and evolutionary role
Manuka honey and ancient beekeeping evidence
Spider Cave paintings and early apiary practices
Honey in religion, myth, and global culture
Alchemical ideas and the concept of mad honey
The legend of the mellified man and Herodotus
Modern supplements and cycling fuel
Sponsor: Before the Moment series
Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu and the mellified man entry
The process of mellification: diet and preservation
The 100-year curing process and stone coffins
Amber vs. honey and the medicinal application
Scarcity, cost, and the elite nature of the remedy
Skepticism regarding the historical evidence
Ritual cannibalism and transubstantiation comparisons
Mummy medicine and the lack of physical evidence
Translation issues and Burmese monk preservation
Biological impossibility and travel anecdotes
Counterfeit mellified man and historical frauds
Spooky season costumes and the quincunx
Outro and credits
Sponsors: California and mastocytosis awareness
Listen ad-free on Castria