1 00:00:01,917 --> 00:00:04,125 (gentle music) 2 00:00:04,208 --> 00:00:07,250 - Tonight, be careful what you wish for. 3 00:00:08,042 --> 00:00:10,125 - At the heart of every curse, 4 00:00:10,125 --> 00:00:13,417 someone believes that they can protect themselves 5 00:00:13,583 --> 00:00:17,125 or harm their enemies with a magic spell. 6 00:00:17,250 --> 00:00:20,417 - [Dennis] From a powerful ring with lethal consequences. 7 00:00:20,542 --> 00:00:24,417 - This ring will be the death of whoever owns it. 8 00:00:24,542 --> 00:00:27,625 - To a sinister tablet that can take out a rival. 9 00:00:27,750 --> 00:00:29,708 - The Romans and the Greeks had this propensity 10 00:00:29,792 --> 00:00:31,708 for appealing to dark magic 11 00:00:31,792 --> 00:00:33,375 in order to get what they wanted. 12 00:00:34,458 --> 00:00:37,833 - Or how about a blessed stone with a dark side? 13 00:00:37,958 --> 00:00:40,333 - Anyone who removes a stone from the property 14 00:00:40,375 --> 00:00:43,500 will suffer endless misfortune and misery 15 00:00:43,625 --> 00:00:45,292 until it's returned. 16 00:00:45,375 --> 00:00:47,667 - [Dennis] Did these infamous cursed relics 17 00:00:47,833 --> 00:00:50,000 truly change lives? 18 00:00:50,125 --> 00:00:52,333 - We do have some historical accounts 19 00:00:52,458 --> 00:00:54,167 where the named victims of curses 20 00:00:54,292 --> 00:00:57,167 do in fact meet with unfortunate fates. 21 00:00:58,083 --> 00:01:00,375 - Sacred objects that have inspired awe 22 00:01:00,542 --> 00:01:02,208 for thousands of years. 23 00:01:02,375 --> 00:01:05,292 Now the remarkable stories behind history's 24 00:01:05,417 --> 00:01:08,375 most compelling "Holy Marvels." 25 00:01:08,500 --> 00:01:10,792 (epic music) 26 00:01:20,833 --> 00:01:24,000 - When you think of a ring with extraordinary powers, 27 00:01:24,125 --> 00:01:27,500 it's hard not to imagine "The Lord of the Rings." 28 00:01:27,583 --> 00:01:31,208 But the real inspiration behind the iconic series 29 00:01:31,292 --> 00:01:36,125 is much darker and rooted in the Norse religion. 30 00:01:36,250 --> 00:01:41,458 - Norse mythology is full of epic, fantastical sagas 31 00:01:41,542 --> 00:01:45,208 involving many Gods and their divine powers. 32 00:01:45,375 --> 00:01:47,042 You might be familiar with some of them 33 00:01:47,167 --> 00:01:48,875 like Thor, the God of Thunder, 34 00:01:49,042 --> 00:01:50,750 or his mischievous brother, Loki, 35 00:01:50,875 --> 00:01:52,417 or his father, Odin. 36 00:01:54,167 --> 00:01:56,500 - The Norse legends start in Scandinavia, 37 00:01:56,583 --> 00:01:58,167 but as those people migrate south, 38 00:01:58,333 --> 00:02:01,167 the stories begin to spread. 39 00:02:01,250 --> 00:02:04,167 They show up in the Netherlands, France, Germany, England, 40 00:02:04,250 --> 00:02:05,792 all over the place. 41 00:02:05,875 --> 00:02:07,333 - [Dennis] One of the most famous 42 00:02:07,458 --> 00:02:12,167 is a story from the 5th century about a dwarf named Andvari. 43 00:02:12,292 --> 00:02:14,792 - Andvari is a bitter and stingy dwarf 44 00:02:14,875 --> 00:02:16,042 who lives under a waterfall, 45 00:02:16,167 --> 00:02:18,542 but he's also a highly-skilled blacksmith 46 00:02:18,708 --> 00:02:20,667 and master craftsman. 47 00:02:20,792 --> 00:02:24,000 He also has the incredible ability to shape-shift 48 00:02:24,042 --> 00:02:26,625 and he can turn from a land-dwelling dwarf 49 00:02:26,708 --> 00:02:29,167 into a seafaring fish. 50 00:02:29,333 --> 00:02:31,125 - One day he decides to swim out further 51 00:02:31,292 --> 00:02:32,542 than he swam before, 52 00:02:32,667 --> 00:02:35,500 and he encounters some water nymphs who have gold. 53 00:02:35,625 --> 00:02:39,333 The water nymphs mock Andvari's fish-like appearance, 54 00:02:39,417 --> 00:02:42,833 so Andvari decides to take vengeance on the nymphs for this 55 00:02:42,958 --> 00:02:44,792 and steal their gold. 56 00:02:45,875 --> 00:02:47,375 - [Dennis] With the stolen gold, 57 00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:50,375 Andvari crafts a magical ring. 58 00:02:51,417 --> 00:02:53,333 - The legend describes the ring 59 00:02:53,375 --> 00:02:57,750 as glittering solid gold designed with two serpents. 60 00:02:57,875 --> 00:03:00,333 It's also inscribed with magical writing, 61 00:03:00,458 --> 00:03:02,625 much like Tolkien's famous ring. 62 00:03:02,750 --> 00:03:05,667 - The magic of the ring, according to the legend, 63 00:03:05,750 --> 00:03:09,125 is that Andvari is able to use it to find gold 64 00:03:09,208 --> 00:03:12,667 and also to turn objects into gold. 65 00:03:12,792 --> 00:03:16,333 So with this ring he's able to amass a huge amount of money 66 00:03:16,458 --> 00:03:17,833 in a very short time. 67 00:03:19,250 --> 00:03:22,542 - But it comes with a terrible curse as well. 68 00:03:23,500 --> 00:03:26,000 Enter Loki, the God of mischief. 69 00:03:26,167 --> 00:03:29,083 He steals Andvari's money and the ring 70 00:03:29,208 --> 00:03:30,333 in order to pay a debt 71 00:03:30,500 --> 00:03:32,583 that he owes to a king named Hreidmar. 72 00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:35,333 Andvari declares that, quote, 73 00:03:35,417 --> 00:03:39,167 "This ring, along with all of the gold and treasures, 74 00:03:39,250 --> 00:03:42,292 will be the death of whoever owns it." 75 00:03:42,375 --> 00:03:44,292 - But Loki isn't phased. 76 00:03:44,417 --> 00:03:46,417 Technically, he's not the owner of the ring. 77 00:03:46,542 --> 00:03:49,042 He's gonna give it to King Hreidmar to pay off the debt, 78 00:03:49,208 --> 00:03:51,500 and that's exactly what he does. 79 00:03:51,583 --> 00:03:54,833 - King Hreidmar has sons named Regin and Fáfnir, 80 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,292 but he wants to keep the gold and the ring for himself. 81 00:03:58,375 --> 00:04:00,333 Fáfnir is appalled 82 00:04:00,458 --> 00:04:02,750 that the king won't share his wealth with him. 83 00:04:02,875 --> 00:04:04,458 - As the legend goes, 84 00:04:04,542 --> 00:04:08,875 greed takes hold and Fáfnir kills King Hreidmar, 85 00:04:09,042 --> 00:04:10,208 his own father, 86 00:04:10,333 --> 00:04:12,625 and so he gets the money and the ring. 87 00:04:13,167 --> 00:04:15,250 - [Dennis] Once Fáfnir has the ring, 88 00:04:15,375 --> 00:04:19,500 his brother Regin sets his sights on stealing it. 89 00:04:19,583 --> 00:04:22,583 - Regin is a blacksmith who enlists the help 90 00:04:22,708 --> 00:04:24,958 of his young apprentice, Sigurd. 91 00:04:25,083 --> 00:04:27,167 Regin crafts a powerful sword 92 00:04:27,333 --> 00:04:30,500 and convinces Sigurd to try to kill his brother 93 00:04:30,625 --> 00:04:33,000 in exchange for some of the riches. 94 00:04:33,042 --> 00:04:34,375 - [Dennis] With the sword in tow, 95 00:04:34,500 --> 00:04:38,583 Sigurd and Regin track Fáfnir down in a forest. 96 00:04:39,542 --> 00:04:41,750 - When they arrive at the forest, 97 00:04:41,875 --> 00:04:44,000 Regin and Sigurd separate. 98 00:04:44,167 --> 00:04:45,542 Sigurd finds Fáfnir 99 00:04:45,667 --> 00:04:48,542 and he draws this incredibly sharp sword 100 00:04:48,708 --> 00:04:51,708 and he drives it through his stomach and his heart. 101 00:04:51,875 --> 00:04:53,417 But before he dies, 102 00:04:53,500 --> 00:04:58,250 Fáfnir warns Sigurd that Regin is planning to turn on him. 103 00:04:59,333 --> 00:05:02,500 - Almost immediately, Regin betrays Sigurd 104 00:05:02,583 --> 00:05:05,042 and attempts to kill him while he's not looking. 105 00:05:05,125 --> 00:05:06,667 But Sigurd was warned, 106 00:05:06,750 --> 00:05:09,333 so Sigurd kills Regin instead 107 00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:12,917 and leaves with the gold and the ring in hand. 108 00:05:14,500 --> 00:05:16,875 On Sigurd's journey back from the wilderness, 109 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,667 he comes across a warrior Goddess named Brunhilde. 110 00:05:21,833 --> 00:05:24,042 He falls in love and he gives her the ring, 111 00:05:24,208 --> 00:05:26,958 promising to marry her when he returns. 112 00:05:27,042 --> 00:05:28,333 But years pass 113 00:05:28,500 --> 00:05:32,042 and Sigurd completely forgets about Brunhilde. 114 00:05:32,208 --> 00:05:35,333 - Years later, Sigurd and Brunhilde cross paths again. 115 00:05:35,458 --> 00:05:36,583 He's completely forgotten 116 00:05:36,708 --> 00:05:38,125 that he'd already been betrothed to her, 117 00:05:38,250 --> 00:05:39,458 that she was waiting for him, 118 00:05:39,542 --> 00:05:43,000 and Brunhilde is extremely mad about this, 119 00:05:43,083 --> 00:05:45,125 so she kills Sigurd. 120 00:05:45,208 --> 00:05:46,917 and then Brunhilde kills herself 121 00:05:47,042 --> 00:05:49,375 and they both are burned together on a pyre. 122 00:05:49,542 --> 00:05:52,125 - And this ends the legend of the cursed ring, 123 00:05:52,250 --> 00:05:54,375 with every single owner having died 124 00:05:54,542 --> 00:05:56,958 and the ring nowhere to be found 125 00:05:57,083 --> 00:05:59,083 upon the death of Brunhilde. 126 00:05:59,208 --> 00:06:03,000 Clearly the shape-shifting and magical elements of the story 127 00:06:03,125 --> 00:06:04,500 are strictly folklore, 128 00:06:04,583 --> 00:06:06,083 but as it turns out, 129 00:06:06,250 --> 00:06:09,708 there is a real Brunhilde in history. 130 00:06:09,875 --> 00:06:12,583 - [Dennis] This Brunhilde lives in the 6th century. 131 00:06:13,750 --> 00:06:16,458 - She's a beautiful, highly-educated princess, 132 00:06:16,583 --> 00:06:20,333 the daughter of one of the wealthiest kings in Spain. 133 00:06:20,417 --> 00:06:24,458 - In 567, Brunhilde is summoned by Sigebert I, 134 00:06:25,375 --> 00:06:27,625 the Merovingian king of Austrasia 135 00:06:27,708 --> 00:06:30,875 who rules the eastern part of the Frankish realm, 136 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,125 a territory encompassing 137 00:06:32,250 --> 00:06:34,708 present day Western Germany and France, 138 00:06:34,833 --> 00:06:37,625 Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. 139 00:06:37,708 --> 00:06:40,792 - King Sigebert I is looking for a wife 140 00:06:40,875 --> 00:06:44,500 and has set his sights on Princess Brunhilde. 141 00:06:44,625 --> 00:06:47,500 Now the name Sigebert is not exactly Sigurd, 142 00:06:47,583 --> 00:06:49,500 but it's pretty darn close, 143 00:06:49,667 --> 00:06:51,500 and so many historians believe 144 00:06:51,583 --> 00:06:54,417 that the story of these two royals 145 00:06:54,542 --> 00:06:56,625 partly inspires the legend. 146 00:06:57,750 --> 00:07:00,458 - [Dennis] When Brunhilde arrives in Austrasia, 147 00:07:00,542 --> 00:07:04,500 she brings a caravan of treasure from her wealthy family. 148 00:07:05,667 --> 00:07:08,625 - Now, where did all that wealth come from? 149 00:07:08,750 --> 00:07:10,542 Some claim that a magical ring 150 00:07:10,708 --> 00:07:12,458 might have something to do with it. 151 00:07:12,625 --> 00:07:15,000 - [Dennis] The parallels don't end there. 152 00:07:15,125 --> 00:07:18,500 - While Brunhilde enjoys a prosperous reign for a while, 153 00:07:18,625 --> 00:07:22,250 she dies a horrible, horrible death. 154 00:07:22,375 --> 00:07:24,792 On the shores of Switzerland's Lake Neuchatel 155 00:07:24,875 --> 00:07:27,833 she's tortured on the racks for three days 156 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,292 and then she's drawn and quartered, 157 00:07:30,417 --> 00:07:32,167 which means she's tied down 158 00:07:32,250 --> 00:07:35,833 and a horse on a rope is tied to every one of her limbs 159 00:07:36,042 --> 00:07:38,208 and then they charge in different directions 160 00:07:38,333 --> 00:07:39,875 and pull a person apart. 161 00:07:40,042 --> 00:07:42,333 It is a horrific death. 162 00:07:42,417 --> 00:07:44,833 - [Dennis] Brunhilde's remains are then burned, 163 00:07:44,958 --> 00:07:48,250 just like her namesake in the legend of the ring. 164 00:07:48,375 --> 00:07:50,500 - If Brunhilde is real, 165 00:07:50,583 --> 00:07:54,125 you gotta wonder if the ring might somehow be real too, 166 00:07:54,208 --> 00:07:56,167 or at least some version of it. 167 00:07:56,333 --> 00:08:01,542 - [Dennis] In 1995, Canadian geology professor David Mossman 168 00:08:01,667 --> 00:08:04,458 points to a place that might offer proof. 169 00:08:05,875 --> 00:08:07,875 - Within Brunhilde and Sigebert's 170 00:08:08,042 --> 00:08:09,125 territory of Austrasia 171 00:08:09,292 --> 00:08:10,750 runs the Rhine River, 172 00:08:10,875 --> 00:08:13,167 and there's a phenomenon that happens here 173 00:08:13,292 --> 00:08:15,583 that's known as the Rhine gold. 174 00:08:15,708 --> 00:08:16,667 Along this river, 175 00:08:16,792 --> 00:08:18,208 particularly in a stretch between 176 00:08:18,375 --> 00:08:19,667 Rheinau and Philippsburg, 177 00:08:19,833 --> 00:08:24,167 little flakes of gold are often visible floating downstream. 178 00:08:24,250 --> 00:08:27,750 It's as if the river is generating gold all on its own. 179 00:08:27,875 --> 00:08:31,458 - We have evidence from at least as early as 667 AD 180 00:08:31,583 --> 00:08:34,333 that gold was flowing through this part of the river. 181 00:08:34,958 --> 00:08:37,750 That year we have records of the Duke of Alsace 182 00:08:37,875 --> 00:08:41,208 distributing the rights to extract the Rhine gold, 183 00:08:41,375 --> 00:08:46,125 and this is only about 50 years after Brunhilde's death. 184 00:08:46,250 --> 00:08:48,542 - If Brunhilde had the ring 185 00:08:48,708 --> 00:08:51,625 when she died on the shore of Lake Neuchatel, 186 00:08:51,750 --> 00:08:55,000 it's interesting to note that there's a series of waterways 187 00:08:55,125 --> 00:08:57,000 that could have carried the ring from the lake 188 00:08:57,125 --> 00:08:59,458 down the Aare River connected to the Rhine 189 00:08:59,542 --> 00:09:01,250 and ended up right here. 190 00:09:02,458 --> 00:09:06,042 - [Dennis] In 2014, a major archeological find 191 00:09:06,167 --> 00:09:08,500 suggests even more evidence. 192 00:09:08,625 --> 00:09:11,292 - In the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, 193 00:09:11,417 --> 00:09:13,667 a hobbyist with a metal detector 194 00:09:13,833 --> 00:09:18,167 finds a massive treasure trove of gold and silver artifacts 195 00:09:18,292 --> 00:09:20,917 worth upwards of a million dollars. 196 00:09:21,042 --> 00:09:22,833 This treasure dates back 197 00:09:22,875 --> 00:09:26,000 to somewhere around the 5th century. 198 00:09:26,542 --> 00:09:28,500 - State Archeologist Axel von Berg, 199 00:09:28,625 --> 00:09:30,458 in announcing the find to the media, 200 00:09:30,583 --> 00:09:33,167 immediately brings up the legend of the ring. 201 00:09:33,292 --> 00:09:37,542 He says that in terms of the timing and the geography, 202 00:09:37,667 --> 00:09:39,667 it all fits with the folklore of Sigurd 203 00:09:39,792 --> 00:09:42,000 and a race of mythic dwarves. 204 00:09:42,125 --> 00:09:43,958 - While the treasure is discovered on land 205 00:09:44,083 --> 00:09:45,000 due to the fact that 206 00:09:45,125 --> 00:09:47,208 the Rhine has naturally shifted its course 207 00:09:47,333 --> 00:09:48,833 many times over the centuries, 208 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,542 Von Berg believes that this treasure 209 00:09:50,667 --> 00:09:52,208 could have once been underwater. 210 00:09:53,792 --> 00:09:56,250 - And the gold that's still flowing through the river 211 00:09:56,375 --> 00:09:58,333 ever since the 600s, 212 00:09:58,458 --> 00:10:01,167 perhaps that's because the ring itself 213 00:10:01,333 --> 00:10:02,833 is still down there somewhere, 214 00:10:02,917 --> 00:10:04,708 though it hasn't turned up yet. 215 00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:12,000 - For ancient Greeks and Romans, 216 00:10:12,167 --> 00:10:14,167 the power of the written word is evident 217 00:10:14,333 --> 00:10:18,667 in their poetry, literature, and codes of law. 218 00:10:18,750 --> 00:10:22,667 But their most sinister desires are documented 219 00:10:22,750 --> 00:10:25,250 on curse tablets. 220 00:10:27,042 --> 00:10:29,667 - A curse tablet is exactly what the name implies. 221 00:10:29,792 --> 00:10:32,667 It's an object inscribed with a message to the Gods 222 00:10:32,833 --> 00:10:34,542 asking them to carry out an act 223 00:10:34,708 --> 00:10:37,667 or influence someone's behavior against their will. 224 00:10:37,875 --> 00:10:40,167 Most often, the curses are used to bring disaster 225 00:10:40,333 --> 00:10:41,917 to the intended victim. 226 00:10:42,042 --> 00:10:44,458 - The Romans and the Greeks we think of as these 227 00:10:44,542 --> 00:10:47,333 massively evolved societies of engineers 228 00:10:47,458 --> 00:10:49,167 and philosophers and scientists, 229 00:10:49,333 --> 00:10:50,417 and they were, 230 00:10:50,792 --> 00:10:52,167 but they also had this propensity 231 00:10:52,292 --> 00:10:54,000 for appealing to dark magic 232 00:10:54,083 --> 00:10:56,167 in order to get what they wanted. 233 00:10:56,375 --> 00:10:57,667 - They may have been 234 00:10:57,750 --> 00:11:00,042 some of the most widespread practitioners 235 00:11:00,208 --> 00:11:01,333 of curses in history. 236 00:11:01,417 --> 00:11:05,750 To date, more than 2,000 curse tablets have been found. 237 00:11:05,875 --> 00:11:07,167 Along with coins, 238 00:11:07,250 --> 00:11:09,417 it's one of the most common objects we have 239 00:11:09,542 --> 00:11:11,292 from that time period. 240 00:11:11,375 --> 00:11:15,208 - Archeologists often find curse tablets in batches. 241 00:11:15,375 --> 00:11:19,667 In 1979, more than 100 tablets from the Roman era 242 00:11:19,833 --> 00:11:21,333 are discovered in a thermal spring 243 00:11:21,500 --> 00:11:23,000 in the English city of Bath. 244 00:11:23,583 --> 00:11:26,500 In 2020, 30 of them are found at the bottom 245 00:11:26,667 --> 00:11:30,208 of a 2,500-year-old well in Athens. 246 00:11:30,333 --> 00:11:33,042 - Some of the earliest curse tablets that we found 247 00:11:33,208 --> 00:11:36,625 go back 2,600 years to Western Sicily 248 00:11:36,708 --> 00:11:39,042 in the late 6th century BC, 249 00:11:39,208 --> 00:11:43,458 and their use continues through to the 8th century AD 250 00:11:43,583 --> 00:11:45,417 across the entire Roman Empire. 251 00:11:47,042 --> 00:11:48,833 - The curse tablets are a prime example 252 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,333 of how people try to manage situations 253 00:11:51,458 --> 00:11:54,208 like conflict, loss and rivalry. 254 00:11:55,417 --> 00:11:58,958 - It starts with a visit to your local curse writer. 255 00:11:59,083 --> 00:12:01,125 This was apparently a fairly lucrative career to have, 256 00:12:01,208 --> 00:12:03,708 judging by how many curses are floating around. 257 00:12:03,875 --> 00:12:05,375 You pay the curse writer a fee 258 00:12:05,542 --> 00:12:08,333 and then they get to work writing you up a tablet. 259 00:12:09,875 --> 00:12:12,125 - [Dennis] The text inscribed on a curse tablet 260 00:12:12,250 --> 00:12:15,833 generally follows a basic formula. 261 00:12:15,917 --> 00:12:17,792 - It typically includes the identity of the victim 262 00:12:17,875 --> 00:12:20,000 and why they're the target of the curse. 263 00:12:20,083 --> 00:12:21,917 It also invokes the names of the Gods 264 00:12:22,042 --> 00:12:25,667 and of course lists the desired punishment or spell. 265 00:12:25,833 --> 00:12:27,917 - The tablets are fairly consistent 266 00:12:28,042 --> 00:12:30,208 in their construction and their appearance. 267 00:12:30,375 --> 00:12:33,667 While the sizes and the shapes of the curse tablets 268 00:12:33,750 --> 00:12:35,333 could vary slightly, 269 00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:38,500 most are small and rectangular. 270 00:12:38,625 --> 00:12:43,000 - The tablets are typically made from thin sheets of lead, 271 00:12:43,125 --> 00:12:45,833 which is one of the most commonly used metals at the time 272 00:12:45,917 --> 00:12:49,500 for other basic items like pipes and pots or even currency. 273 00:12:49,667 --> 00:12:53,917 Lead is strong enough to withstand heat and corrosion, 274 00:12:54,042 --> 00:12:55,792 but at the same time it's malleable enough 275 00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:57,375 for inscription and molding. 276 00:12:58,833 --> 00:13:01,292 - Curse writers use a stylus or other sharp object 277 00:13:01,375 --> 00:13:04,333 made from bronze or iron for the inscription. 278 00:13:04,500 --> 00:13:05,667 Once the text is completed, 279 00:13:05,833 --> 00:13:07,583 the lead is heated slightly and folded up 280 00:13:07,667 --> 00:13:09,000 to hide the writing. 281 00:13:09,125 --> 00:13:10,833 - From an aesthetic perspective, 282 00:13:11,042 --> 00:13:13,458 lead has a dull, metallic color. 283 00:13:13,542 --> 00:13:15,958 It's heavy and has a coldness 284 00:13:16,083 --> 00:13:18,083 that's symbolic of the curses themselves. 285 00:13:18,208 --> 00:13:20,333 And then of course there's the interesting irony 286 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:22,667 that lead can be poisonous, 287 00:13:22,833 --> 00:13:24,833 which in some respects makes it the perfect metal 288 00:13:24,958 --> 00:13:26,000 for a curse tablet. 289 00:13:27,167 --> 00:13:29,833 - [Dennis] Lead is also the go-to material 290 00:13:29,958 --> 00:13:32,792 for another more practical reason. 291 00:13:32,917 --> 00:13:34,708 - Lead is durable, 292 00:13:34,875 --> 00:13:37,542 it can survive underground for a long time, 293 00:13:37,667 --> 00:13:42,000 and the belief is that in order for a cursed tablet to work, 294 00:13:42,208 --> 00:13:44,042 it needs to be buried somewhere 295 00:13:44,167 --> 00:13:47,000 specifically relevant to the victim 296 00:13:47,125 --> 00:13:50,542 or placed in a tomb so that the souls of the dead 297 00:13:50,667 --> 00:13:52,875 could carry the tablets to the Gods. 298 00:13:54,208 --> 00:13:56,167 - Many curse tablets are found in places like springs, 299 00:13:56,292 --> 00:13:59,250 rivers, wells, and other groundwater sources. 300 00:13:59,333 --> 00:14:01,833 We suspect this gives the curse closer access 301 00:14:01,958 --> 00:14:03,958 to the Gods of the underworld, 302 00:14:04,083 --> 00:14:07,042 and it also keeps the tablets hidden from the victims. 303 00:14:07,208 --> 00:14:08,833 - [Dennis] There are also special ways 304 00:14:08,958 --> 00:14:11,167 to strengthen the curses. 305 00:14:11,292 --> 00:14:14,000 - A common practice in creating the curse tablets 306 00:14:14,125 --> 00:14:17,167 is to include personal items for extra potency, 307 00:14:17,333 --> 00:14:20,625 things like strands of hair or fingernail clippings 308 00:14:20,708 --> 00:14:22,167 of the intended victim. 309 00:14:22,292 --> 00:14:26,167 - One example is a 3rd century AD curse tablet 310 00:14:26,333 --> 00:14:30,167 that's found with several strands of hair on it. 311 00:14:30,292 --> 00:14:32,875 Presumably, the hair belonged to the woman Tyche 312 00:14:33,042 --> 00:14:36,042 who's named as the victim of the tablet. 313 00:14:36,208 --> 00:14:39,750 The curse asks the Gods of the underworld 314 00:14:39,875 --> 00:14:43,625 to destroy her body so thoroughly 315 00:14:43,750 --> 00:14:45,458 that everything turns against her, 316 00:14:45,583 --> 00:14:49,417 including her hair, her chin, her cheeks, her brain. 317 00:14:49,542 --> 00:14:52,042 The list goes on and on. 318 00:14:52,167 --> 00:14:55,250 - [Dennis] The curses themselves vary widely. 319 00:14:56,667 --> 00:15:00,167 - One of the most popular types of curse is a binding curse. 320 00:15:00,292 --> 00:15:01,792 This is meant to restrain the victim 321 00:15:01,917 --> 00:15:03,583 or bring them under the control 322 00:15:03,708 --> 00:15:05,250 of whoever is casting the spell. 323 00:15:06,208 --> 00:15:07,750 - During the Roman Empire, 324 00:15:07,875 --> 00:15:10,000 a really popular binding curse is used 325 00:15:10,208 --> 00:15:12,333 during legal proceedings. 326 00:15:12,417 --> 00:15:14,792 These often wish for the opponent in a court case 327 00:15:14,917 --> 00:15:18,542 to lose their ability to think or speak. 328 00:15:18,708 --> 00:15:19,542 - [Dennis] Another common curse 329 00:15:19,708 --> 00:15:22,458 deals with matters of the heart. 330 00:15:22,583 --> 00:15:25,708 - Curse tablets inscribed with love spells 331 00:15:25,875 --> 00:15:28,208 are very popular with the ancient Greeks, 332 00:15:28,292 --> 00:15:32,250 making up about 25% of the tablets discovered so far. 333 00:15:32,375 --> 00:15:34,958 They typically boil down to one of two things. 334 00:15:35,083 --> 00:15:36,583 Either they increase the desire 335 00:15:36,708 --> 00:15:39,375 of someone who's not currently showing any interest, 336 00:15:39,542 --> 00:15:42,667 or they inflict harm on a romantic rival 337 00:15:42,833 --> 00:15:44,667 or a lover embroiled in a quarrel. 338 00:15:46,333 --> 00:15:48,500 - What's unique about these curse tablets 339 00:15:48,625 --> 00:15:49,792 containing love spells 340 00:15:49,917 --> 00:15:52,083 is that they're incredibly specific 341 00:15:52,250 --> 00:15:54,542 and intentional about who's named. 342 00:15:54,625 --> 00:15:57,875 Most curse tablets briefly mention the intended victim, 343 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,292 but when it comes to love and sex, 344 00:16:00,375 --> 00:16:04,333 we see extra details because there's no room for mistakes. 345 00:16:04,417 --> 00:16:07,500 - One tablet from 270 AD says, quote, 346 00:16:07,625 --> 00:16:12,667 "May the mind and heart of Sextilius, son of Dionysia, 347 00:16:12,875 --> 00:16:15,875 burn with love and longing for me, Septima, 348 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,833 daughter of Amoena." 349 00:16:17,958 --> 00:16:20,458 She clearly wants to make sure 350 00:16:20,583 --> 00:16:23,542 the curse works on exactly the right people. 351 00:16:23,708 --> 00:16:28,042 So for added insurance, she adds the names of their parents. 352 00:16:28,167 --> 00:16:30,750 - [Dennis] Sometimes, one unlucky person 353 00:16:30,875 --> 00:16:33,542 could be the victim of multiple curses. 354 00:16:33,625 --> 00:16:36,250 - In the early 1960s, in Morgantina, Sicily, 355 00:16:36,375 --> 00:16:38,417 they found a set of 10 curse tablets. 356 00:16:38,542 --> 00:16:40,792 Four of these were all aimed at the same person, 357 00:16:40,958 --> 00:16:41,833 Venusta. 358 00:16:41,958 --> 00:16:44,000 - One tablet says, quote, 359 00:16:44,083 --> 00:16:47,167 "Gaia, Hermes, Gods of the underworld 360 00:16:47,292 --> 00:16:50,500 received Venusta, slave of Rufus," 361 00:16:50,583 --> 00:16:53,417 essentially wishing for her to go to hell. 362 00:16:53,542 --> 00:16:57,500 We don't know what exactly this Venusta woman did 363 00:16:57,625 --> 00:16:59,500 or who wants her dead, 364 00:16:59,667 --> 00:17:02,333 but to cast the curse four times 365 00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:05,458 implies that she could have angered multiple people 366 00:17:05,583 --> 00:17:08,458 or perhaps one person quadrupled down 367 00:17:08,542 --> 00:17:11,750 on their wish for her to die the most terrible death. 368 00:17:13,208 --> 00:17:15,875 - [Dennis] Despite the popularity of curse tablets, 369 00:17:16,042 --> 00:17:18,500 not everyone's a believer. 370 00:17:18,625 --> 00:17:20,000 - In both Rome and Greece, 371 00:17:20,125 --> 00:17:22,875 these practices often face public criticism 372 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,417 and they're discouraged by local authorities. 373 00:17:26,542 --> 00:17:28,625 They're also sometimes called out as scams 374 00:17:28,750 --> 00:17:32,333 and warnings are issued not to waste your money 375 00:17:32,417 --> 00:17:33,833 on such things. 376 00:17:34,042 --> 00:17:35,833 - Greek philosopher Socrates 377 00:17:35,958 --> 00:17:38,917 writes that he disapproves of magic 378 00:17:39,042 --> 00:17:41,375 because it deprives people of the truth. 379 00:17:41,875 --> 00:17:43,292 And his student, Plato, 380 00:17:43,458 --> 00:17:47,292 writes that sorcerers and curse writers can be pretty shady 381 00:17:47,417 --> 00:17:49,833 and often deceive their clients. 382 00:17:49,917 --> 00:17:51,667 - [Dennis] But could there be proof 383 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:54,042 that the curses actually work? 384 00:17:59,208 --> 00:18:01,167 - [Dennis] For centuries, ancient Greeks and Romans 385 00:18:01,292 --> 00:18:04,167 employed curse tablets to bewitch lovers 386 00:18:04,250 --> 00:18:06,417 and settle scores with enemies. 387 00:18:07,542 --> 00:18:11,500 Is it possible that any of these curses pan out? 388 00:18:11,667 --> 00:18:14,167 - We do have some historical accounts 389 00:18:14,250 --> 00:18:15,917 where the named victims of curses 390 00:18:16,042 --> 00:18:19,958 do in fact meet with unfortunate fates. 391 00:18:20,083 --> 00:18:21,500 - [Dennis] One such story involves 392 00:18:21,625 --> 00:18:24,792 a high-ranking official in Greece. 393 00:18:24,875 --> 00:18:27,667 - In Athens, a noble named Alcibiades 394 00:18:27,792 --> 00:18:32,833 is born into a rich politically powerful family in 450 BC. 395 00:18:32,958 --> 00:18:34,000 He's raised by his uncle, 396 00:18:34,125 --> 00:18:36,167 the famous statesman Pericles, 397 00:18:36,333 --> 00:18:38,750 and he's a friend and a student of Socrates. 398 00:18:40,042 --> 00:18:42,417 - He's handsome, smart, flamboyant, hedonistic, 399 00:18:42,500 --> 00:18:44,667 and unapologetically ambitious. 400 00:18:44,750 --> 00:18:47,125 As a result, he attracts a lot of admirers, 401 00:18:47,250 --> 00:18:49,750 but he also makes some serious enemies. 402 00:18:51,042 --> 00:18:52,417 - With his confidence and connections, 403 00:18:52,542 --> 00:18:55,333 Alcibiades easily rises through the ranks 404 00:18:55,375 --> 00:18:58,750 to become a general and a member of the military council 405 00:18:58,875 --> 00:19:00,917 at the young age of 30, 406 00:19:01,042 --> 00:19:02,833 and he starts to prove his worth 407 00:19:02,917 --> 00:19:06,083 by negotiating strategic alliances. 408 00:19:07,458 --> 00:19:10,375 - [Dennis] Until an incident in 415 BC 409 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:14,208 derails Alcibiades' promising future. 410 00:19:15,375 --> 00:19:17,250 - Alcibiades persuades the Greek assembly 411 00:19:17,375 --> 00:19:20,333 to take part in a military expedition in Sicily 412 00:19:20,458 --> 00:19:22,708 as part of the Peloponnesian War. 413 00:19:22,833 --> 00:19:25,500 But right before he's about to leave for Sicily, 414 00:19:25,542 --> 00:19:28,250 a bunch of sacred statues of the God Hermes 415 00:19:28,375 --> 00:19:30,125 are vandalized throughout Athens. 416 00:19:30,208 --> 00:19:33,167 Their phalluses are removed. 417 00:19:33,292 --> 00:19:34,458 - The Greeks are pretty superstitious 418 00:19:34,583 --> 00:19:36,333 and this is seen as a bad omen, 419 00:19:36,458 --> 00:19:39,542 especially in the middle of a military campaign. 420 00:19:39,708 --> 00:19:41,500 - The public is outraged 421 00:19:41,667 --> 00:19:45,375 and the crime is pinned on Alcibiades. 422 00:19:45,542 --> 00:19:48,708 He's accused of defacing the statues in a drunken stupor. 423 00:19:48,833 --> 00:19:50,708 Now we can't be sure whether he did it or not, 424 00:19:50,792 --> 00:19:53,833 but historians believe he may have been set up 425 00:19:53,958 --> 00:19:55,542 by his political rivals. 426 00:19:55,667 --> 00:19:58,542 - Alcibiades is not only charged with this crime, 427 00:19:58,667 --> 00:20:02,208 but they also pile on another more serious charge 428 00:20:02,375 --> 00:20:05,958 of drunkenly defiling a ritual ceremony. 429 00:20:06,083 --> 00:20:09,958 Alcibiades is found guilty of sacrilege. 430 00:20:10,125 --> 00:20:12,292 His possessions are confiscated. 431 00:20:13,375 --> 00:20:16,417 - [Dennis] He's also issued an unusual curse. 432 00:20:17,625 --> 00:20:19,875 - It turns out curses aren't just for individuals 433 00:20:20,042 --> 00:20:21,167 with a grudge. 434 00:20:21,250 --> 00:20:23,792 Even governments would order curses. 435 00:20:23,917 --> 00:20:27,583 In this case, the Athenian authorities get the holy priests 436 00:20:27,708 --> 00:20:30,417 to draw up a curse against Alcibiades, 437 00:20:30,542 --> 00:20:33,417 for him to die a horrible death. 438 00:20:33,542 --> 00:20:37,750 This curse is then read aloud in public. 439 00:20:37,875 --> 00:20:41,917 - It's essentially the death penalty but in curse form. 440 00:20:42,042 --> 00:20:44,833 Afraid for his life and thinking he can outrun a curse, 441 00:20:44,958 --> 00:20:48,333 Alcibiades flees to Sparta where he turns traitor 442 00:20:48,458 --> 00:20:51,000 by revealing Athens' military secrets. 443 00:20:51,125 --> 00:20:54,417 He's kinda like a ancient version of Benedict Arnold. 444 00:20:54,542 --> 00:20:59,250 As in Athens, he makes both friends and enemies in Sparta. 445 00:20:59,375 --> 00:21:02,458 - Alcibiades' curse finally catches up with him 446 00:21:02,583 --> 00:21:05,292 when his Spartan enemies convince the Persians 447 00:21:05,375 --> 00:21:06,458 to take him out. 448 00:21:06,625 --> 00:21:09,333 They light his hut on fire, 449 00:21:09,458 --> 00:21:12,500 and when he comes running out, sword in hand, 450 00:21:12,625 --> 00:21:15,750 he's viciously murdered with javelins and arrows. 451 00:21:17,167 --> 00:21:19,500 If you wanna believe in such things, 452 00:21:19,625 --> 00:21:23,375 it seems like this curse did its job. 453 00:21:24,583 --> 00:21:26,833 - [Dennis] There's also proof that at least one curse 454 00:21:26,917 --> 00:21:30,375 seems to have worked in ancient Rome as well, 455 00:21:30,458 --> 00:21:34,333 and it may have changed the course of history. 456 00:21:34,417 --> 00:21:36,833 - In the early 1st century AD, 457 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,417 successful and popular general named Germanicus 458 00:21:40,542 --> 00:21:43,500 is well on his way to becoming emperor. 459 00:21:43,625 --> 00:21:47,167 - He is the adopted son of the Emperor Tiberius, 460 00:21:47,333 --> 00:21:49,875 he's grand-nephew to Augustus, the first emperor. 461 00:21:50,042 --> 00:21:54,375 But Germanicus has one real rival, Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso. 462 00:21:54,542 --> 00:21:57,375 - In 19 AD, Germanicus takes a trip to Egypt, 463 00:21:57,500 --> 00:21:59,750 but when he returns back to Rome, 464 00:21:59,875 --> 00:22:03,000 he gets a sudden unexplained illness. 465 00:22:03,125 --> 00:22:06,500 Germanicus is pretty sure he knows what happened. 466 00:22:06,625 --> 00:22:09,583 He believes his rival Piso must have cursed him 467 00:22:09,708 --> 00:22:12,458 by placing objects of black magic in his house. 468 00:22:12,583 --> 00:22:14,292 He tells anyone who will listen 469 00:22:14,417 --> 00:22:15,667 that he thinks he's been cursed, 470 00:22:15,792 --> 00:22:19,500 but not too many people take him seriously. 471 00:22:19,667 --> 00:22:24,000 However, a few months later, Germanicus dies. 472 00:22:24,125 --> 00:22:25,500 - They searched Germanicus' room 473 00:22:25,625 --> 00:22:28,833 and they found curse tablets with his name on 'em 474 00:22:28,958 --> 00:22:30,583 in the floors, in the walls, 475 00:22:30,708 --> 00:22:33,625 along with other dark magic materials, 476 00:22:33,750 --> 00:22:36,542 blood-smeared ashes, human remains. 477 00:22:36,708 --> 00:22:39,792 His room was covered in curses. 478 00:22:41,208 --> 00:22:42,792 - Instead of Germanicus, 479 00:22:42,875 --> 00:22:46,500 the next emperor is the infamous little boot, Caligula, 480 00:22:46,625 --> 00:22:49,708 known as the insane and cruel tyrant 481 00:22:49,875 --> 00:22:52,750 who spends a fortune of the empire's money 482 00:22:52,875 --> 00:22:54,500 on indulgent properties 483 00:22:54,583 --> 00:22:57,208 and other construction projects for himself. 484 00:22:57,375 --> 00:22:59,875 It definitely set Rome on a very different path. 485 00:23:00,958 --> 00:23:02,042 - To many believers, 486 00:23:02,167 --> 00:23:03,958 this is proof positive that the curse tablets work 487 00:23:04,042 --> 00:23:06,333 and it's why they keep being used for several centuries 488 00:23:06,458 --> 00:23:08,125 after Germanicus' death. 489 00:23:09,167 --> 00:23:11,000 - [Dennis] But by the 4th century AD, 490 00:23:11,125 --> 00:23:14,583 the use of curse tablets starts to fall out of favor 491 00:23:14,708 --> 00:23:17,833 due in part to the rise of Christianity. 492 00:23:17,958 --> 00:23:21,000 - In 313 AD, the Emperor Constantine 493 00:23:21,125 --> 00:23:22,833 issues the Edict of Milan, 494 00:23:22,958 --> 00:23:25,875 which kicks off the process of making Christianity 495 00:23:26,042 --> 00:23:28,708 the official religion of the Roman Empire. 496 00:23:28,875 --> 00:23:31,833 Under Christianity, magic is prohibited 497 00:23:31,958 --> 00:23:34,625 by both secular and religious law. 498 00:23:35,875 --> 00:23:38,500 - One would assume that this would be the end 499 00:23:38,625 --> 00:23:39,333 of curse tablets, 500 00:23:39,500 --> 00:23:41,625 but in late 2023 501 00:23:41,750 --> 00:23:43,750 archeologists working at a construction site 502 00:23:43,917 --> 00:23:45,208 in Rostock, Germany, 503 00:23:45,333 --> 00:23:48,125 discover a thin piece of rolled-up lead 504 00:23:48,250 --> 00:23:50,000 at the bottom of a latrine. 505 00:23:50,083 --> 00:23:53,500 It's a curse tablet that dates back to the 15th century. 506 00:23:54,375 --> 00:23:57,917 - It's inscribed with a message you could just barely read 507 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:02,542 and it summons the the demon Beelzebub and the demon Berith 508 00:24:02,667 --> 00:24:06,167 as well as a curse directed at a man and a woman 509 00:24:06,292 --> 00:24:08,417 named Heinrich and Taleke. 510 00:24:09,417 --> 00:24:11,583 Researchers examining the tablet 511 00:24:11,708 --> 00:24:14,667 wonder if the writer hoped to break up the couple 512 00:24:14,833 --> 00:24:16,875 maybe in a fit of jealousy. 513 00:24:17,917 --> 00:24:20,625 - [Dennis] Today, scientists have a different view 514 00:24:20,750 --> 00:24:25,292 on what could be behind the power of curse tablets. 515 00:24:25,375 --> 00:24:26,958 - Some archeologists believe 516 00:24:27,042 --> 00:24:29,583 there could be a psychosomatic effect. 517 00:24:29,750 --> 00:24:31,833 So a victim's belief in curses, 518 00:24:31,917 --> 00:24:34,542 combined with a guilty conscience, 519 00:24:34,708 --> 00:24:37,208 could actually manifest the curse's symptoms. 520 00:24:38,375 --> 00:24:40,417 But is it all in their head, 521 00:24:40,583 --> 00:24:42,542 or was it really the curse at work? 522 00:24:42,542 --> 00:24:43,875 We might never truly know. 523 00:24:44,250 --> 00:24:47,458 [dramatic music] 524 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,625 - March 29th, 1974, 525 00:24:54,708 --> 00:24:57,333 just outside the city of Xi'an, China, 526 00:24:57,458 --> 00:25:00,875 a group of seven farmers are digging a well during a drought 527 00:25:01,042 --> 00:25:03,708 when they make a stunning discovery, 528 00:25:04,542 --> 00:25:06,875 one with an alarming backstory. 529 00:25:08,500 --> 00:25:11,167 - One of the farmers, named Yang Zhifa, 530 00:25:11,292 --> 00:25:12,500 is excavating the hole. 531 00:25:12,583 --> 00:25:14,708 Rather than reaching the water he's hoping for, 532 00:25:14,833 --> 00:25:17,208 he hits a hard object instead. 533 00:25:17,375 --> 00:25:18,625 As the crew keeps digging, 534 00:25:18,708 --> 00:25:21,042 they realize they've hit what appears to be 535 00:25:21,167 --> 00:25:23,333 some sort of red clay pottery. 536 00:25:23,458 --> 00:25:25,625 Turns out it's the head of a statue. 537 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,083 - A local archeologist named Zhao Kangmin 538 00:25:29,208 --> 00:25:32,500 gets word of this and he rushes to the site. 539 00:25:32,667 --> 00:25:34,208 He gathers up the clay shards 540 00:25:34,375 --> 00:25:36,875 and he pieces them together in his lab. 541 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:41,042 And when he's done, he's built two life-sized statues 542 00:25:41,167 --> 00:25:43,667 of ancient Chinese warriors. 543 00:25:43,792 --> 00:25:46,000 - Based on the location of where the farmers were digging, 544 00:25:46,083 --> 00:25:49,000 Zhao suspects that the statues are from the Qin dynasty, 545 00:25:49,125 --> 00:25:51,500 which is the first dynasty of Imperial China. 546 00:25:51,625 --> 00:25:55,333 It dates all the way back to 200 BC. 547 00:25:55,417 --> 00:25:57,250 And this is such a significant find 548 00:25:57,375 --> 00:25:58,708 in the archeological world 549 00:25:58,833 --> 00:26:02,042 that Zhao's team launches an excavation of the site. 550 00:26:03,458 --> 00:26:04,750 - What the archeologists found 551 00:26:04,875 --> 00:26:09,292 was an amazing army of terracotta figures. 552 00:26:09,375 --> 00:26:10,750 They found the army in three pits. 553 00:26:10,875 --> 00:26:13,708 Most of that army was in pit one, 6,000 of them were there. 554 00:26:13,833 --> 00:26:16,833 These figures were six feet tall, 600 pounds each. 555 00:26:16,958 --> 00:26:19,292 These were massive, massive works. 556 00:26:20,333 --> 00:26:22,333 - Pit number two is an L shape 557 00:26:22,458 --> 00:26:24,375 just northeast of pit number one. 558 00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:26,167 It's nearly four square miles 559 00:26:26,333 --> 00:26:28,000 and the terracotta figures here 560 00:26:28,167 --> 00:26:29,708 are positioned like they're in combat 561 00:26:29,875 --> 00:26:32,958 with kneeling archers at the front for extra protection. 562 00:26:33,042 --> 00:26:34,958 Pit number three is the smallest, 563 00:26:35,083 --> 00:26:38,333 but it's believed to represent the army headquarters. 564 00:26:38,458 --> 00:26:40,250 There's one chariot at the center 565 00:26:40,375 --> 00:26:44,708 surrounded by 68-foot soldiers standing at attention. 566 00:26:44,875 --> 00:26:48,542 - What's absolutely amazing is the artistry of these 567 00:26:48,667 --> 00:26:51,125 because no two statues are the same. 568 00:26:51,208 --> 00:26:53,792 They each have unique facial expressions, 569 00:26:53,875 --> 00:26:56,542 they each have unique hairstyles. 570 00:26:56,667 --> 00:26:58,667 The uniforms also vary, 571 00:26:58,750 --> 00:27:01,792 meaning some of them represent different ranks. 572 00:27:01,875 --> 00:27:04,333 - [Dennis] But the Terracotta Army statues 573 00:27:04,500 --> 00:27:09,583 are just one of many elements in this massive complex. 574 00:27:10,500 --> 00:27:11,542 - The whole entire burial site 575 00:27:11,708 --> 00:27:15,958 covers nearly 38 square miles. 576 00:27:16,042 --> 00:27:19,750 - About a mile away from the pits with the Terracotta Army 577 00:27:19,875 --> 00:27:24,875 is a tomb complex secured by walls as high as 33 feet, 578 00:27:25,583 --> 00:27:27,000 and at the center 579 00:27:27,208 --> 00:27:31,833 is the mastermind of this entire complex. 580 00:27:31,917 --> 00:27:35,667 - [Dennis] This is the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. 581 00:27:35,750 --> 00:27:38,708 - Qin Shi Huang actually translates to first emperor, 582 00:27:38,833 --> 00:27:40,833 and that's exactly what he is. 583 00:27:40,958 --> 00:27:43,667 He is the first person to conquer and to unify 584 00:27:43,792 --> 00:27:45,000 seven Chinese territories 585 00:27:45,083 --> 00:27:48,458 that had been at war for centuries. 586 00:27:48,542 --> 00:27:49,833 - During his reign, 587 00:27:49,917 --> 00:27:53,833 he creates a standard system for writing and currency 588 00:27:53,958 --> 00:27:56,042 amongst all the territories. 589 00:27:56,167 --> 00:27:57,208 He also unites 590 00:27:57,292 --> 00:28:00,500 a bunch of the region's existing wall structures 591 00:28:00,583 --> 00:28:03,708 into a wonder that's still standing today, 592 00:28:03,875 --> 00:28:06,042 the Great Wall of China. 593 00:28:07,250 --> 00:28:08,750 - [Dennis] But Qin Shi Huang 594 00:28:08,875 --> 00:28:11,583 has an even more ambitious goal. 595 00:28:11,708 --> 00:28:14,167 To live and reign forever. 596 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,542 - Despite Qin's accomplishments, 597 00:28:17,667 --> 00:28:20,750 it isn't exactly a smooth ride to the top. 598 00:28:20,875 --> 00:28:24,292 He survives at least three assassination attempts 599 00:28:24,375 --> 00:28:28,708 and grows increasingly more wary of his closest confidants. 600 00:28:28,833 --> 00:28:33,375 So he's seeking protection by any means possible. 601 00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:37,917 - Qin is the type who believes in magicians and mythology, 602 00:28:38,042 --> 00:28:40,958 so to protect himself he'll go to any lengths, 603 00:28:41,042 --> 00:28:43,333 and this applies to his death as well. 604 00:28:44,792 --> 00:28:49,042 Since day one as king, Qin starts planning his burial. 605 00:28:49,125 --> 00:28:52,292 He calls for the construction of the massive tomb complex 606 00:28:52,375 --> 00:28:56,333 which archeologists believe takes nearly 40 years to build 607 00:28:56,500 --> 00:28:59,667 and 700,000 workers. 608 00:28:59,792 --> 00:29:02,583 - [Dennis] And to make sure it remains secure, 609 00:29:02,708 --> 00:29:06,208 some believe Qin places a curse on the site. 610 00:29:07,375 --> 00:29:09,667 - If anyone ever disturbs his final resting place, 611 00:29:09,833 --> 00:29:12,292 Qin wants to make sure they die or suffer horribly. 612 00:29:12,375 --> 00:29:15,000 He orders craftsman to rig up crossbows and arrows 613 00:29:15,083 --> 00:29:17,542 as booby traps primed and ready to shoot 614 00:29:17,667 --> 00:29:19,000 at whoever enters the tomb. 615 00:29:20,375 --> 00:29:22,667 - And according to the villagers in the surrounding area, 616 00:29:22,792 --> 00:29:24,167 as a final protection, 617 00:29:24,333 --> 00:29:27,250 he also gets a magical spell cast on the tomb 618 00:29:27,375 --> 00:29:30,875 to bring horrible misfortune to anyone who enters. 619 00:29:32,208 --> 00:29:35,625 It's been said that since then, for hundreds of years, 620 00:29:35,708 --> 00:29:39,333 people who live in the village believe the land was sacred, 621 00:29:39,458 --> 00:29:41,792 any tampering of the land could bring misfortune, 622 00:29:41,875 --> 00:29:45,667 so they've been leaving it alone all this time. 623 00:29:45,750 --> 00:29:47,792 - Until 2,200 years later 624 00:29:47,917 --> 00:29:51,375 in the midst of this terrible 1974 drought 625 00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:55,000 when these seven farmers do what they have to do to survive 626 00:29:55,125 --> 00:29:57,500 and try to dig a well on this sacred 627 00:29:57,542 --> 00:29:59,792 and potentially cursed land. 628 00:29:59,875 --> 00:30:02,083 - [Dennis] Soon after disturbing the ground, 629 00:30:02,208 --> 00:30:05,833 strange things start happening to the farmers. 630 00:30:05,958 --> 00:30:08,833 - First, all their farmland is claimed by the government 631 00:30:08,917 --> 00:30:11,917 and their homes are demolished to make room for a museum 632 00:30:12,042 --> 00:30:15,208 and a whole bunch of tourist facilities. 633 00:30:15,333 --> 00:30:20,417 In 1997, one of the farmers, Wang Puzhi, dies by suicide. 634 00:30:21,167 --> 00:30:23,000 And just three years after that, 635 00:30:23,125 --> 00:30:25,917 two of the youngest die suddenly in their 50s 636 00:30:26,042 --> 00:30:29,000 of a mysterious, painful illness, 637 00:30:29,167 --> 00:30:30,750 and at the time of their deaths, 638 00:30:30,875 --> 00:30:33,500 they're jobless and penniless. 639 00:30:33,625 --> 00:30:37,083 - The remaining four farmers have their own tragic fate. 640 00:30:37,208 --> 00:30:38,875 They're unable to earn a living anymore 641 00:30:39,042 --> 00:30:42,042 and they're forced to take these menial jobs 642 00:30:42,167 --> 00:30:44,042 in the gift shop of the museum 643 00:30:44,167 --> 00:30:46,917 earning just a really meager wage. 644 00:30:47,042 --> 00:30:49,792 According to the wife of farmer Yang Quanyi, 645 00:30:49,917 --> 00:30:52,708 he worried that the group did something wrong 646 00:30:52,875 --> 00:30:54,500 by disturbing the warriors 647 00:30:54,625 --> 00:30:55,625 and that they may have brought 648 00:30:55,750 --> 00:30:57,333 all this misfortune upon themselves. 649 00:30:58,500 --> 00:30:59,750 - [Dennis] While the excavation 650 00:30:59,875 --> 00:31:03,167 of Qin Shi Huang's burial complex is ongoing, 651 00:31:03,333 --> 00:31:08,333 there are no set plans to open his actual inner tomb. 652 00:31:08,500 --> 00:31:11,292 - It seems archeologists are rightfully scared 653 00:31:11,417 --> 00:31:13,750 to get too close to the Qin emperor. 654 00:31:13,875 --> 00:31:17,333 With the rumors of a curse, of booby traps, 655 00:31:17,458 --> 00:31:21,125 so far nobody has decided it's worth the risk. 656 00:31:21,250 --> 00:31:24,333 So, real or not, 657 00:31:24,458 --> 00:31:28,167 maybe the threat of his curse actually worked. 658 00:31:28,250 --> 00:31:30,375 [dramatic music] 659 00:31:34,250 --> 00:31:36,917 - One of Ireland's most famous landmarks is Blarney Castle, 660 00:31:37,042 --> 00:31:40,042 which welcomes over 400,000 tourists per year. 661 00:31:40,208 --> 00:31:43,333 Many of them come for a magical blessing, 662 00:31:43,542 --> 00:31:47,333 but instead receive something much darker. 663 00:31:48,375 --> 00:31:49,833 - If you've heard of Blarney Castle, 664 00:31:49,917 --> 00:31:52,500 it's probably thanks to one particular piece 665 00:31:52,625 --> 00:31:54,333 of Carboniferous limestone, 666 00:31:54,500 --> 00:31:58,375 which has become one of the most famous rocks in the world. 667 00:31:58,500 --> 00:32:00,292 The Blarney Stone. 668 00:32:00,417 --> 00:32:03,917 - The Blarney Stone is a stone set into the battlements 669 00:32:04,083 --> 00:32:07,875 near the top of the castle wall, about 85 feet up. 670 00:32:08,042 --> 00:32:09,417 It runs along the bottom of an opening 671 00:32:09,542 --> 00:32:11,417 that back in the old days would've been used 672 00:32:11,542 --> 00:32:15,292 to pour boiling oil or quicklime on attackers below. 673 00:32:16,458 --> 00:32:19,375 It's about four feet wide, one foot tall, 674 00:32:19,542 --> 00:32:23,083 and otherwise looks like any other slab of limestone. 675 00:32:24,625 --> 00:32:27,667 No one knows the exact origin of the Blarney Stone itself, 676 00:32:27,792 --> 00:32:29,042 but several theories exist, 677 00:32:29,167 --> 00:32:32,167 including one linking it to the Bible. 678 00:32:32,292 --> 00:32:36,083 One explanation is that the Blarney Stone is the same one 679 00:32:36,250 --> 00:32:39,167 used by the biblical figure Jacob in Bethel. 680 00:32:39,333 --> 00:32:42,125 It's said to be the stone that Jacob uses as a pillow 681 00:32:42,208 --> 00:32:45,417 while he has his famous dream of a ladder reaching heaven. 682 00:32:45,542 --> 00:32:47,500 It's eventually brought from the Holy Land 683 00:32:47,583 --> 00:32:48,500 during the Crusades. 684 00:32:48,667 --> 00:32:51,292 It's taken and placed on a sacred hill in Ireland 685 00:32:51,375 --> 00:32:55,167 and named the Lia Fail, or Speaking Stone. 686 00:32:55,250 --> 00:32:56,875 - [Dennis] While the source of the stone 687 00:32:57,042 --> 00:32:58,583 is shrouded in mystery, 688 00:32:58,708 --> 00:33:03,125 the castle itself dates back to about 950 AD. 689 00:33:03,250 --> 00:33:05,500 - The original castle on this site 690 00:33:05,625 --> 00:33:07,167 is just a wooden structure, 691 00:33:07,292 --> 00:33:09,833 but it's ultimately replaced by a stone building 692 00:33:09,917 --> 00:33:11,958 in about 1200. 693 00:33:12,083 --> 00:33:13,333 After this one is destroyed, 694 00:33:13,458 --> 00:33:17,417 a third and final castle is built in 1446 AD 695 00:33:17,542 --> 00:33:21,042 by Dermot MacCarthy, King of Munster. 696 00:33:21,208 --> 00:33:23,750 And according to one version of the legend, 697 00:33:23,875 --> 00:33:26,833 it's during this 1446 construction 698 00:33:26,958 --> 00:33:29,000 that the Blarney Stone is added. 699 00:33:29,083 --> 00:33:31,750 - The legend is that by kissing the stone 700 00:33:31,875 --> 00:33:34,542 you'll be granted incredible eloquence, 701 00:33:34,667 --> 00:33:39,625 the ability to flatter and persuade anyone of anything. 702 00:33:39,750 --> 00:33:43,042 It's also known as the gift of gab. 703 00:33:44,292 --> 00:33:46,625 - [Dennis] If the stone does have magical powers, 704 00:33:46,750 --> 00:33:48,833 they're soon put to the test. 705 00:33:49,208 --> 00:33:49,958 - According to legend, 706 00:33:50,083 --> 00:33:51,292 Queen Elizabeth I, 707 00:33:51,458 --> 00:33:55,000 who rules England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603, 708 00:33:55,125 --> 00:33:56,917 wants to seize this castle. 709 00:33:57,042 --> 00:33:59,167 She tries several times to make legal arguments 710 00:33:59,333 --> 00:34:00,625 that would allow her to take it over, 711 00:34:00,792 --> 00:34:04,292 but each time MacCarthy's descendant, Cormac MacCarthy, 712 00:34:04,375 --> 00:34:06,625 shows off an incredible way with words 713 00:34:06,750 --> 00:34:09,458 and talks his way out of having to give it up. 714 00:34:09,583 --> 00:34:11,458 - The other kind of key part of this legend 715 00:34:11,542 --> 00:34:16,000 is that Elizabeth herself says of this kind of tricky speech 716 00:34:16,083 --> 00:34:20,208 that he's able to use in court is blarney, 717 00:34:20,375 --> 00:34:22,417 and that's kind of where it gets connected. 718 00:34:22,542 --> 00:34:25,167 - Ultimately, the blarney term sticks 719 00:34:25,333 --> 00:34:27,667 and it becomes the name of the castle, 720 00:34:27,750 --> 00:34:31,958 and word of this famous stone spreads throughout Ireland 721 00:34:32,083 --> 00:34:34,167 and eventually to the rest of the world. 722 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:38,542 - [Dennis] Thanks to the famous stone, 723 00:34:38,708 --> 00:34:43,500 the castle has been a tourist attraction for over 200 years. 724 00:34:43,625 --> 00:34:45,167 - All you have to do to reach the Blarney Stone 725 00:34:45,250 --> 00:34:46,417 is pay the admission 726 00:34:46,542 --> 00:34:48,500 and you too can try to receive the gift of gab, 727 00:34:48,625 --> 00:34:52,000 but it does require a bit of effort. 728 00:34:52,125 --> 00:34:55,167 You have to climb over 100 narrow spiral steps 729 00:34:55,292 --> 00:34:57,208 to the top of Blarney Castle, 730 00:34:57,333 --> 00:35:00,875 then lie on your back while hanging out over a ledge, 731 00:35:01,042 --> 00:35:02,542 arch your back 732 00:35:02,708 --> 00:35:05,958 and extend your head and neck backwards as far as it can go, 733 00:35:06,083 --> 00:35:09,333 then plant a kiss on the stone. 734 00:35:09,417 --> 00:35:11,208 - Several famous people have tried 735 00:35:11,333 --> 00:35:13,042 to receive the stone's magical blessing, 736 00:35:13,167 --> 00:35:16,625 including Mick Jagger and Ronald Reagan. 737 00:35:16,708 --> 00:35:19,667 - In 1912, Winston Churchill comes to visit 738 00:35:19,833 --> 00:35:21,625 a town close to Blarney Castle 739 00:35:21,708 --> 00:35:25,167 and he's invited to go up and kiss the stone, which he does, 740 00:35:25,333 --> 00:35:29,417 and it is claimed that this may be behind his oratory gifts. 741 00:35:29,417 --> 00:35:30,125 and it is claimed that this may be behind his oratory gifts. 742 00:35:30,875 --> 00:35:33,917 - [Dennis] But the lucky Stone has another unexpected power. 743 00:35:34,042 --> 00:35:36,750 [dramatic music] 744 00:35:40,917 --> 00:35:42,958 - [Dennis] A visit to Blarney Castle in Ireland 745 00:35:43,042 --> 00:35:46,208 sits at the top of many tourists' to-do lists, 746 00:35:46,292 --> 00:35:50,042 but some believe it might actually be dangerous. 747 00:35:50,958 --> 00:35:54,000 - Through the years there have been multiple accounts 748 00:35:54,083 --> 00:35:55,583 of people who go to Blarney Castle 749 00:35:55,708 --> 00:35:57,750 and instead of getting any magical blessings 750 00:35:57,875 --> 00:35:59,250 of the gift of gab, 751 00:35:59,375 --> 00:36:03,375 instead they come home and suffer terrible misfortunes. 752 00:36:04,625 --> 00:36:06,625 - [Dennis] According to some castle historians, 753 00:36:06,708 --> 00:36:10,583 the reason why goes back to the late 16th century. 754 00:36:11,833 --> 00:36:13,833 - After MacCarthy is able to keep his castle 755 00:36:13,958 --> 00:36:16,042 out of the hands of Queen Elizabeth, 756 00:36:16,208 --> 00:36:18,625 he gets himself a little bit of insurance 757 00:36:18,750 --> 00:36:21,500 to make sure nobody else can ever get a piece 758 00:36:21,625 --> 00:36:25,542 of his beloved home or his beloved Blarney Stone. 759 00:36:25,708 --> 00:36:29,083 He orders a curse placed on the castle. 760 00:36:29,208 --> 00:36:31,500 Anyone who removes a stone from the property 761 00:36:31,625 --> 00:36:35,000 will suffer endless misfortune and misery 762 00:36:35,167 --> 00:36:36,542 until it's returned. 763 00:36:37,792 --> 00:36:40,583 - [Dennis] Curse stones in Ireland are an old tradition 764 00:36:40,708 --> 00:36:43,833 dating back to prehistoric times. 765 00:36:43,917 --> 00:36:44,917 - The Irish have many myths 766 00:36:45,042 --> 00:36:46,583 about the supernatural power of rocks. 767 00:36:46,708 --> 00:36:49,000 Their collection of stories about cursed stones 768 00:36:49,083 --> 00:36:50,375 and wishing stones 769 00:36:50,542 --> 00:36:52,583 is more extensive than any other belief system 770 00:36:52,708 --> 00:36:54,000 that we know of. 771 00:36:54,125 --> 00:36:56,667 - Ireland was once ruled by the Celts 772 00:36:56,792 --> 00:37:00,208 whose religious devotion to stones is well known. 773 00:37:00,333 --> 00:37:02,667 It also figured prominently in the beliefs and rituals 774 00:37:02,750 --> 00:37:06,000 of the famous sacred Celtic order known as the Druids. 775 00:37:06,125 --> 00:37:07,333 On the Blarney Castle grounds, 776 00:37:07,500 --> 00:37:08,917 there's actually a Druid circle, 777 00:37:09,042 --> 00:37:12,375 and some attribute the curse to this particular feature. 778 00:37:13,625 --> 00:37:16,375 - [Dennis] In 2010, one woman from South Carolina 779 00:37:16,542 --> 00:37:20,458 claims she is a victim of the cursed stone. 780 00:37:21,667 --> 00:37:24,000 - Linda Kelly is an estate agent, 781 00:37:24,125 --> 00:37:26,667 and while organizing a sale of items 782 00:37:26,708 --> 00:37:28,833 from the home of a retired priest, 783 00:37:28,958 --> 00:37:32,833 she buys a rock from Blarney Castle for a buck. 784 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:34,833 - Linda doesn't initially know 785 00:37:34,917 --> 00:37:36,208 about the Blarney Stone curse. 786 00:37:36,333 --> 00:37:39,167 All she knows is that she bought a rock from a man 787 00:37:39,333 --> 00:37:41,792 who had an unfortunate life. 788 00:37:41,875 --> 00:37:43,208 But within three weeks, 789 00:37:43,333 --> 00:37:47,292 Linda's own circumstances take a turn for the worse. 790 00:37:47,375 --> 00:37:51,167 She loses her job and she enters a deep depression. 791 00:37:51,333 --> 00:37:52,792 - It takes her a while to figure it all out. 792 00:37:52,875 --> 00:37:55,500 But once she hears of the Blarney Stone curse, 793 00:37:55,667 --> 00:37:58,292 she drives her rock straight to the post office 794 00:37:58,417 --> 00:38:00,125 and mails it back to the castle. 795 00:38:00,250 --> 00:38:03,042 She feels immediate relief 796 00:38:03,208 --> 00:38:05,708 and her life quickly gets back on track. 797 00:38:05,833 --> 00:38:08,667 - [Dennis] Kelly is far from the first to experience this. 798 00:38:08,792 --> 00:38:13,500 In 2009, Canadian tourist Liam Sareman tries his luck 799 00:38:13,667 --> 00:38:16,000 and takes a rock from the castle. 800 00:38:16,208 --> 00:38:17,375 - Sareman hears about the curse 801 00:38:17,500 --> 00:38:18,833 while on site visiting the castle, 802 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:22,167 but he ignores it and takes a piece of the wall 803 00:38:22,292 --> 00:38:24,208 as a special souvenir. 804 00:38:24,375 --> 00:38:25,625 - A few months later, 805 00:38:25,750 --> 00:38:28,542 Blarney Castle gets a stone in the mail from him. 806 00:38:28,708 --> 00:38:30,708 He explains that he has suffered, quote, 807 00:38:30,875 --> 00:38:32,208 "months of misfortune," 808 00:38:32,375 --> 00:38:35,333 so he apologizes and sends it back. 809 00:38:35,458 --> 00:38:37,542 Sareman also asks the castle staff 810 00:38:37,708 --> 00:38:41,917 to please put the stone back in the exact same position 811 00:38:42,042 --> 00:38:45,292 to make sure his streak of bad luck comes to an end. 812 00:38:46,542 --> 00:38:48,458 - [Dennis] The current owner of Blarney Castle, 813 00:38:48,542 --> 00:38:50,375 Sir Charles Colthurst, 814 00:38:50,542 --> 00:38:53,500 says this is par for the course. 815 00:38:53,625 --> 00:38:54,917 - Charles Colthurst reports 816 00:38:55,083 --> 00:38:57,458 that he gets several stones each year being returned 817 00:38:57,542 --> 00:38:58,792 with stories of curses 818 00:38:58,917 --> 00:39:01,417 and that these are often coming with instructions 819 00:39:01,542 --> 00:39:03,375 to put them back from the place 820 00:39:03,458 --> 00:39:05,250 in which they were taken from. 821 00:39:05,375 --> 00:39:07,000 - This, of course, isn't proof 822 00:39:07,167 --> 00:39:08,833 that the Blarney Stone is cursed, 823 00:39:08,958 --> 00:39:11,958 but it is proof that a whole bunch of people 824 00:39:12,042 --> 00:39:13,167 believe in the curse, 825 00:39:13,333 --> 00:39:16,833 and that's really what matters. 826 00:39:16,958 --> 00:39:20,917 - At the heart of every curse is belief, 827 00:39:21,042 --> 00:39:23,375 like the legendary Andvari, 828 00:39:23,500 --> 00:39:25,833 the ancient Romans or Greeks or the Qin Emperor. 829 00:39:25,958 --> 00:39:29,833 Someone believes that they can protect themselves 830 00:39:29,958 --> 00:39:33,167 or harm their enemies with a magic spell. 831 00:39:33,333 --> 00:39:34,750 - Or like the Blarney Stone, 832 00:39:34,875 --> 00:39:37,333 a victim of bad circumstances believes 833 00:39:37,417 --> 00:39:40,417 they have a dark supernatural origin. 834 00:39:40,583 --> 00:39:42,167 Are curses legit? 835 00:39:42,333 --> 00:39:43,833 Depends on who you ask, really. 836 00:39:43,917 --> 00:39:47,167 But if you've ever been on the business end of a curse, 837 00:39:47,292 --> 00:39:49,875 it can feel very, very real. 838 00:39:51,917 --> 00:39:54,292 - Many people believe these cursed objects 839 00:39:54,375 --> 00:39:56,167 and the fears they invoke 840 00:39:56,250 --> 00:39:58,500 have done more than just destroy lives. 841 00:39:59,208 --> 00:40:03,792 Is it possible some actually altered the course of history? 842 00:40:03,917 --> 00:40:05,833 I'll leave that to you to decide. 843 00:40:05,833 --> 00:40:05,875 I'll leave that to you to decide. 844 00:40:06,542 --> 00:40:08,083 I'm Dennis Quaid. 845 00:40:08,083 --> 00:40:08,183 I'm Dennis Quaid. 846 00:40:09,250 --> 00:40:10,625 Thanks for watching "Holy Marvels." 847 00:40:10,625 --> 00:40:10,667 Thanks for watching "Holy Marvels."