/u/Jerswar's posts in /r/askhistorians

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In 1895, an Irishman killed his illness-stricken wife, because he was convinced she'd been replaced by a fairy changeling. Was this level of superstition typical for Ireland at that time?

51 upvotes

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Superheroes started cropping up in the 1930's and 40's. Were their costumes considered silly at the time?

49 upvotes

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In the movie Death of Stalin, Marshal Zhukov makes a smartass comment about Coco Chanel and Georgy Malenkov's hair. Would he and the other Soviet leaders have known enough about Western high fashion for the mockery to work?

47 upvotes

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Was there opposition to slavery in the ancient world?

46 upvotes

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Frankenstein: I've seen it claimed that back in 1818, a reader would have been meant to sympathise with the title character for abandoning his creation simply for being ugly. How accurate is this?

45 upvotes

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The Catholic Church had the official stand that witchcraft did not exist. What was it about the Protestant Reformation that allow the witch hysteria to blossom?

44 upvotes

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Supposedly, during the brief Norse settlement in Newfoundland, as the natives were attacking, a heavily pregnant Norsewoman scared them off by exposing her breasts and slapping them with a sword. Um... why?

43 upvotes

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How did daily life change for the average Gaul after Caesar's conquest?

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WW2: Is it true that allied soldiers sometimes looked the other way while concentration camp victims took revenge on the guards?

43 upvotes

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WW2: Why did the Nazis continue to spend resources on the death camps, even as the Allies were closing in and resources and manpower were desperately needed?

42 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
In 1895, an Irishman killed his illness-stricken wife, because he was convinced she'd been replaced by a fairy changeling. Was this level of superstition typical for Ireland at that time?	51
Superheroes started cropping up in the 1930's and 40's. Were their costumes considered silly at the time?	49
In the movie Death of Stalin, Marshal Zhukov makes a smartass comment about Coco Chanel and Georgy Malenkov's hair. Would he and the other Soviet leaders have known enough about Western high fashion for the mockery to work?	47
Was there opposition to slavery in the ancient world?	46
Frankenstein: I've seen it claimed that back in 1818, a reader would have been meant to sympathise with the title character for abandoning his creation simply for being ugly. How accurate is this?	45
The Catholic Church had the official stand that witchcraft did not exist. What was it about the Protestant Reformation that allow the witch hysteria to blossom?	44
Supposedly, during the brief Norse settlement in Newfoundland, as the natives were attacking, a heavily pregnant Norsewoman scared them off by exposing her breasts and slapping them with a sword. Um... why?	43
How did daily life change for the average Gaul after Caesar's conquest?	43
WW2: Is it true that allied soldiers sometimes looked the other way while concentration camp victims took revenge on the guards?	43
WW2: Why did the Nazis continue to spend resources on the death camps, even as the Allies were closing in and resources and manpower were desperately needed?	42