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Astonishing Legends Podcast
The Pied Piper of Hamelin Part 2

The Pied Piper of Hamelin Part 2

Astonishing Legends vor 6 Jahren

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1:53:34

As with any mysterious event, it’s often said that we should look
to the simplest solution as being most likely the right
one. The idea that when presented with competing hypotheses
that make the same predictions, the solution with the fewest
assumptions should be chosen is usually attributed to the
principle of “Occam’s razor.” But what happens if we try to
apply this cure-all of an axiom to explain a medieval legend that
has few clues associated with it? In Part Two of our series
on The Pied Piper of Hamelin, we’ll explore several of the
leading hypotheses on this bizarre event such as the plague and
Murine Typhus, forced emigration, the “Dancing Madness” and
ergotism, slavery, the Crusades and even alien abduction.
And if we return to applying “Occam’s razor” to this mystery from
the Middle Ages and accept the contemporary accounts? Then
what remains is the disturbing thought that somehow, a nefarious
charmer simply used a flute to tragically persuade a large group
of children to follow him into oblivion. They may be lost
and their names are forgotten, but they and their Piper shall be
forever remembered as one of the most famous legends of all
time.

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