Lore - Episode 168: Beyond the Pale

Starting point is 00:00:00 They built it to honor one man, but it's clear they had another in mind. It's a red sandstone tower jutting up from the ruins of a much older structure, the thousand-year-old castle Kiffhausen, and if you visit the monuments you'll see two different men on display. The first, set in copper, riding atop a horse, is Emperor William I, who ruled Germany about a century and a half ago, but at the base of the tower, hidden inside an open-air cave surrounded by terraces for visitors to walk along, is someone older and more legendary, the 12th-century Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. He's carved into the back wall of the space, an ancient figure sleeping on

Starting point is 00:00:59 a throne with his beard flowing down past his knees, and he's sleeping because of the legend about him, a legend that will sound familiar to fans of King Arthur. They say that Barbarossa isn't really dead, but is simply hidden away under a mountain in Germany, sleeping until he is needed again. The king under the mountain legend is a lot more common than most people realize. Yes, it's a prominent feature at the end of the King Arthur story, but it's also a legend told about Charlemagne and a handful of other historic leaders. Why? Because it speaks of hope. That while our suffering might be great, it's only temporary, and soon enough, the hero will return to set things right. But one story echoes this ancient

Starting point is 00:01:46 belief in the returning hero more than any other. It's not as famous as the rest, but it represents an entire nation oppressed under the thumb of a foreign ruler, in the hope they placed in their hero's return. And to hear it, we're going to need to travel to a land of limitless beauty and enduring pain, Ireland. I'm Aaron Mankey, and this is Lore. When it was built, it was a symbol of defeat. And that's something the Normans were very good at. When they invaded England in 1066, they spent the next decade conquering every corner of the land. And everywhere they went, they built tall fortresses. They served as seats of power, but also enormous physical reminders that they were now in charge.

Starting point is 00:02:50 So, it shouldn't be a surprise that when the Normans invaded Ireland a century later, they did the same thing. Although at the beginning, it was less an invasion and more an invitation. You see, the king of Lenster had lost his throne, and so he sailed to England looking for help. When he returned, it was with English allies, and together they reclaimed his crown. In the years to come, England would insert itself into the Irish landscape, both politically and physically. And it's a conflict that has never really gone away. And all of that background is essential to understand when you look upon the walls of Kilke Castle. Because as the oldest, continuously occupied castle in Ireland, it's been there through it all. Built in the year 1180,

Starting point is 00:03:36 just a few years after the English arrived, it has stood watch over a never-ending game of conquest and rebellion. And if I spent time telling you about any of those events, you would immediately recognize the pattern. The people of Ireland would rise up, fight for their freedom, and then be crushed by the fist of English military power. But something happened over the years inside the walls of Kilke Castle. You see, the family who called the place home, the Fitzgeralds, had deep Norman roots and were descended from the same royal line as the tutors who ruled England. By the early 16th century, the Earl of Kildare also served as the Lord Deputy of Ireland. On paper, they fully represented English power over the Irish people.

Starting point is 00:04:20 But at the same time, they had become deeply Irish over the centuries and held strong sympathies to their plights. It was a tension that reached a breaking point in 1534. That's when Gerald Fitzgerald, the 9th Earl of Kildare, was called to England by King Henry VIII. So he and his wife and daughters all boarded a ship and set sail. Within the year, the Earl was dead from his time in the Tower of London and his wife and daughters were forced to serve the royal family for life. Back home at Kilke Castle, the new Earl of Kildare was 23-year-old Thomas. Along with his 12-year-old brother Gerald, they represented the last of their line. Later that year, Thomas would go on to lead a revolt against the English in Ireland.

Starting point is 00:05:02 In July of 1534, he and a small army attacked Dublin Castle, but were quickly defeated. Thomas and five of his uncles were eventually taken prisoner, transported to London, and executed there for all to see. And if you're keeping track, that just leaves young Gerald. He represented the last of the Fitzgeralds, sure, but he was more than that. To Irish rebels, he was their best chance at a future without the English. His family had been cousins to King Henry VIII, powerful in their own right, and loved by the people of the land. But at just 12 years old, he wasn't ready to lead them. And to make matters worse, he was sick. Around the time that his older brother Thomas was preparing to try to capture Dublin Castle, young Gerald lay sick and dying from smallpox.

Starting point is 00:05:50 Knowing that Henry VIII would send agents to kill him, Thomas had his sick brother placed in a large basket and smuggled out of the castle, and then left him in the care of a beloved family friend, a priest named Thomas Leverus. At first, they believed it would be simple enough to move Gerald to his aunt's estate, well outside the lands controlled by the English around Dublin, known as the Pale. It was there that his health recovered, fighting off the deadly disease. But after his brother's execution, King Henry sent an army back to Ireland to stamp out any remaining rebel pockets, and to find young Gerald. He did more than that, too. Remember, Henry VIII was the man responsible for England leaving the Catholic Church, setting up the

Starting point is 00:06:32 Protestant replacement known as the Church of England. So in an effort to rid himself of pro-Catholic rebels in Ireland, he shut down all Catholic monasteries, seized their wealth, and then, in a final blow to the Fitzgeralds, stripped them of their land and titles. But hope is a lot harder to extinguish. And for a people who had spent so many long centuries enduring foreign rule, the Irish had hope in abundance. It might not have felt like it at the time with their Earl and his rebellion gone, but they knew if they waited, a hero would return. What they didn't know, however, was that when he did, he would return to them in the most unexpected way. The next Earl of Kildare, you see, would be a wizard.

Starting point is 00:07:30 To become a wizard, you need a reputation for the unexpected. And if there's one thing that Gerald Fitzgerald was good at, it was surprising people. Now, the important thing to keep in mind as we explore the next decade or so of his life is that there's a difference between reality and perception. Real events would take place over and over for Gerald, and they would have reasonable, logical explanations. But the perception? Well, it created the legend of the wizard Earl. His first trick was slipping out of King Henry VIII's grasp, impressive when you consider that Henry was one of the most powerful monarchs in the world, but Gerald managed to pull it off thanks to a network of loyal supporters known as the Geraldine

Starting point is 00:08:14 League. They protected him whenever he was in hiding, helped transport him safely to the next hideouts, and maintained a network of scouts to watch for English spies. And that game of cat and mouse eventually led the Geraldine League to move the boy out of Ireland altogether. Their first stop? France. And keep in mind, this was a moment in history when France and England weren't on the best of terms, so that old adage that says, the enemy of my enemy is my friend proved true. He found supporters there at the royal court and was provided protection, funding, and a place to be free. For a while, at least. France was close enough to England that there were still spies to contend with. Thankfully, Gerald always had his two companions

Starting point is 00:09:00 by his side, both friends of his father, his tutor, Thomas Leverus, and an old, cranky servant named Robert Walsh. But all good things must come to an end. When the English ambassador to France caught wind of Gerald's stay there, he sent an agent to capture the boy. Gerald and his protectors managed to slip away, but it meant leaving the safety of France behind. Oh, and that English agent who pursued them? His name was Sherlock, which honestly just sounds perfect, doesn't it? After France, the boy fugitive traveled to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. But that stay didn't last very long. So after wandering Europe a bit,

Starting point is 00:09:41 Gerald and his protectors landed in Italy, under the protection of Henry VIII's biggest enemy around, the Catholic Church. And that's where he spent the rest of his exile. It turned out that one of his distant relatives was a cardinal by the name of Reginald Pol, yes, an English priest, right there in Italy. And through those connections, Gerald was able to settle down and begin his education. But Gerald was more interested in action than books. And during his teens, he learned of the efforts of an order of Catholic soldiers known as the Knights of Saint John to fight the Ottoman Empire in Northern Africa. So he left Italy and threw himself into the conflict near Tripoli. And while he never

Starting point is 00:10:22 officially joined the Knights of Saint John, he did walk away with an intense military training and a reputation for great skill in combat. Upon returning to Italy, he was hired by Cosimo de Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, to serve as his master of horse. And we need to just stop and reflect on this for a moment. Smuggled out of Ireland as a sick and dying child and hunted by the King of England across much of Europe, Gerald had transformed himself into a strong, wealthy courtier with responsibility over the vast horse business of one of Italy's most powerful men. If that's not sorcery, I don't know what is. And then in 1549, Gerald made a trip back to the French court when a messenger approached him out of the crowd.

Starting point is 00:11:08 He carried a letter from his mother, letting him know that she was still alive and well, and something even more joyous. King Henry VIII, the man who had hunted him for years, was dead. And his passing meant that Gerald was now safe. A year later, he was on a ship bound for England, at his side were Thomas Leverus and Robert Walsh, his faithful protectors and advisors. And what transpired next set off a new chapter in his life. During a social gathering thrown by the new 12-year-old boy king, Edward VI, he met a young woman named Mabel, and their romance quickly led to marriage. And then three years after his return to England, another door opened for him. Young King Edward died, and after a brief struggle for the crown with Lady Jane Gray,

Starting point is 00:11:55 Edward's sister Mary became queen. And Mary was good news for Gerald because she, unlike her father and brother, was Catholic. Oh, and one more thing. Remember when Gerald's father was called to England and summarily thrown into prison in the Tower of London, leaving his wife and daughters to face punishment by Henry VIII? Do you know who those women had been ordered to serve as ladies in waiting? Henry's daughters. And that included Mary. Which means that all of a sudden, not only did Gerald find himself living in an England that no longer outlawed Catholicism, but his mother and sisters had been constant companions and servants to the new queen. It's no wonder people began to believe that Gerald was a wizard. All of this good fortune

Starting point is 00:12:41 just screamed magic. Soon he had a written pardon, and his ancestral lands and titles had been restored. So Gerald and his new wife Mabel packed up and headed home. His real home. The home he hadn't seen since childhood. And he returned to Kilke Castle, raised his family and ruled over his territory like a good servant of his queen. Well, except for one small problem. You see, Gerald was a bit of a troublemaker. He punished the men under his power by burning their fields and raiding their storehouses if they didn't make their wives and daughters available to him. And this was where the real Gerald messes up the image of that returned hero. Because in a lot of ways he was the bad guy and just as bad as the English overlords he hated. The decline of Gerald

Starting point is 00:13:30 Fitzgerald, wizard Earl of Kildare, began in 1558 when his friendly patron Queen Mary passed away. Because when she did, her sister Elizabeth took the throne, her Protestant sister. And despite being on friendly terms with Gerald's sisters, Elizabeth had no patience for anyone who encouraged rebellion, something that Gerald was still doing over in Ireland. Twice he was called to testify before her, and twice he was thrown into the Tower of London. And both times he somehow managed to return home and pick up where he left off. Gerald's magic seemed to still be there, still allowing him to slip out of the grasp of his enemies, still keeping him alive when the odds demanded otherwise. But it wouldn't last forever. In 1580, after encouraging yet another

Starting point is 00:14:22 rebellion in Ireland, Gerald was arrested and hauled off to London once again and thrown into a filthy cell in the Tower. And that's where he stayed, unable to magic himself out of this one final jam. Historians assume that's where he passed away, never to return to Ireland again. But there are some who disagree. In fact, there are stories about one last performance by the wizard Earl of Kildare. Exactly where it falls on the scale between folklore and fact is something I'll leave up to you. But it's certainly part of the collection of details that make him the man we still talk about today. The wizard, it seems, had one more trick up his sleeve. In a lot of ways, Gerald's magic was simply coincidence, somehow managing to slip through

Starting point is 00:15:30 the fingers of the powerful King of England, outliving him and then finding himself in good graces with Henry's daughter, Mary, thanks to his family connections. And those are just a few examples from a long list of unbelievable happenstance. Gerald Fitzgerald had a way of avoiding death and punishment that led some to believe that he could never be caught. And those same people believe that he never really died, that he simply stepped into a cave to sleep until Ireland would need him again, in a clear echo of the King under the mountain folklore. But where he obtained those powers is a matter of rumor and speculation. Remember, he was alive and active in the middle of the 1500s, a time when few could tell the difference

Starting point is 00:16:15 between astrology and astronomy, or math and magic. And for folks in England and Ireland, the darkest powers and influence someone could seek out were found in the very place Gerald was raised into adulthood. Europe. And so, putting those specific pieces together would have convinced many that he had traveled Europe learning sorcery and black magic along the way. So not only was he someone who represented hope for the Irish to win back their freedom, but he could help them do that with his arcane powers and elusive presence. As I said before, some believe the history books hide the truth about Gerald's final days, that he never actually died in that prison cell in the Tower of London, but that his powers allowed

Starting point is 00:16:59 him to escape once more and return home. When he did, though, his surprise arrival was the final straw for his wife Mabel. She had been hearing rumors about magical powers for years, but being devoutly Catholic, she chose to ignore them. It was only when he managed to escape his final imprisonment by Queen Elizabeth that Mabel sat Gerald down in the sitting room in the castle and demanded that he demonstrate his powers for her own eyes. Reluctantly, Gerald agreed, but he prefaced his demonstration with a warning. I'll show you my powers, he said, but you need to observe them without fear. If you show any sign of fear at all, you will never see me again. And of course, Mabel agreed, probably because she had a hard time believing

Starting point is 00:17:46 that her husband had any powers at all, let alone powers that might frighten her. So with that, Gerald began, I have three tests for you, he told her, and they shall be convincing proof of my powers. First, he motioned toward the window and the property beyond, where a small stream ran through the castle grounds. And then with a flick of his wrist, the stream rose up within the room they were seated and climbed as high as Mabel's lips. Maybe it was the sheer ridiculousness of the trick, the absolute unbelievableness of their sitting room flooded with waters from the stream, but Mabel didn't flinch a bit. Satisfied that she had shown no fear, Gerald made another motion and the water receded, vanishing back into the little stream outside.

Starting point is 00:18:34 Next, he turned and gestured toward the room's door. In a heartbeat later, it opened. Standing in the doorway was an old family friend, a man they had both known and respected for a long time. The trouble was, this man had passed away many years before, so the sight of him in their sitting room should have been a frightening shock. And yet Mabel didn't show fear. Even when the shape of this dead friend shambled over to where she sat and took her hand in a greeting, she held fast and observed it all as if it were a stage performance and nothing more. A moment later, the undead visitor vanished. And finally, an enormous snake slithered out from beneath her seat and began to wrap itself

Starting point is 00:19:17 around her legs. Now, I'll be honest, this is the moment when I would have lost it. But Mabel, not a single sign of fear, even when the snake had fully wrapped her body in its cold embrace, its head positioned directly in front of her own face. And then it was over. Mabel had passed each of the tests, although whether she still believed his powers were real or just skillful parlor tricks is up for debate. Regardless, he had done what she had asked him to do, but it seems that Gerald had one last trick to show her. He asked his wife to close her eyes and then instructed her to stay that way until he tapped his foot four times. Mabel nodded and did as he asked and then waited in silence for the signal. There was a long pause

Starting point is 00:20:04 and I imagined she began to wonder what he was doing, but soon enough she heard the sound, four distinct taps on the floor. When she opened her eyes, Gerald was gone. In his place was a little bird which flew into the air and landed on her shoulder, singing a quiet song to her. She laughed as it flew off again, zipping around the room, landing here and there as it continued to sing. But then another movement caught her eye. A cat had crept into the room, moving beneath the furniture with its eyes locked on that bird. Before she could stop it, the animal pounced and Mabel cried out in fear. And that, according to the legend, is when she failed the test. Having shown fear, the bird vanished, leaving Mabel alone in the

Starting point is 00:20:53 sitting room. And Gerald Fitzgerald, the wizard Earl of Kildare, was never seen again. Sometimes the most magical thing in our world is hope. Whether that's because we've stayed innocent in the face of cynicism or we just prefer to view everything through rose-colored glass, our ability to be hopeful can drive us to hold on, to never give up. And in many ways, Gerald Fitzgerald fits that concept well. He was seen by his contemporaries as a figure of hope, someone who might very well help them obtain the freedom they desperately wanted, and his adolescence in Europe with all its trappings of adventure, black magic, and military experience all just added to his reputation.

Starting point is 00:21:53 Of course, he was far from perfect. His actions alongside the Knights of the Order of Saint John involved more than warfare. There was a good amount of prisoner taking as well, prisoners that were sold into slavery for Gerald's profit. And he treated the autonomy of women in his territory in Ireland with just as much disregard. He made terrible choices, frequently, and there's no reason to hide any of that. But flaws and fantasy aside, Gerald was a man that a lot of people placed hope in. And because of that, a legend began to grow around his story that he hadn't really died, but had instead slipped off to some cave or hidden chamber and just gone to sleep. And when Ireland needs him most, he will miraculously return.

Starting point is 00:22:40 The years have been kind to his story. People still whisper about the wizard Earl when they visit the castle today. There's even a room at the top of a tower that is said to be his alchemy workshop. Of course, they call it the Haunted Room, because, well, why not, right? But the castle itself didn't age so well. Gerald called it home in the second half of the 1500s, and after his time there, it was handed on down the line. In fact, it stayed in Fitzgerald hands until the 1960s, meaning one family owned the castle for nearly 800 years. Pretty impressive, for sure. In 1849, though, the family decided to give the castle some much needed restoration. It seems that previous generations had done a bit of treasure hunting on the land,

Starting point is 00:23:26 and many of the battlements had been destroyed or dismantled. And as they started work, pieces of the past began to come back to life. In one part of the house, a recess was uncovered that contained a number of ancient glass bottles, still sealed and containing an unknown liquid. Knowing the stories of the wizard Earl and his experiments with alchemy, the workmen assumed the bottles contained some sort of magical potion. And despite how crazy, we all know it would be to drink from old unmarked bottles. That's exactly what they did. Thankfully, there's no record of anyone dying. But the bigger discovery was waiting deeper inside the recess in the wall.

Starting point is 00:24:07 As the workmen brought light into the opening, they realized that the space inside was much larger than they had expected, and right in the middle of it all was a table and a chair. A chair. With someone seated in it. Now remember, these were men who had been raised on the legend of the sleeping wizard Earl. They would have whispered stories as they worked, half serious and half for fun, about whether or not the Earl would ever be found. And here, right inside a lost room in the wizard Earl's own castle, was something that fit the story to a tee. As the story goes, one of the curious workers stepped inside and approached the silent figure. And then,

Starting point is 00:24:48 with an outstretched arm, he leaned forward and gently touched the man on the shoulder, perhaps expecting that to wake him. Instead, the ancient figure instantly fell to pieces, crumbling into a pile of dust before his eyes. Maybe it was evidence of some ancient crime from the castle's past, or a hint at more sinister activity. Or perhaps, it was one last vanishing act by the wizard Earl himself. The life and adventures of Gerald Fitzgerald are certainly unbelievable, even though much of it is actually true. But while his alchemy and sorcery are fascinating, it might be good to spend just a bit more time discussing his connection to an older tradition,

Starting point is 00:25:53 one that has a good chance of leaving you with a few chills. Stick around after this brief sponsor break, and I'll tell you all about it. Artists Live? Maximize your dreams by following their whole tour by Private Jet. Or why not maximize your dreams even further by finishing the tour with your own festival on your own island with all the artists you love. Dream to the max with Lotto Max. Download the Lotto Spot app now to get your tickets. Some legends can't be contained. They transcend the boundaries of kingdoms and migrate into new languages and histories, and the legend of the hero king under the mountain is one of them.

Starting point is 00:26:59 The folklore DNA of these stories, though, is always the same. It works something like this. A kingdom or nation falls in love with a hero. Think King Arthur or Charlemagne, and then that hero goes away. But they haven't really died. Instead, they've just gone into hiding to a cavern or chamber hidden away somewhere where they might sleep, waiting until they are needed again. A lot of the stories claim that these sleeping heroes are not alone, that they've brought their loyal knights with them, and sometimes even their horses. And together, like some sort of medieval slumber party, they all lay waiting for the call that will drive them out and back to the battle. Interesting side-notes, a lot of these stories bleed into the folklore of

Starting point is 00:27:41 the wild hunt. In some places, that sleeping hero and their band of warrior companions will occasionally ride forth and hunt across the landscape, giving birth to stories of their own. But most of the time, they simply sleep in the earth, waiting for the moment when they are needed most. Before that day, though, there are always sightings. People who stumble upon that hiding place, then usually that stranger disturbs the sleeping hero but runs away in fright before anything significant can happen, never able to find the chamber again. And of course, these stories find home in the life and legend of the wizard Earl of Kildare. The most commonly told tale is of his frequent return for a ride through the castle's property. Once every seven years,

Starting point is 00:28:25 they say, the Earl appears on a mighty steed and rushes across the land. Those who have seen him claim that he rides straight to the castle and then up the high walls. When he and his horse reach the top of the tower, they both vanish. And his ghostly ride is supposed to happen over and over every seven years until the silver horseshoes on his steed are worn down to the thickness of a cat's ear. After that, he will return for good, defeat the English, and rule as a king over all of Ireland. And with a legend like that, it's easy to understand why some people have even gone looking for him. In fact, many believe that if the wizard Earl is sleeping anywhere, it's in a cavern beneath an ancient hill fort known as the Wrath of Malamast,

Starting point is 00:29:10 which is right there in County Kildare. And just like many stories like it, Fitzgerald is said to be waiting alongside a troop of knights, all dressed in shimmering armor with their horses nearby. But the entrance to that chamber is only visible on the night his ghostly form rides up the castle walls, something that was apparently confirmed in the late 1700s. According to an Irish historian writing in the 19th century, a man was said to be wandering home late one night after an evening of drinking with friends. As he passed the Wrath in the darkness, a light caught his eye and he turned to follow it. Eventually, he found himself entering a wide cavern lit by torches and the space was filled with people, all of whom were asleep. Surprised and a little shaken by what

Starting point is 00:29:57 he saw, it said that the man dropped something. And as it hit the stone floor, the sound of it echoed through the chamber, stirring one of the nearest knights. The man claimed that the armored figure slowly lifted its head and a rough, deep voice came from inside the helmet. Is it time? The figure asked. The traveler, not knowing what else to say, shook his head. No, he replied. But it will be soon. And with that, the knight's head dropped back to his chest and went silent. Disturbed by the experience, the traveler turned and ran out of the cavern and back into the darkness of the night. After a few paces, though, he turned to get one last look at the warm glow of the hidden chamber beneath the hillforts and then caught his breath.

Starting point is 00:30:45 The entrance to the chamber was gone and he was never able to find it again. This episode of Lore was written and produced by me, Aaron Mankey, with research by Carl Nellis and music by Chad Lawson. Lore is much more than just a podcast. There's a book series available in bookstores and online and two seasons of the television show on Amazon Prime Video. Check them both out if you want more lore in your life. I also make and executive produce a whole bunch of other podcasts, all of which I think you'd enjoy. My production company, Grim and Mild, specializes in shows that sit at the intersection of the dark and the historical. You'll learn more about all of these shows and everything else going

Starting point is 00:31:40 on over in one central place, grimandmild.com. And you can also follow this show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Just search for Lore podcast, all one word, and then click that follow button. And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening.

Lore - Episode 168: Beyond the Pale

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