About this episode

The episode explores the life and deception of George Psalmanazar, who claimed to be a native of Formosa in the early 1700s.

In the early 1700s, when maps still had blank spaces and “here be dragons” felt like a reasonable warning, a stranger arrived in Europe with a fantastic story to tell. Calling himself George Psalmanazar, and claiming to be a native of far-off Formosa, where people lived in underground houses and dined on human meat. He translated scriptures into a language no one had ever heard and tutored missionaries in the customs and culture of his country. But the greatest fiction wasn’t his island at all, it was Psalmanazar himself. And for a while, the world believed every dazzling word.SOURCES Psalmanazar, George (1704) An Historical & Geographical Description of Formosa. London, UK. Psalmanazar, George (1764) Memoirs of ****. Commonly Known by the Name of George Psalmanazar, a Reputed Native of Formosa. London, UK. Keevak, Michael (2001) The Pretended Asian. Wayne State University Press. USA Foley, Frederic (1968) The Great Formosan Imposter. St. Louis Jesuit Historical Institute, USA. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access…

More episodes of Dark Histories

• BONUS: 10 Year Q+A · April 19, 2026 · 1h 12m
• The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDui · April 13, 2026 · 54 min
• The Ghost Ship Carroll A. Deering · March 31, 2026 · 1h 1m
• The Witches of Warboys · March 17, 2026 · 1h 4m
• The 19th Century West Ham Vanishings · March 2, 2026 · 1h 6m
• George Joseph Smith: The Case of the Brides in the Bath · February 3, 2026 · 1h 22m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Dark Histories podcast page.