Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History - Podcast Rankings and reviews

Minnesota Unraveled is a delightful podcast that blends humor, history, and heart, all with a focus on the fascinating state of Minnesota. The hosts weave local stories with broader connections to U.S. and world history, creating a rich tapestry that both entertains and educates. The lighthearted tone makes even complex topics feel approachable, and the deep love for Minnesota shines through in every episode. Whether you’re a history buff or just curious about the hidden gems of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, this podcast is a must-listen. Highly recommended!

Thoughtfully researched histories and great insights into the reasons “why” things are the way they are today in Minnesota.

Fantastic first episode. Lots of interesting information, but still concise. Production value is also great!

It’s a lovely podcast, interesting history with multiple angles of the the topic! Really enjoying it so far.

Having listened to this podcast for the first eight episodes, I'm giving it up. It just can't be trusted.

I can't speak to the other episodes, because they're outside my area of expertise. But episode 8 was about Paul Bunyan "folklore." I KNOW FOLKLORE. And the difference between folklore and fakelore.

Legends of Paul Bunyan originated in the 1910 Detroit Evening News, in a poem "Round River Drive," probably originally by James McGillivray, re-versified by Douglas Malloch. There are claims the poem was earlier published in 1906. All printings have vanished. In any case, 1906 versus 1910 makes little difference.

James Stevens, who wrote about Bunyan in the 1920s, claims to have collected folktales of Bunyan. He never printed any of them, and all the stories have the stamp of Stevens's work. And almost all later Bunyan stories derive from Stevens.

Yes, there are a lot of other hypotheses. None have any evidence. The overwhelming weight of evidence is that Bunyan is fakelore. Successful fakelore -- one of the most brilliant pieces of fakelore ever produced. But any podcast that starts by talking about legends of the North Woods, and not fakelore, is something I cannot trust.

They didn't even CONSULT a folklorist.

Oy.