Prompt Cast
The History and Mythology of Ninjas
TLDR Ninjas, originating in China, were skilled spies, saboteurs, and assassins who used deception and disguise to carry out their missions. They were known for their tactics such as stealing enemy flags, creating paranoia, and hiding beneath outhouses.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Ninjas have their roots in Chinese warfare and subscribe to the art of war school of thought, which is sneakier and smarter than the samurai code.
04:01
Ninjas are rooted in the art of war and practice deception and disguise to carry out their missions, as seen in stories of Prince Yamato and 13-year-old Kumawaka.
08:07
The birthplace of the ninja is believed to be the regions of Iga and Koga, where clans adopted the ninja attitude and served as spies, saboteurs, and assassins.
12:04
Ninjas were skilled at espionage and assassination, with stories of their tactics including stealing enemy flags, creating paranoia, and even hiding beneath outhouses to strike their targets.
15:48
Ninjas were often attributed with supernatural powers, such as being able to fly, become invisible, and walk through walls, although in reality they mainly dressed like regular people in order to blend in.
19:45
Ninjas used various weapons and tools such as short swords, claw hands, tiger claws, cow drops, smoke bombs, ropes, throwing stars, grappling hooks, and rope ladders.
23:20
The first movie credited with featuring a ninja was "You Only Live Twice," which caused a surge in interest in ninjas in Western culture, including in movies like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "G.I. Joe."
27:06
Ninjas have become popular in popular culture, rivaling pirates and Chuck Norris, and there is a museum in Aga that celebrates ninja history.
30:36
The hosts receive listener mail about how their podcast on geocaching influenced someone to leave Santana CDs in a geocache.
Categories:
Society & Culture
