Overview of Ep 605 - Arctic Cannibalism (feat. Buddy Levy)
This episode of Matt & Shane’s Secret Podcast features historian and narrative nonfiction author Buddy Levy. The conversation ranges widely — from Levy’s creative-writing background and research process to grisly and vivid expedition anecdotes from the Amazon, Borneo, Greenland and the Arctic. Key themes include survival ethics (including cannibalism), how historical narratives are constructed, and Levy’s on-the-ground method of researching history by retracing routes and living in the environments he writes about.
Guest background
- Buddy Levy: historian and creative writer who published his first story at 14; author of narrative history books such as Conquistador, River of Darkness, Realm of Ice and Sky, and several Arctic-themed books.
- Writes immersive narrative histories by combining archival primary sources with extended field expeditions.
Topics discussed
- Levy’s writing approach:
- Deep archival research (journals, diaries, letters).
- On-site expeditions to feel environment, flora and fauna — then write.
- Treats each book like a mini graduate degree: months of reading + fieldwork + months of writing.
- Conquistadors and colonial brutality:
- Logistics of early expeditions: small European forces, many porters/slaves, alliances with local tribes.
- Horrors: slavery, sexual exploitation, ritual sacrifice; survival practices (porters, raiding villages).
- Amazon expedition highlights:
- Traveled from Quito to Iquitos; weeks in dugout canoe, Yasuni National Park.
- Wildlife: pink river dolphins, vampire bats (blood-drinking with anticoagulants), giant spiders, anacondas, piranhas, manatees.
- Personal experiences: ayahuasca ceremony (mild dose, pink dolphin visions), piranha fishing with hot dogs, swimming near piranha shoals, hammock camping with mosquito netting.
- Borneo adventure race:
- Mark Burnett–run multi-sport races; camping on islands, water snakes (sea kraits), giant monitor lizards, bat-guano caves and egg-harvesting from swift bird nests.
- Arctic & polar stories:
- Svalbard visit: polar-bear danger (mauling incident at campsite), midnight sun (no darkness in summer), sea-ice dynamics (moving, breaking floes), kayaking among icebergs and glaciers.
- Historical oddities: early airship/blimp attempts to reach the North Pole, giant rescue efforts, shipwrecks in ice.
- Survival differences: cold deaths (hypothermia) vs. tropical illnesses/poison arrows; cannibalism appears more often in Arctic survival accounts.
- Franklin expedition and Northwest Passage:
- Discussion of John Franklin’s lost voyage, subsequent searches, recent ship discoveries aided by Inuit oral history; Levy’s upcoming/ongoing work on an overland Franklin-era expedition (first Franklin expedition) looking at the search for the Northwest Passage.
- Survival ethics & cannibalism:
- Distinction between ceremonial cannibalism and survival cannibalism.
- Real historical accounts of starvation-driven cannibalism; extreme survival moral dilemmas discussed (execution for theft of food, people secretly eating the dead).
- The hosts and guest riff on whether they'd resort to cannibalism if starving — candid, dark humor.
Notable anecdotes & vivid moments
- Vampire bats: pierce skin and use anticoagulant saliva; can cause persistent bleeding.
- Ayahuasca in Yasuni: Levy saw a pink dolphin as his “spirit animal.”
- Piranha fishing using hot dogs and swimming near piranha shoals.
- Svalbard campsite tragedy: a Dutch worker installing an electric fence was mauled to death by a polar bear; electric fences have limited deterrence.
- Greenland seal-hunter pragmatism: no lifejackets — if you fall in, cold water kills you fast; dry suits vs. wetsuits debate.
- Borneo: sea kraits (very venomous), monitor lizards the size of a small pony, and crawling through bat-guano–laden caves to retrieve swift nests.
- “Henry” story: soldier discovered secretly eating provisions (and possibly human remains) — captured and executed; crew used blanks in two guns to obscure which shot killed him.
Key takeaways
- Narrative history is strongest when archival research is blended with firsthand experience of place; Levy emphasizes both careful source-sifting and physical immersion.
- Survival accounts expose both human brutality and complex moral choices; cannibalism in historical sources can be ceremonial or driven by starvation.
- The Arctic is more complicated than “just snow”: moving sea ice, midnight sun, fjords, and mountain terrain create unique hazards and harsh living conditions.
- Remote regions (Amazon, Arctic, Borneo) still harbor surprises and uncontacted or little-known groups; oral histories (e.g., Inuit) can solve modern archaeological mysteries.
- Exploration stories are often gruesome and messy: victors’ narratives, exploitation, and myth-making are intertwined.
Notable quotes / lines
- “History is pretty dynamic and malleable.”
- “I always go to the place that I’m going to write about and do an expedition of my own.”
- “Once you pass the North Pole every direction leads south.”
- “If you get hungry enough you’ll eat a person” — candid discussion on survival instincts (presented with dark humor).
Books & projects mentioned
- Conquistador (Buddy Levy)
- River of Darkness (Buddy Levy)
- Realm of Ice and Sky (Buddy Levy)
- Upcoming/current book on the first Franklin expedition / overland Arctic journeys and the Northwest Passage.
Sponsors & plugs (from episode)
- PrizePix (sports betting/stat projections app) — promo code Drenched for $50 in lineups after first $5.
- Onnit / Alpha Brain — discussed by hosts as a nootropic they use.
- Host tour plugs: Shane and Matt mention tour dates and tickets (Salt Lake City, Houston Riot Fest, St. Paul, Des Moines, Phoenix, Toronto, Chicago, etc.).
Recommendations for listeners
- If you enjoy narrative history with vivid, field-researched accounts, start with Levy’s Conquistador or River of Darkness.
- Expect a mix of grim history, expedition storytelling, and dark humor — episode is not for listeners who prefer sanitized history.
- Fans of Arctic exploration narratives (e.g., Franklin, Shackleton) or Amazon expedition stories will find Levy’s firsthand insights valuable.
Bottom line
This episode is a long-form, wide-ranging conversation that blends history, on-the-ground adventure reporting, and candid discussion of survival’s moral gray areas. Buddy Levy’s method — intensive archival work plus immersion in the landscape — drives much of the episode’s energy and the grisly, memorable anecdotes that illustrate how people behaved under extreme conditions.