History is littered with stories and anecdotes about how seemingly insignificant details changed the world. While many of these stories are just apocryphal, strange circumstances and coincides cannot be discounted. Because in the face of extraordinary events, anything could be possible.

10Joan of Arc’s Epilepsy

Joan of Arc is famous today for using divine guidance to fight against invading English armies during the Hundred Years War. However, the fact that Joan claimed that heavenly voices inspired her actions has caused many modern researchers to suggest more organic causes. Namely, epilepsy.

Joan of Arc may have suffered from a particular type of epilepsy called idiopathic partial epilepsy with auditory features, or IPEAF. She claimed to have heard and occasionally saw saints like St. Catherine and St. Margaret, which is the sort of episode common in epileptics with IPEAF. Joan also said that many of her experiences were preceded by the “sound of bells,” which is similar to other epileptics who say that certain noises trigger episodes.

Unfortunately, this diagnosis can’t be affirmatively diagnosed. Tests could be done on Joan’s DNA, but there are currently no DNA samples from Joan known to exist.

9Moses’s Burning Bush

Moses remains one of the most important figures of all time, but the Moses of tradition may actually be quite different from the historical Moses. The acacia tree, frequently mentioned by Moses throughout the Old Testament, contains the powerful hallucinogen dimethyltriptamine, or DMT, which is used in a concoction known as ayahuasca. This could mean that Moses’s famous “burning bush” may have fueled his religious experiences through hallucinogenic drugs.

During the events at Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments, he may have been high on DMT, which causes flashes of light similar to the account described in the Bible. Ayahuasca’s effects have been studied extensively in the Amazon region, where it is used as part of religious ceremonies, and most data suggests that Moses may have been tripping the whole time.

8The Hatfield And McCoy Anger Disorder

The Hatfield and McCoy family feud is so famous that it has almost permanently become part of American folklore. While the violence between the two clans has long since ended, one of its causes has lived on in the form of Von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a rare disorder which can cause tumors on the adrenal gland. Because of the stress on the adrenal glands, those who suffer from the disease have symptoms including high blood pressure, severe headaches, and excessive production of the “fight or flight” hormones. All of this combines to make a short temper and aggression. It is found in three-fourths of the McCoy family, and past ancestors are also textbook cases.

Could this rare disorder have caused the ferocity that fueled the Hatfield-McCoy feud? It seems likely, because many of the McCoys today display similar symptoms, even down to the tumors.

7Anthony Eden’s Sickness And The Suez Crisis

Soon after Winston Churchill’s resignation as Prime Minister of England in 1955, a crisis erupted in Egypt when Abdul Nassar seized the Suez Canal, the most important route by which oil was shipped to Europe. Anthony Eden, Churchill’s successor, was forced to take on the situation, but a lingering illness could have compromised his leadership.

In 1953, Eden had undergone an operation on his gallbladder, but there was a complication when a knife cut his bile duct. This left Eden with long-term pain that he used painkillers, barbiturates, and amphetamines to deal with. Eden’s behavior was extremely erratic during much of the Suez crisis, and he made a series of poor decisions that ultimately caused Great Britain’s decline as a world power. He was eventually forced to resign in shame in 1957.

6Fashion And Tuberculosis

During the Victorian era, attractiveness and fashion were linked to many bizarre trends, but one fad was influenced by a curious factor—tuberculosis. Tuberculosis was so romanticized during the time that many considered it the standard for feminine beauty. From 1780 to 1850, cosmetics and clothing were actually made to emulate the appearance of someone dying from the dreaded disease. Things changed after Robert Koch isolated the tuberculosis bacteria in 1881 and the germ theory began to gain traction.

Widespread hysteria took over and many trends began to radically change. The iconic flowing gowns and hoop skirts worn by women in the 19th century changed to become less regal, because it was believed that the extra fabric could hold tuberculosis microbes. The bushy beards and facial hair kept by men of the time were also said to aid the spread of tuberculosis, so by the 20th century most facial hair had all but disappeared. Whether these measures actually worked is anyone’s guess.

5The Seven Day War And Divine Intervention

When Arab forces announced their intentions to invade Israel in 1967, it was widely believed that the Israelis didn’t have a chance. Through amazing coincidences—which most Israelis attribute to spiritual influence—the war was flipped on the Arabs with Israel eventually gaining three times the territory it had possessed previously.

Before the invasion was even set to begin, the commander of the Egyptian forces in Sinai was ordered to change officers, but the replacements knew next to nothing about Israel’s terrain. Three hours before the Israeli air strike that would cripple the Egyptian Air Force, Egyptian intelligence actually tried to notify forces on the ground of the attack, but for some unknown reason, no one informed the commanding officer.

When the actual presence of an Israeli fighter jet was detected by intelligence in northern Jordan, a red alert was sent to Cairo but, again for some unknown reason, the message couldn’t be decoded. Finally, when the Israeli air strikes actually occurred, no senior officers were around to do anything about it because they had spent the previous night watching a belly dancing show.

4Charles Whitman Was Influenced By A Tumor

On August 1, 1966, ex-marine Charles Whitman climbed to the top of the clock tower at the University of Texas campus in Austin. He proceeded to kill 13 people and wounded 32 others. In addition, he killed his mother and his wife. What led Whitman to commit such a senseless, destructive act? During an autopsy on his brain, a possible explanation was found.

A type of tumor called a glioblastoma the size of a nickel was found growing from his thalamus, impinged on his hypothalamus and compressing his amygdala. The amygdala is responsible for regulating emotion, and his tumor no doubt played a role in Whitman’s mental deterioration. While his actions were completely reprehensible, the finding does shine some light on how biological factors could play a role in criminal actions.

3Henry VIII’s Insanity And CTE

For much of Henry VIII’s early reign, he was a highly intelligent and capable leader, but his mental state eventually fell apart and he became paranoid, tempestuous, and deranged. Henry VIII was a well-known sportsman, and this could have led to his own demise.

In 1524, Henry received a head injury during a jousting tournament that left him with migraines. In 1536, Henry was knocked unconscious for two hours after his armored horse fell on him. It was after these accidents that he began experiencing symptoms of mental instability. While there is no way to test him any longer, the recently discovered illness Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) matches many of Henry VIII’s symptoms.

CTE, common in athletes who experience repeated head injuries, cause symptoms similar to dementia and Parkinson’s. Henry became forgetful and was prone to mood swings which could explain his infamous poor treatment of his wives, along with his inability to perform sexually despite being a womanizer in his youth.

2Sir Thomas Bludworth And The Great Fire Of London

In 1666, a massive fire destroyed much of old London. At the time, Sir Thomas Bludworth was the mayor of the city, and his desire to sleep could have caused an easily preventable tragedy.

At 2:00 AM on September 2, the house of the royal baker on Pudding Lane caught fire. Located on a narrow street and surrounded by crowded wooden buildings, the fire quickly spread. When Sir Bludworth was woken up and informed of the fire, he brushed it off and went back to sleep, reportedly saying, “A woman might piss it out.” He ignored the warnings to knock down surrounding buildings until it was too late, and by the time the fire ended, London was entirely up in smoke.

Samuel Pepys was unimpressed by Bludworth, and there are even suggestions that the mayor had been drinking the night the fire broke out. Bludworth, however, remained in government positions until his death.

1The French Revolution And Ergot Mold

In 1789, word began to spread around France that brigands were hiding in the woods, causing many peasants to take up arms. This event became known as The Great Fear and served as one of the catalysts for the French Revolution. However, the reason for the Great Fear remains mostly unexplained.

In the 1980s, Mary Kilbourne Matossian of the University of Maryland proposed that a bad crop could have been the cause of the paranoia. Earlier, in 1974, a historian announced that the rye grown throughout the late 1700s was afflicted with ergot. Ergot, a mold that grows on rye, is known to cause symptoms like paranoia and hallucinations and contains the chemical by which LSD is synthesized. Around one-twelfth of all rye crops were affected due to cold winters and wet springs, so widespread ergot poisoning could have been behind the beginning of the French Revolution.

Gordon Gora is a struggling author who is desperately trying to make it. He is working on several projects but until he finishes one, he will write for for his bread and butter. You can write him at [email protected].

The Interpol Stolen Arts Database houses an immense list—over 52,000 records—of stolen works of art, along with pictures and descriptions of each piece. Countries all over the world contribute records of stolen treasures—certified with police information—in an effort that spans oceans, crosses continents, and transcends borders. In the billion-dollar black market, it’s no surprise that both art theft and recovery are big business. Here are ten times lost works of art have been rediscovered through unusual circumstances.

10 Woman-Ochre

A late-November heist at the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1985 resulted in the loss of the $160 million painting Woman-Ochre by American-Dutch artist William de Kooning and a 32-year mystery regarding the valuable art’s whereabouts. The theft was carried out by a couple shortly after the museum opened, with the woman distracting a security guard before the guard could reach her upstairs post. Meanwhile, the male cut the painting from its frame. The couple made off with the invaluable painting before the guard discovered Woman-Ochre had disappeared.

With no cameras or fingerprints to go on, Woman-Ochre remained missing until the death of two well-traveled schoolteachers. Jerome and Rita Alter passed away in the tiny New Mexico town of Cliff in 2017, leaving their nephew to execute their estate, including a painting that hung behind their bedroom door. Antique dealer David Van Aucker soon paid $2,000 for the deceased couple’s art, taking possession of pieces that included the valuable painting. He hung the art in his Silver City store, where customers recognized the piece.

After a process that involved the FBI and a 2½-year restoration, Woman-Ochre hangs back on the same wall she was removed from in 1985. Meanwhile, the Alter family is left to wonder if a short story Jerome Alter penned about a 120-carat jewel being stolen by a woman and her daughter while a guard is distracted, then hanging it behind a wall panel for the two thieves’ secret enjoyment is based on more than just imagination. ^[1]

9 Tiffany Glass

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

In May 2018, New York City-based art glass dealers Howard and Paula Ellman made a startling discovery. After placing the winning bid on several items at a Pennsylvania auction, they found that some of the glass, including a Tiffany Favrile Vase, had been stolen from them 37 years prior. The discovery happened when the shipping service the Ellmans hired delivered four of the items they’d won with call-in bids. While unpacking the items, Howard discovered their own shop labels on the bottom of the Tiffany pieces, labels which the couple always removed when a piece was sold.

Upon further investigation, the same auction the Ellmans had purchased their own stolen glass from had sold 16 more of the 40-50 Tiffany pieces they’d lost in the unsolved robbery. Thanks to the documentation Paula had held onto for nearly four decades, it was determined that the couple were entitled to the return or value of all 16 stolen Tiffany works; works whose worth had drastically increased during their missing years.^[2]

8 Marble Bust

Loyal Goodwill shoppers might mention the nonprofit’s mission to empower the less fortunate, the low-cost, or, less frequently, the discovery of literal treasure. This was the case for Laura Young, an antique dealer who stumbled across the find of a lifetime for $34.99 at an Austin Goodwill. The discovery, a 50-pound (22.7-kilogram) marble sculpture, turned out to be a first-century bust of Roman general Drusus Germanicus that went missing from the German museum Pompejanum during World War II.

After hiring a lawyer to facilitate the return of the 2,000-year-old bust to its rightful owners, Young’s lawyer brokered an agreement that included the San Antonio Museum of Art hosting the artwork until May 2023.^[3]

7 Palette

A Florida architect stumbled across a stolen work from Jon Corbino at an estate sale in Sarasota. The painting, named Palette for the actual artist’s palette it was painted on, was one of several owned by the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall from the same artist. Though it was not the most valuable, it was the most popular work in the collection. The painting hung in the lobby of the lower gallery of the hall and went missing during an Oak Ridge Boys concert in the early 1990s.

Eric Bower, the architect and weekend yard sale enthusiast, recognized Corbino’s piece when he spotted it. Having come across the works of famous painters at garage sales before, Bower purchased the piece for just $25 and made contact with the artist’s daughter, who informed him that Palette was a stolen work.

Bower returned the stolen painting to the performing arts hall, even refusing a reward. Though the location of the painting is no longer a mystery, the question of who took it still persists. According to the son of the estate from which Palette was purchased, his mother had stored several pieces of art for an unknown man who’d never retrieved them.^[4]

6 Walking Horses

Standing 16 feet tall and 33 feet long (4.8m x 10m), Josef Thorak’s bronze horses once stood on either side of the stairs leading into Adolf Hitler’s New Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. The imposing sculpture disappeared with the Soviets during World War II, showing up in the 1950s in Eberswalde at a location used for the Red Army barracks’ sports grounds/ They had been painted gold to mask bullet holes. The horses disappeared again with the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, with speculation being that the sculpture had been sold or the horses melted down.

In 2015, the horses were finally rediscovered after an investigation was launched when the sculpture was put on the black market with a reported price tag of $5.6 million. The story of the horses’ journey then unraveled. Shortly before the fall of the Berlin wall, Helmut Schumacher, a vintage car dealer, had discovered an article in which an art historian had noted her discovery of several bronze statues in Eberswalde, including Walking Horses. An intense, complicated smuggling operation ensued, with bribes sprinkled liberally and Red Army soldiers themselves assisting the smugglers.

Due to the horses’ sheer size, the sculpture had to be cut up in order to be smuggled to the Western side of Berlin, eventually ending up in possession of the man paying the bribes—a businessman by the name of Rainer Wolf. When Wolf’s property was searched in May 2015, investigators discovered not only Walking Horses but a number of other illicit Nazi artworks that were subsequently seized and turned over to the German government.^[5]

5 Tres Personajes

Plucked from a pile of garbage in Manhattan after noticing it during a morning walk, Elizabeth Gibson hung the oil painting titled Tres Personajes” by Rufino Tamayo on her wall before research led her to a segment on missing masterpieces on Antique Roadshow FYIs. The piece, considered an important work from Tamayo’s mature period, had been purchased from Sotheby’s auction house in 1977 for $55,000 as a gift from a husband to his wife. Ten years later, the painting, unique in that marble dust and sand were mixed into the medium, was stolen from a Houston warehouse where it was being stored during a move. Though the original owners reported the loss to both Houston and federal authorities, and the painting was listed in multiple databases, no leads turned up.

After learning the value of the oil painting, Gibson returned it to the original gift recipient, now widowed, and accepted a $15,000 reward. Gibson also received an undisclosed percentage of the painting’s $1,049,000 sale price when it was then sold through Sotheby’s New York auction house twenty years after the theft in 2007.^[6]

4 Madonna and Child

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Most of the works of Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi, born in 1609 at Sassoferrato in the Marches, reside in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle in Britain. So it was no surprise that when one of his drawings was donated to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in 2021, the museum staff was ecstatic. The rare, circa-1650 Baroque work had been purchased by John and Sylvie O’Brien in 1970 from an unknown French collector.

Fifty-one years later, the couple, unaware that the drawing had been listed as stolen since 1965, donated it to the museum. Though no one knows exactly when the Sassoferatto was stolen as it was discovered torn from its base by a student doing research at the Graphische Sammlung, employees of the Washington County Museum of Fine Art verified it was indeed the valuable drawing. It was due to be returned to its rightful museum in August 2022.^[7]

3 Poppy Field at Vetheuil and Blooming Chestnut Branches

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh are unarguably two of the most well-known impressionist artists in the world, their works commanding millions of dollars at auction. They also tempt thieves, hoping to cash in on the black market.

On February 10, 2008, three masked, armed men made off with a $163.2-million haul from the private impressionist and neo-impressionist museum, the E.G. Buehrle Collection. In addition to Edgar Degas’s Ludovic Lepic and Boy in a Red Waistcoat by Paul Cezanne, the thieves grabbed Monet’s Poppy Field at Vetheuil and van Gogh’s Blooming Chestnut Branches. Though rather than being specifically targeted, authorities believe the thieves simply grabbed the first four works of art they came to.

In an unexpected twist, both the Monet and van Gogh were discovered only days later—still protected by the museum glass they were displayed under—in a sedan abandoned in front of a psychiatric hospital just a few feet from the Zurich museum. Eventually, all four paintings were recovered, and though little information is available on the 2009 recovery of the Degas works, Boy in a Red Waistcoat was found hidden in the roof upholstery of a black van in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2012.^[8]

2 Third Imperial Easter Egg

In July 1918, the Russian Imperial Family’s executions shocked the world. After their tragic demise, some of the family’s most extravagant possessions, the Fabergé Easter eggs, were confiscated from the Romanov palaces by the Bolsheviks and taken to the Kremlin Armoury. The eggs, created for the family from 1885 to 1916, were considered to be both the crowning achievement of Fabergé as well as the last great art commissions. They remained unopened in their storage crates until Joseph Stalin came into power and determined the valuable eggs could be sold to the Western world. Though some of the eggs were sold, others were hidden by Kremlin curators, and over time, the whereabouts of eight of the original 50 Imperial Easter Eggs became unknown.

One of those, the third Imperial egg, created in 1887 and considered missing since 1922, was discovered at a flea market stall by a scrap metal dealer in the midwest in 2004. Having paid more than the egg was worth as scrap, the yellow-gold Romanov treasure sat in the dealer’s cabinet for nearly a decade until research led him to suspect his flea market purchase could, in fact, be one of the missing Imperial Eggs. Once the origin of the golden bauble was confirmed, the Easter egg was sold to a private collector for a sum estimated to be around $33 million.^[9]

1 Alleged Imperial Easter Egg

Currently awaiting authentication is yet another of the lost Imperial Easter Eggs. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Found aboard a 348-foot (106-meter) superyacht seized in Fiji is what is believed to be one of the seven missing Imperial eggs. The discovery was revealed by Lisa Monaco, U.S. deputy attorney general, after the $300 million vessel owned by Suleiman Kerimov was docked in San Diego in June 2022. Once confirmed, only six Imperial Fabergé eggs will remain missing.^[10]