This is exactly the same feeling I experienced the first time I solved this kind of exercise here at CodeWars.
It also one of the reason why I decided to write this basic kata.
Now on, I'm pretty sure that you will take advantage of the work with this kata with the others katas of this kind.

I consulted Wikipedia and now have a better understanding. Perhaps more details might be useful to included from the story in order to help encourage the expected solution from individuals like me who are unfamiliar with the history. Would it be too much of a hint to link to an article or YouTube documentary on the subject? This might have the added benefit of including a history lesson with the kata.

I solved this kata using a loop and now don't think that is the intended solution, but now that I have solved it and can see other solutions and feel a second attempt might not be as "authentic" as the first experience, since I already know what to do.

Chris, first of all, thank you for the feedback.
Actually, I do not really think that adding an extra line, with a story, to the sentence 'the problem of adding up all the whole numbers from 1 through a given number n.' can influence the ability to solve the problem.
Moreover, in the field of science and maths this is a quite famous anecdote; moreover, it is also an hint, since this is where all the studies for a more efficient solution come from. I can understand that not everybody have this academic background or the willingness to spend time on the internet in order to discover all the details of the story.
In fact, you are still able to solve the problem even if you can't appreciate all the historical details or if it not works as an hint for you.

I enjoy how this kata's details are presented in prose and with a story, but I feel the writing could use a little polishing. It all clicked once I stopped trying to understand the story and instead focused on what tests I might need to write.