Stay ConnectedWe explore ideas and practices once believed to be true but no longer. Each dead idea is explored in all its glorious eccentricity.
For example, discover miasma, the theory that plague comes from stinky air; or the medical diagnosis of hysteria, which holds that women’s wombs wander around their bodies causing trouble.
Join us on a fun romp through the history of ideas that didn’t quite stand the test of time.
Copyright: © (c) B. T. Newberg
The Sacred Band of Thebes, comprised entirely of gay male lovers, was Ancient Greece’s original response to the gays in the military question. What was that like? How did it function? And what was its lasting legacy? That’s what we’re going to find out today, just in time for Pride Month. Here to help us do it is classicist James Romm, author of The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers Fighting to Save Greek Freedom. By the way, the New Yorker article referenced in the episode is "Ancient Greece's Army of Lovers" by Daniel Mendelsohn. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/btnewberg and get a hand-drawn portrait. Research, writing, editing, and production by B. T. Newberg. Music and Logo Design by Rachel Westhoff. Additional credits, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
My city is on fire today. This is day four of the riots in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police. And everyone around me is saying, “I’m angry too, but why destroy your own community? It doesn’t make sense.” But is there another way to look at it? In this episode, I share first-hand reports of the riots as well as experiences of income disparity in local schools. By looking behind the violence to the roots of disadvantage, can we turn confusion into empathy?
This episode goes out to all of you at home out there during this pandemic, but we want to dedicate it especially to listener Owyn in Toronto, Canada. He’s faced a string of tough challenges recently, and now there’s the covid challenge on top of it all, but on the bright side, Owyn: it’s your 19th birthday today! Happy Covid 19th, Owyn! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/btnewberg to get your portrait drawn! Music by Rachel Westhoff. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.
Did you know America spawned its very own homegrown fascist movement in the 1930s? Yup. The Silver Legion's William Dudley Pelley was the original Man in the High Castle. Or... at least he dreamed himself to be. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
TRIGGER WARNING: Politics. Today we explore what characterized early 20th-century fascism, and then ask whether it's fair to call Trump fascist. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
It's here! It's finally here! After a full year of development, our new show the History of Sex is here. Cruise on over to The History of Sex on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get podcasts. Also, an announcement: next month, we will have more Dead Ideas!
It's another best of the best for you! This one has it all: romance, plunder, mimes - and it all ends in a bloodbath! This was our first mashup and it's still one of my favorite episodes. What are your faves? Let me know at deadideaspod@gmail.com or on Facebook at @deadideaspod. Also, an update on our upcoming show The History of Sex: we're looking at a release date in October! It's coming up fast! This episode features a rockin' soundtrack by Brooklyn band Twin Guns. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.
We’re trying something new here on Dead Ideas. We have a sizeable back-catalog of episodes, many of which new listeners may never have heard, and which long-time listeners may have forgotten. So, we’re reprising classic episodes that are among the best of the best. One of my personal favorites is the finale episode from our cuneiform series. It’s a mash-up juxtaposing the story of the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh with the cyberpunk feel of the thriller Ghost in the Shell. See, one of the things I loved about studying the Sumerians, world’s oldest known city-building culture, is how surprisingly modern they feel. Thanks to the preservation of cuneiform tablets, we know more about them than, say, the Vikings or the Mongols. We even have their letters, giving us their most intimate thoughts and feelings, and that makes them feel strikingly recent – hence the futuristic cyberpunk elements. If you want more on the history of the Sumerians, by all means go back and listen to our full cuneiform series, which still stands as one of our best, but today’s episode stands on its own as a complete self-contained story. The oldest of the old meets the newest of the new in this Cyber-Sumerian retelling of the world’s most ancient epic. Enjoy. Featuring a haunting soundtrack by Belgian industrial band Militia. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.
When was the last time you put a city to the sword? It's not something we do much anymore today. But there was a day and age when it was quite normal to slaughter every last man, woman, and child in a captured city. Neil Eckart of the podcast War and Conquest returns to the show today to talk about Julius Caesar's slaughter of the Gaulish city of Avericum. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
What will Game of Thrones be remembered for? I would argue it's not its supposed character realism, nor it's moral ambiguity. Rather, it will be its depiction of unusual gender identities in fantasy. No other major fantasy show that I can think of does that. In the spirit of our upcoming show the History of Sex, let's talk about gender in Game of Thrones! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
What's it like to make a podcast? Sam Hume of the new show Pax Britannica talks with me about all the ups and downs of podcasting. Check out Sam's show. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
The end is nigh! Or so they've been saying since the year 1000 A.D. Today, Neil Eckart of the podcast War and Conquest tells us about millenarianism, the medieval idea that the world was coming to crashing halt at the end of the millennium. So, how did medieval folks party like it was 999? They went crusading! Discover the connection with the crusades in today's episode. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Last time we delved into the History of History Podcasting, and now we are giving you the full interview with none other than the host of Hardcore History, Dan Carlin. For the rest of the full interviews, check out our Patreon feed at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
This is it: the first ever attempt at a history of our genre, history podcasting. I've interviewed nearly a dozen podcasters and spoke to dozens more to bring you this story, which comes to you with our characteristic Dead Ideas quirk (would you expect anything less?). Today I present, not a dead idea but a live idea: history podcasting. Guest list: Bob Packett, Lars Brownworth, Cam Reilly, Lara Eakins, Robin Pierson, Roifield Brown, Jordan Harbour, Travis Dow, Glen Gibbs, Liz Covart, and Dan Carlin Check out our Patreon feed for the full interviews at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod Theme music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Sound clip credits at www.deadideas.net. This episode is released under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
Now that you know ancient Rome fell just shy of an industrial revolution, why not enjoy a world where Rome does industrialize? That's Jordan Harbour's Rome Industrial setting, which he is here to talk to us about today. Jordan is the host of Twilight Histories, an alternate history podcast you should listen to in the dark. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Success is at hand for Andre's character Pyrrho. But it is a Pyrrhic victory, for after that we recount the history of the backward slide of science from the Roman conquest into the Middle Ages, until its final rebirth in the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Arriving at the Great Library of Alexandria, Andre's character Pyrrho of Pergamum searches for the secret plans for the floating statue. But in order to get his hands on them, he must first solve several science and engineering challenges. Along the way, we learn a great deal about the Library of Alexandria and its marvelous discoveries. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
So Roman tech was pretty surprising, but still more surprising is that all that was developed centuries earlier in the Hellenistic period. What's up with that? Today we explore the development of Hellenistic science, then go deep into that world with a roleplay that will continue in the following episodes. Today we visit Pergamum and Rhodes, discovering all about Hellenistic learning along the way. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
So why didn't Rome undergo an industrial revolution? Today, we take a look at some of the contributing factors for 18th-century Britain and see how Rome stacks up. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
For our final series, we're doing the steam technology of the ancient world that died and had to be resurrected in 18th-century Europe. How close was Rome to being able to construct a working steam locomotive? That may sound silly, but you won't think so after this episode! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Is the surface of Mars criss-crossed by lines so long and straight they can only be constructions of an advanced alien civilization? Many astronomers in the late 19th and early 20th century thought so. Join us in this jaunt into the frailty of human perception. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
In the early 20th century, the word "vampire" was used to mean something quite different: a female sexual predator. And no one struck more fear into the hearts of men than cinema's first sex symbol, silent film actress Theda Bara. Happy Halloween. Featuring piano music by Kevin MacLeod, used by Creative Commons License Attribution 3.0. Be sure to support us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Theme music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Find pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
What can the sex lives of Byzantines tell us about court eunuchs? Find out today in these sizzling chariot-cab confessions. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Today, we're talking Vikings in Byzantium with special guest Robin Pierson of the History of Byzantium podcast. What were these big-bearded warriors doing standing next to beardless eunuchs? And why were both Vikings and eunuchs entrusted with such important positions? Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphics design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
How awkward is it for the Roman Empire to not control Rome? Uh, yeah, this cannot stand. Anna's back today to finish the story of eunuch general Narses, as he completes Justinian's reconquest of the Eternal City! Be sure to support us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Today, Anna takes the lead with the story of the eunuch general Narses! In this episode, we get an overview of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, and then we see Narses make his first appearance in quelling the infamous Nika Riots. Finally, he heads to Italy to reconquer Rome. Be sure to support us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Happy anniversary! We're getting cranky today with our 5 biggest peeves of history podcasting - what we consistently get annoyingly wrong. We call out our fellow podcasters, with plenty of self-deprecating humor as well. Last, we talk a little more about our upcoming new show on the history of sex. Be sure to support us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. www.deadideas.net
Did you know that Byzantine culture recognized three genders? This begins our new series on Byzantine court eunuchs, and today it's all about different constructions of gender. That, and cutting off your junk to get ahead! Follow the spectacular rise and fall of the court eunuchs of Byzantium. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Forget heroine chic. This is tuberculean chic! This episode, courtesy of Dig: A History Podcast, features a most peculiar fashion "look" inspired by the White Plague, i.e. tuberculosis. For credits, show notes, and further reading see digpodcast.org. Show your support at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Dead Ideas music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
The grand finale to our series is a tale chock full of no less than 19 berserkers, all villains. And just like the movie Suicide Squad, we're telling it from the bad guys' perspective. So, get ready for Suicide Swords: Berserker Battallion! With a soundtrack by Finnish composer Antti Martikainen! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
We're joined today by the host of the Viking Age Podcast, Lee Accomondo. Together, we're turning back the clock to the early Viking Age today to ask: what got this whole thing started? Why leave the farms and fjords to risk life and limb on some foolish raid abroad? Why go a-Viking in the first place? Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
We go down the rabbit hole today as we explore the possible deep origins of berserkers in initiatory cults and Indo-European wolf traditions. Buckle in - it's going to be a bumpy ride! Special thanks to Faoladh for pointing us at some of the more obscure connections between medieval werewolves and ancient wolf warrior cults. www.faoladh.blogspot.com/ Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
We're continuing to explore the Viking world, and today we ask: did Viking women really fight? Were they truly badass? Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Andre's character Snorri Ankle-grabber shows up at the Althing, the greatest assembly of Iceland, and attempts to convict his stepfather for manslaughter. Will this game of law devolve into a violent duel? Find out today on... Berserker Court! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Happy Father's Day, everybody. Today I'm telling stories of my father's side of the family. It's a tale of adventure, tragedy, murder, loss, and triumph. Join me as we explore what it means to try to live up to the expectations of those that have gone before you. Featuring music by Ed Newberg. Intro music by Rachel Westhoff.
Today we experience life as a berserker in medieval Iceland on the cusp of Christianization. In this roleplaying epsidoe, Andre faces some tough choices on his road to vengeance! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Today we explore the Viking world of the berserkers, from the Rus to Scandinavia and Iceland, covering everything from longship warfare to romance with dubious queens. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
They were the howling, shield-biting badasses of the Viking Age! Who were these frightening fighters? What were they really like? We’re exploring all that and more in our new epic series on Viking berserkers! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
It's our first-ever dead fashion: the Reniassance trend of showing one boob! Believe it or not, that was an actual fashion among court ladies in France and beyond. That's right, we're really classing it up today. We're talking about the topless Renaissance. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
Technocracy isn't dead! Today we talk to a card-carrying modern technocrat, Justin Lazzara. How has the movement grown and changed? Find out with us today. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
What if the Technate succeeded? Today, we indulge in a bit of alternate history, constructing a timeline where North America joins into one nation ruled by experts. Then we explore what life might be like in 2018 in that alternate timeline world. Welcome to the Technate! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
It gets snarky today with snippets of articles from a 1937 Technocratic magazine, and it gets visionary with excerpts from Harold Loeb's visionary book Life In a Technate: What It Might Be Like. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Our new series is a 1930s vision of techno-topia! It's not only from the 30s, though - while long past its heyday, a small Technocracy movement still exists today, which only makes this all the more interesting. This movement that proposed all of North America should be one unified country governed by scientists and experts. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Today we put Mohist principles to the test. Andre's character returns to his home province and is forced to face complicated challenges of family, politics, and intrigue as a newly-trained Mohist. Featuring a soundtrack by Lunar Synth. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Train with the Mohists! This week is a roleplaying episode in which Andre's character experiences what life is like as a Mohist-in-training in the Warring States Era. We read snippets from the actual text of the Mozi and struggle to grasp its ideas. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
It's Valentine's Day, and this is a valentine to humanity, sort of. In honor of last week's Falcon Heavy Launch by SpaceX, we're reading a space exploration article from 1920. What was it like to imagine reaching space at such an early date? Let's find out together in this episode of Public Domain Theater 3000. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
I still haven't taken that damn city! We're continuing our Mohist military defense tactics mini-series in which I am attempting to take a city and Andre is using Mohist tactics against me. This time I'm sure to succeed! Or not... Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net
The enemy is attacking - call the Mohists! Andre Sólo gives us the skinny on the military defense tactics for which the Mohists were so famous. And he gives me the fool's errand of attacking a city defended by a Mohist scholar. Woe is me. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
We have a very special episode today: the first ever not hosted by me! Join guest host Kelly Nussbaum and me (as co-host) as we talk about all the ways women have tried to keep the bun out of the oven. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
How did the Mohists see the world differently in the Hundred Schools of Thought era? We find out today, as we explore their particular perspective as working class philosophers. We also learn lots about the early Confucians. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
They were the chief rivals of the Confucians in their early days, but today no one has heard of them. Meet the Mohists: a faction of hard-headed, big-hearted philosophers whose ideas would fit right in to modern leftist politics, but which were scorned at the time in Ancient China. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
More ghost stories! This year we hear a spooky tale from 13th-cen. Iceland: the story of Glámr the draugr! And as a bonus, Andre Sólo appears to read an original story of his own called "13 Candles." And don't forget you can get yourself drawn as a comic book character by supporting the show at: www.patreon.com/deadideaspod
To conclude our series, here's a a self-mummified monk whose bawdy tale could be called a Japanese Abelard and Heloise (i.e. the story Romeo and Juliet was based on, but with more genital mutilation). We also hear how self-mummification died, and even about a 20th-century self-mummified monk. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
It's story time! Today we hear two stories of monks who self-mummified, one starting out as the perfect samurai, the other as a not-so-perfect farmer in samurai-era Japan. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Our craziest Thanksgiving special yet! This unexpectedly weird story tells of a lone woman who hates union plumbers, who gets an unexpected visitor in the night. Featuring guest co-host Jon. Don't forget to contribute at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
That's right: *self*-mummification, mummifying yourself through a special 3000-day diet and regimen of spiritual exercises which will lead to your death but, if you do it correctly, will mummify your body and make you a sokushinbutsu or "Buddha in the Flesh." I witnessed many of these mummies personally while living in Japan. This is their story. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
Curious who your future lover will be? Or what it's like to celebrate Halloween at sea in the 19th century? Then you better check out this special Halloween episode. We finish last year's article, and learn about Scottish Halloween divination methods, like the kaling! And we hear about Halloween on a trans-oceanic ship. And joining us once again are Pete and Meagan! Don't forget to support us at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn in the time period and culture of your choosing!
In the end, Titoism bit the dust, but did it really have to die? And what does all this mean for ethnicity, nationalism, and family? That's how we're concluding this series, which is officially our longest yet. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
What was the deal with all the ethnic divisions that eventually erupted in the Yugoslav War, and did that rivalry really disappear while Tito was in power? Today we talk to Alex Cruikshanks, host of the History of Yugoslavia podcast, to get to the root of the matter. Check out Alex's show at www.historyofyugoslavia.libsyn.com. Be sure to support our show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net
Dr. Noah Charney of the University of Ljubljana joins us today to talk about artistic freedom under Tito. Former Yugoslav Srdjan Perisic also joins us again to talk about Yugoslav music and today's phenomenon of Yugonostalgia. And I talk Yugoslav hippies and punks. What's not to love? Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Check out Noah Charney at www.noahcharney.smugmug.com. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
Today we hear from three former Yugoslavs about their stories of what life was like under Tito. Also, the winner of our Who Should Play Tito in a Hollywood Movie contest is announced! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, and more at www.deadideas.net.
This is our grand finale! Take out your holographic tablets and laser styluses, because we're mashing up the most ancient with the most modern: the Epic of Gilgamesh with the 1995 classic anime Ghost in the Shell! Featuring a haunting soundtrack by Belgian industrial band Militia. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.
http://media.blubrry.com/deadideas/ia600805.us.archive.org/27/items/DeadIdeas56FYouHistoryChannelOneYearAnniversary_201709/Dead%20Ideas%2056%20F%20You%20History%20Channel%20One%20Year%20Anniversary.mp3 Presenting… the history of the History Channel! This is our one-year anniversary special, so we’re doing something special: a *should be* dead idea – the History Channel! Also, a huge thank you to all of you supporters out there. Enjoy! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Main […]
Was the famous/infamous institution of temple prostitution in ancient Mesopotamia ever really a thing? And if so, what was that like? Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Today we look at Tito's post-war regime in which the ideas of Titoism take shape, namely workers' self-management and political non-alignment. And we ask: was Tito ultimately a hero or an anti-hero? Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net
At last, it's the business nuns? (wait... what?!) That's right - there was a class of nun-like religious devotees who apparently wheeled and dealed like they were trying out for The Apprentice! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
This week you get TWO episodes! This is our first-ever crossover episode going on both Dead Ideas *and* Eastern Border. Kristaps and I talk about the split between Tito and Stalin like it's a heavyweight boxing match! Be sure to support both shows at www.patreon.com! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net. Sound Effects Credits: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html
Was Tito more of a James Bond or a James Bond villain? A romanticizable hero, demonizable villain, or both? That's the question for today as we explore the early life of the man who would become the dictator of Yugoslavia, and who would later create the peculiar communist ideology called Titoism. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, and references at www.deadideas.net.
This the world's first bow-chicka-wow. Today, we explore the intimate lives of ancient Mesopotamians, in their own words. Warning: we do get a little crazy toward the end. May your sanity survive. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
Today begins our series on the ideology of the communist dictator of the former Yugoslavia, Tito, and I'm telling it specifically from the perspective of my own family's ethnic background, the Slovenians. I give the history of the formation of the Slovenian identity up till Tito's time, so that we will be ready to see Titoism from the Slovenian perspective next time, when we talk about Tito himself. For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394 Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
Cooks, brewers, and foodies: you're going to love this. We went all out and cooked up a real seven-course meal of Sumerian dishes, and brewed actual Sumerian beer! Sample the world's oldest cuisine with us! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Muisc and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Pics, maps, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Education makes women... what? Infertile?! Yep. This time we delve into a wildly popular book from 1873 that proposed precisely this: Edward H. Clarke's Sex in Education: A Fair Chance for the Girls. This one's gonna be a doozy. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
Our scribes travel to the court of Mari, a city in the far northwest of the Fertile Crescent. There they discover a viper's nest of courtly intrigue in this role-playing game of episode. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Pics, maps, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
This episode is a personal reflection on nationality and my own awkward relationship with my Slovenian heritage. This is an initial baby-step toward a longer series on Titoism, the ideology of Josep Broz Tito, the communist dictator of the former Yugoslavia, who defied Moscow to grow his own brand of communism, which unfortunately did not survive his death. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
Grab your tablet and stylus and try to avoid the muggles! In this special role-playing game episode, we explore the life of a cuneiform scribe in the age of Babylon. Support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern.
Who were the "boy scouts of feudal Japan"? I have no idea! In this episode of Public Domain Theater 3000, we read this 1914 article to discover what in the hell this author could possibly mean. Support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net
We're going all the way back to ancient Sumer! Our new epic series is about the world's oldest writing system, which revolutionized communication. Get your clay tablet and your stylus, and join us for: cuneiform! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
The balance of power was designed to prevent a great from ever happening again. And then THE Great War happened. Today we see how it all went to shit. We conclude by exploring whether we are still living in a balance of power system, or if we have gone beyond it and why. Maps, pics, and references at www.deadideas.net. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
What was going so crazy with the Balkans that it could spark a great war like WWI? And why? Guest co-host Adam McKithern and I go full-throttle to make sense of the Balkan Situation. Hint: It all has to do with the diplomatic game called the balance of power system. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
Rise up, for the Nation! What was nationalism, and how did it completely eff up the balance of power system prior to WWI? Today we dive into this, and we read an article from 1914 about Czech and Polish nationalism at the start of WWI. Maps, pics, and references at www.deadideas.net. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
The Cabinet Wars were a period of supposedly restricted warfare, and no one was a greater Cabinet Warrior than Frederick the Great of Prussia. Though he was also in some ways the opposite. Today we look at the trajectory of Frederick the Great's military thinking, from the early idealism of his Anti-Machiavel to his later years of restricted warfare. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!
The balance of power system in place prior to WWI was meant to prevent a great war from ever happening again. Then what happened? Not just any great war, but THE Great War. What was this system and how was it supposed to work? Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net. Music by Rachel Westhoff.
Our serfdom grand finale! Guest Daniel Daughhetee of the Lesser Bonapartes and Canon Ball helps us bring it home in this cinematic mashup of the autobiography of runaway serf Nikolai Shipov with... Star Wars! Featuring music by David and Henry Dutton of 8-Bit Cinema! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Guest music by David and Henry Dutton. Map by Adam McKithern. Pics, maps, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
The conquest of Siberia! Kinda. Sort of. Well, in name at least. How in the hell did the Russians manage to grab the northern expanses all the way to the Pacific? Find out today. Also, who were the Old Believers and what zany adventures did their founder get up to? Find that out too. Nick answers all the burning questions you never knew you had. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Pics, maps, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
Run away to join the Cossacks, young serf! Who were these cowboy-like steppe peoples? And what was their obsession with disdain for pants?! Anna digs into Russian author Nikolai Gogol for a unique view of these riders of the wild wastes. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Pics, maps, references and more at www.deadideas.net.
How did the Soviet kolkhoz, or collective farm, stack up against the serf commune? Here to help us understand is Kristaps Andrejsons from the podcast The Eastern Border. Also, it's my birthday! Yay! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Pics, maps, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
What was the relationship like between serf and master? Hear chilling first-hand accounts from 19th-century serf autobiographies! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Maps, pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net
Experience the horrors of the military draft and the joys (?) of marriage on a Russian serf commune in this role-playing game episode. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Maps, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
What was life like on a Russian serf commune? Experience it today in our very first role-playing game episode! That's right, we're doing this as an RPG for an even more immersive experience. Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.
What is serfdom, and why did Russia take it up just as it was dying out elsewhere in Europe, then keep it all the way up till the mid-19th-century? This institution of near-slavery is the focus of our new epic series. Today, find out how you got serfed! Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern. Maps, references, and more at www.deadideas.net.
Why did medieval Christians think the Mongols were Christians coming to team up with their Crusader bros to kick some Muslim butt? Well, it had to do with a fake news story about a certain legendary king called Prester John... Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod!
This one has it all: romance, plunder, mimes - and it all ends in a bloodbath! This story is without doubt the Pulp Fiction of medieval Irish literature, so here it is: The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel, told in the style of Quentin Tarantino! With a soundtrack by Twin Guns! Don't forget to support the show and get your perks at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod!
What Valentine did Edgar Allen Poe receive from his lover one fateful year? You'll find this along with many interesting old Valentines Day traditions in this special holiday episode. If you ever want to divine your lover's identity, this episode will teach you plenty of ways. Enjoy! And be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get yourself drawn as a comic book character!
Another interview! Fin Dwyer of The Irish History Podcast talks to us today about the traumatizing impact of the Vikings on medieval Irish culture. You can also see me draw Fin's portrait on our Dead Ideas youtube channel! Don't forget to support the show and get your perks at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Our first ever interview! Expert on women, sex, and magic Gillian Kenny gives a quirky and fun interview on the position of the fairer sex in medieval Ireland and their relation to geassa in the literature. You can also see me draw Gillian's portrait on our new Dead Ideas youtube channel! Don't forget to support the show and get your perks at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
More stories! We were having so much fun, we just kept recording. First is the tale of a satire-poet called Nede, followed by the saga of a young warrior named Connla who meets his grisly demise at the hands of his own father. Both these stores involve - you guessed it! - a geis. Don't forget to support the show and get your perks at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
It's story time! Andre promised to tell us a hell of a yarn, and he delivers. This is the medieval Irish story of Diarmuid and Grainne, a romantic (?) tale of two lovers and a geis gone wrong (or right? - you decide). Don't forget to support the show and get your perks at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
What was the social structure like in medieval Ireland? I know that sounds boring but believe me, it's not! It was way different than you think for a medieval society. Discover that and more today as we continue our series on the medieval Irish geis. Also, be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn! Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Remember when your sister jinxed you so you couldn't talk till your mom said it was okay? A geis is kinda like that, except if you talk you die! A geis (plural geassa) is a soul-binding rule that kills you. We talk geassa and honor in this first episode of our EPIC-length series on the medieval Irish geis! Be sure to check out our new Patreon perks at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Happy New Year! You can now get your portrait drawn as a perk for supporting the show on Patreon. We've got lots of other cool new perks too for supporters at all levels, so check it out at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod
Ghost stories on Christmas? Yes, actually. Remember the ghosts in Dickens' A Christmas Story? Turns out ghost stories were big on Christmas in British culture. So today, we are telling ghost stories from around the world: Sweden, Appalachia, and Japan! And don't forget: This is your last chance to get yourself drawn as a comic book character for free in exchange for an honest review before the portraits move to a Patreon model on Jan. 1st! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Can you be hypnotized to commit a crime? Is the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari a real danger? Hear about this and much more from Dr. Tourette - yes, the man who discovered Tourette's Syndrome - as we read an article of his from 1888, entitled "The Wonders of Animal Magnetism." And don't forget to review us on iTunes, Stitcher, or social media to get yourself drawn as a comic book character! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Warning: This episode includes frank depiction of sexuality. Who were the women diagnosed with hysteria in Dr. Charcot's 19th-century hospital in Paris? Find out, as we focus in particular on two patients: Blanche, the "Queen of Hysterics", and Genevieve, the Saint-Hysteric. And be sure to review us so you can get your picture drawn in the historical time period and culture of your choosing! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Warning: This episode includes frank depiction of sexuality. It's one of the oldest diagnoses on record: hysteria, the medical condition that for millennia attributed anything men found uncomfortable about women's behavior to their womb wandering around their body. What was up with that, how was it treated, and how did it reach its zenith in 19th-century France? Find out in this disturbing episode! And be sure to review us so you can get your picture drawn in the historical time period and culture of your choosing! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
What in the h*** was "bicycle face", why were 1890s doctors afraid of it, and what does it have to do with feminism? Find out today in this single-episode series! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Hear the tale of Miraculous Susan of Quaker Hill! What will this reveal about how people thought about Thanksgiving in 1893? Find out in this special episode featuring new guest co-host Jon! And don't forget to review us on iTunes, Stitcher, or social media to get yourself drawn as a comic book character! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Can witches make men's junk disappear? Find out as we read the text that started the whole witch-burning craze: The Malleus Maleficarum! Fair warning: This is a complete trainwreck of a book! And don't forget to review us on iTunes, Stitcher, or social media to get yourself drawn as a comic book character! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
In this episode, Nick delivers stories from the inquisition trials of the Benandanti, and also goes into related lore from Livonia, Slovenia, Serbia, and more! Find out why the zduhać, or storm wizard, is the most bad-ass Dungeons & Dragons character class you'll ever play! And be sure to review us so you can get your picture drawn in the historical time period and culture of your choosing! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Happy Halloween! This new series is related to witches but not witches - it's the Anti-Witches! What was up with the Benandanti of Renaissance Italy? Why did they use fennel stalks to fight witches armed with sorghum sticks? And what did the Inquisition have to do with it? All this and more today on Dead Ideas! And be sure to review us so you can get your picture drawn in the historical time period and culture of your choosing! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Snap-apple! Dumb cake ceremony! Singeing your hair with candles! Never heard of such customs? Then you better check out this episode, where we get a first-hand account of Irish Halloween customs in 1886. Plus, you don't want to miss the spooky story of Red Mike's Rest. And best of all, we have a new pair of co-hosts joining us for today: Pete and Meagan! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
In our latest installment of Public Domain Theater 3000, we read an article that still has to argue against the miasma theory of disease even as late as 1901. It also gives some interesting DIY techniques for fighting mosquitoes that you should NOT try at home! Don't forget to review us on iTunes, Stitcher, or social media to get yourself drawn as a comic book character! Find references, pics, and more at deadideas.net. Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod.
It's story-time: Play peeping tom with us as we peak into some wild court cases from the plague-stricken Italy of 1630. And be sure to review us to get your portrait drawn! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Beware the foul air that causes plague! Put on your plague doctor masks and travel back with us to 17th-century Italy where people believed disease was caused by mutated air called miasma. And be sure to review us so you can get your picture drawn in the historical time period and culture of your choosing! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
We're back with Public Domain Theater 3000, where we read public domain works because we can, and no one can sue us for it. Continuing our Neolithic theme, today we've got an article from 1873 that attempts to describe our species' prehistory. Yeah, it's more than a little racist, but it also gives an interesting peak into the minds of 19th-century thinkers. Don't forget to review us on iTunes, Stitcher, or social media to get yourself drawn as a comic book character! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Fun time, folks: We explore the many nutty and less-nutty ways historians throughout the ages have looked at Stonehenge and tried to imagine what in the f*** it was for. Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Do you feel like schlepping 4- to 25-ton stones across open country and stickin' 'em in the ground is a good way to spend your time? If so, get ready to find kindred spirits! Travel back with us to Neolithic Britain, where we explore the time and culture of the builders of Stonehenge. And be sure to review us on iTunes to get your picture drawn in the historical time period and culture of your choosing! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
This bonus episode is the debut of our new segment called Public Domain Theater 3000, where we read public domain works because we can, and no one can sue us for it. Since there really isn't much more about the Ajivika in the literature to share than we already we have, we pulled a 1924 article where an Indian American attempts to explain Indian culture to an English-speaking audience. The author is none other than Dhan Gopal Mukerji, credited as the first Indian author ever to gain wide popularity in the English language. The article is enlightening, to say the least. By the way, don't forget to review us on iTunes to get your picture drawn! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
It's story time: it's the adventures of the Ajivika's founder, Makkhali Gosala! We read selected episodes from the Bhagavati Sutra, a text written by one of the Ajivika's rival sects, the Jains. As you can imagine, it is not particularly friendly to Gosala. Hilarity ensures. And by the way, don't forget to review us on iTunes to get yourself drawn as a comic book character! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.
Ever feel like entering into somebody else's dead body and walking around in it for a while? Of course, you do! Travel with us back to ancient India in the 5th century BCE, where an ascetic religion called Ajivika believed you could totally do this. And be sure to review us on iTunes to get yourself drawn as a comic book character by us! See the website for citations, pics, and more: www.deadideas.net Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod.
Announcing the upcoming release of our first honest-to-goodness episode, coming September 6th! Until then, please enjoy this short intro episode that explains what in the hell this podcast is going to be about. Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod.
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