We're Not So Different - TopPodcast.com

Constantinople 3: There's Decline... Feb 20, 2025

folks, we're back after a brief hiatus, and back into our series on Constantinople. this time, we take a look at the beginning of the decline of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, which started in 567 after Justinian I's death. but, as civilizational declines go, it wasn't so bad for the first 500 years or so. however, the myriad factors that would lead to the fall of Constantinople were beginning to pile up even before Justinian's reign and they would only get worse as things went along. factors such as the city's propensity for riots and civil wars, the rise of Islam, Iconoclasm, the East-West Schism, and more! so this time, we talk about these factors and follow the gradual decline through the first five Medieval Byzantine dynasties. then next time, we will talk about real DECLINE.

Patreon Ep Unlocked: Habsburg News You Can Use Feb 14, 2025

we decided to take a look at some Holy Roman Empire and Habsburg news that has come up in the past month. first, and more seriously, we look at a study of how Holy Roman Emperors governed from the road through a practice known as itinerant rule and it can be used to trace the rise and decline of the power of the imperial office. then, we move onto the real fun: an article about the recent Habsburg convention in Plano, Texas that occurred in April 2024. and folks, if the first part seems a little dry, this article is nothing but schadenfreude and the chance to point and laugh at some of the worst people alive, which we all use from time-to-time. links:

Rulers on the Road: Itinerant Rule in the Holy Roman Empire, AD 919-1519 by Carl Muller-Crepon, Clara Neupert-Wentz, Andrej Kokkonen, and Jorgen Moller, dated April 24, 2024: https://www.carlmueller-crepon.org/publication/itinerant_rule/MNKM_itin_rulers_20240424.pdf
Feeling Blessed: At the Habsburg Convention in Plano by Christopher Hooks for The Baffler, published May 8, 2024: https://thebaffler.com/latest/feeling-blessed-hooks

Constantinople 2: The Golden Years Feb 05, 2025

folks, we're continuing our series on Constantinople. last time we introduced the city via its geography, Constantine making it the capital of the Roman Empire, and the Theodosian Walls. this time, we get into the early Medieval history of the city, which also happens to be the real golden age for Constantinople. beginning under Emperor Justinian I, Constantinople took the mantle of "Rome" seriously and began a long revanchist campaign to take back parts of the former Western Roman Empire, turned it into a religious and cultural capital, made it unbelievably wealthy, and had some zany fun on the way too. everything after Justinian I's rule is the long, slow decline toward 1453 and the Fall but it takes a while before anyone notices, so the Golden Age continues for at least a couple of more centuries. we talk about all that today!

Constantinople 1: Foundations Jan 29, 2025

folks, we were delayed one week due to the storm of the century in the American southeast but things have thawed a bit and we're back on track just in time to start a series on the Queen of Cities, Constantinople. Eventually, it would become the crown jewel city of Medieval Europe, a hub of culture, religion, trade, defense, and more, and, briefly, the most important city in the world before falling to the Ottomans and gunpowder. But that's a story for later in the series, for now we must introduce you to Constantinople and to do so, we must discuss three separate factors that turned it in THE Medieval European city: the vagaries of geography that combined to make it one of the most imminently defensible locations in the world, Constantine the Great founding the city and making it the capital of the Roman Empire, and the building of the Theodosian Walls.

Patron Ep Unlocked: Is It Like the HRE Jan 24, 2025

folks, here is an unlocked bonus episode because a winter storm of the century in the American southeast made recording impossible this week. enjoy! the bonus is back for a new year and Luke and Eleanor have been thinking about things and stuff and it's time to ruminate on them. first, Eleanor talks about the way in which rationality and a loss of spirituality supposedly went hand-in-hand with the Enlightenment. it's really been grinding her gears and she's going to speak on it. then Luke answers a discord question from patron, everyzig314, who asked him to compare and contrast the Holy Roman Empire and the Galactic Republic from Star Wars. so we get another installment of the podcast's favorite game show: Is It Like The HRE?

Medieval Railways (feat Gareth Dennis) Jan 15, 2025

folks, we all love trains. they're great for moving people and cargo and famously not as bad as cars but did you know that the first railways and trackways were built in the Classical and Medieval eras. that's right, despite what Victorian era propaganda would have you believe, the train didn't simply appear fully formed in the English mind in the 18th century where it was then bestowed upon the rest of humanity. it does in fact have a very long and often sordid history and that's why we've brought on Rail engineer and writer Gareth Dennis to talk with us about Medieval railways, what the modern narrative about the early modern invention of trains gets wrong, and why trains are just so neat.
Gareth's most recent book, How Railways Will Fix the Future: Rediscovering the Essential Brilliance of the Iron Road, was published in November 2024, check it out! https://garethdennis.co.uk/

Catch-up and Witchcraft Jan 09, 2025

folks, so this is the new year? well, we could start with a new series or something but a lot of shit has happened the past few weeks and Eleanor and Luke haven't chatted in a while, so they take some time to catch-up on recent events, both hilarious and horrifying. then, to get back into the swing of Medieval things, we talk about an excellent new academic paper that sheds light on a truly bizarre Late Medieval witchcraft trial, which has all the hallmarks of the Early Modern witch trials but is like 200 years too early or a cloistered conspiracy in the vein of The Name of the Rose. but in this case, it really happened, and that's only scratching the surface of the weirdness.
The article is: The Devil at Citeaux: The Trial for Witchcraft of Regnault Robergeot (1481-1482) by Maxime Gelly-Perbellini
here's a link to the article: https://journals.openedition.org/criminocorpus/16417

Year-End Mailbag 2 Dec 31, 2024

folks, it's our final episode of 2024 and our 200th regular episode of the show and to celebrate, we've got the conclusion of our year-end mailbag episodes. we answer questions about how cathedrals were cleaned in the Middle Ages, favorite Star Wars ship, banishment, Medieval takeout, mountaineering, early Church politics, and more! enjoy and have a happy new year from us here at the show!

Bonus Ep Unlocked: Best of 2024 Dec 24, 2024

folks, it's no secret that 2024 has been a bit of a bummer, to say the least. however, it's not terribly healthy to always focus on the bad, so we decided to talk about some our favorite stuff we saw, did, read, and heard this year. Luke and Eleanor each chose four things and they go back and forth discussing them, riffing, you know how it goes. feel free to play along leave some of your own favorites from 2024 in the replies here.
Everything for Everyone: https://www.commonnotions.org/everything-for-everyone?srsltid=AfmBOoq8xpVrmXOORY8GVoKpXJc_oazoti90tTbFe94bh-axkvc08XEP
State and Revolution: https://www.intpubnyc.com/browse/state-and-revolution/

Year-End Mailbag 1 Dec 18, 2024

folks, it's the end of the year and that means we're having holiday fun and making merry but also that we're crunched for time, so we won't be starting any new series or anything like that. instead, we're diving back into the backlog of questions from our patrons for not one but two episodes here at the end of the year, though there will be an unlocked bonus episode for the week of Christmas stuck in between them. in part 1, we talk about our favorite dumb ways for noblemen to die, what elements of Medieval cooking we'd like to see return, state-mandated cucking, Medieval male hairstyles, and which Medieval figure we'd make a TV miniseries about. and if you enjoyed this and want your questions answered, subscribe to our patreon for just $5 a month at patreon.com/wnsdpod.

On Mysticism (feat Simon Critchley) Dec 11, 2024

folks, we've made no secret that we love mysticism on the show. we've talked about it on various episodes and some of our faves were mystics including Hildegard, Marguerite Porete, St. Francis, and more. so we were naturally interested when philosopher Simon Critchley published a new book, entitled On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy in October 2024, and he agreed to come on the show. we talk his new book, why the term "mysticism" is a misnomer but an indispensable one, what we can learn from mysticism, and how we can apply it in our daily lives. by way of introduction, Simon Critchley is an English philosopher, author, Liverpool football fan, and podcaster who has written numerous books and essays on subjects ranging from Heidegger and modern philosophy to the morality of suicide to association football (soccer) to David Bowie, and more. you can find his new book everywhere or you can visit his site here: https://simon-critchley.com/

Gladiator II Review (feat Patrick Wyman) Dec 05, 2024

folks, Ridley Scott has just released another one of his patented, late-era slopfests and we couldn't be more ready. that's right, it's your Gladiator II review, wherein we are forced to admit that we sometimes really enjoy the slop. so we brought returning champion Patrick Wyman back on the show to use his Roman history expertise to break down this oddly-paced, mess of a film with an anemic plot that we all nevertheless enjoyed. turns out, some fun spectacle, nice visuals, and Denzel Washington doing a great villain turn will cover a multitude of sins. now sit back, let the historical inaccuracy wash over you, and join us in the slop zone.

Shogun 2: Seppuku Power Hour Nov 27, 2024

folks, we're back with more fun with part two of our review of the 2024 Hulu series, Shogun. last time we learned that a soulful white boy in a strange land can listen and learn and even find a nice, soulful Japanese girl who's just emo enough to fall for him. but this time, we learn that all of that was simply a ruse to draw us deeper into the Yoshii Toranaga show! Hiroyuki Sanada gives one of the best TV performances ever as the mastermind behind the reunification of Japan at the end of the turbulent Sengoku Period and the rise of a new shogunate to lead the realm into the Edo Period and the future. oh and there's so much seppuku this time around, nope, no shortage of disemboweling here.

Shogun 1: The First Evangelical Weeb Nov 20, 2024

folks, you asked and now you shall receive. we're here to review the 2024 Hulu series, Shogun, based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell. we talk about the first five episodes this time and then we'll talk about the second five on next week's show. but first we start with the historical basis, as is our wont, and tell you about how a series that takes place in the year 1600 is actually Medieval and also Feudal, with a capital-F. then we dive in headfirst and ask the question that has long plagued mankind: is it truly possible for a soulful white boy to learn? does he smoke too good? is his girl too bad? are they going to try and kill him? will he be gifted a kimono? well, join us to find out as we review the first half of the excellent Hulu series, Shogun.

What the Folk? (feat Russ Williams) Nov 13, 2024

folks, you know we love great folklore, traveling, and delightful accents and we've combined all three today as we talk to Welsh author, writer, and activist, Russ Williams. Russ has recently released his first traditionally-published novel, entitled What the Folk?, in Great Britain (forthcoming in the United States). It's a travelog wherein Russ visits the locations from dozens of old Welsh stories to see what they're like, how they informed the stories, and what pieces remain for us today. Russ joins the show to talk with us about all manner of fun and interesting Welsh things like a giant beaver demon, the holiday tradition of Mari Lwyd, and some Arthuriana discussion, of course! we had a lot of fun and we're sure you'll enjoy and be sure to check out Russ's book if you're interested.
https://www.russwilliams.org/

Let's Review the Mail Nov 08, 2024

folks, we're back with another mailbag episode. our patrons have written questions and now we're going to answer them. we discuss a wide range of topics from wedding rings to mylings to the Charter of the Forest to why Medieval European empires couldn't really expand out like Asian and African empires and more!
but first, we talk about the US election for about 15 mins, so skip right ahead if you don't want to hear that. then we talk about breaking news as a full accounting of the land and property holdings of the British royal family was published in The Sunday Times last week that includes a number of shocking revelations, not the least of which is that the royal duchies still receive feudal levies and dues and other taxes from agreements that date back as far as the Hundred Years War. check out the report here if you want more info: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/how-royals-make-millions-king-charles-prince-william-27lkftd2n

Twelve Medieval Ghost Stories Oct 31, 2024

folks, it's spooky season and we've reached back into the Middle Ages to find twelve ghost stories to celebrate. actually, these twelve were already compiled together and are known as the Byland Abbey ghost stories, which is where the manuscript containing these stories was initially discovered. these stories, all written around the year 1400 give us a great view into how Medieval people told scary stories. spoiler: there's obviously a whole lot of Christianity but there's also some truly metal shit and storytelling elements we still use today in our own horror fiction. we've got everything: ghosts carrying beans, a teleporting stocking, biblically-accurate bales of hay, ladies rocking, and so much more! so get in the mood for Halloween or All Saints Day or whatever fall celebration you like, and join us for twelve Medieval ghost stories. you can check them out here: https://archive.org/details/YAJ0271924/page/362/mode/2up
but first, we follow up on our Opus Dei episode by discussing Pope Francis pulling out and sitting on a throne that hasn't been publicly displayed since just after the American Civil War and what it means for his ongoing cold war with reactionary forces in the Church.
if you have questions about the Patreon note at the beginning, please see this FAQ. nothing will change for current patrons, don't worry! https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/27992151772813-iOS-in-app-purchases-FAQ?utm_campaign=241031-IAPSB-Migrated&utm_medium=email&utm_source=iterable

The Work of God Oct 24, 2024

folks, it's time to talk about Opus Dei, the shadowy "church within a church" of the Catholic Church. why are we talking about Opus Dei? well, mostly because it's been in the news and we were chatting about it via text and decided to do an episode about it. so we talk about the brief history of Opus Dei, some of the controversies surrounding the organization, how it differs from other clerical and monastic orders within the Church hierarchy, why the popes are so friendly with it, and more. then we talk about the recent news stories involving Opus Dei and its supposedly contentious relationship with Pope Francis, how recent changes will effect Opus Dei, and why everyone is fighting about a mountain in rural Spain.
Links: the first is to a Financial Times article that describes a lot of the history of Opus Dei, it is paywalled, just FYI. the second is about the Torreciudad question and the third is about recent changes between the Church and Opus Dei.

The Travels of Ibn Ba2ta (feat Derek Davison) Oct 16, 2024

folks, we're back with part two of our miniseries on the life and travels of Ibn Battuta, the most well-traveled man of the Middle Ages, and Derek Davison is back to help us out. this time, we look at the final two big journeys of Ibn Battuta's life that take him from Turkey to India to China and back over a 15-year span and then a much shorter one from Tangiers up to Al-Andalus and then down through West Africa to Mali and back home again over 5 years. we also talk about the spread of Islam in the 14th century, how Ibn Battuta managed to avoid the Black Death, and why his arrival was always very bad news for the remaining fragmented parts of the Mongol Empire. it's a lot of fun and we want to thank Derek once again for taking the time to come on the show.

The Travels of Ibn Battuta 1 (feat Derek Davison) Oct 09, 2024

folks, we're talking Medieval travelers today and that means we're talking about the man, the myth, the legend: Ibn Battuta. Even if he doesn't have quite the same western name recognition as Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta traveled much more extensively, taking three huge journeys that took him through Africa, Europe, and Asia. He walked the Silk Road and touched the Rock of Gibraltar, he was the Medieval traveler extraordinaire. but to properly do Ibn Battuta justice, we needed a guest who could speak to his extensive journeys and what they meant to the Medieval world, so we brought in Medieval and Modern Muslim scholar Derek Davison of the American Prestige podcast and the Foreign Exchanges substack.
Part one of the interview covers the general details about Ibn Battuta, his early life, and first major trip from 1325-1332, Derek will be back next week for part two where we will finish up the story.
Foreign Exchanges: foreignexchanges.news
Derek's twitter: @ dwdavison

Episode Request: Day in the Life of (Fill in the Blank) Oct 02, 2024

folks, after a brief weather delay, we're here to close out our Day in the Life series with a grab bag of Medieval jobs we haven't gotten to thus far. this time, we jump around between five different topics suggested by our patrons: how were the famous English archers trained? what did ladies-in-waiting wait on all the damn time? what backbreaking chores did household servants do? how bad was life for a Medieval sailor? and what was life like for the construction worker shaping the monumental structures we can still see today? check it out as we wrap up this series in style.

The Name of the Rose 1: An Introduction (Patreon Ep Unlocked!) Sep 25, 2024

In this introduction, we bring you up to speed on the background you need before we get into the book itself next time. We start with a question that is simple in theory but not in practice: what genre is this book? Could be murder-mystery, could be postmodernist ruminations on the nature of academia, who's to say? Next, we talk about that author Umberto Eco and the frankly insane number of things he was trying to get across in the book. Then we discuss what you need to know about liturgical hours, a concept that is foreign to us but quite important to the story. Then there's the very detailed historical setting of this historical fiction, which Eco was obsessed with: a combination of political, social, cultural, and religious factors that form the basis for the unfolding narrative. Finally, we unravel some of the secrets of the unnamed abbey, which serves as the physical setting for The Name of the Rose, including the Aedificium and its mazelike, 56-room library, which is modeled after the Sacra di San Michele abbey near Turin, Italy (see the cover image). There's a lot here but it's a fantastic novel and we can't wait to cover the whole thing along with you over the next few months!

Day in the Life of the Clergy Sep 20, 2024

so far in our Day in the Life series, we've covered peasant farmers, knights, merchants, and royalty, which means that the only major group in Medieval Europe we've yet to cover is the clergy. but the clergy wasn't just stuffy archbishops in their giant cathedrals, the humble parish priest provided spiritual comfort as well as social services and material aid to his parishioners while the monks and nuns of the holy orders were working away in their abbeys and convents. this episode, we take a look at three separate levels of the clergy to get a flavor for what their daily lives were like: the parish priest, the archbishop, and the monk/nun. check it out!

A Day in the Life of a Royal Sep 11, 2024

folks, we're back and continuing our Day in the Life series and this time we're talking about those fat cat royals in their palaces. sure, their positions could only exist based off the exploitation and suffering of like 98% of the populace but still, what the hell did they do all day? What did it mean to hold court? How were early Medieval courts different from their later counterparts and when did that start to change? What were things like at the court of Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV? Join us as we answer all these questions and more talking about the lives of Medieval royals.

Episode Request: A Day in the Life of a Merchant Sep 05, 2024

folks, we're back and continuing our run of answering patron episode requests and our Day in the Life series by talking about what a normal day was like for a Medieval merchant. how was city life different from living on a farm? what was it like to live on a continent where most people made transactions on the barter system but also use coins for trade? what was Medieval currency like and how did Medieval currency exchanges occur without set standards? what was travel like in the Middle Ages? and, what was it like to be one of the vanishingly small number of people who traveled more than a couple miles from home on a daily basis? we talk all that and more as we look at the Medieval merchant

Episode Request: A Day in the Life of a Tourney Knight Aug 30, 2024

folks, after consulting our very own sacred chickens, we decided to turn a few of these patron episode requests into a short series, focusing on a Day in the Life of various medieval European people. Last week was the peasant farmer, and this time, it's the High and Late Medieval tournament knight. we discuss the differences between earlier conceptions of knights, the whole chivalry thing, jousting as a social phenomenon, and what it's like to be knight tilting on the jousts. because if there's one thing humans have always loved, it's watching other humans run headlong into each other and develop lifelong but vague allegiances because of it. thanks to our patron Gaffsey for the question.
link to Eleanor's History Hit video on Medieval sports and tourneys: https://youtu.be/909Bo9_1jOU?si=0vT4zlJocoifvOZX

Episode Request: A Day in the Life of a Peasant Farmer Aug 21, 2024

folks, throughout the history of the show, we've gotten a ton of questions that we answer at the beginning of almost every episode but we also get episode requests on broader topics. since we have something of a backlog of these, we figured we would start to address them and so we answer a request from our patron Dogspotter, who asked us to do an episode about what life was like down on the farm for the peasant and what kind of animals they had around. so we decided to take you through an exhausting day-in-the-life of a Medieval peasant on a farm.

Conquest and Anarchy 6: Total Angevin Victory Aug 14, 2024

folks, we're back with the 6th and final episode in our series on the Norman Conquest and English Anarchy. we close our the Anarchy in style by talking about the strange course of the conflict, Empress Matilda's high point of power in England, London's rejection of the Empress, the stalemate that followed, the eventual rise of Matilda's son, Henry FitzEmpress, and the eventual collapse of Stephen's rule as the nobles refused to crown his son king and instead opted for Henry. turns out, even if they didn't want Matilda as queen, that doesn't mean anyone actually liked Stephen all that much either. so his rule becomes a 19-year-long aberration that runs the length of the Anarchy before King Henry II takes over, rebuilds the realm, and sets it up for future political strife during his long reign.

Conquest and Anarchy 5: Too Many Matildas Aug 08, 2024

folks, it's part 5 of our series on the Norman Conquest and English Anarchy and we're finally getting to the Anarchy part. We talk about the state of England in 1135 at the time of Henry I's death, what kind of anarchy we mean here, the main players and their claims to the throne, early political jockeying, and then the formal outbreak of civil war in 1138. Of course, we also make a few comparisons to House of the Dragon since George RR Martin used the English Anarchy as his rough template for the Targaryen civil war.

Conquest and Anarchy 4: Succession Crises Aug 01, 2024

folks, we're back with part four of our series on the Norman Conquest and English Anarchy. this time, the best laid succession plans of mice and men go awry. Despite a decade of relative peace toward the end of his reign and dying with three male heirs in line, William the Conqueror's sons immediately begin quarreling with the help of some more rebellious barons. William Rufus wins the right to the English throne, defeating his older brother, Robert Curthose, for the prize before reconciling with him. Then, after William Rufus's death, William the Conqueror's youngest son, Henry, would defeat old brother Robert again and then have a nice thirty-five year reign. Until his succession plans were thrown out of whack and he had to turn to his daughter, Matilda. After that, Anarchy won't be far behind.
Finally, here's man getting his by brick: https://x.com/LukeRenshaw/status/1818384899469910349

Conquest and Anarchy 3: The Norman Yoke Jul 26, 2024

folks, we're back with part three of our series on the Norman Conquest and English Anarchy where we finish up the rest of 1066 and see William the Conqueror crowned. then we turn to William's rule of England, which was mostly absenteeism except when he was responding to the numerous but sporadic and disconnected rebellions with extreme force. we'll see all the rebellions fail, even the Revolt of the Earls, and watch as the Norman yoke fully descends on England once and for all. finally, William dies and, perhaps unsurprisingly, there's a contested succession between his two sons, Rufus and Robert.

Conquest and Anarchy 2: 1066 and All That Jul 17, 2024

note: yes, there is echo on Eleanor's audio because she is travelling and the only place where she could record had tall ceilings and thus an echo. this also caused some weird feedback on Luke's track too. we have done our best to minimize it, so please just bear with us.
folks, we're back with part 2 of our series on the Norman Conquest and English Anarchy. last time, we introduced you to pre-Norman England and the Norman themselves as we worked our way up to 1066 CE. but now it's time for conquest! four claimants threw their names in the ring after Edward the Confessor's death in January 1066 and they would fight it out to see who would rule England. or at least they will fight it out but only after waiting for about nine months before making any offensive moves against the island. but once the party starts, England will be invaded by Norse and Danish Vikings, warriors from Orkney, perfidious Frenchmen, Bretons, and, of course, Normans. so join us as we watch William of Normandy become the Conqueror and find out why his conquest almost failed and he wasn't accepted even after his victory at the Battle of Hastings.

Conquest and Anarchy 1: Before the Normans Jul 10, 2024

folks, we're back with a new series, this one covering the Norman Conquest of England and then the Anarchy that followed about seventy years later. we were originally just going to do the Anarchy but decided to do the Conquest as well because it's kind of a big deal. this episode serves as an introduction to pre-Norman England and the Normans themselves. we talk about prehistoric England, Roman Britain, the Heptarchy, Christianization of the island, Viking invasions, and more. then we turn to discuss how the warlike Normans came to dominate the northwestern part of modern-day France, all leading up to the reign of a bastard named William.

More Patron Mailbag, More, More Jul 03, 2024

folks, we're back with another patron mailbag episode, as promised. in this one, we answer a bunch of questions ranging from the justifications for predestination, usage of the term "Anglo-Saxon," the culture shock of being a Chinese visitor in Medieval Europe, historical murder rates, and whether Neo-Feudalism is actually a thing or not. check it out, it's a lot of fun and if you want to submit your own, just sign up.
audio note: if you hear a slight buzzing behind Eleanor's audio, that is because she needed to have a fan on in the background during the heat wave. We've done what we can to minimize it but it is what it is. enjoy the show!

Patron Mailbag Time Jun 26, 2024

folks, it's time for another mailbag episode to answer some of our backlog of patron questions! in fact, this is the first of two mailbags we're doing in a row, so there's more to look forward to next week. this time, we answer questions on investigating forged Medieval documents, Medieval views on allergies, whether an ironing board would make a good early Medieval shield, a bit about the Euros, and then one on whether the upper crust of society really believed in Christianity. it's fun, check it out!

The Galileo Affair Jun 19, 2024

folks, we're back and this time, we're going to the Early Modern period to discuss the Galileo Affair. an odd, 23-year-long saga that saw the Catholic Church and Galileo Galilee go head-to-head over heliocentrism in the early 1600s. this is the moment when the modern views of religion and science as implacable enemies and the Church as this pervasive group of thought police are truly born. this is the time when the Church censored real scientific discovery in the name of preserving the status quo and when they began insisting on biblical inerrancy as a doctrine. in short, it's when the modern misconceptions of the Medieval Church comes into being but it happens in the Early Modern period. so how and why did it get retroactively applied to the Middle Ages? let's find out!

Charlemagne's Fail Sons Jun 13, 2024

folks, we're back and we're talking once again doing another entry in our occasional series on large adult fail sons of the Middle Ages. Last time, we discussed Charlemagne, one of the most important rulers of all-time, his legacy, and his Carolingian Empire. however, the Carolingian Empire would only survive its founder by about 80 years thanks to the attempted coups, early deaths, and tragic misrule of Charlemagne's four sons: Pepin, Charles the Younger, Pepin of Italy, and Louis the Pious. so let's take a look at how it all went so wrong for Charlemagne's territorial and imperial legacy

Charlemagne Jun 06, 2024

folks, we're back and it's high time we talked about good ol' Karl the Great. no, not Marx, the Medieval Karl the Great, Charlemagne. though he's one of the most important figures in world history, we haven't ever done an episode dedicated to him, so we decided to remedy that. we talk about his early life, his rise to power, his military victories, his massive cultural interests, how he ruled over the only fully "feudal" society (as we understand that word today) in history, and the historiographical battles over legacy. however, if you're just a huge Charlemagne hater, that's ok too, because next week we're going to talk about how his vaunted and much renowned Carolingian Empire only survived his death by about 70 years than to Karl's 4 incompetent fail sons.

We Demand Satisfaction feat. Paul Bavill from History Rage May 31, 2024

folks, we're back and we've got Paul Bavill, co-host of the History Rage podcast, to talk with us about dueling, trials by combat, honor, and demands for satisfaction. we discuss why duels and trials by combat were actually fought, what the difference is between honor and reputation, and even some of the most interesting duels in history. check it out and check out Paul's work on History Rage to hear more from him.

Saints of the Middle Ages May 23, 2024

folks, we're back and it's time to talk about saints. tho we have often touched on the lives of various saints, we've never really talked through the whole process of canonization and how it changed quite drastically during the Middle Ages as the Catholic Church began to consolidate and centralize its power in Europe. we also talk about the types of miracles needed to become a saint and how those are investigated. finally, we take a look at a few of the more popular Medieval saints: St. Louis, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Afra of Augsburg, and the martyred saints of Cordoba. enjoy!

Napoleon feat Everett Rummage from Age of Napoleon May 15, 2024

folks, you've been asking when we're doing a review of Ridley Scott's 2023 film, Napoleon, and it's finally here but with a twist! instead of just doing an entire review episode for a movie that came out a few months ago and isn't even Medieval, we decided to make it a bit more on brand. so we spend the first half talking about Scott's frankly baffling film and then spend the second half talking about what it actually meant in practice for Napoleon to "smash feudalism" and to do away with all those pesky Medieval holdover institutions like serfdom and the Holy Roman Empire. and we brought on Everett Rummage of the amazing Age of Napoleon podcast to discuss it all with us.

Fall of Civs feat Paul M.M. Cooper May 08, 2024

folks, we're always thinking about falling civilizations, aren't we? whether it's the old civilizations that fell long ago or fretting over when our current empires will fall, it's often on our minds. and that's why we brought on Dr. Paul M.M. Cooper, host of the Fall of Civilizations podcast and the author of the recently-released book, Fall of Civilizations: Stories of Greatness and Decline. we talk with Paul about why ruins are so fascinating, what we can learn from the fall civs of the past, what misconceptions people have about them, and what they mean for the future falls of our own civilizations. it's great, check it out!

Weird Medieval 7: Weirdness Lightning Round May 03, 2024

folks, we're closing out our series on Weird Medieval shit with a few quick hitters of weirdness that we haven't gotten to yet. so we bounce around to a few of them before ending it where the Middle Ages probably ended: the Fall of Constantinople. we talk about Joan of Arc, our beloved Holy Roman Empire, Angkor Wat, the rise of Islam as a world religion, and, finally, the broken Theodosian Walls and the end of an era.

Weird Medieval 6: Medieval Footloose Apr 24, 2024

folks, we're back with part 6 of our series on Weird Medieval shit and we start out in the Americas where the late Medieval Incan Empire was the most land of contrasts empire in all of history in order to survive across three separate biomes: the western slopes of the Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert, and the Pacific Ocean. then we head back to Europe for two utterly bizarre happenings involving dancing. the first, the Bal des Ardents sees the king of France and five nobles perform a dance number for the court only to have an accidental fire break out and kill the nobles, the king's brother, and nearly the king himself. then we finish up with the dancing mania that occasionally swept Central and Western Europe over a 900-year period where spontaneous groups of people would just dance... like for hours and travel many miles while doing it and one monk danced so hard he died in one incident. you get the idea, it's weird.

Weird Medieval 5: Chinese Inventions and the Mongols Apr 18, 2024

folks, we're back with more weird, interesting, neat, and wild shit from the Middle Ages. this time, we explore the numerous Medieval inventions of Imperial China such as the compass, gunpowder, printing, and much more. we discuss why Imperial China was able to foster such innovation and why it fell off in the 15th century. then we briefly discuss the fascinating Ming Treasure Voyages of 1405-1433 and the meteoric rise of the Mongol Empire, which went from disunited steppe horse archers to the rulers of the largest contiguous land empire in world history in just under 100 years. check it out

Weird Medieval 4: Sweet Potatoes, Genetics, and Gold Apr 10, 2024

folks, we're back on our weird Medieval shit with part 4 in our series. this time, we focus on the amazing fact that Medieval Norse and Polynesian peoples crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to reach the Americas hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus was even born and how modern science has confirmed these events that were once thought to be outright fabrications. these are truly some of the greatest accomplishments in human history and they happened in the Middle Ages. then, we talk about the amazing story of Mansa Musa, a Medieval emperor of the Malian Empire and one of the richest men to ever live, who went on Hajj to Mecca, gave away so much gold that he cratered the gold markets on 3 continents, but had his generosity repaid and got home safely despite losing all his money on the trip.

Medieval Women's Anatomy Understander (Patreon Ep Unlocked) Apr 03, 2024

as we said on the last episode, there's no new show this week due to travel and timing and all that, so we're unlocking a bonus episode from the Patreon for all listeners. if you're interested, this is the perfect excuse to subscribe at patreon.com/wnsdpod. normally we don't do episodes based on a short series of tweets but sometimes you find a guy who believes that the clitoris was invented by feminists in the 1960's and that no one before that time ever went down on a woman and you just have to do a bonus episode. so, we riff on these awful tweets, talk about why they're obviously wrong, and then get into ideas about Medieval gynecology and their views on the female anatomy. it's a lot of fun, we promise!
here's a link to Eleanor's blog post on the subject: https://going-medieval.com/2024/03/05/on-womens-anatomy-and-the-power-of-paying-attention/#more-6448

Weird Medieval 3: Let's Rank Some Little Guys feat. Weird Medieval Mar 28, 2024

folks, we couldn't do a series on weird Medieval shit without talking about our favorite weird Medieval little guys who show up in marginalia of illuminated manuscripts from the era. and to do so, we brought on Olivia Swarthout, aka at Weird Medieval on twitter, to help us out. we discuss why humans love to think up and draw weird little guys, what it means, and why they're still so fascinating to us today. then, in the last half of the episode, we each do a tier list, ranking 25 weird little guys from Medieval marginalia, it's a whole lot of fun! enjoy! there is some slight reverb on the tracks occasionally but we have done our best to edit as much out as possible.
if you want to do your own tier list of these weird Medieval guys, then you can do so at this link: https://tiermaker.com/create/rank-the-weird-medieval-guys-16945815
if you want to see the tier we each made, you can find them posted on our twitter account: https://x.com/wnsdpod/status/1773369399665144155?s=20

Weird Medieval 2: Medieval Supernovae Mar 22, 2024

we're back with the second episode of our Weird Medieval series and this time we're talking about space. in recorded history, only eight possible supernovae within the Milky Way have ever been witnessed by direct observation, and three of them occurred during the Middle Ages. we talk about those supernovae, what made them special, and how one was finally confirmed as a supernova just three years ago! then we turn to the Roman Catholic Church and remark on how weird it is that the Church not only stayed united but that it became hegemonic over an entire continent and intertwined with existing governments to help prop it all up. even weirder still is the fact that this hegemony lasted for hundreds of years and couldn't lasted even longer if they could've just stopped with the indulgences. also, the Hussites, because they're weird too. check it out!

Weird Medieval 1: Stealing the Secrets of Silk Mar 13, 2024

folks, we've started a new series and this one is all about Weird Medieval shit. the Middle Ages were an incredibly fascinating time and we want to celebrate and emphasize that by looking at the events, people, and things that make you go, "damn that's wild." we're going to cover stuff from all across the entire one-thousand-year Medieval era and on every continent save Antarctica. in this first part, we take a look at the following three events: that time Justinian I sent two monks to China to steal the secrets of silk for the Byzantines, the Erfurt Latrine Disaster that killed sixty nobles in a lake of shit, and the Fourth Crusade that permanently split Christendom forever.

Proto-nationalism: Tradwives feat. Dr. Lauren Hill Griffin Mar 08, 2024

we finish up our intermittent series on proto-nationalism and nationalism by discussing the modern concept of tradwives, or women who endorse a so-called traditionalist perspective and aesthetic online, either out of pure belief or as a grift. and to do so, we interview Dr. Lauren Hill Griffin, a religious studies, nationalism, technology, and politics professor at Louisiana State University. we discuss whether the tradwife "movement" is authentic or just a cash grab, how it ties into broader religious and white nationalist movements, the continuing breakdown of religious ideals in the modern world, and speaking in tongues at the gym. enjoy!

Patron Mailbag Time Feb 28, 2024

we have had a lot of great interviews lately and that means we haven't had much time to answer the backlog of patron questions we have, so we decided to do a mailbag. we answer questions ranging from Robin Hood's death to Silk Road safety to experimental archaeology to a counterfactual about capitalism and the Reformation and much more. enjoy!

Medieval Enshittification feat Cory Doctorow Feb 21, 2024

folks, things are getting worse everywhere but especially on the internet and so we decided to go to an expert to discuss how modern things are getting shittier all the time: author, blogger, and creator of the neologism "enshittification" joins the show to talk about why the modern world seems to be getting worse with every passing day, whether people in the Middle Ages felt the same way about their situation, whether this is like the Fall of the Roman Empire, and bad French translations. check it out! Luke's audio is a little wonky but it all works out in the end.

German Peasants War feat November from Trashfuture Feb 15, 2024

this time, Luke and Eleanor welcome special guest November, co-host of the Trashfuture, Well There's Your Problem, and Kill James Bond podcasts to the show to talk about the German Peasants War, which turns 500 this year. we talk about the attempted radical Reformation, the magisterial reaction, Martin Luther's horrified response, and why the lords and nobles can partake in extreme forms of violence and war crimes while their peasant underlings are forbidden from doing so. check it out

Nationalism and Nostalgia feat Dr Rachel Moss Feb 08, 2024

this week, we're continuing our series on proto-nationalism and nationalism by talking to Dr. Rachel Moss about the ways nostalgia is used for evil and, specifically, how false nostalgia for a Middle Ages that didn't exist fuels modern nationalism. we talk about how rose-tinted glasses are used to paint a false picture of the Medieval era, how the same feelings of both good and bad nostalgia similarly affected Medieval people, and modern reactionaries who are really just looking for a new liege lord to oppress them. check it out!
Dr. Rachel Moss is a Sr Lecturer in History at the University of Northampton. Rachel is a Medievalist specializing in Late Medieval English history and literature as well as social and economic history of the Middle Ages, and is holding an upcoming workshop on politicizing nostalgia this summer.

Christian Nationalism Then and Now feat Bradley Onishi Jan 31, 2024

This week, we welcome Dr. Bradley Onishi, co-host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast, onto the show as part of our series on proto-nationalism in the Middle Ages. As we promised earlier this month, we had some guests lined up to discuss other aspects of proto-nationalism and nationalism with us and this is the first of those interviews. Brad joins us to discuss the problem of Christian nationalism, which is on the rise in the world right now but has its roots in the Middle Ages. We discuss how the past instances of Christian nationalism are fueling what we see today, the modern contradictions that have arisen within that movement, and much more.
check it out and also check out Brad's podcast, Straight White American Jesus, and his 2023 book, Preparing for War: The Extremist History of Christian Nationalism–and What Comes Next

Medieval Women: Theodora & Theodelinda Jan 24, 2024

this time, we return to our occasional series on Medieval women, where we look at the lives and times of ladies who were able to rise to positions of power and esteem despite the extremely patriarchal nature of the Middle Ages. we have previously done these for the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene and for Hildegard of Bingen and Eleanor of Aquitaine. but now we turn to the Mediterranean and the Early Middle Ages to find our two remarkable women: Byzantine Empress Theodora and Lombardi Queen Theodelinda. Theodora rose from humble origins to become the wife and confidant of one of Constantinople's greatest rulers, Justinian I, and was integral in saving his regime during the Nika Riots. Then there's Theodelinda, who is less famous than Theodora but was still impressive all the same. Theodelinda was queen and ruler of the Lombards for 35 years, ruling on her without a king for part of that and, legend has it, was allowed to choose her own husband after her first husband died, something that almost never happens. So let's find our what else made these women so special!

Proto-nationalism: Borders and Rulers Jan 18, 2024

150th episode wooooo! this time, we continue our miniseries on what we're calling Proto-nationalism in the Middle Ages by talking about two very big materialist reasons why they couldn't really have nationalism back then: malleable borders and dynastic rulership. Medieval borders were porous, light-enforced at best, and changed overnight based on the confusing, overlapping rights that various rulers had over a plot of land. rulership, meanwhile, was personalized and heavily influenced by dynastic concerns and marriage alliances, meaning it could change at the drop of a hat based on a marriage going bad or a third son dying early and passing the land in question to a completely different family. these factors were so limiting that they essentially made nationalism, as we know it today, an impossibility in the Middle Ages. though we do address the special case of Medieval China here too.

Nationalism in the Middle Ages? Jan 11, 2024

nationalism is, unfortunately, once again on the rise in the modern day and while you might think that it has very little to do with the Middle Ages, you'd be wrong. because while the nationalism we see today didn't exist in the same form back then, the roots of it began to take hold even back then in the form of religious discrimination and of othering people who look or act differently. further, the nationalism that we experience today popped up in the 19th century and its loudest proponents popularized it by pointing to a very skewed, totally ahistorical version of Medieval history in order to reinforce modern ideas of racism and racial purity. so let's talk about it and see what we can do to combat it.

2023 Year in Review Jan 04, 2024

it's our first episode of the new year but we're just not ready to move on quite yet, so we're taking a look back at 2023 and then taking a little peak ahead into 2024. we talk about Medieval news and studies from last year, review a little of what happened on the podcast, and talk about some of our favorite movies, TV shows, books, etc. then, we set our sights on the year ahead and close our with some predictions for 2024 and even our New Year's resolutions. enjoy!

Dante's Inferno 1: Abandon All Hope (Patreon Ep Unlocked!) Dec 27, 2023

hello listeners! what you're about to hear is one of our patron-exclusive bonus episodes from March 2023, the first of our seven part book club series on Dante's Inferno. in it, we introduce Dante Alighieri's masterwork, The Inferno, by discussing the author's life, the background of Medieval Italian city-states, the Guelph-Ghibelline conflict, and more meta details about the book. we talk about The Inferno's importance, both as a work of fiction and as a surviving Medieval text, Dante's genius and hubris, and how this work still forms the basic conception of Hell that most people living today have in their minds. you'll love it! and if you do, then please subscribe to our patreon at patreon.com/wnsdpod, it's just $5 a month.

Open Mailbag Fun Dec 20, 2023

folks, it's the holidays and so we decided to post some prompts on twitter and bluesky and answer some questions about history, life, and culture from the general audience. we cover everything from Chinese feudalism to the Panera lemonade that kills you to counterfactuals on how imperial Italy could've become a world superpower and whether there was a Medieval concept of coolness analogous to what we have today. check it out, it's a ton of fun and we hope you'll like it.
finally, we'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday season, no matter what you're celebrating and thank you for listening to the show in 2023. we're excited to come back with more Medieval goodness in 2024!

Medieval Dad-coded feat Patrick Wyman Dec 13, 2023

folks, we've got podcaster, historian, dad-aficionado, and friend of the show Patrick Wyman back on the show to talk about dad culture, what it means to be a dad as opposed to just a father, Medieval dads, dad-coded behavior, and much more. this is Patrick's 3rd appearance on the show and we love to have him on. you can check out his podcasts, the Fall of Rome, Tides of History, and the Pursuit of Dadliness, wherever you get your podcasts.

Another Patron Mailbag Dec 06, 2023

this time, we take a dive into the backlog of questions from our patrons and answer a few of them. we tackle everything from how to explain the Middle Ages to a 5 year old, to how bad was Henry VIII really to Eleanor Rykener and even who was the worst person in the Middle Ages. we cover 11 questions in total and it's a lot of fun, enjoy!

Princes in the Tower News Nov 30, 2023

as you may have heard, the Princes in the Tower are in the news again, 540 years after their supposed deaths. recently, Philippa Langley, who famously help find Richard III's body in a parking lot back in 2012, hosted a television special in the UK which alleged a new theory about the Princes in the Tower: they survived and later returned to the island in attempts to take back the throne. as you may recall from our series on the Wars of the Roses, the historical consensus is that the young Princes were murdered on the orders of the usurper king Richard III, an event which led to his overthrow and defeat at the hands of Henry Tudor. we discuss the evidence that Langley puts forth, what it means if true, and, most importantly, how this affects George RR Martin's writing schedule for The Winds of Winter.

The Last Duel Review Nov 22, 2023

folks, we're finally doing a review of Ridley Scott's 2021 Medieval history film, The Last Duel, a film that asks the question: what if Ridley Scott just didn't do all the stuff he's known for and instead made an intimate portrait of a Medieval soap opera in the style of Rashomon that revolves around both an obscure land dispute based on manorial custom and a lengthy legal proceeding. it is a surprisingly well done film based on the director and subject matter and we're glad you get to experience it with us in our longest episode ever (or close to it)!

Tudor Depictions feat. Phoebe Roy Nov 15, 2023

folks, in this episode we brought in a special guest and friend of the show, Phoebe Roy, co-host of the Ten Thousand Posts and Masters of Our Domain podcasts, to talk with us about depictions of Tudor England in books and TV. the Tudors are, of course, a foundational aspect of English history and culture, so it's interesting to see the many and varied depictions they get nowadays, especially when those depictions are made for American audiences or others who might not be so familiar with the Tudors. we talk with Phoebe about three works: Wolf Hall, the historical fiction novel by Hilary Mantel; Blackadder II, the BBC sitcom about Elizabeth's courtiers; and The Tudors, a big budget prestige drama about Henry VIII's court.
check it out, you'll love it and check out Phoebe's other shows too!

Arthuriana 6: The Death of the King Nov 08, 2023

Long cold open this time, actual episode starts around 18 mins in.
Luke and Eleanor close our their series on the Medieval Arthurian canon in style, covering the rest of the post-Galfridian era to the end of the Middle Ages. finally, at long last, we get the real connective tissue in place to link all these disparate stories and narratives together into a cohesive canon that can be understood to modern people. it's no longer just one-off stories about Arthur or his buddies but an interlaced narrative (reminiscent of Tolkien) that weaves everything together from Arthur's birth to his death. we start with the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate cycles, which are two collections of French short stories from the 13th century that begin to tie the tales and themes of the round table knights together. then we get to the last part of the Medieval canon: the Mort d'Arthur. this is the big reboot that ties everything together, adds some new characters and twists and sets up the Arthur that we will eventually know in the present day.

Arthuriana 5: Knights and Round Tables Nov 02, 2023

this time, the series on Arthuriana continues into the post-Galfridian era. following Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, which created the narrative structure and foundation of the Arthurian canon we know today, a whole bunch of writers got in on the fun and started adding to that template. in this case, we focus on 7 stories that begin to flesh out the knights who make up Arthur's round table such as Lancelot, Gawain, Yvain, Percival, Kay, and Erec. these 7 stories include 4 French poems and 3 Welsh romances that were each written toward the end of the 12th century and while they do overlap somewhat, they also add a lot to the canon as we know it.
4 French poems by Chretien de Troyes: Eric and Enide; Lancelot, Knight of the Cart; Yvain, Knight of the Lion; Percival, The Story of the Grail
3 Welsh Romances: Owain or the Lady of the Fountain; Geraint and Enid; Peredur, Son of Efrawg

Arthuriana 4: Historia Regum Britanniae Oct 25, 2023

update: the last 3 minutes of this episode got cut off in the initial upload for unknown reasons, the file has now been fixed. sorry about that and enjoy!
in our 4th installment in the Arthuriana series, we finally get to the work that truly defines Medieval Arthurian legend: Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 magnum opus, Historia Regum Britanniae aka The History of the Kings of Britain aka the Galfridian era of Arthur. we talk about the work itself, how it changes everything we know about Arthur, turned him into a historical figure for a few hundred years, erroneously portrayed him as a historical figure, and attempted to give the people of the Britain a founding myth of some kind that they could unite around. we also cover a bit of Geoffrey's other extant work, The Prophecies of Merlin. check it out!

Arthuriana 3: Pre-Galfridian Stories Oct 19, 2023

our series on Arthuriana continues as we move past introductions and start talking about the stories that make up the early part of the Arthurian canon, known as the pre-Galfridian (aka before Geoffrey of Monmouth). these stories survive to us in Welsh and Latin from roughly 600 to 1135 AD and show how the Arthurian legend was being built using other existing tall tales to flesh out the narrative and was then contextualized alongside real, historical events to give it a veneer of legitimacy. The stories we cover today include: Culhwch & Olwen, Pa Gur, Preiddu Annwfn, Historia Brittonum, Annales Cambriae, and Gesta Regnum Anglorum. Next week will focus on Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Arthuriana 2: The Once and Future King Oct 11, 2023

we're back with more talk of Arthurian legend. this time, we continue to trace the canon into the Modern era, from its nadir in the Early Modern period to its resurrection in the 19th century by Lord Alfred Tennyson and finally to taking its place as a foundational myth in the English-speaking world. then, we introduce a host of recurring characters, settings, and tropes that commonly appear both in the Medieval canon and in the modern adaptations we see today. check it out!

Arthuriana 1: Building a Medieval Canon Oct 05, 2023

folks, we're finally doing that series on King Arthur and the Arthurian Legends you've all been asking for. Luke and Eleanor start the series by talking about Arthur and the legends more broadly before discussing how a bunch of people in the Middle Ages built a cohesive, narrative canon with defined literary cycles out of a bunch of Welsh spoken-word stories without the aid of the internet or any of the modern conveniences that normally go into modern universe building. check it out!

How Often do You Think About the Roman Empire? Sep 27, 2023

Luke and Eleanor are back to talk about the meme that's been making the rounds for the past few weeks: How often do you think about the Roman Empire? we discuss how often we actually think about Rome and its successor states before moving on to talk about why this meme became so popular, why guys actually think about the Romans so often, why is this question so weirdly gendered, and more! we had a lot of fun with it and we know you will too. enjoy!

Fabliau feat Kleio Pethainou Sep 20, 2023

today, we have on Kleio Pethainou, a doctoral candidate at the Univ. of Edinburgh, to talk about Medieval humor and the lesser-known but still awesome tradition of Fabliau. Fabliau are bawdy, humorous stories, often filled with some level of social commentary, that started out in France in the High and Late Middle Ages. we talk with Kleio about what they were, what they mean, and even hear a great example of one of these ribald tales. check it out!
you can check out all of Kleio's work here: https://linktr.ee/kpethainou

Medieval Failsons: The Idiot Boys of Eleanor of Aquitaine Sep 13, 2023

last time, we talked about two famous Medieval women, Hildegard of Bingen and Eleanor of Aquitaine. they were both titans in their own respects but there's a small issue with Eleanor's legacy and that's her 4 idiot failsons. while Eleanor's daughters were apparently quite proficient, her 4 sons who survived to adulthood, Henry the Young King, Richard, Geoffrey, and John, were all giants morons who failed spectacularly at being or attempting to be Kings of England. so join us as we look at their myriad failures as they tried to rule the realm or ended up fighting one another and their dad to try and rule.

Medieval Women: Hildegard of Bingen & Eleanor of Aquitaine Sep 06, 2023

in this one, we revisit our occasional series on the lives of prominent Medieval women as we discuss Hildegard of Bingen and Eleanor of Aquitaine. though they made their impacts felt in different ways, they were each monumentally important. Hildegard was a polymath who made her mark in the realms of religion, music, and science. Eleanor, meanwhile, was raised from birth to be in politics, ruled realms, served as a diplomat, and heavily influenced the later cultural milieu. enjoy!

Medieval What If 2: Wrong Kid Died Sep 01, 2023

we're back for another episode off Medieval what if scenarios. it's late, we all know it's late, it's fine. What if the Norman Invasion failed? What if Constantinople held out in 1453? What if Arthur Tudor, Henry VIII's older brother, hadn't died early? well, there's only one way to find out...

Medieval What If... Aug 23, 2023

folks, today we move out of the realm of actual history and into the realm of alternative history as we take a look at some Medieval "what if..." scenarios. We go through a series of historical events, change one small detail, and see how things would've been different, if at all. What if the Moors won the Battle of Tours? What if the English won the Hundred Years War? What if the Chinese never dismantled their Treasure Fleet and instead "discovered" the Americas 40 years before the Europeans did? it's a lot of fun, so check it out!

Medieval Fail Sons: Wenceslas IV & Sigismund Aug 16, 2023

this time, we embark on another occasional series we're going to do from time-to-time going forward and this one is all about Medieval fail sons who squandered the fortunes, power, and goodwill engendered by their parents and were just general fuck-ups. Today, we're talking about the two fail sons of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV: Wenceslas IV, King of Germany and Bohemia and Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor. we look at the legacy their dad created and how they just fucked everything up in spectacular fashion.

Courtly Entertainers Aug 11, 2023

in this episode, we discuss the entertainment that you would see at a Medieval court: troubadours, dancers, jugglers, and, of course, jesters. we take a look at these professions, what their performances were like, how and why they were hired, and more. then we talk about the unique position held by medieval jesters and how it was a real thing and not just something fake you'd see in a fantasy novel. enjoy!

Markets and Market Towns Aug 02, 2023

we're back to talk about a huge facet of Medieval life: going to the market. what were they like? what was a market town? what could you buy there? who went to market? how were they run? were Medieval goth kids hanging out at the market like they do at the mall? we will discuss all of that plus the social and cultural functions that markets allowed for and more.

Medieval Women: The Two Mary's Jul 26, 2023

in this episode, we start an intermittently recurring series where we explore the lives and times of two famous Medieval women. and while these will usually be about women who lived and rose to prominence during the Middle Ages, we kinda had to start with two women from an earlier era who were nonetheless extremely important: Mary, the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. we talk about who they were, what made them famous, how Medieval people understood them, and the confusion associated with being a female role model in a patriarchal society. Because while they may have died 500 years before the Middle Ages began, the two Mary's were easily the most influential women to Medieval Christians.
here's a link to the Golden Legend or Mary Magdalene that Eleanor mentioned: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/goldenlegend/goldenlegend-volume4.asp

Medieval Mining Jul 19, 2023

we are back and we're talking Medieval mining. we often discuss the elaborate jewels and metals used for ostentatious royal displays and the iron weapons shaped by blacksmiths for war but how does all that metal get out of the ground? who's doing the work to dig it out? what mining technology and methods were present during the Middle Ages? what does the Roman Empire have to do with all this? we will discuss all that plus look at some of the big centers of Medieval mining across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia.
below are links to recent archaeological finds that Eleanor mentioned in the answer to this week's question:
shipwreck: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-64151535
unusually shiny sword: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bronze-age-sword-germany-180982399/
warrior women: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tomb-containing-three-generations-amazon-warrior-women-unearthed-russia-180973877/

Ye Olde Patron Mailbag Jul 12, 2023

it's time for another mailbag episode from our backlog of questions from our patrons. since we usually answer one question an episode, we can't possibly get to all the questions, so we do these mailbags from time-to-time. in this one, we cover a wide range of topics from the Brother Cadfael mystery series to church debate structure to Medieval Switzerland to hair removal practices and even pirates. check it out!

Petro States for Wool Jul 06, 2023

we are back and this time we're doing a deep dive into Medieval wool production and how it undergirded the economies of much of Europe and turned places like England, Flanders, and the cities of the Hanseatic League into petro states for wool. we look at how it was produced, what it meant, why something so simple could come to predominate the continental economy and more!

Wars of the Roses 5: One Rose to Rule Them All Jun 28, 2023

So we finally come to the end of our series on the Wars of the Roses and technically the Hundred Years War too. We conclude both by discussing the Treaty of Picquigny, which ended the Hundred Years Wars after 138 years, then we move onto the death of Edward IV, the villainy of Richard III, Henry Tudor, Bosworth Field, and finally, the red and white Tudor rose to rule them all

Wars of the Roses 4: The Yorkists Reign Jun 24, 2023

better late than never, huh? we're back with part 4 of our series on The Wars of the Roses and this time it's the Yorkists turn to take full control and dash all their external enemies: Warwick the Kingmaker is killed, the Lancastrian royal line is extinguished, and they even broker a treaty with France to formally end the Hundred Years War. now if Edward could just get along with his brothers...
oh and sorry about the audio

Wars of the Roses 3 - Royal Hot Potato Jun 14, 2023

we're back with more wars and more roses. this time, the Yorkists finally take control of the conflict, depose the old king, and assume full regal power over the realm. they win some battles, the old king gets passed around like a royal hot potato, and Edward York finally makes good on his dad's play for the throne. of course, the Yorkists squander it due to petty infighting, broken marriage pacts, and power politics, but it's fun while it lasts, right?

Wars of the Roses 2: Loveday Jun 07, 2023

we're back continuing the series on the Wars of the Roses and this time we take a look at the early years. we've got the seesaw battle between Lancastrians and Yorkists, the last flourishes of English chivalry, King Henry VI is captured repeatedly, two battles that last less than thirty minutes each, and we get everyone's favorite pitiful attempt to reinforce the status quo: Loveday. check it out!

Wars of the Roses 1: Bloodlines Jun 01, 2023

we pick up right where we left off in our Hundred Years War series as we introduce the Wars of the Roses, the dynastic conflict that paved the way for England to become the globe-bestriding colossus we know and hate. we talk all about the Plantagenets, the Lancastrians, the Yorkists, and even a couple of Tudors. it's a lot of convoluted back stories and weird family trees but we have a lot of fun with it, so check it out!

Hundred Years War 6: Revenge of the French May 24, 2023

we're back with the final episode of our series on the Hundred Years War. we talk about the English dominance in the early stages of the Lancastrian period, including the crushing victory at Agincourt and taking over huge swaths of French territory, even Paris itself. but then we see the emergence of Joan of Arc and one of the most unlikely events in history: a teenage peasant girl helps lead the French army to martial victories and gets a new French king crowned. despite her early, horrible death, this helped the French turn things around and eventually win the Hundred Years War.
yet, this in turn leads directly to the Wars of the Roses, which sets the stage for England to become the globe-bestriding colossus we know and despise today, which we will go over next time.

Hundred Years War 5: A Not-So-Quiet Peace May 18, 2023

we're back and the Hundred Years War continues on, kinda. following the Truce at Leulinghem, there is a 26-year-long peace between England and France though it wasn't because their differences had been resolved, they just couldn't continue fighting each other at the time due to domestic troubles. in England, Richard II's incompetence and John of Gaunt's death lead to a coup that put Henry Bollingbroke and the Lancastrians on the throne. meanwhile, France has a mad king who can't broker peace between his feuding relatives and so the land breaks out into civil war. don't worry though, England and France will finally get back to real fighting and resolve all this next time.

Hundred Years War 4: French Revanchism May 10, 2023

we're back! well, the English had their fun and won some big victories and even took a ton of French land in the Treaty of Bretigny but then everything went pear-shaped for the English. they backed the wrong sides in proxy wars, pissed off the French nobles who sided with them, and lost a series of battles when the war resumed. Then both Edwards died and the hits just kept on coming.

Hundred Years War 3: Upjumped Englishmen May 03, 2023

we're back with another installment of our series on the Hundred Years War. this time, Luke and Eleanor discuss how the English from their backwater sheepfold were able to get huge wins during the early part of the war and how they somehow still managed to field armies large enough to do battle within five years of the Black Death.

Hundred Years War 2: War Were Declared Apr 26, 2023

we're back with more Hundred Years War action! Luke and Eleanor do a bit more introduction for the conflict, including longbow chat, then talk about the very early years of the war and how the English navy got its first big win in history. also there's even more insanely-Medieval proxy wars!

Hundred Years War 1: Where to Begin? Apr 20, 2023

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor finally begin a series on the Hundred Years War between France and England but before we can get into the war itself, there's a lot to be introduced. we breakdown the numerous, long-standing issues that led to war such as: multiple French dynastic crises, the overlapping nature of Medieval land holdings, the compounding crisis of the 14th century, the confusing claims that the English had to the French throne, and much more Game of Thrones-esque nonsense. enjoy!

The Medieval Microcosm Apr 14, 2023

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor look at the Medieval human body as the microcosm and the idea that a structural similarity exists between it and the macrocosm that is the universe. this touches on subjects from philosophy, to religion, to astrology, and even alchemy, so check it out!
if you like our new show art, check out Jen who goes by @bowsnonk on twitter

The Medieval Universe Apr 05, 2023

in this one, Luke and Eleanor talk about how Medieval Christians viewed the cosmology and cosmogony of our universe. we discuss so many celestial spheres, how they retconned Aristotle's geocentric model to make it work with the Biblical universe, and why the Earth was the center of everything. enjoy!

Medieval Maps Mar 29, 2023

we're talking maps, folks! Luke and Eleanor are here to talk all about humanity's long obsession with maps and cartography, the Medieval world maps known as Mappa Mundi, the stories they tell, and even where you might be able to find dragons or other scary sea monsters. enjoy!

Medieval Religious Orders 2 Mar 23, 2023

Luke and Eleanor are back to finish up the miniseries on Medieval Religious Orders. This time, we get to the more famous Mendicant and Clerics Regular orders, the ones that most people have heard of like the Franciscans, Dominicans, Poor Clares, Jesuits, and more! Enjoy!

Medieval Religious Orders 1 Mar 16, 2023

we should've covered Medieval religious orders in our heresy series but simply overlooked it by mistake, so we're going to do 2 quick episodes about them. in this episode, Luke and Eleanor talk through 2 of the 4 subcategories of Catholic religious orders from the Middle Ages: the Canons Regular and the Monastics. this includes the Norbertines, the Teutonic Order, the Benedictines, Cistercians, Trappist, and even former sex worker orders. check it out and we'll be back next time with part 2, which includes many of the more famous orders.
also, Luke's audio got garbled on this one, apologies for all that.

Heresies 11: Protestant Work Ethic Mar 08, 2023

in this episode, we wrap up our series on Medieval Hersies and the Reformation. we begin with a discussion of the Puritans: their initial persecution, fleeing for the New World, their meteoric rise and catastrophic fall during the English Civil Wars, and how they still govern our lives today even though they vanished after the 1740s. then we conclude the series by talking about what all of these heresies meant for the Medieval Catholic Church, our favorite heresies we discussed, and why the Counter-Reformation was always doomed to failure after 1517.

Heresies 10: We Killed God Mar 02, 2023

we're back! the series on Heresies and the Reformation continues as we discuss the separate, yet simultaneous Counter-Reformation efforts that followed the Peace of Augsburg in 1555. Then we get to the Thirty Years War, a brutal conflict which had the side effect of killing public religion as a uniting concept and, really, killing God as it was understood up to that point. Then we answer a question about whether Protestants or Catholics caused Capitalism, someone is going to get blamed for this mess! enjoy!

Heresies 9: Counter-Reformations Feb 22, 2023

in part 9 of our series on Heresies and the Reformation, Luke and Eleanor discuss backlashes against the Protestant movements across Europe. From the Church's first effort at countering the Reformation with the Council of Trent, to the HRE finally turning its sights on the protestants with the Schmalkaldic Wars and Peace of Augburg, to the brief reign of Mary Tudor in England, and the French wars of religion against the Huguenots. enjoy!

Heresies 8: The Rise of Calvinism Feb 16, 2023

the heresy series continues, this time focusing on the disunified nature of the Reformation, the Munster Rebellion, the emergence of John Calvin and the Reform movement that became the Calvinist confession, and why Charles V didn't just turn his armies on the Protestants from the get-go to stamp them out entirely.
note: the sound is a little weird in the first 10 mins due to audacity changing settings, sorry about that.

Heresies 7: Not Radical, Only Magisterial Feb 09, 2023

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue their series on heresies and the Reformation by discussing the immediate aftermath of the 95 theses and how this reform movement splintered instantaneously. we then talk about how the magisterial and radical reformations got going simultaneously but the princes of the HRE and the nobles weren't going to let the radical version win.

100th Episode Mailbag Spectacular Feb 02, 2023

Luke and Eleanor are back to celebrate the 100th episode of We're Not So Different with a mailbag episode featuring many listener questions. we cover background info on the show, questions about the British crown, Luke's hyperfixations, and more! enjoy and thanks for 100 episodes!

Heresies 6: First Reformed Jan 25, 2023

we're back with part 6 of our series on Medieval heresies against the Catholic Church after our brief convalescence. this time, we start by briefly discussing the Spanish Inquisition before turning out eyes to the greatest heresy of them all: the Reformation. we talk about the historical circumstances, both secular and holy, that made it possible and introduce, at long last, Martin Luther, history's first poster.

A Knight's Tale Review (Patreon Ep Unlocked) Jan 20, 2023

hello friends, this week your two co-hosts are sick and rundown and just couldn't find time to record a new episode, so we're unlocking our most recent Patreon bonus episode, a review of A Knight's Tale. don't worry, we will be back next week with more heresies but it just wasn't in the cards this week, so enjoy the unlocked episode and subscribe to the patreon for more bonus content like this.

Heresies 5: Let's Name Some Czech Guys Jan 11, 2023

in our 5th episode on Medieval heresies, Luke and Eleanor finally get to some guys who we can actually call reformers. we start by talking about Wycliffe and his Bible, then move onto Joan of Arc's supposed heresies, and then, at long last, we get to talk about all the Czech religious leaders Eleanor loves so much: Jan Milic, Jan Hus, Jan Zizka, and more! enjoy!

Heresies 4: Antipopes & Black Death Jan 05, 2023

happy 2023! we're back with part 4 of our series on heresies against the medieval church. this time we talk about Free Spirits, Beguines, and Templars before moving onto the Antipopes, the Avignon Papacy, and the Black Death breaking everyone's brains, as you might expect.

Christmas & Saturnalia Redux Dec 28, 2022

this week, we're taking a little break for Christmas and New Years so we're just reposting the holiday episode we recorded in 2021 for you to enjoy. it's about the origins of Christmas and its relationship to the pagan holiday, Saturnalia. enjoy!

Heresies 3: "Crusades" Against Christians Dec 22, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue their series on Medieval heresies against the Church by moving into the late 12th and early 13th centuries. We talk about Peter Abelard, Henricians, Cathars, whatever a Cagot is, and a bunch of political endeavors for land, money, or power dressed up as "crusades" against heretical Christians. enjoy!by way of reminder, no new episode next week because of the holidays.

Heresies 2: Schism Dec 13, 2022

In this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue their series on heresies by discussing the early Middle Ages. we talk about Iconoclasm and how it was received differently in the East and the West, the Bogomils, and then talk about the Great Schism that permanently broke the idea of a united Christendom. Also: somehow, the HRE returned

Heresies & Reformations: The Early Years Dec 06, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor begin a series on the heresies and schisms that faced the Catholic Church throughout late Antiquity and the Middle Ages leading up to the Reformation and Counter-Reformations. the first episode focuses mostly on the very early heretics like Arius and Nestorius as well as the first 4 or so Ecumenical Councils

The 30 Years War Explains it All feat. Matt Christman Nov 29, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor are joined by Matt Christman, co-host of Chapo Trap House, to discuss his new podcast series, Hell on Earth, which is about the Thirty Years War and the rise of Capitalism. we talk about what we can still learn from the war, how it informs our current material circumstances, how it created the circumstances that allow Capitalism to become predominant, and we of course spend a little bit of time naming some guys.

Pentiment feat Josh Sawyer Nov 23, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor are joined by game designer Josh Sawyer to talk about his new video game, Pentiment. we discuss the late Medieval setting, the amazing soundtrack, and the inspirations that went into making the game. check it out!

Medieval Systems of Measurement Nov 17, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor go back to an old patron question and talk in-depth about various medieval systems of measurement. we discuss how they didn't really have concepts of minutes and seconds, how many gallons are in a hogshead, whether the foot was a measurement of the king's foot size and more!

Source Survival Nov 09, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor begin by talking about the latest nonsense going on with Twitter with Elon Musk purchasing it and the discourse about verification and then use this as a jumping off point to discuss sources, source survival, and biases in medieval sources. it's a lot of fun, check it out

Death and the Soul of Man Nov 04, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor finish up their trio of spoooooky season episodes by discussing medeival conceptions of death and how they viewed the soul. we also discuss All Saints Day and All Souls Day and figure out what that's all about. enjoy!

Monsters, Demons, and Revenant Dead Oct 26, 2022

Luke and Eleanor are back to discuss more spooooooky medieval occurrences. this time it's the real scary shit: monsters, demons, revenant dead, and other such vile creatures. We talk about Succubi, gremlins, whether Godzilla has a conscience, and more! enjoy!

Ghosts Oct 20, 2022

in celebration of this spoooooky season, Luke and Eleanor dig into the history of ghosts and spirits in Medieval life. what were they like? what did they do? and so on and so forth

Holy Roman Empire 4: The Thirty Years War Oct 13, 2022

Luke and Eleanor are back to finish up their short series on the Holy Roman Empire, this time focusing on the Thirty Years War and the demise of the HRE. we talk about its thoroughly medieval structure, why Catholicism couldn't unite to stamp out Protestantism, Gustavus Adolphus, and more!

Holy Roman Empire 3 Oct 05, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue their short series on the Holy Roman Empire with part 3, this time focusing on the Habsburgs and the Reformation. we talk about Charles V, the Habsburg jaw, imperial circles, and more! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Holy Roman Empire 2 Sep 28, 2022

Luke and Eleanor dive deeper into the Holy Roman Empire, tracking its history through the High Middle Ages with the Hohenstaufens, the Luxembourgs, an Interregnum, some stuff about the Crusades, whatever the hell a Landfrieden is, and more! check it out and enjoy!

Holy Roman Empire 1 Sep 21, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor start a short series on everyone's favorite medieval oddity: The Holy Roman Empire. we talk about how it started and rose to power, start to introduce you to its interesting setup, and talk a bit about investiture. check it out! also, here's a link to that paper on Moravian forest management Eleanor mentioned: https://t.co/kJlIJnKtq8

Death of a Monarch feat Florence H R Scott Sep 16, 2022

a little late due to some technical issues from recording but we're back! Luke and Eleanor talk with special guest Florence H R Scott about the death of Queen Elizabeth II and how the deaths and coronations of monarchs were handled in the Middle Ages. Check our Florence's substack if you're interested: https://florencehrs.substack.com/ some of the episode had to be re-recorded so if the back end sounds a bit choppy, that's why.

Medievalism in Video Games 2 Sep 08, 2022

Luke and Eleanor are back to finish up this short series on medievalism in video games. we talk about The Witcher, Assassin's Creed, Elden Ring, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Skyrim, and more! enjoy!

Medievalism in Video Games 1 Sep 01, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor finally get to one of the most requested topics: video games! we start by talking a good deal about Crusader Kings 3 before moving on to other strategy games with Medieval components like Age of Empires, the Total War series, and Sid Meier's Civilization games. next time, we will cover more games that are set in or heavily borrow from the Middle Ages like Assassin's Creed, The Witcher, Kingdom Come: Deliverance and more!

Medieval Pilgrimage Aug 26, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor discuss what it was like for Medieval pilgrims heading to the three holiest sites in Christendom: Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela. we talk about why they were so holy, what pilgrims went to see, what they could expect and more!

Mailbag Time! Aug 17, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor go through and answer some questions from patrons that we haven't gotten to yet! we talk about everything from medieval siege engine usage, the Fens of East Anglia, an Elden Ring meme, and much more! it's a lot of fun and we'll hopefully do more in the future!

Medieval Parenting Respoinsibilities Aug 04, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor use those weird momlife webcomics (you know, the peach milkshake lady who hates her husband) as an excuse to talk about the division of parenting and domestic labor responsibilities in the Middle Ages. we talk about women's work, men's work, broad-shouldered peasant women, and more!

Game of Thrones and Medievalism Jul 28, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor take a look at books and shows like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon using the excuse of medieval settings to justify pervasive sexual violence against women. we talk about why that's hogwash both from a historical perspective and from a literary one, check it out!

Medieval Cities: Genoa & Venice Jul 22, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor discuss Genoa and Venice, their longstanding rivalry, the rise and fall of each, and more! but mostly it's just slander Genoa for not ever beating their rival, Venice, at least until the present day when Genoa is much larger and not sinking into the sea.

Medieval Cities: Florence & Pisa Jul 14, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue talking about Medieval cities and this time it's the powerful Italian city-states of Florence and Pisa. we see how these two rose and fell during the Middle Ages and Renaissance and eventually became beautiful, sleepy tourist spots in a united Italy.

Medieval Cities: London & Paris Jul 08, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor start with a long cold open about what the fuck is happening in the US and UK right now (spoiler: no fucking clue) and then get into talk about London and Paris in the Middle Ages. it's a bunch of fun, check it out!

Abortion Jun 29, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor talk about the recent Supreme Court decision on abortion as well as the views and ideas on abortions in the Middle Ages. We also have a long list of places where you can volunteer time and money, check out: abortionfunds.org brigidalliance.org https://mashable.com/article/donate-abortion-funds-reproductive-justice-roe-wade

Medieval Cities: Constantinople and Rome Jun 23, 2022

in this episode, we talk about life in Medieval cities by comparing the two great and holy cities of the Roman Empire: Rome and Constantinople. so check it out, you'll really enjoy!

Medieval Witchcraft Jun 15, 2022

In this episode, our 69th of the show (nice), Luke and Eleanor follow-up on the episode about Medieval Magic by discussing witchcraft in the Middle Ages. We talk about what they did, how they were perceived by others, the Malleus Mallificarum, and the Early Modern witch-hunts. check it out!

Oh Oh Oh It's Magic Jun 09, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor talk about practical magic in the Middle Ages. what was considered magic? which types of magic were ok and which types were taboo? do any of these beliefs still hold sway today?

Hospitality & Guest Right Jun 03, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor make fun of a meme for a bit and then use it as a springboard to talk about how hospitality worked in the Medieval world. What was guest right? Did inns and taverns have the same hospitality expectations of people's homes? listen to find out!

Medieval Policing May 25, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor compare and contrast modern and medieval approaches to policing, noting the vast differences between the two and how we can learn to create a better society for ourselves from the past without the oppressive police states we live under today.

The Northman Review May 19, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor review The Northman, Robert Eggers' 2022 epic historical fiction film set in the middle ages. we loved it and got to talk about so much including hot, shirtless vikings, shrooms, draugr, hot women doing magic, and much more! check it out and don't forget we've got a patreon review episode coming tomorrow!

Retvrn? May 12, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor look at the growing trend of modern people wanting to return to the simpler, pastoral ways of medieval life to escape the present hellscapes. we talk about why this rose-colored view of history doesn't really stand up to scrutiny, how the trend is being used by bigots to further their own goals, and how having more "time off" in the Middle Ages isn't the same as having more time off today. even though more time off today is obviously needed. link to the article mentioned in the show: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/05/medieval-history-peasant-life-work/629783/

Medieval Hygiene May 04, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor get back in the medieval groove by covering one of our most requested topics ever: hygiene in the Middle Ages! we talk shit-covered peasants, slightly less shit-covered nobles, makeup, dental care, and more!

Historical Materialism 23: The End of History Apr 26, 2022

In this episode, our 23rd and final in the series on Historical Materialism, Luke and Eleanor cover the Neoliberal turn of the 80s, the fall of the Soviet Union, America's ongoing search for a justification for the military industrial complex, 9/11, the internet, the rise of China, the end of history and that pesky Owl of Minerva. check it out!

Historical Materialism 22: Cold War Kids Apr 21, 2022

In this episode, our penultimate one in the Historical Materialism series, Luke and Eleanor discuss the years from 1960-1980, which includes spaceflight, Gladio, Paperclip, Condor, the Vietnam War, the Jakarta Method, the Cultural Revolution, and much more!

Historical Materialism 21: Pax Americana Apr 15, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor discuss 1945-1960, which includes the Cold War, the beginning of Pax Americana, communism spreading to China, the Cuban Revolution, the Sino-Soviet split, and much more!

Historical Materialism 20: World War 2 Apr 06, 2022

In this episode, Luke and Eleanor cover the rise of fascism, World War 2, and the atom bomb. hooboy

Historical Materialism 19: Interwar Apr 01, 2022

In this episode, Luke and Eleanor make it most of the way through the Interwar period between 1918-1938 (we make it to about 1931 and the Great Depression). we talk about the end of WW1, the Treaty of Versailles, the failed Spartacist Uprisings in Germany, the failed world communist revolution, the aftermath in the Soviet Union, and the Great Depression. we wanted to get through the whole Interwar period but there was just too much so we will get to fascism, Nazi Germany, Hitler, Imperial Japan, and the lead-up to WW2 next time.

Historical Materialism 18: Must Crush Capitalism Mar 23, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor finally get to socialism and communism as we cover World War I, the socialist and communist modes of production, the October Revolution, and a little guy we all know as Lenin

Historical Materialism 17: The Calm Before the Storm Mar 16, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor discuss 1865-1905, including the Pax Britannica, the further spread of capitalism, the unifications of Germany and Italy, the true start of the American Empire, and the rise of the Japanese Empire with the Meiji Restoration. enjoy!

Historical Materialism 16: The Springtime of the Peoples Mar 09, 2022

In this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue their ever-expanding series on Historical Materialism by covering the years from 1815-1865. this includes the aftermath of the Napoleonic era, the numerous failed revolutions of 1848, the promulgation of the Communist Manifesto, and America's very own suicide pact with itself: the American Civil War

Let's Name Some Historical Guys feat. Patrick Wyman Mar 04, 2022

In this episode, we welcome back friend of the show Patrick Wyman to talk about the change from feudalism to capitalism that we've been discussing in our series on historical materialism and then spend some time naming some historical guys. it's a lot of fun, you should check it out and you should check out Patrick's book, The Verge, and his podcasts!

Historical Materialism 15: Napoleon Feb 23, 2022

In this episode, our 15th on Historical Materialism, we look at the years 1795-1815, aka, the Napoleonic era. Luke and Eleanor discuss how one man was able to stand astride history and use an army to smash most of the remaining vestiges of feudalism across western and central Europe, his many mistakes, and how, even though he hated the English, Napoleon ended up exporting their version of capitalism to the rest of Europe and eventually the world. also other stuff happens too, maybe

Historical Materialism 14: Big-C Capitalism Feb 16, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor look at the years from 1750-1795 wherein we finally introduce Capitalism, America has a revolution, France has a much, much cooler revolution, and liberal ideas begin their spread across the world.

Historical Materialism 13: Class Consciousness Feb 03, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue following the trajectory of historical materialism by discussing the emergence of the bourgeoisie, their first attempts at asserting power in the English Civil War, legislative enclosure, the Ottoman transformation, and the age of absolutism. covers the years from 1642 to 1750.

Historical Materialism 12: Unintended Global Consequences Jan 27, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor discuss a bunch of events that should've remained localized but, due to new technology, colonialism, and more, became huge events that changed the history of the entire human race. we talked about how the 30 Years' War led to the Peace of Westphalia, which directly led to World War 1. then we talk about internal Chinese politics that had massive global implications and helped spur on the Great Divergence. check it out! also: this is our 50th episode and we're so excited to keep doing them, thanks for listening!

Historical Materialism 11: Colonialism Jan 19, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue the series on Historical Materialism by talking about how colonialism shaped the world in the Early Modern Era as well as the start of Mercantilism and the first true financial markets in the world. capitalism is right around the corner now...

Historical Materialism 10: That's How You Get Protestants Jan 13, 2022

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor discuss the end of the Medieval, or Post-Classical, era and the beginning of the Early Modern Period. they discuss a number of factors that pave the way for capitalism, including the rise of the printing press, the appearance of modern banking and lending practices, the Renaissance, and, finally, the Protestant Reformation.

Historical Materialism 9: Exogenous System Shock Jan 06, 2022

happy new year, we're back! in this episode, Luke and Eleanor continue going through the series on Historical Materialism and finally make it to the Black Death, the mother of all external system shocks that kills anywhere from 15-40% of humans on earth and cracked the foundation of feudalism so badly that it would never recover.

Christmas & Saturnalia Dec 22, 2021

happy holidays to all! in honor of Christmas, we decided to do a quick episode on the connections between Saturnalia and Christmas as well as look at what Christmas during the Middle Ages looked like. so check it out and have a happy holiday season!

Historical Materialism 8: Climate Changes Dec 17, 2021

Friday afternoon episode time! Luke and Eleanor continue the series on Historical Materialism by talking about the Medieval climate, which changed drastically between the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age, both of which caused massive changes across much of the world. They also discuss the rise of the modern nation-states, which began to take shape around this time.

Historical Materialism 7: Primitive Accumulation Dec 09, 2021

and we're back after a one week hiatus! in this episode, Luke and Eleanor begin by discussing some of the more controversial modes of production that have been proposed, then move back into the early Middle Ages to discuss how the concept of Divine Right of Kings became entangled with modern state formation and the earliest instances of primitive accumulation of capital before it became a driving force later during the Age of Exploration.

Historical Materialism 6: Blame it on Charlemagne Nov 24, 2021

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor continuing walking through Historical Materialism and Feudalism with a discussion of the early years of the Medieval Era and how the world we live in today really began to take shape. we talk about commerce vs capitalism, the rise of manor, the spread of universal religions, and more! Advertising Inquiries:

Historical Materialism 5: Feudalism, finally Nov 16, 2021

in this episode, Luke and Eleanor finally make their way to feudalism and the Feudal Mode of Production. they discuss what feudalism actually is, why manorialism may be a better term, what Marx meant by calling it the "Feudal Mode", and more!

Historical Materialism 4: Age of Empires Nov 11, 2021

In part 4 of our series on Historical Materialism, we conclude the Ancient Mode of Production by discussing the rise of the great empires of old, the decline of the use of slavery, and the eventual collapse of the Western Roman Empire, which we now use to mark the end of the Ancient era.

Historical Materialism 3: We Live in a Society Nov 04, 2021

as we continue our review of historical materialism leading up to feudalism, it's time to discuss how humans move from the hunter-gatherer, "Primitive" Communist Mode of Production to the Ancient Mode of Production, which includes living in civilizations, the introduction of slave labor, and the first social classes.

Historical Materialism 2: "Primitive" Communism Oct 27, 2021

we're back to continue our deep dive into historical materialism and the eventual rise and fall of feudalism. this week, we discuss "primitive" communist societies of hunter-gatherers who lived in tribes and had no hierarchies, kings, or social classes. so let's go back to a time before sedentism and agriculture and look at the first mode of production

Historical Materialism 1: Intro to Historical Materialism Oct 22, 2021

this week, Luke and Eleanor begin a much-requested series on the factors that led to the rise, dominance, and fall of feudalism during and after the Middle Ages. the series will focus on how feudalism and the feudal mode of production came to be and how it shaped our world today in eventually giving way to capitalism. but before we actually get to feudalism, we have to set the stage by discussing historical materialism and what it says about the development of society and culture.

The Green Knight Review Oct 14, 2021

Luke and Eleanor finally get around to reviewing The Green Knight only 3 months after it premiered. check it out, you'll love it

Medieval Indonesia & Malaysia feat. Alex West Oct 08, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back with an interview of Alex West, a philologist and historian who focuses on Medieval Indonesia and Malaysia. we talk about some of the differences between Europe and SE Asia in the Middle Ages as well as Alex's work on the Old Sundanese epic poem, Bujangga Manik. if you'd like to see the surviving Bujangga Manik palm leaves, click this link: https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/ad204470-7490-4316-a015-1063f1513523/surfaces/f724ce1b-fed0-4267-a9ac-6c6fa413fc2f/

Food 5: Dietetics Oct 01, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to finish up their series on food, drink, and drugs in the Middle Ages. this time, we discuss the diets of Medieval people and how they used different types of food and drink to keep their four humours in balance.

Food 4: Drugs Sep 23, 2021

Luke and Eleanor continue the series on food in the Middle Ages by discussing the consumption of mind-altering substances. that's right, Medieval people used drugs for various reasons and we're here to talk about it. from the ancient uses of opium as a painkiller to tripping on magic mushrooms found in forests to eating that awful pre-2000's era ditch weed, there's a lot of medieval drug use, so check it out!

Food 3: Feasts Sep 14, 2021

Luke and Eleanor continue their series on Medieval food by discussing the massive number of feasts days, what those feasts were like, and more! cover art is The Fight Between Carnival and Lent by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Food 2: Beer, Wine, and Bread Sep 08, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to continue their series on food, drink, and drugs in the Middle Ages. this time, we look at some regional differences in foods, debate the best type of beer, and discuss the conquest of bread

Food in the Middle Ages 1 Sep 01, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back and, after so many asked, they're finally talking about food in the Middle Ages. what did they eat and drink, how was it like our food, how was it different, and more!

The Mongols 2 Aug 25, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to close out their series on Medieval China by talking some more about the Mongols. How did the Mongol Empire rise to such great heights, only to break apart within 150 years? What was the Pax Mongolica? Who was Kublai Khan and why did his Yuan Dynasty, which China, Mongolia, and parts of Russia, fall apart at the end of the Middle Ages?

The Middle Ages x Star Wars Aug 20, 2021

just Luke this time as Eleanor is away on a well-deserved vacation. in lieu of our normal episodes and because Luke isn't a scholar of the Middle Ages, we decided to do a show about the medieval influences on the Star Wars franchise, something that Luke does know a lot about. enjoy!

The Mongols 1 Aug 13, 2021

new episode! Luke and Eleanor are back to talk about the Mongols, their many invasions and innovations, and, of course, Temujin, aka Genghis Khan! check it out as we start to wrap up our series on Medieval China

Medieval China 7: The Great Wall Aug 06, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to discuss the Great Wall of China. We discuss the numerous walls built over time, the Ming Great Wall that we know today, and how the Wall actually, usually served its purpose as a defensive structure. Imagine that!

Medieval China 6: Sex in Medieval China & Elsewhere Jul 28, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back and continuing the series on Medieval China. this time, we responded to a few questions about sex, both in Medieval China and more generally across the Middle Ages. what can we say? our listeners want to hear about sex and we're happy to oblige

Medieval China 5: Barbarians & Ceramics Jul 23, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to continue the series on Medieval China. this time, we answer a couple of patron questions about life and culture in Imperial China. the first question concerns how the Chinese saw themselves and who they considered the barbarians on their frontier borders while the second question revolves around the creation and trade of ceramics and porcelain out of Medieval China. check it out and learn something new!

Medieval China 4: Gunpowder Jul 16, 2021

we're back, baby! Luke and Eleanor answer some questions before continuing the series on Medieval China by discussing gunpowder. we talk about its discovery, its original purpose as an elixir for eternal life, and its eventual use in a martial context. check it out!

Medieval China 3: The Silk Road Jul 08, 2021

We are back with a brand new episode! Luke and Eleanor continue their series on Medieval China by talking about the Silk Road. It wasn't just commerce and trade goods that flowed along the road, it also carried inventions, armies, and even cultures from the Pacific to the Mediterranean.

Patreon Ep Unlocked: Interview with Patrick Wyman Jul 02, 2021

hello! no new episode this week due to real world stuff getting in the way, so we're unlocking one of our Patreon episodes for everyone to check out. it's an interview with podcaster and historian Patrick Wyman about a bunch of topics, including his forthcoming book, The Verge. check out the show and if you like what you hear, preorder Patrick's book and subscribe to the patreon for $5 a month at patreon.com/wnsdpod

Medieval China 2: More Intro Jun 24, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to continue their series on Medieval China. This episode is the second part of the introduction to Medieval China and gives a very high-level overview of some of the long history of Ancient and early Imperial China, including a look at the early dynasties.

Medieval China 1: Intro Jun 15, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to start a series on Medieval China. of course, Medieval China is so different from our general conceptions of the Middle Ages that we have to spend some time introducing Chinese history. after all, China did go through a period of serfdom, they just abandoned the practice over 200 years before the birth of Christ whereas serfdom would last into the 19th century AD and later across the rest of the world. so yeah, things were a bit different

The Peasants are Revolting Again Jun 09, 2021

Luke and Eleanor close out the series on the peasants by finishing the final peasant revolts of the medieval era, including the Samogitian Uprisings and the only successful, European medieval peasant rebellion, the Wars of the Remences. Then we wrap up our series on the peasants by talking about how things changed for them during the medieval era

The Peasants are Still Revolting Jun 02, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back for another episode on medieval peasants revolts and this time it's mostly about the English Peasants Revolt of 1381. we discussed how the revolt failed in its immediate goals but did eventually bring about the demise of serfdom in England and we relive the bitter betrayal of Wat Tyler who suffers his very own red wedding moment at the hands of evil nobles after trusting norms. rip

The Peasants are Revolting May 27, 2021

welcome back! in this episode, Luke and Eleanor discuss what happens when the peasants get fed up with everything and the world around them generally turned to shit: they rebelled against the nobility. we discuss what gave rise to all the medieval peasants rebellions, talk about the early medieval revolts, and then get into the Jacquerie. Next episode, we will continue to discuss the rebellions, including the Peasants Revolt in England under Wat Tyler and the War of the Remences

Peasant Mindset May 19, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back, continuing the series on the peasantry. This time, we get into the peasant mindset by seeing how they thought about themselves, what they did in their free time, and how many of them got more vacation time than we do today. Then we begin to discuss the growing friction with the nobility that caused the spate of peasants revolts in the 14th and 15th centuries, which we will get into next time on the show. check out the patreon if you're interested in hearing more: patreon.com/wnsdpod you can find the painting by Bruegel that Eleanor was talking about here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Games_(Bruegel)

Enclosing the Peasants May 12, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to continue the series of the peasantry and this time it's all about the process known as Enclosure and how it fundamentally altered property ownership forever by alienating the people from the land they lived and worked upon and accumulating even more capital in the hands of the elites. also, we talk about the Green Knight trailer, fun! here's a link to what land looked like under the Open Field System, before Enclosure started. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclosure#/media/File:Three_Field_System.svg
Update 2, 3/27/23: The issue has been resolved after an older recording was found. Thanks to our patron Adam for the assist
Update 1, 3/26/23: Please note that we recently discovered that this episode (Enclosing the Peasants) is actually a duplicate of the previous episode (The Peasantry). The files must have gotten swapped or wrongly uploaded by mistake at some point in the last 2 years. We apologize for this but it seems to be lost to time since the master files for early episodes were all lost during a hard drive crash in late 2021 and we didn't discover this until we had migrated the episodes to Spreaker. Hopefully we can scrounge up an old file somewhere but until then, sorry.

The Peasantry May 06, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to begin a series on the peasantry. Who were they? What were their lives like? Were they all farmers? And much more! Also, a brief preview of our newest Patreon episode featuring an interview with Patrick Wyman

Magna Carta Apr 29, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to talk and very briefly sing about everyone's favorite worthless medieval piece of paper: Magna Carta. check it out to learn why Magna Carta doesn't really protect any rights anymore unless you're heavily invested in fishing weirs on the Thames.

Let's Talk About Sex Again Apr 21, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to talk about sex in the Middle Ages once again. We talk about the shortcomings of medieval sex ed, their views on the importance of virginity, and, of course, wooden dildos. CW: there is some general discussion of rape and sexual assault against women in this episode.

Let's Talk About Sex Apr 14, 2021

Luke and Eleanor return to break down some popular misconceptions about sex in the Middle Ages because, shockingly, pop culture has led us astray yet again and not everything was weird. church-based sexual puritanism or bodice-ripping softcore porn. Also, we announce the start of our Patreon, coming later this week and featuring a debate on everyone's favorite topic from history: when did Rome fall?

The Black Death 2 Apr 07, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to talk more about the Black Death, including its many recurrences, how it changed life for those who survived, and how it all applies to our lives after during and after the present-day covid pandemic. also, some nice reviews for a change.

The Black Death 1 Apr 01, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to talk about the utter horror of the Black Death, the way our ancestors coped with it, and what we can possibly learn about how to handle what looks like the end of the world.

The Crusades Mar 24, 2021

Luke and Eleanor return to talk all about the Crusades, Crusader States, and when the whole damn ordeal actually ended. But first, the co-hosts read and discuss a fan review

Judaism in the Middle Ages Mar 18, 2021

Luke and Eleanor continue their series on medieval religion by focusing on Judaism, including the positives but also the many horrors visited upon the Jews during the Middle Ages that are still being perpetrated today.

The Rise of Islam Mar 11, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to discuss how Islam came to be in the Middle Ages, its rapid spread, the Moorish occupation of Iberia, and much more!

The Hegemony of the Catholic Church Mar 03, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to continue the series on religion in the Middle Ages. This time, they discuss the ever-expanding power of the Medieval Catholic Church, how Christianity began to spread outside of the former Roman Empire, and anti-popes.

Comparative Medieval Religion Feb 25, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to start a series on religion in the Middle Ages. In this episode, we discuss the status of the major world religions at the beginning of the Medieval era, including the fall of Zoroastrianism and the rise of Islam. Our next few episodes will focus on Medieval religions specifically in this order: ep 5 - the Hegemony of the Catholic Church ep 6 - the Rise of Islam ep 7 - Judaism in the M.A. ep 8 - the Crusades

Life was Cheap Feb 19, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to discuss the common misconception that life in the Middle Ages was cheap and that people didn't really mourn their dead. also: all the reasons why you can't do a "faithful" adaptation of the legends of King Arthur

What Are We Doing Here? Feb 08, 2021

Luke and Eleanor are back to define things more fully, explain the scope of the show, and much more

Introductions Feb 01, 2021

An introduction to the We're Not So Different podcast