Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
The Contradictions and Controversies of Marc de Montifaud
Episode 164
In the late 19th century, French writer Marc de Montifaud was sentenced to prison for indecency in his work. But rather than being sent to the rather…
2 years, 2 months ago
John Dee's Language of the Angels
Episode 163
Alchemist, magician, astronomer, astrologer - John Dee served as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, interpreting the stars for her. And when a comet cr…
2 years, 2 months ago
"Eat Him If You Like"
Episode 162
CW: Gore, cannibalism.
The village of Hautefaye was a sleepy town in France best known for a local fair. But in the summer of 1870, gripped by paran…
2 years, 3 months ago
How Pope Joan Became the High Priestess
Episode 161
According to legend, around 1100, a woman disguised herself as a man and was unanimously elected Pope. The ruse lasted until she gave birth while rid…
2 years, 3 months ago
William the Conqueror, Christmas King
Episode 160
William the Conqueror is considered the first King of England. But the road to his victory at the Battle of Hastings was strange and challenging, and…
2 years, 3 months ago
Napoleon's Josephine (with Jennifer Wright)
Episode 159
The wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, Josephine went from a sugar plantation to prison to Empress. But her rise and her fall reveal a dark undercurrent in …
2 years, 3 months ago
The Queen Caught Between Kingdoms
Episode 158
When her husband, King John of England died, the widowed Isabelle of Angouleme sailed back to France to fight for her own independent kingdom. But ov…
2 years, 4 months ago
Charlotte Corday, the Angel of Assassination
Episode 157
A minor aristocrat, Charlotte Corday could have lived an ordinary life in Normandy in the 18th century. Instead, she took it upon herself to kill the…
2 years, 4 months ago
Caroline Norton Balancing the Scales of Justice
Episode 156
CW: Spousal abuse, miscarriage.
In the UK in the early 19th century, married women didn't exist as their own legal entities; they were extensions of…
2 years, 4 months ago
The Princess Who Wrestled for Her Future
Episode 155
Khutulun was a 13th century Mongolian princess born in the war-torn years after Genghis Khan's massive empire began falling apart at the seams. She f…
2 years, 4 months ago