Villains and Virgins History Podcast

In this episode we watch England execute a king.  This is the strange tale of how England became a Protestant country, and why the Church of England is the way it is.  Along the way we watch militant Scottish Reformers challenge the power of the monarch, and uncover the roots of the Covenanters and Presbyterian churches.  The episode culminates in the English Civil War, as competing versions of church and state vie for the future of the nation.  Monarchy in Europe will never be the same again!

John Calvin is one of the major figures of the Protestant Reformation, famous for his doctrine of pre-destination.  This episode covers his time in Geneva, and how he turned that city into a grim and terrifying experiment in theocracy.  It is also the story of Protestants burning a heretic at the stake, in a bizarre moment of borrowing the very punishments that had been used to suppress them.  This episode captures a dramatic moment as reformers struggle to redefine the roles of church and state. 

In this episode we cover the unlikely journey of one young man from earnest Augustinian monk to rebel reformer.  Martin Luther ignited a firestorm of existing anti-clerical sentiment across Europe, with results that would change Europe and the Western Christian Church forever. 

What is the Protestant Reformation and why does it matter?  To begin to understand how thoroughly it has shaped Western Europe and North America we must travel back in time to see the world as it was before the Reformation.  This episode is all about the Middle Ages, when an emperor braved the Alps in winter to appeal to a Pope, and thousands of people in Southern France were slaughtered by Crusaders.  It is a world of towering cathedrals, in which the power of the Church rivaled that of the Crown.  In this medieval world a poor boy from Yorkshire earned a doctoral degree at Oxford University, and began developing ideas that would shake this world to its foundations.  His name was John Wycliffe. 

1492 was a year that changed everything.  In Castile, it was the end of the Reconquista, as Isabella and Ferdinand ended a decade long war with a triumphant ride through the streets of Granada.  It was also the year they signed the Alhambra Decree, which banished all Jews from Castile, and it was the beginning of the end of Moorish presence as well.  The connection between these two events and the Spanish Inquisition was a drive for religious purity that would forever change the history of Spain.  This is also the year that Christopher Columbus obtained royal support for his expedition, opening the door to Spain's colonial empire in the New World.

You have probably heard of the Spanish Inquisition, even if only from a certain Monty Python sketch.  The truth about why it was started and for what purpose will probably surprise you.  In this episode we take a close look at the episodes in Spanish history that prepared the way for the Inquisition.  We also examine how it operated, what forms of torture were used, and who it targeted.  Why did the Pope try to stop it?  What was an auto da fe?  What did it have in common with totalitarian surveillance states?  The villains and victims in this history are almost certainly not who you would expect. 

In this episode, our plucky and determined heroine discovers the mantle of religious warfare.  Isabella and Ferdinand respond to an attack on a Castilian city from Moorish forces.  This becomes the first skirmish in a "Holy War" against Muslims in Spain.  It is a war that will last a decade, and inflict a terrible fate on the city of Malaga.  Harem politics of betrayal and revenge undermine Moorish resistance to Castilian forces.  Along the way, Ferdinand and Isabella champion Renaissance learning and education for their daughters, but the war against the Moors will occupy most of their attention.  They see themselves as champions of Christianity, not just in Spain but in Europe.  Their use of religious languages and symbols emerges against a larger global context where Christian countries fear the rising power of the Ottoman Empire.  Victory against Muslims on the battlefield in Spain takes on a larger significance, and encourages a terrifying drive for religious purity that will have catastrophic consequences.  

After a high risk secret marriage to Prince Ferdinand of Aragon, Isabella finds there is no easy path to gaining the crown of Castile.  An evil uncle, a civil war, and a heroic Portuguese flag bearer appear in this episode as Isabella fights to be Queen.  An astonishing solution to a domestic quarrel paves the way for female rulers in Spain, and Isabella reveals her courage and determination as she takes on rebellious nobles and a kingdom in desperate need of management.  Along the way the incredible social mixture that makes up the cultural fabric of Spain comes into focus.

Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain are figures you may have heard of in passing, as the sponsors of Christopher Columbus.  The fact that Isabella's name is remembered in the same breath with Ferdinand's is remarkable in an age when only men could hold political power.  From the Black Death to royal scandal, this episode introduces the fascinating story of these two people and how their marriage would change Spain forever.

The remarkable story of the mass evacuation of Britain's children in the darkest days of WWII.  Britain, under Winston Churchill, faces aerial assault and imminent collapse.  This is a moment when it is clear that history could have taken a radically different direction.  

Henry VIII is dead, but he leaves behind an England that is forever changed by his Church of England legacy.  Two of his daughters, from very different mothers, will inherit the throne.  These two queens, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I will pull the nation in opposite directions.  Tales of ordinary people burning at the stake reveal how "Bloody Mary" got her name.

After the execution of Anne Boleyn, what is next for Henry VIII and for England?  A terrible jousting accident changes the king, and may be a hidden factor in his increasing ruthlessness.  The future of England and its religion hangs in the balance as Henry decides to assert his authority over English monasteries.  This episode covers the Pilgrimage of Grace, the sordid fall of Catherine Howard, and the many other marital misadventures of England's most notorious king.

This episode covers the sordid and sickeningly fast story of Anne Boleyn's fall from grace.  It has rumor, scandal, and a completely hilarious introduction to the codpiece.  This is also the moment that Henry VIII begins to resemble the ruthless monster that he has become in popular imagination.  With Anne's position hanging precariously, what will be the fate of Protestantism in England?

The woman who is blamed for turning Henry VIII from a most Catholic king into the one who separated Tudor England from the Catholic Church was a dark eyed stunner named Anne Boleyn.  This is the story of how a king overturned the institutions of his country to get a divorce.  It is also the story of a more complex king than the Henry VIII you think you know.  

You may think you know all about Henry VIII, but the version of his life that gets passed around focuses on an obese maniac who married and divorced or beheaded quite a number of women.  There is much more to the story than that.  In this series we look at Henry the Renaissance man and his bold Spanish queen, against the dazzling backdrop of Europe in the grip of seismic changes.  Henry himself will be the surprising instrument of remaking England.  Find out how.

This episode uncovers the forgotten history of some of the most badass women you've never heard of.  The Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa had all female army units who consistently fought better and more courageously than the men.  Their deeds of bravery are recorded by their admiring enemies.  These real women are the inspiration for the Dora Milaje of Wakanda in the Marvel movies.  Meet the Black Amazons of Benin!

We know the Greek legends of the Amazons, but because the warrior women were real the Greeks were not the only ones telling stories about them.  In this episode we uncover legends of women fighters from the Caucasus, and the epic Persian love story of Shirin and Khusraw.  Adventure, love, and revenge...these are amazing stories you have probably never heard.  

The legends of the Amazons are based on real women who could ride, hunt, shoot bows, and fight.  In this episode we uncover the fascinating archaeological evidence on the horse tribes of the steppe and the women warriors who lived among them.  From tattoos to cannabis, there are so many surprising details.   

Stories of badass warrior women continue to fascinate us today, as they did the ancient Greeks.  In Greek stories the Amazons were a tribe of all female warriors who were formidable in combat and fascinating for their bravery, athleticism, and beauty.  But the Amazons are not a myth.  They were real people in history, and their stories can change the way we look at ourselves.  This episode introduces the stories about Amazons, and will be followed by further episodes on their history.

After suffering horrifying violence and theft at the hands of the Romans, Boudica decides enough is enough.  This is the story of a woman who led a rebellion against Roman occupation, preferring to risk death in battle rather than a life of slavery.  Her battle cry continues to echo through history.   Find out why.

What happened when the Romans invaded Britain?  What did life under occupation look like for the native tribes?  In this episode we cover the Roman policies and projects that changed the face of Britain.  A Celtic queen starts an affair and honors an alliance that will end her rule.  The Romans decide to teach another uppity Celtic woman a lesson, and inadvertently light a match that explodes into war.  Welcome to the world of Boudica, the warrior queen.

What was Britain like before the Romans made contact?  The world of the Celts, with its wild blue Northerners, Druids, and sacrifices is painted here, setting the stage for one of the most astonishing female figures in British history.  Her name is Boudica, and she is the warrior queen. This is the first of several episodes about her world and her story.

Many fierce warrior tribes have emerged from the Eurasian Steppe, from the Huns to the Mongols and many others.  What made these people such effective fighters?  Learn about Mongolian wrestling, archery, and the most dangerous game on Earth.  In this episode we look at the warlike sports that began on the Steppe and continue to this day.  

In this final episode of our series, Attila takes a massive army and storms through western Europe to the gates of Orleans, in France.  The epic Battle of the Catalaunian Plains unfolds over two days, as old allies become enemies.  A shocking twist leads to an ending no one expected.

In this episode we learn about Hunnish women and marriage practices.  A sex scandal breaks out in the Western Imperial Court, leading to pregnancy and execution.  A Roman princess makes a shocking proposal to Attila that threatens to destabilize the Roman Empire.

In this episode we see an imperial princess kidnapped, and an attempt to steal the Western Imperial throne goes wrong.  The Huns become famous for extortion and impalement.  An assassination plot backfires horribly.

Attila the Hun still looms in our memory, though less and less is remembered about the man himself and the fierce people he led.  This episode introduces the Huns of history, paints the world they inhabited, and sets the stage for the emergence of Attila.  From unique battle tactics to cranial deformation, this is an amazing group of people.

After a century of scandal, a new Pope takes over in Rome.  Leo IX has sweeping plans for reform, and then gets taken prisoner by Norman warriors.  Meanwhile church controversies brew over everything from beards to communion bread until an explosive collision of personalities leads to drama in the Hagia Sophia itself.  The moment that changed the Christian world forever is explained here.

A teenaged boy inherits the Papacy and the keys to Rome, and begins a career of wild partying.  John XII plays power games with dangerous military leaders, and attempts to backstab the most powerful warrior in Europe.  The House of Theophylact continues to create scandal, selling the Papacy itself to an Italian godfather.  It's Game of Thrones in the Vatican.

Historians have called this period the "pornocracy".  Find out why in this episode, when the powerful and ambitious women of the House of Theophylact take over Rome and control the Papacy.  Sex, murder, blindings and treachery, it's a wild ride through the Dark Ages.

In 1054 an event occurred that split the Christian world.  It has never recovered.  In this mini series, we dive into the world before the Great Schism, to understand the forces that created the institutions of the Church and then tore them apart.   How did we get Popes anyway?  Emperors, bishops, and warriors... this is the world at the end of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Middle Ages.

"Devil's marks would often be found 'in their secretest parts, and therefore require diligent and careful search'". The witch trials in Salem involved strip searching and inspecting the bodies of accused women for any detail that could be used as evidence of a pact with the Devil. The process of the court was designed to eliminate any defense. In this episode we cover how the infamous Salem Witch Trials were conducted.

"What is the name of your demon lover?" "How many years have you been a witch?" These were the types of questions hurled at people accused of witchcraft in a small town in New England. A group of young girls suffer mysterious ailments and soon the whole community is in an uproar.

"Innocent have I come into prison... innocent have I been tortured... innocent must I die. For whoever comes into the witch prison must ...be tortured until he invents something out of his head." These lines come from a letter written by a father to his daughter in 1628, as the witch craze raged across Europe. In this episode we cover this horrifying period of history and explore what caused so many executions.

"Witchcraft comes from carnal lust, which is in women insatiable.” - from the Malleus Maleficarum, the 1486 witch manual. Bodies swing from the gallows in the small town of Salem in New England.  People have been executed on charges of witchcraft in America.  How did we get to this? The story starts in Old Europe... Follow me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC15u8zpwb_wdfarKIFDfwMw Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evaschubert/  Or visit my site and check out my music at https://www.evaschubert.com