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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! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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
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!
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!
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?
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!
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.
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!
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/
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!
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!
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!
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!
In this episode, Luke and Eleanor cover the rise of fascism, World War 2, and the atom bomb. hooboy
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.
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
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!
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
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!
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
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. edit: changed episode title since this is the 14th episode in the series, not the 15th
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.
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!
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...
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. (updated to fix audio issue with Luke's track)
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
Luke and Eleanor finally get around to reviewing The Green Knight only 3 months after it premiered. check it out, you'll love it
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/
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.
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!
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