Podcasts about commoners

This 2-hour episode has been around the world and back on multiple formats and stations.  New albums featured are from Charlie Musselwhite, Ally Venable, John Primer, Terry Hanck, Brandon Santini, The Commoners, Allison August, Fran Drew & the Lucky Strikes, Carolyn Wonderland, Tim Gartland, Allison Joy Williams and Johnny Iguana. I hope you enjoy it and please follow us on socials so we can pay respects to you on a future recording.   Cheers! Biggdaddy Ray Hansen

In this latest episode of Help Me Buy Property Podcast, Julian Fadini from PRPTY 360 was invited to delve into the details revolving around the unique financial landscape faced by professional athletes and coaches, particularly in the realm of property investment with Moxin Reza. During the conversation, we discussed the differences in financial management between athletes and the general public, the importance of strategic investment, and the need for financial education to ensure long-term wealth. Our conversation highlights the challenges athletes face regarding income stability and tax implications, while also emphasizing the potential for building a substantial property portfolio during their careers. Episode Highlights 00:00 Welcome to Help Me Buy Property Podcast 05:36 Introduction to Property Investment for Athletes 12:30 Navigating Finances: The Athlete's Perspective 17:41 Investment Strategies: Athletes vs. Commoners 24:02 Risk Appetite and Decision-Making in Investments 32:17 Final Thoughts and Advice for Athletes About the Guest: Julian Fadini is a leading acquisition adviser and founder of PRPTY 360 - a company that specializes in providing astute investors privileged insight, guidance and results. Julian's renowned for identifying areas/opportunities with high yield potential. As such, his advice and recommendation are actively sought by investors directly, as well as from financial planners, accountants, brokers and other professionals on behalf of their clients who are seeking to achieve maximum return from their portfolio. Julian can be reached out at: https://prpty360.com.au/ Click on the link below to download Australian Bestseller “A Millennial's Guide to Property Investing” now!  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CRF48GGR Resources:  Join us on our FREE Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpmebuyau You can also connect with us on https://www.linkedin.com/company/77080688. Keep smiling, be kind, and continue investing. Peace out!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, breathe in another breath of that freshly regurgitated air! We are exorcising some demons again and testifying to the New Wave Of Classic Rock! This is a 5 shots of bourbon episode, so feel free to play along at home. Listen in as we pour it on with classic, blues-influenced hard rock that reminds us of the days when FM radio rocked! Indeed, rock n' roll is not dead and is in the very capable hands of these killer bands!What is it we do here at InObscuria? Every show, Kevin opens the crypt to exhume and dissect from his personal collection: an artist, album, or collection of tunes from the broad spectrum of rock, punk, and metal. The younger generation is picking up guitars and playing that classic blues-inspired hard rock again! It's Our hope is that we turn you on to something new.Songs this week include:Thundermother – “Can't Put Out The Fire ” from Dirty & Divine (2025)The Commoners - “Too Much” from Find A Better Way(2022)Larkin Poe - “Nowhere Fast” from Bloom (2025)Visitor - “Drop Me In A River” from Mushroom Truckin' (2024)The Riven - “Leap Of Faith” from The Riven (2019)Stray Nova - “Static Brain” from Static Brain - EP (2024)Dorothy - “Gifts From The Holy Ghost” from Gifts From The Holy Ghost (2022)Please subscribe everywhere that you listen to podcasts!Visit us: https://inobscuria.com/https://www.facebook.com/InObscuriahttps://x.com/inobscuriahttps://www.instagram.com/inobscuria/Buy cool stuff with our logo on it!: https://www.redbubble.com/people/InObscuria?asc=uIf you'd like to check out Kevin's band THE SWEAR, take a listen on all streaming services or pick up a digital copy of their latest release here: https://theswear.bandcamp.com/If you want to hear Robert and Kevin's band from the late 90s – early 00s BIG JACK PNEUMATIC, check it out here: https://bigjackpnuematic.bandcamp.com/Check out Robert's amazing fire sculptures and metal workings here: http://flamewerx.com/

In this episode of The Sobremesa Podcast, Alan speaks with Alberto Corsín Jiménez, anthropologist and author of Free Culture and the City: Hackers, Commoners, and Neighbors in Madrid, 1997–2017. They explore how the principles of free software, Creative Commons, and hacker culture shaped Madrid's urban activism—especially in the lead-up to and aftermath of the 15M movement. From the Pardo Media Lab to the reimagining of public space as an open and shared resource, this conversation looks at how free culture became a political and spatial experiment.What does it mean to claim a free city in an era where everything comes with a price tag? And what lessons can we take from these movements as digital and urban space become increasingly privatized? Tune in for a deep dive into the intersection of technology, activism, and urban commons.If you enjoy the podcast and want to help cover production costs, consider buying us a coffee. Your support helps keep these conversations going. Every contribution makes a difference!Donate here ⬇️https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thesobremey

We start 2025 off with a bang by putting a ribbon on 2024 and sharing our “Best Of” episode. As in previous years, 2024 has seen the release of many new rock albums, some good and some not so much. We share the ones we liked the most in our personal favorite top 10 “Best Of 2024”. WE NEED YOUR HELP!! It's quick, easy, and free - Please consider doing one or all of the following to help grow our audience: Leave Us A Five Star Review in one of the following places: Apple Podcast Podchaser Spotify Connect with us  Email us growinuprock@gmail.com Contact Form  Like and Follow Us on FaceBook Follow Us on Twitter Leave Us A Review On Podchaser Join The Growin' Up Rock Loud Minority Facebook Group Do You Spotify? Then Follow us and Give Our Playlist a listen. We update it regularly with kick ass rock n roll Spotify Playlist Buy and Support Music From The Artist We Discuss On This Episode Growin' Up Rock Amazon Store Pantheon Podcast Network Music in this Episode Provided by the Following: Black Crowes, Kissin' Dynamite, The Commoners, The Nail, Judas Priest, Royal Republic, The End Machine, Palace, Eclipse, Victory, Stryper, The Treatment, The Gems, Crank It Up Spotlight Double Header Kung Fu Overdrive - “Nunchucks” and Starcrazy - “Fanzine” If you dig what you are hearing, go pick up the album or some merch., and support these artists. A Special THANK YOU to Restrayned for the Killer Show Intro and transition music!! Restrayned Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the new Meiji government continued to develop and expand, so did the participation of Japanese commoners in the political process. The 1870s witnessed the Iwakura Mission and the birth of Japan's first newspapers which were quickly followed by censorship laws.Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!

The Disease of Kings (and Commoners)

We're back this week to bring you 10 killer tracks from the present and future of rock with Fresh Blood! This time Aaron is bringing great tunes from Crossbone Skully, Starcrazy, Worley the Pirate, Johnny Nasty Boots, and Old Blood! Cbris is delivering cool tracks from Riot City, Tailgunner, Blood Star, Dust Bolt, and The Commoners! It's a solid block of great music for your week. Give the old favorites a break and get turned onto something new. We hope you enjoy Fresh Blood and SHARE with a friend! Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram E-mail Us Subscribe to our Youtube channel! Support Us! Buy a T-Shirt! Donate to the show! Stream Us! Stitcher Radio Spreaker TuneIn Become a VIP Subscriber! Click HERE for more info! Comment Below Direct Download    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back this week to bring you 10 killer tracks from the present and future of rock with Fresh Blood! This time Aaron is bringing great tunes from Crossbone Skully, Starcrazy, Worley the Pirate, Johnny Nasty Boots, and Old Blood! Cbris is delivering cool tracks from Riot City, Tailgunner, Blood Star, Dust Bolt, and The Commoners! It's a solid block of great music for your week. Give the old favorites a break and get turned onto something new. We hope you enjoy Fresh Blood and SHARE with a friend! Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram E-mail Us Subscribe to our Youtube channel! Support Us! Buy a T-Shirt! Donate to the show! Stream Us! Stitcher Radio Spreaker TuneIn Become a VIP Subscriber! Click HERE for more info! Comment Below Direct Download    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘When I was really at the peak of my ill years I‘ve had at least 2 seasons where I spent 80% of my time really just being able to sit in a chair or lying in bed'.  Strahan Coleman is a writer, award-winning folk musician, spiritual director and founder of commoners communion. He's also someone who has experienced chronic illness which has led him to find God in new and deeper ways. https://www.commonerscommunion.com/ Support Star Radio: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=starSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RPGaDAY2024 August the 1st, Alternate: Runes - Create a Random table: Norse Rune Random Encounter Table for Modern-Day Urban Fantasy Scion RPG These encounters blend modern urban settings with the mythological elements of the Norse pantheon, providing rich opportunities for storytelling and adventure in your Scion RPG game. Norse Rune Random Encounter Table for Modern-Day Urban Fantasy Scion RPG, ill repost these as a PDF on Patreon! Rune Encounter Description Fehu Financial Heist: A group of thieves targets a bank rumored to store ancient gold blessed by Freyr. The heist attracts the attention of the Scions. Uruz Raging Beast: A wild, powerful aurochs has been sighted rampaging through the city, possibly the result of a divine curse or enchantment. Thurisaz Troll Gang: A gang of trolls is causing trouble in an underground nightclub. They are looking for something valuable, and the club owner needs help. Ansuz Cryptic Message: A mysterious message appears on the Scions' phones, containing ancient runes and a riddle that leads to a hidden location. Raido Lost Tourists: A group of tourists is hopelessly lost in the city, and their guide has disappeared. They claim to have seen visions of a ghostly carriage. Kenaz Urban Fire: A fire breaks out in an abandoned warehouse. Within, the Scions discover a fire elemental seeking revenge for being imprisoned. Gebo Corporate Merger: Two rival corporations are merging, and both CEOs are under the influence of powerful artifacts. The Scions are hired to investigate. Wunjo Street Festival: A street festival is interrupted by supernatural occurrences, including spontaneous blessings and omens that need interpretation. Hagalaz Hailstorm: A sudden and unseasonal hailstorm strikes the city, causing chaos. It is the work of a disgruntled frost giant. Nauthiz Desperate Residents: Residents of a city block are being terrorized by a gang that has acquired a divine artifact. They plead for the Scions' intervention. Isa Frozen Park: A local park is suddenly encased in ice. An ice spirit claims it as its domain and will only leave if its demands are met. Jera Urban Harvest: Community gardens are flourishing unusually well. A nature spirit is responsible, but now demands recognition and offerings. Eihwaz Mystical Tree: A tree in the city center starts glowing with mystical energy. It is a gateway to another realm, guarded by spirits who test the worthy. Perthro Underground Casino: An underground casino run by a rogue deity offers high-stakes games with divine artifacts as prizes. Winning comes with unexpected consequences. Algiz Sacred Site: A construction project threatens a hidden sacred grove in the city. The spirits of the grove seek the Scions' protection. Sowilo Solar Flare: A solar flare causes city-wide blackouts and strange magical phenomena. Scions must determine if this is a natural event or divine intervention. Tiwaz Martial Arts Tournament: A secret martial arts tournament is being held in honor of Tyr, and competitors are welcome to join to prove their worth. Berkano Healing Glade: An urban oasis appears overnight, offering healing to those who respect its nature. However, it demands proper offerings to remain active. Ehwaz Runaway Horses: A stampede of mystical horses runs through the city streets, led by a divine steed that the Scions might tame. Mannaz Academic Expedition: A group of scholars from a local university seeks protection while investigating a newly discovered Norse artifact in the city. Laguz River Spirit: A river spirit living in the city's waterways offers a boon to those who can solve her riddles. Failure to do so might incur her wrath. Ingwaz Disturbed Tomb: Construction work disturbs an ancient burial site, releasing restless spirits and undead. They seek to reclaim their rest or enact vengeance. Dagaz Prophetic Event: During a dawn ceremony at a local temple, a prophetic vision occurs, foretelling a significant event or danger that the Scions must address. Othala Family Heirloom: An old family heirloom is discovered in a pawnshop, tied to a powerful and ancient lineage. Its discovery attracts divine attention and potential threats.   Here's a random encounter table based on the Norse runes, designed for a D&D 5th Edition setting. Each encounter can be customized to fit the level and environment of your campaign. Norse Rune Random Encounter Table for D&D 5th Edition: Each encounter can be adjusted for difficulty based on your party's level, tier and the specific setting in your campaign. These encounters add variety and challenge, keeping players engaged with both combat and role-playing opportunities. Rune Encounter Description Fehu Enchanted Cattle: A herd of enchanted cattle, rumored to grant prosperity, is wandering nearby. (2d4 Giant Elk) Uruz Aurochs Stampede: A powerful aurochs charges through the area, causing a ruckus. (1d6 Dire Boar) Thurisaz Troll Camp: A band of trolls has set up a temporary camp, planning their next raid. (1d4 Trolls) Ansuz Seer's Advice: A wise seer offers cryptic advice and blessings in exchange for a small favor. (1 Diviner) Raido Lost Caravan: A lost caravan of traders seeks directions and offers rare goods in gratitude. (1d6 Traders, 1d4 Guards) Kenaz Forest Fire: A forest fire is spreading quickly, threatening nearby villages and wildlife. (1d4 Fire Elementals) Gebo Clan Negotiations: Two rival clans meet to negotiate peace; tensions are high, and they need mediators. (1d8 Berserkers) Wunjo Festival Celebration: A festival celebrating a recent victory or harvest brings joy and merriment. (1d8 Commoners, 1d4 Guards) Hagalaz Hailstorm: A sudden hailstorm traps the party, causing damage and freezing the ground. (Environmental hazard, 1d6 damage per round) Nauthiz Desperate Villagers: A group of desperate villagers plead for help to defend against marauding bandits. (1d6 Commoners, 2d6 Bandits) Isa Ice Elemental: An ancient ice elemental awakens, seeking something lost long ago. (1d4 Ice Mephits, 1 Water Elemental) Jera Harvest Celebration: Farmers celebrate the end of the harvest, but rumors of a bountiful artifact spread. (1d6 Commoners, 1d4 Scouts) Eihwaz Mystic Yew Tree: A mysterious yew tree in the forest is said to be the entrance to another realm. (1d4 Treants, 2d4 Dryads) Perthro Gambling Den: A hidden gambling den offers games of chance with unusual and magical stakes. (1d4 Rogues, 1d6 Thugs) Algiz Sacred Elk Grove: A sacred grove of elk is threatened by dark forces, needing protection. (1d4 Dire Wolves, 2d4 Elks) Sowilo Solar Eclipse: A solar eclipse causes strange magical effects and a surge in monster activity. (1d6 Shadow Demons) Tiwaz Grand Tournament: Warriors gather for a grand tournament; challengers are welcome to compete. (1d8 Knights, 1d6 Veterans) Berkano Nature Spirits: A hidden glade where nature spirits dwell offers healing but demands respect. (1d4 Satyrs, 2d4 Pixies) Ehwaz Wild Horses: Wild horses stampede through the area, with an opportunity to tame a rare breed. (1d6 Riding Horses, 1 Unicorn) Mannaz Scholars' Expedition: A group of scholars is on an expedition to uncover ancient knowledge and needs guards. (1d6 Mages, 1d4 Guards) Laguz River Spirit: A mysterious river spirit offers a boon for those who can solve her riddle. (1 Nereid, 1d4 Water Weirds) Ingwaz Burial Mound: An ancient burial mound is disturbed, releasing restless spirits and undead. (2d4 Skeletons, 1 Wight) Dagaz Prophetic Vision: A dawn celebration is interrupted by a prophetic vision that foretells danger. (1d6 Acolytes, 1 Diviner) Othala Ancient Heirloom: An old family heirloom is discovered, linked to a powerful and ancient lineage. (1d6 Noble Guards, 1 Noble)   It is that time again! #RPGADAY2024! We are huge long time fans of RPGaDAY2024 and this is its 11th year!     Its going to be a great month! We will be doing the normal prompt along with the alternate options on both the dnd journey of the fifth edition podcast as well as I'm going to do the Alt list on the creative play and podcast network podcast just to change things up some ;)   Check out where RPGADAY started at https://www.autocratik.com/      Our Links Creative play and podcast creativeplayandpodcastnetwork.podbean.com Facebook facebook.com/gaming/CreativePlayandPodcastNetwork D&DJourneyoftheFifthedition dndjourneyofthefifthedition.podbean.com Twittertwitter.com/CreativePPNet Twitchtwitch.tv/creativeplayandpodcast   YouTube Channel details http://www.youtube.com/@creativeplayandpodcastnetw5402 Please support our shows at www.patreon.com/cppn and even join us in some games! Also keep an eye at the new things on our now affiliated Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/creativeplayandpodcast Also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CreativePlayandPodcastNetwork Would you be interested if we hosted D&D and Edge of Empire games on Roll20 for you to join? Email us at Creativeplaypodcastnet@Gmail.com

This time on Beyond The Vibe Podcast I'm joined by Chris Medhurst of The Commoners, We talk all about his early years, the upcoming album 'Restless' and his dream bands to tour with! US / Canada PRE - ORDER - https://thecommoners.ca/ UK PRE - ORDER - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Restless-VINYL-Commoners/dp/B0CY5Q71V9/ref=sr_1_2?crid=37JE0392DS9U3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ARUjdoukDoQVdx98Zw66WKs6bTNg5YDDoStci_LWqpcJE_OBxcJQrtfmisaIDYQgf-GAtdUSV5hMFTWGptWRKuL_8FIZ8W7G52DNVhST1gw.SCUKhDOXQqHI5Luo2UjsGm2KZF_v9rMoaiFDvmuk8Lk&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+commoners+vinyl&qid=1719572878&s=music&sprefix=the+commoners+%2Cpopular%2C83&sr=1-2

Salty Dog's TRIO Podcast, May 2024 Everything comes in threes! Bad luck and good lovin! Get onto the TRIO show and try yer luck tone hounds. Great cuts from John Williams, Rick Estrin, Uncle Lucius, Left Lane Cruiser, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Tony Joe White, Dirty Three, Jed Rowe, Ry Cooder, The Commoners, Opelousas, Kerri Simpson Interview, Tanner Usrey, Zevon Lee, Little Feat, Matt Andersen, Jack Craw, Steve Earle, Fools, Chip Taylor. ARTIST / TRACK / ALBUM ** Australia 1. ** John Williams Band / Jesus Just Left Chicago / 470 Northern Highway Blues 2. Rick Estrin N The Nightcats / I Finally Hit The Bottom / The Hits Keep Coming 3. Uncle Lucius / Pocket Full of Misery / And You Are Me 4. Left Lane Cruiser / Motown Mash / Motown Mash 5. Hurray For The Riff Riff / Rican Beach / The Navigator 6. Tony Joe White / Cool Town Woman / Closer To The Truth 7. ** Dirty Three / Rising Below / Toward The Low Sun 8. ** Jed Rowe / Tailem Bend / A Foreign Country 9. Ry Cooder / Dark End Of The Street / Boomer's Story 10. The Commoners / Too Soon To Know You / Too Soon To Know You 11. ** Opelousas / Train To Brunswick / Opelousafried 12. ** Opelousas w. Kerri Simpson / Salty Interview / Kerri Simpson 13. ** Opelousas / Third Jinx Blues (Live) / Opelousafried 14. ** Opelousas / Washboard Shorty / Opelousafried 15. Tanner Usrey / Echo In The Holler / Crossing Lines 16. ** Zevon Lee / Sweet Cup / Yesterday 17. Little Feat / Be One Now / Down on The Farm 18. Matt Andersen w. Amy Helm / Something To Lose / Halfway Home By Morning 19. Jack Craw / This Little Thing / Harmonica Masters of New Zealand 20. Steve Earle / The Galway Girl / The Complete Warner Years 21. ** Fools / Hurt My Head / Can't Wait Any Longer 22. Chip Taylor / Do Somethin' Good / Behind The Sky

On this weeks episode, Imina and Dre get together and talk about Imina almost burning the House, Dre giving Life hacks, Dating Men who like to Cook, Canada becoming a top ten country in Marijuana Consumption, Snoring to Death, Ayra Star shaking King Sunny Ade and Davido turning the 02 Arena to the 01 Arena.Dre may have bragged on this episode or did he?Follow Us on Social MediaSocial Media LinksSubscribe to our Youtube PageSend a Fam Mail to thetalkativex@gmail.com or Click HERE(2:38) - Imina almost burnt the house (8:26) - Dre's Life Hack (21:45) - Fam Mail(26:40) - Canadian Loud is Loud(36:47) - Snored To Death(44:46) - Because he can cook?(58:37) - Robbie De Niro(59:28) - Ayra mean Respectable and Woke(1:08:30) - Davido turns the 02 to the 01(1:15:36) - American Nightmare(1:20:36) - House Announcements

How do we make an impact as uncommon commoners? Take a look at some verses in the Bible and consider how God uses common people in uncommon ways.

The Commoners finally unite for a good ole' chat and the first podcast of 2024!   Use code COMMONERS30 for 30% off everything at tigerskullrpg.com!  Minis, merch, and more!   Follow us! Facebook/Instagram - @thecommonersofficial X - @commonersofdnd YouTube - The Commoners Twitch - twitch.tv/commonersofdnd

Misunderstood. Misperceived. Mislabeled.How painful it is to fall into these camps. Jesus knows, too.Jesus had a very specific mission and the rejection in it. He came to seek, serve, and save the very people that ridiculed him and misbelieved. Might we find our hope in Christ alone. May his life, of one who endured much, be cause for our own endurance. He alone endows our suffering with transcendent meaning and purpose. Let us fix our eyes on His reward (looking through our hardship) to future joy.

In the 2023 CBC Massey Lectures, Astra Taylor argues our social order runs on insecurity. But we're also guaranteed the right to “security of the person.” The wealthy barons of the past and present have defined what security means for themselves — but the rest of us, ordinary commoners, have fought for something else instead.

Let's talk about GOP, betters, commoners, and commentary.... --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beau-of-the-fifth-column/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beau-of-the-fifth-column/support

Shane O'Donnell, a sociologist and researcher, has been at the forefront of the "device activism" and #WeAreNotWaiting movement, a globe-spanning community of techies and people living with diabetes who have pioneered patient-led innovations in medical devices and healthcare. Outflanking a stodgy, risk-averse medical device industry, the movement has relied on commoning to develop the Tidepool Loop device, the first open source, interoperable, and automatic insulin-delivery system, and Nightscout, a collectively managed data system for treating diabetes more effectively.

This episode, we look at the rise of the Sui Dynasty and the famous interactions between Yamato and the Sui Dynasty, recorded in the histories of each state. For more, check out the podcast webpage:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-96 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 96: From the Land Where the Sun Rises. Once again, we are still talking about the reign of Kashikiya Hime,   from the late 6th to early 7th century.  This time, though, we are going to take a quick diversion from Yamato and first look at what was going on over on the continent, in the  area of the Yellow and Yangzi River Basins—the area of the so-called “middle country”.  This is, after all, where a lot of the philosophy and other things that the archipelago was importing came from, so what was going on over there? Back in Episode 73, ee talked about the various northern and southern dynasties in the Yellow and Yangzi River Basins.  To sum up, during that period, the eastern area of modern China was split between a variety of dynasties, many of them short-lived, and many of them—especially in the north—were dynasties from outside of the main Han ethnic group. Up through the early 580's, the dynasty in charge of the Yellow River region was the Northern Zhou, one of the many dynasties in the north descended from the nomadic Xianbei ethnic groups.  Though their aristocracy was a mix of multiple ethnicities that had intermarried over the years, the Northern Zhou celebrated their Xianbei roots, often to the detriment of ethnic Han groups.  They had inherited the territory of the Western Wei, including much of the central Yangzi region down to Sichuan.  They then defeated the Northern Qi in 577 and claimed dominion over all of the Yellow River region in the north of modern China.  Their only rival was the Chen dynasty, along the eastern reaches of the Yangzi river, but the Chen themselves were relatively weak, and it was only the power struggles within the Northern Zhou court that kept them from wiping out the Chen completely. In 581, the Northern Zhou suffered a coup d'etat. Yang Jian was a Northern Zhou general, and his family, the Yang clan, had Han origins but had intermarried with the Xianbei as well, creating a truly mixed lineage. Jian also held some sway at court, and was known as the Duke of Sui—his daughter was the Empress Dowager, and her stepson was the young Emperor Jing.  In 581 Yang Jian usurped power from his step-grandson, the child emperor Jing, and placed himself on the throne, taking the name Emperor Wen of Sui, using his previous title as the name of the new dynasty. He killed off fifty-nine princes of the previous Northern Zhou, and began to consolidate his power.  By 587, he had strengthened his position, and by 588 invasion of the Chen territories began under Prince Yang Guang.  By 589, the Chen were defeated and any attempts at rebellion were put down, giving the Sui dynasty full control of northern and southern regions—from the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers down to the Sichuan basin.  Although, as I noted, the Yang family had intermarried with the Xianbei families of the Northern Zhou, they still retained some connection with their Han roots, and Emperor Wen won over the Han Confucian scholars with reforms to the rank system and at least a nod towards getting rid of nepotism and corruption that had taken hold in the Northern Zhou and previous dynasties.  He reinstituted Han dynasty titles and restored the nine rank system.  He also reinstituted a system of impartial judges to seek out talent and moved towards the idea of an examination system—something that would really take hold in later centuries. Furthermore, while he set himself up in the northern capital of Daxingcheng, aka Chang'an, he helped rebuild the southern capital, naming it Dayang.  He also supported Buddhism and Daoism.  He became a patron of southern Buddhist monasteries, and recognized major temples as state-sponsored institutions—a far cry from the suppression attempts in the north in 574 and 578. Emperor Wen also worked on repairing canals along the Yellow River.  These canals, which allowed easy transport of goods, regularly silted up without maintenance, and the dikes on either side could break, flooding the land on either side. They had been neglected during many of the short-lived reigns up to this point, with perhaps a few exceptions when things got really bad.  However, Emperor Wen began work to fix these old canals and thus improve the flow of goods and services. Given all of this - his patronage of Buddhism and Daoism, as well as his attempt to resurrect the Han dynasty and the Confucian principles that underlay its government, as well as the public works that he instituted, Yang Jian, aka Emperor Wen of Sui, is remembered as the Cultured Emperor—despite that fact the had started out as a blood-soaked general who had secured his usurpation with a not inconsiderable amount of murder.  Sima Guang, writing from the Song dynasty, centuries later, praised Emperor Wen for all he did to grow the Sui, uniting north and south, supporting the people, and helping the country to prosper as it rarely has before.  And yet, Sima Guang also says that in his personal life he was mean and stingy and paranoid—afraid that everyone was out to get him.  Given the life he'd lived, that would make some sense.  Still, he seems to have been good for his people, in the long run. But this wasn't to last.  In 604, Emperor Wen fell ill and died.  Or at least that is the official story.  Another says that he had grown angry over some event and was about to disinherit the crown prince, Yang Guang, who sent someone to kill his father.  That is a very abbreviated version of the story, and, as I said, it is not without controversy. However he died, his son, Yang Guang, succeeded him to the throne and became known as Emperor Yang.  Emperor Yang continued to expand the empire, and under his dynasty the Sui would attain their greatest extent yet.  He rebuilt parts of the Great Wall, and expanded the borders south, into modern Vietnam, as well as up to the borders with Goguryeo.  He also continued the work his father had begun on canals, eventually undertaking the creation of the Grand Canal, which would connect the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers.  No longer would the two be separate, forced to send goods out to sea or over treacherous land routes to get from one river basin to another.  Now they could sail ships straight from one river to the other—an impressive feat that you can still see today in parts of modern China.  The project would forever change the landscape of China, both literally and figuratively.  It connected the north and south, leading to greater political, economic, and cultural unity between the two regions.  It would connect the culture and economic resources of the south with the military institutions of the north.   Unfortunately, for all that this expansion may have been good for commerce, it came at a price.  The wars in Champa, in Southern Vietnam, saw thousands of Sui soldiers die from malaria.  And then, in the north, though they continuously pushed against Goguryeo, they were never quite able to overthrow them.  Finally, there was the Grand Canal.  Although it would truly be a wonder of the world, and become a part of the lifeblood of dynasties for centuries to come, it was built at a huge price both monetarily and in human lives.  We can assume a large number of people died as conscript labor working on the canals or on refurbishing the Great Wall, but also we are told that the monetary price largely bankrupted the empire, and for which later historians castigated the Sui dynasty But that was still to happen.  For our purposes, we should rewind a bit, to the very beginning of the 7th century.  As we touched on last episode, Yamato was just adopting their own twelve rank system and a seventeen article constitution shortly after Emperor Wen passed away and Yang Guang took the throne.  Now these 17 articles were almost all based on Confucian or Buddhist philosophy; clearly the Court was looking to the continent more and more for inspiration on how to govern, especially as it further expanded and solidified its grasp across the archipelago.  Up to this point, much of that innovation had come through the Korean peninsula, by way of Silla, Goguryeo, and, most prominently, their ally Baekje.  But no doubt they knew that much of what was influencing those kingdoms had, itself, come from even farther away.  And so, this reign, the Chronicles record that Yamato once again sent envoys beyond their peninsular neighbors all the way to the Middle Country itself.  This is significant as they were making direct contact with the mighty empire, the source of so many of the philosophical and scientific innovations that Yamato was trying to adopt.  This wasn't the first time this had happened, of course—we know of the cases of state of Na contacting the Han court, and then Himiko of the Wa during the Wei period, as well as several missions immediately after Himiko's death.  We also know of the five kings of Wa who reached out to the Liu Song court, though the Chronicles themselves are often silent on actual embassies, making it hard to tell exactly which reigns that occurred in, though it is generally agreed that one of those “Five Kings” was none other than Wakatakiru himself, Yuuryaku Tennou. There may have been other missions.  There seems to be some discussion amongst the Liang dynasty records that may indicate greater contact with Japan, but again, we don't necessarily see that in the records themselves.  Furthermore, with the fractured nature of the various dynasties since the Han period, and the various conflicts on the peninsula and in the archipelago, it would be understandable if there hadn't been much direct diplomatic contact since about the time of Wakatakiru. And so it is a pretty big thing that we not only have an envoy around the year 608, but that there appears to be agreement for it in the Sui history—though there is one glaring mistake: in the Nihon Shoki they clearly say that they sent envoys to the “Great Tang”, and not the Sui.  However, this is fairly easily explained.  By the 8th century, as the records were being compiled, the Tang dynasty was, indeed, in control of the Chinese court.  In fact, the Tang dynasty was so admired by the Japanese of the day that even now the term “Karafu”, or “Chinese style”, uses the character for the Tang dynasty, rather than the Han.  On the one hand it seems as though the scholars of the 8th century would surely have known of the Sui dynasty coming before the Tang, but it is also understandable that anyone would have just thought of the successive courts as a single continuity.  Either way, I'll talk about the Sui dynasty, and it is in the Sui dynasty records that we find the corresponding description of this embassy. It starts on the 3rd day of the 7th month of 607.  The Chronicles tell us that Wono no Omi no Imoko was sent to the Sui court, taking along Kuratsukuri no Fukuri as an interpreter.  You may recall that the Kuratsukuri, or saddle-makers, claimed a descent from Shiba Tattou, himself from the continent.  It would make sense to take someone on this diplomatic exhibition who could actually speak the language or, failing that, read and write it - a peculiar function of the Chinese language, since the various dialects, though often mutually unintelligible, still use the same characters. Imoko, by the way, may have also had important connections, but in this case it was to the Soga.  We are told in the Nihon Shoki that Imoko was known in the Sui Court as “So Imko”, and the “So” character is the same as the first character in the name “Soga”.  It is possible that Imoko was, indeed, a Soga family member, and the name Wono no Omi may have come later.   Or it is possible that he was forgotten for some reason. On the Sui side, we are told that in the year 607 there was an envoy sent with tribute from King Tarashihoko, which may have been another name for Kashikiya Hime, or perhaps it was simply an error caused by the problems with attempting to record foreign names in Sinitic characters. The arrival of the embassy must have been something else, especially as they came upon the capital city.  Wen's capital city, that of Daxingcheng, was a new city, built just southeast of the ancient city of Chang'an, which was in a sad state of decay, despite hosting so many rulers over the centuries, including the Northern Zhou themselves.  Wen had laid out a new plan of a permanent, rectangular city, with the royal palace taking up the northern central district.  Buddhist and Daoist temples were scattered throughout the city.  The city itself was five to six miles a side, and so it would take time to truly build it out.  However, first the walls were set up, and then the palace area, so that Wen effectively moved into an empty city when he arrived in 583.  Many people were forcibly resettled, and members of the new royal family were encouraged to set up their own palaces, but it would take time to truly fill up—by the end of the Sui dynasty, and the beginning of the Tang, the city was still being built, and it wouldn't see its ultimate heyday as a vibrant urban capital until the Tang dynasty. And so when the Yamato delegation arrived in 608, they would have seen the impressive walls and the immense palace, but in all likelihood, much of the city was still being built, and there was likely construction on every block.  Nonetheless, the sheer size would have to have made an impression on them—nothing like this existed in the archipelago in the slightest. On the other hand, the Sui had their own curiosities about Yamato.  The history of the Sui, written only twenty to thirty years afterwards, starts out its account with a description of the Land of Wa.  Some of it is taken directly from the Wei histories, recounting what was previously known about these islands across the eastern sea—we talked about that back in episodes 11 to 13.  The Sui history summarizes these previous historical accounts, including mention of envoys that came over during the Qi and Liang dynasties—between 479 and 556—though little more is said. Then the Sui history mentions an envoy that is said to have arrived in the early part of the Sui—the Kaihuang era, between 581-600.  We are told that this was for a “King” whose family name was Ame and his personal name was Tarashihiko, with the title of Ohokimi—at least, assuming we are transliterating correctly, as the characters used have slightly different pronunciations.  That could easily be attributed to just mistranslations.  Even the family and personal name are familiar, but not exactly attributed in the Chronicles—though we have seen the elements elsewhere in the royal family, and it may be that they were also titles, of a sort.  Also, they mention a King, but that could also just be due to the fact that the Ohokimi was not a gendered title, and as such the Sui simply assumed a male ruler.  There is no evidence of this in the Chronicles for this, however it is said that at that time they looked into the ways of the Wa and they were told that “The King of Wa deems heaven to be his elder brother and the sun, his younger.  Before break of dawn he attends the Court, and, sitting cross-legged, listens to appeals.  Just as soon as the sun rises, he ceases these duties, saying that he hands them over to his brother.” This is likely a misunderstanding, once again, but it rings with some truth.  Even if we discard some of the legends about Amaterasu as later additions, there is plenty of linguistic and cultural evidence that the sun held a special place in Wa culture.  There is also the article in the new constitution about starting early to work that might just be referenced here. We aren't sure when, exactly, the Sui collected this information—though given that it was written within living memory of many of the events, a lot of the information is considered to at least be plausible, if perhaps a bit misunderstood at times. The Sui history specifically mentions the twelve court ranks—in fact, it is possible that the Chronicles, compiled in the 8th century, were actually referencingthis earlier history about the ranks, though we know that ranks continued in one way or another.  It also makes the comment that there were no regulated number of officials in each rank—that would certainly be the case later, and makes sense when the ranks also dictated how much of a salary that one could expect from the court.  Then, outside of the court they mention the “kuni”—the kuni no miyatsuko—and then claimed that each kuni no miyatsuko oversaw about 10 inaki, officials in charge of the royal granaries, who each oversaw 80 families.  It is doubtful that these numbers were that precise, but it gives an interesting concept of scale. The Sui history also tells us about other things that the Chronicles tend to leave out.  We are told that the men wore both outer and inner garments, with small (likely meaning narrow) sleeves.  Their footgear was like sandals, painted with lacquer, which sounds not unlike geta, which we do have evidence for going back into the Yayoi, at least, though this was only for the upper crust—most people just went barefoot, wearing a wide piece of cloth tied on without sewing. We do get a hint at the headgear that was instituted along with the court rank system, by the way, but only a glimpse.  We are told that it was made of brocade and colored silk and decorated with gold and silver inlaid flowers, which does correspond to some of what we know from the Chronicles. As for the women of Yamato, we are told that they arrange their hair on the back of the head, and they wear outer garments and scarves with patterns.  They have decorative combs of bamboo as well.  They also wore tattoos, as did the men.  Much of this, including the tattoos, accords with what we have evidence of in the Haniwa from the 6th century and later. For sleeping arrangements we are told that they weave grass into mattresses—possibly the origin of the later tatami that would originally just be woven mats but eventually turned into a type of permanent flooring.  For covers we are told they used skins lined with colored leather—a curious blanket, and one wonders if this was for everyone or just the upper crust. We are given some discussion of their weapons and armor, including their use of lacquered leather and the fact that they made arrowheads out of bone.  We also know they used metal, but bone was likely the more prevalent material, as losing a metal arrowhead was much more costly than losing a bone one. Interestingly we are told that, though there is a standing army, wars are infrequent—which may have been accurate in relation to what the Sui themselves had gone through and seen, since it seems like they were almost constantly fighting somewhere along their borders.  But Yamato was far from peaceful, and it is telling that the court was accompanied by music and displays of military might. As for the justice system, we talked about this a little bit in previous episodes, based on various punishments we've seen in the archipelago, though the Sui history gives us a slightly more direct description.  It claims that there were some high crimes punished by death.  Others were punished with fines, often meant to make restitution to the aggrieved.  If you couldn't pay you would be enslaved to pay for it instead.  They also mention banishment and flogging.  All of this is in line with some of what we've seen in the Chronicles, though it also seems like some of this may have also depended on other factors, including the accused's social status.  After all, not everyone had rice land that they could just turn over to wipe out their misdeeds. Then there were the various judicial ordeals.  We've mentioned this idea , with the idea that somehow the righteous would be protected from injury.  These included things like pulling pebbles out of boiling water, or reaching into a pot to grab a snake and hoping he doesn't bite you.  There are also various tortures designed to get one to confess. In discussing literacy, the Sui histories mention that the Wa have no written characters—and at this point, the writing would have been some form of Sinic characters, assuming one could read and write at all.  Instead, the Sui anthropologists said that the Wa used notched sticks and knotted ropes as a means of conveying messages.  How exactly that work, I'm not sure, but there are certainly cultures that we know used things like knotted rope for various math and conveying numbers, etc. In regards to religion, the Sui noticed that Buddhism had taken hold, but it had not gotten rid of other practices.  Thus we know they practiced forms of divination and had faith in both male and female shamans. In their free time, people would enjoy themselves.  On New Year's day, they would have archery tournaments, play games, and drink—the Sui said that it was very much like how they themselves celebrated. Coromorant fishing and abalone diving—well, diving for fish—are both noted already.  Again, these are activities that continue into the modern day. At dinner we are told that the people do not eat off of dishes or plates, but instead use oak leaves.  We've seen mention of this kind of practice, and that may have just been a particular ritual or ceremony that made its way back. Finally, there are the rituals for the dead.  We are told people wear white—white is often considered the color of death in Japan, even today.  They would have singing and dancing near the corpse, and a nobleman might lay in state—in a mogari shelter or temporary interment—for three years.  Certainly, we've sometimes seen it take a while, especially if the kofun isn't ready to receive the body, yet.  Commoners apparently would place the body in a boat which was pulled along from the shore or placed in a small palanquin—though what happens after that is somewhat of a mystery. The Sui envoys writing about this also apparently experienced an active period of Mt. Aso—or another mountain so-named—as they said it was belching forth fire from the rocks.  As we've mentioned, the archipelago is particularly active, volcanically speaking, so I'm not surprised that an envoy might have had a chance to get to know a little more about that first hand. Having described the country thus, the Sui Chronicles go on to describe the embassy that came over in the year 607.  According to the history as translated by Tsunoda Ryusaku and L. Carrington Goodrich, the envoy from Yamato explained the situation as such: “The King has heard that to the west of the ocean a Boddhisattva of the Sovereign reveres and promotes Buddhism.  Accompanying the embassy are several tens of monks who have come to study Buddhism.” This is great as we see some of the things that the Japanese scholars left out—that there were Buddhists on this mission.  For many, getting to the monasteries and temples of the Middle Kingdom was almost as good as making the trip all the way to India. Over all, the embassy appears to have been largely successful in their mission.  The ambassador, Imoko, came back with an envoy from the Sui, Pei Shiqing, along with twelve other individuals.  It is thought that this may have been the same embassy that then reported back to the court all of the various details that the later Sui history  captured. According to the Sui dynasty history, the embassy first headed to Baekje, reaching the island of Chiku, and then, after seeing Tara in the south, they passed Tsushima and sailed out in to the deep ocean, eventually landing on the island of Iki.  From there they made it to Tsukushi, and on to Suwo.  They then passed through some ten countries until they came to the shore.  Now, Naniwa no Kishi no Wonari had been sent to bring them to court and they had a new official residence erected for them in Naniwa—modern Ohosaka.  When they arrived, on the 15th day of the 6th month of the year 608, Yamato sent out thirty heavily decorated boats to meet them—and no doubt to make an impression as well.  They met them at Yeguchi, the mouth of the river and they were ensconced in the newly built official residence. Official entertainers were appointed for the ambassadors—Nakatomi no Miyatoko no Muraji no Torimaro, Ohohoshi no Kawachi no Atahe no Nukade, and Fume no Fumibito no Oohei.  Meanwhile, Imoko continued on to the court proper to report on his mission. Unfortunately, for all of the goodness that came from the whole thing, the trip had not been completely flawless.  The Sui court had entrusted Imoko with a letter to pass on to the Yamato court, but the return trip through Baekje proved… problematic, to say the least.  We are told that men of Baekje stopped the party, searched them, and confiscated the letter.  It is unclear whether these were Baekje officials or just some bandits, but the important thing was that Imoko had lost the message, which was a grave offense.  The ministers suggested that, despite all of his success, Imoko should be banished for losing the letter.  After all, it was the duty of an envoy to protect the messages between the courts at all costs. In the end, it was agreed that, yes, Imoko should be punished, but that it would be a bad look in front of their guests.  After all, he had just represented them to the Sui Court, and so Kashikiya Hime pardoned Imoko of any wrongdoing. A couple months later, on the 3rd day of the 8th month, the preparations had been made and  the envoys formally approached the palace.  There were met on the Tsubaki no Ichi road by 75 well-dressed horses—the Sui history says two hundred—and there Nukada no Muraji no Hirafu welcomed them all with a speech. After finally reaching the location of the palace, it was nine more days before the Sui envoys were formally summoned to present themselves and state their reason for coming.  Abe no Tori no Omi and Mononobe no Yosami no no Muraji no Idaku acted as “introducers” for the guests, announcing who they were to the court.  Then Pei Shiqing had the various diplomatic gifts arranged in the courtyard, and then presented his credentials to the court.  Then, bowing twice, he gave his own account of why he had been sent—he announced greetings from the Sui emperor, recognized the work of Imoko, and then provided an excuse that the emperor himself could not make it due to his poor health.  That last bit I suspect was a polite fiction, or perhaps an erroneous addition by the Chroniclers.  After all, it isn't like the Sui emperors were in the habit of just gallivanting off to an unknown foreign land—especially one across the sea. After delivering some polite niceties, Shiqing also provided a detailed list of all of the diplomatic gifts that they had brought. The dance that happened next is telling.  In order to convey Pei Shiqing's letter to the sovereign, it wasn't like they could just hand it.  There were levels of protocol and procedure that had to be observed, and so Abe no Omi took the letter up and handed it to Ohotomo no Kurafu no Muraji, who in turn placed it on a table in front of the Great gate where Kashikiya Hime could then get it.  This setup is similar to the later court, where only certain individuals of rank were actually allowed up into the buildings of the palace, whereas others were restricted to the ground. After that formal introduction, there was a month or more of parties for the envoys, until finally they had to return to the Sui court.  When they departed, they were sent with eight students and Imoko, who was bringing another letter back to the Sui Court.  The students were all scheduled to study various disciplines and bring the knowledge back to the Yamato court. But that wasn't quite so special, or at least we aren't given much more on the specifics of what the students brought back..  What really stands out in the Sui histories is the contents of the formal letter that Imoko was carrying, as it had a phrase that will be familiar to many students of this period of history, and which really connects across the Japanese and Sui histories, despite other inconsistencies.  It read: “The Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises addresses a letter to the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets.  We hope you are in good health.” Or at least, that is how the Sui histories record it.  In the Nihon Shoki they say something similar, “The Emperor of the East respectfully addresses the Emperor of the West.”  Here, rather than using “Child of Heaven”, the author made use of the term “Tennou” when referring to the Yamato sovereign, and then different characters were used for the Sui emperor.  At the same time, that is one of the reasons that I give more credence to the Sui history. Of course, however you slice and dice this thing, there are some major airs being taken by the Yamato sovereign.  Thus it is no wonder that, when the Sui emperor heard this, he was displeased, to say the least, and he told his minister that the letter was discourteous and should never again be brought to his attention.  So that's a whole mood. The reason for this offense may be obvious, as the letter paints the sovereign of Japan as equal to the emperor of the Sui dynasty.  That was indeed a bold claim. As we mentioned towards the top of the episode, the Sui were just about at their zenith.  They had defeated their enemies, taken control of both the northern and southern regions, expanded to their south and north, and they were using their vast reserves on massive public works.  They were a large, established and still growing empire.  Comparatively Yamato had, what, 100,000 households?  No writing system.  They were eating off of oak leaves.  And yet they were taking on airs and claiming that they were equal to the Sui.  That had to garner more than a few eyerolls, and I really wonder at the temerity of the officer who presented it up the chain, especially as they would have seen what the Sui was really like—a reality that most of envoys to the Sui court would have seen firsthand. There is also the fact that they claim to be the land where the sun rises while the Sui are the land where the sun sets, which may have just been referencing east and west in a poetic fashion, but on another level it is almost as if they were talking about the rise of Yamato and the fall, or setting, of the Sui. I would note that we still don't see the term “Land of the Rising Sun”, or “Nihon”, used for the name of the country yet—one of the reasons I continue to refer to Yamato and not just “Japan”.  However, all of this is in keeping with the traditions of the Wa people as we know them—the sun was given a special place in their worldview, as demonstrated linguistically, and not just through the legends curated in the 8th century. By the way, this  exchange is mentioned in both the Sui History and the Nihon Shoki, but they place it in slightly different contexts.  According to the Sui History, this was one of the first things that envoys said, whereas the version in the Nihon Shoki it was actually sent with the second mission.  In either case, however, the content is relatively the same.  Certainly, as Japan continued to take on more and more trappings of the continental courts, they would eventually even take on the term Tennou—also read in Japanese as Sumera no Mikoto—to refer to the sovereign.  This is basically saying that the sovereign is, indeed, a Heavenly Son, and which they would come to translate as “emperor”, in English.  There would be other terminology and trappings that would reinforce this concept, which placed the sovereign of Japan in a position that at least locally seemed to be much more prestigious. Imoko came back from this last diplomatic mission and was well beloved—some later sources even suggest that he may have been promoted for his diplomatic efforts.  Oddly, however, we don't really hear more, if anything, about Imoko, and he fades back into the past. And so that covers much of the story of what Yamato was borrowing from the Sui and others during this period.  Next episode—well, I'm honestly not sure what we'll be covering next, as there is just so much going on during Kashikiya-hime's reign.  But stick around. Until next time, then, thank you for listening and for all of your support.  If you like what we are doing, tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to Tweet at us at @SengokuPodcast, or reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.   

Loving God...Loving the Church...Loving Our Community and the World

Loving God...Loving the Church...Loving Our Community and the World

Grab the Toe of Frog, you COMMONERS! Just don't eat it... and for the love of all that is good, PEOPLE, STOP LICKIN THEM TOADS!! This week we finally deep dive into this long awaited topic - THE TOADS, THE FROGS... WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN!?!? The Stinas make some mind-blowing discoveries that finally "Make it all make sense" when deconstructing all of the frog/toad scenes in the movie and mentions in the books! What does Jimmy's spirit have to do with the price of frogs? And what do Fertility, Resurrection, and Egyptian Goddesses have to do with it all? A LOT, actually! Watch Justina and Kristina's brains literally explode when they discover just how "It's All Connected!" We'll also delve into some science, because if ya didn't know, Frogs and Toads are actually quite different! However, they are one in the same that they do come with some myths that we are happy to dispel for you today! Tune in for all of the pop culture, magick, myth, and lore! Happy Spooky Season! LISTEN NOW ON SPOTIFY & APPLE PODCASTS! TOPIC MAP: (00:00) Intro (10:08) Frogs & Toads in the Film (35:23) Frogs & Toads in the Books (01:08:20) The Time Garden by Edward Eage (01:30:00) Frogs vs. Toads (01:32:30) Frog Botany (01:50:55) Toad Lickin' & Trippin (01:58:12) Magick & Lore (02:04:09) The Egyptian Goddess Heqet (02:17:22) Halloween, Folklore and Myths (02:31:03) Toe of Frog (02:37:34) Frog Myths (02:56:58) Frog in Pop Culture WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND! SOCIALS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kristina's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Justina's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Message⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERO SOURCES⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WHERE TO FIND THE BOOKS AND MOVIE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DISCLAIMER The Magnolia Street Podcast intends to discuss the movie, “Practical Magic” in its entirety. This will evidently result in spoilers and it is recommended that you watch and or read the following. Alice Hoffman's: Practical Magic, Rules of Magic, Magic Lessons, Book of Magic. The Magnolia Street Podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes and should not be used as a substitute for professional or medical advice. Do not attempt any of the discussed actions, solutions, or remedies without first consulting a qualified professional. It should be noted that we are not medical professionals and therefore we are not responsible or liable for any injuries or illnesses resulting from the use of any information on our website or in our media. The Magnolia Street Podcast presenters, Kristina Babich and Justina Carubia are passionate fans of Alice Hoffman's work and the Practical Magic word she has created. There is no copyright infringement intended, all characters and story lines are that of Alice Hoffman. We do not own any of that material as well as any of the move score music shared within the podcast. All intellectual property rights concerning personally written music and or shared art are vested in Magnolia Street Podcast. Copying, distributing and any other use of these materials is not permitted without the written permission from Kristina Babich and Justina Carubia. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/magnoliastreetpodcast/message

This is now a Hines Ward podcast. Be prepared. (This is also, as it has been, a podcast obsessed with the iconic cruelty of Brooke Burke.) Follow us on Twitter ⁠⁠@JMPPod⁠⁠, on Facebook at ⁠⁠Just Meaningful Plastic⁠⁠, or on Instagram at ⁠⁠@jmp.pod⁠⁠ Podcast art: Kat Fey Music: "Mister Capone" by Alex Khaskin

Welcome to SEASON 3! To claim your free gift, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, screenshot it and send it to me at nikki@curlynikki.com!  ********************** You are the Annointed One.  The Christed One. Created for the ssake of Love.* Surrender... the one that thinks she needs to surrender.  Feeling Love,  radiating Love,  beaming It.  It's always happening, just recognize It.  Simply recognizing-  that's real surrender.  'I  want your sun to reach my raindorps, so your heat can raise my soul upward like a cloud." - Rumi "Holy Spirit, teach me to transcend my feelings, and to rise up, into you." - @Commoners_communion via IG "She was planning ordinary everyday things, and God was planning extraordinary things for her future." - @worthyofgrace via IG "From a beggar, the guru lifts you up to the status of the Emperor of the Universe. From a mere receiver, he makes you a giver." - Amma "true Silence is really endless speech." - Ramana Maharshi  Select reading from Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh, pg 312  Join us on Patreon to support the show, and tune into and participate in live video Q&As with me!  Support the show

Hey we paid a lot of money to live here in Hope Ranch, we don't need no stinking royals moving here with their security teams and whatnot.  Man, life is hard in California.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several years ago, Jon Moses realised that the stunning nature he could see from his house in rural Herefordshire was inaccessible to him. From the nearby riverbanks to the local oak woodlands, the countryside revealed itself to be a private fortress. Now, as an organiser of the Right To Roam campaign, he’s leading the call […]

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A superbly varied offer...

Hark! A dark deed has been done and scurrilous work is afoot Give an ear as John Taylor entreats us with a discussion of English Curse by Frank Turner. The song is an instrument-less ballad from 2011's England Keep My Bones. The tune is brimming with Englishness and condemns William the Conqueror's exploits in 1st Century England. And more explicity the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of William's son William II (Rufus) while hunting in the New Forest are lauded. Join us for a big-brained discussion on Normans, Anglo-Saxons and the early history of Southern England. If you've been wondering where we stand on the latest Norman vs Anglo-Saxon issue, listen in and find out! Commoners won't want to this this one. Link to the song: https://youtu.be/F9bq_NDXUT4 Follow Scott and Sean on Twitter: Scott - @dotGiff Sean - @HashtagHeyBro If you've got a song you think we should talk about on the show, drop us a line on Twitter or send us an email: historyinmusicpodcast@gmail.com

Boff Whalley is best known for Tubthumping with the band Chumbawamba but now he's a core member of the Leeds based Commoners Choir which he founded. They sing about the world around them, about inequality and injustice, and they also love to walk. Cath Long, a fellow member, wrote to Ramblings to ask Clare to join them on a hike in the South Pennines near Todmorden in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. So, on a chilly, wet and blustery Saturday in early January, they met by the Shepherd's Rest pub and headed into the hills to ramble and sing. Boff created a choir manifesto, and one aim was to 'rehearse until we're brilliant' and they really are. Their Skelmanthorpe Flag Song, which they performed at the historic Basin Stone, was heard by fellow walkers at least two miles down in the valley. On a circular hike, which began and ended at the pub, they stopped off at Gaddings Dam, often described as the highest beach in the UK, where some choir members took the plunge and sang out from the wind-blown waves of the reservoir. Grid Ref for start of walk: SD 945 231 Presenter: Clare Balding Producer: Karen Gregor

On this very special episode of Guitar Dads, the Dads welcome another amazing up and coming band, The Commoners. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, the Commoners' latest album, Find a Better Way, features the band's soulful blend of roots and southern-style rock. Influenced by The Black Crowes, Derek Trucks, Marcus King, and the Allman Brothers, these guys have quickly become one of the Guitar Dads' favorite new bands! Ben Spiller (Bass) and Adam Cannon (drums) join the Dads to discuss their latest album, their Spring UK tour, and the bands' creative process. Check out the band at: https://thecommoners.ca/#thecommonors #tonehenge #toneisinthefingers  #straturday #strat #fenderstrat #femdernecktone #epiphone #JoeBonamassa #GibsonES335 #rockhall #rocknrollhalloffame #scottynamesguitars #theLAMaybe #rocknfnroll #songwriting #yournewfavoriteband #stringjoy #guitarpedallove #guitarpedals #motelycru  #beautyoftheburst #templeboards #freidman #pedalboard #dualock #3M #velcro #voodoolabs #wampler #covebandcentral #motelycrue #PRS #tele  #guitar #guitardads #rocknfnroll #rocknroll #keeprockalive #catchyouontheflip #guitarpedals #gearybusey #gibson #fender #PRS #guitaramps #bonjovi #vinceneil #motelycrue #defleppard #fenderprincetonreverb #princetonreverb  #guitarcity #gibsonguitars

So, over on our substack, LIVING HAPPY, I've been talking a lot about creating our own realities in relation to success and meaning.  This is really just sort of diving deep to realize that maybe your perspective isn't the one you want. When you attain your goals, do they satisfy you? That's really the question. Listen to us talk about this, losing your junk (and word choice) and finding success your own way. DOG TIP FOR LIFE Sometimes you just have to define your own success and if that's flopping on the couch all the day in the living room? So be it, dog. LINKS WE REFERENCE Crafting Realities: Work, Happiness, and Meaning Video Series on Managing Our Inner Worlds https://shepherdexpress.com/puzzles/news-of-the-weird/news-of-the-weird-week-of-january-5-2023/ SHOUT OUT! The music we've clipped and shortened in this podcast is awesome and is made available through the Creative Commons License. Here's a link to that and the artist's website. Who is this artist and what is this song? It's “Summer Spliff” by Broke For Free. WE HAVE EXTRA CONTENT ALL ABOUT LIVING HAPPY OVER HERE! It's pretty awesome. AND we have a writing tips podcast called WRITE BETTER NOW! It's taking a bit of a hiatus, but there are a ton of tips over there. We have a podcast, LOVING THE STRANGE, which we stream live on Carrie's Facebook and Twitter and YouTube on Fridays. Her Facebook and Twitter handles are all carriejonesbooks or carriejonesbook. But she also has extra cool content focused on writing tips here. Carrie is reading one of her poems every week on CARRIE DOES POEMS. And there you go! Whew! That's a lot!

So, over on our substack, LIVING HAPPY, I've been talking a lot about creating our own realities in relation to success and meaning. This is really just sort of diving deep to realize that maybe your perspective isn't the one you want. When you attain your goals, do they satisfy you? That's really the question. Listen to us talk about this, losing your junk (and word choice) and finding success your own way. LINKS WE REFERENCE Crafting Realities: Work, Happiness, and Meaning Video Series on Managing Our Inner Worlds https://shepherdexpress.com/puzzles/news-of-the-weird/news-of-the-weird-week-of-january-5-2023/ SHOUT OUT! The music we've clipped and shortened in this podcast is awesome and is made available through the Creative Commons License. Here's a link to that and the artist's website. Who is this artist and what is this song? It's “Summer Spliff” by Broke For Free. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carriejonesbooks/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carriejonesbooks/support

The Gift (Part 3 of 4) Speaker: Randy Roberts

Jesus Christ is the King of Righteousness, the King of Peace, the King of Kings and Commoners and He is the King who Cares

November 2022 new music part two features picks from Sunny Varney, Bob Peterson and Liam McIndoe.  Subscribe to Rockin' the Suburbs on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or   other podcast platforms, including audioBoom, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon, iHeart, Stitcher and TuneIn. Or listen at SuburbsPod.com. Please rate/review the show on Apple Podcasts and share it with your friends. Visit our website at SuburbsPod.com Email Jim & Patrick at rock@suburbspod.com Follow us on the Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @suburbspod If you're glad or sad or high, call the Suburban Party Line — 612-440-1984. Theme music: "Ascension," originally by Quartjar, covered by Frank Muffin. Visit quartjar.bandcamp.com and frankmuffin.bandcamp.com

MicroStrategy CEO and Bitcoin advocate Michael Saylor doubled down on his support for the king crypto (BTC) as he explained the issues related to transferring the value of physical properties such as gold, company stocks or equity and real estate during the Australia Cryptocurrency Convention. “There's no price target. I expect we'll be buying bitcoin at the local top forever. And I expect Bitcoin is going to go into the millions. So we're very patient. We think it's the future of money.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step into the shoes of Nate Diaz. The OOF-SEE's plan to RUIN your health and market-value BACKFIRED last week with a new main event opponent and YOUR ICONIC VICTORY. Walk us through your options to MAXIMIZE your BRAND and BANK ACCOUNT: (1) A Jake Paul fight (2) A FLOYD MAWYWEATHER EXHIBITION (3) Following the footsteps of Cain Velasquez and TYSON FURY by taking that WWE money..live and in public, if you will? Step into the shoes of anyone in the British Royal Family Business. In this era of social media enabling COMMONERS to DUNK on your COLONIAL PAST, should you take any PR steps PRESENTLY to alter your FUTURE monetization of the monarchy? PLUS EUGENE'S GOLF TIPS! Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/iftheshoesfit

On tonight's @dGenNightShift:- y00ts, DeGods and $DUST- DigiDaigaku Raises $200M - #BAYC at the VMA's- Solana #NFT's on the move?- Renga, Commoners, Simeji, Potatoz & MorePowered by @dGenNetworkSponsored by @DraftKingsMentions:@y00tsNFT@DeGodsNFT@moonbirds@DigiDaigaku@commoners_nft@RENGA_incPrevious Show Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1955224https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unr5qTnKjNUFollow us on Twitter:dGen Network: https://twitter.com/dGenNetworkNight Shift: https://twitter.com/dGenNightShiftThe Crew:JpCaz: https://twitter.com/jp_cazPh0nics: https://twitter.com/Ph0nicsMizzle: https://twitter.com/ITzMiZzleTj: https://twitter.com/nft33jShane: https://twitter.com/ValentinesDipSupport the show

This week we have brand NEW rock and Roll music that DESERVES to be heard from The Dead Daisies, Marco Mendoza, Scorpions, Smith/Kotzen, Keith England, Ozzy Osbourne, Stone Horses, Pat Travers, The Commoners, Who On Earth, Charlie Edward and David Readman. Treat your ears!#deaddaisies #marcomendoza #keithengland #ozzyosbourne #thecommoners #davidreadman #charlieedward #whoonearth #stonehorses #pattravers #smithkotzen #scorpions #rockandrollmusicthatdeservestobeheard #radiobypass

Last time we spoke, the Qing took Beijing and immediately set out a campaign to destroy the nemesis of the Ming and man who had broken them, Li Zicheng. The Qing smashed his Dashun army and caught the bandit leader ending his life. Yet as they did so a new threat emerged, that of the South Ming Regime. A few Ming princes took the Dragon Throne, each bickering with the next until the Qing smashed each one. Last left standing was Emperor Yongli, who promptly fled for his life at every sight of the Qing enemy. With the South Ming regime on the ropes, the Qing began to focus on quelling the hundreds of peasant uprisings against their new state. But the more they suppressed the peasants, the more the peasants fought on even harder. Now we will tell the horrifying tale, of a man who many of the peasants flocked to, and with that I actually think I will give the audience a graphic content warning.   This episode is the holocaust of Zhang Xianzhong   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War.   Before I start I would just like to make a little acknowledgement. To those listeners who learnt of the man I am about to talk about in the education system of mainland China, I apologize if my take on him does not mirror exactly what you might have learnt. I do not in anyway pretend what I am telling is the facts at all. I read 2 vastly differing accounts of Zhang Xianzhong and I mean vastttttly different. One portrays him as a peasant revolutionary who fought for the rights of the peasant class and was misconstrued later on by the Qing who placed blame upon him for crimes against humanity they performed during the unification period. That account was written by a Chinese historian of the PRC and I will just outright say it, it was written more so for political ideology than history in my opinion. Another source I read was by a renowned Historian of Chinese history and he states that Zhang was undeniably responsible for an unreal amount of crimes against humanity. The truth is probably a gray, I did my best to use both sources anyways on with the show. Ok so way back when many episodes back you might remember the name Zhang Xianzhong. He was basically the rival to Li Zicheng. Li Zicheng and his Dashun army managed to take Beijing, while Zhang Xianzhong and his Daxi army moved further southeast, fortunately for him considering the Qing blew the door open. Zhang Xianzhong's operations at the offset were brutal to say the least, he had a reputation for cruelty. He also acquired some of the best military bandit leaders under his banner. One was named Sun Kewang, a native of Yanchang, and although he had a peasant upbringing, he knew how to read and write which proved very valuable. There was also Li Dingguo who was a tall and sturdy man, kept himself clean at all times and was extremely gifted in leading armies. He ended up being one of Zhang Xianzhong's most trusted commanders who was able to restrain Zhang or his other colleagues when necessary. It is said while others raped and butchered cities after taking them, Li Dingguo prefered to avoid these activities and restrained his men. Then there was Liu Wenxiu and Ai Nengqi, each not as famous as the previous two, but equally were formidable commanders who earned the loyalty of their men.    In the year 1643, Zhang Xianzhong entered a new phase of his career. He had gained valuable experience in both siege and naval warfare, moving beyond commanding just a mere bandit army. He led some 100,000 or so men and was regarded on an equal level to Li Zicheng, the de facto largest bandit army leader. Unlike Li Zicheng however, Zhang was not as successful at building a regime and tending to just pillage and move on. Now the last time we mentioned Zhang Xianzhong he was raping and pillaging Hunan province. He had a bit of a dilemma, he had plans to take Nanjing, the secondary capital of the Ming, but Li Zicheng and the Ming commander Zuo Liangyu made it impossible to get near Nanjing. Zhang's forces though enormous at this point, some estimates indicating possibly half a million were under him, were taking heavy casualties. With so many men, he was concerned primarily with how to feed his army and he began to speak to his commanders. They all spoke to him about “heaven's storehouse”, a name given to Sichuan province. Many of the commanders pointed out the geography of Sichuan and how it would prove a better base of operations against Li Zicheng's Dashun forces. Thus Zhang Xianzhong abandoned Changsha which he had been occupying for some time and moved with his army upon Sichuan province. And here is the horrifying story of what happened to the people of Sichuan.    In 1644 Zhang camped in western Huguang capturing Xianyang and dozens of towns in its vicinity. Rumors spread in Sichuan that Zhang Xianzhong was leading an army 400,000 strong to sweep the province at any moment. The South Ming officials in Sichuan had completely ignored their own defenses. They lacked supplies because of a shortage of funds, corruption was rampant in all levels of government, they bickered amongst another and there were barely any disciplined troops to make much of a stand. As a result Chongqing was left with only 3000 troops to defend it. To make matters worse, like many cities in Sichuan, Chongqing had been infiltrated by bandit spies serving as the “eyes and ears” of Zhang's men.    The defense of Sichuan's capital, Chengdu was commanded by Zeng Ying. Zeng Ying was a large imposing man with a huge mustache, greatly feared by his enemies for his spirit and conviction in battle. Zeng Ying and his Ming general colleagues fought many battles against Zhang's invading forces. Zeng won a significant battle at Zhongzhou killing over 1000 of Zhang's bandits and sinking 100 boats, but overall the Ming were simply outnumbered and out gunned in Sichuan. Over the course of quite a few battles it is estimated the Ming loyalist armies would lose up to 100,000 men. Zhang eventually dislodged Zeng armies from Fuzhou where Zeng was wounded by arrows. Ming fronts began to collapse and Zeng had to withdraw Wangjiang pass, killing many during his retreat. With Zeng gone, Chongqing was open for the taking. Zhang's vanguard was 100,000 strong backed by 200,000 in reserve. He began his attack on Chongqing with probes while he built floating bridges. Zhang was eager to take Chongqinq as by this point in time, he received word that Li Zicheng had captured Beijing, and in Zhang's mind it was only a matter of time before Li Zicheng turned his army upon Sichuan.    Once he had constructed 100 boats his men sailed force with great yellow banners proclaiming dengqing Chuan yue” “quelling the disturbances in sichuan”. As told by  Historian James Parsons “the rebels converged on Chongqing from 2 directions: 1 force continued the advance up the Yangtze, and another, under Zhang's personal command went overlord and approached the city from the west. The magistrate of Chongqing, Chen Shiqi, was undoubtedly demoralized by the fall of Beijing to Li Zicheng and the suicide of the Chongzhen empror. He made no attempt to defend the approaches to the city, apparently because he was afraid that his troops would flee if he allowed them outside the city walls. Thus, in July 1644, Chongqing was completely surrounded. The outcome of the content was apparent, for Zhangs forces outnumbered the defenders, and he had by now acquired great skill in attacking walled towns. But fighting continued for several days with both sides using cannon as well as the more conventional, and probably more effective, bows and arrows. Finally the rebels succeeded in digging a large hole in the wall and filling it with gunpowder, which was exploded by a means of a fire arrow. Thus they were able to gain entrance to the city and all resistance was overcome on July 25, 1644”.    As the walls fell, the invaders swarme in like ants and the Ming defenders tried to repel them leading to blood street fighting, but all were cut down. The magistrate and commander of the defenses of Chongqing, Chen Shiqi was captured by Zhang who offered him the opportunity to surrender and join him. Chen spat “if a petty little official of the seventh grade doesn't fear death, how can I, who am still a court official of the second grade and a high frontier minister, submit to you a bandit?”. Zhang in fury tortured Chen before having him publically flayed. In the words of the Jesuit priest Gabriel de Magalhaens who heard the story secondhand “they begin the butchery with the toes until they complete it at the top of the head, cutting off small pieces of flesh, some smaller and some larger depending on the orders of the tyrant, which ranged ordinarily from 300, 500, 1000 and 10,000 pieces, a butchery so inhumane, prolonged from sunrise to sunset on one man”. The bloodbath of Chongqing is one of the most infamous moments of Zhang's rather dark career. Zhang began taunting Prince Rui asking if he was fiercer than Li Zicheng before telling him that heaven gave him a message in the form of lightning that he had to kill him an thus he executed him. Then it is said he ordered all the defenders of the city, 37,000 soldiers to have their sword arms severed off, though those who submitted peacefully “merely” had their ears, noses or hands cut off. Some accounts state Zhang severed the left arms of the women in the city so that couples would be matched sets, wow. Tales of people being strung up to walls and trees and used as target practice are told, countless thousand were butchered filling the rivers with blood.  Its hard to gauge what's exaggeration or not in these tales, but one thing is for sure, Zhang killed a significant amount of people for both strategic and psychological purposes. As seen countless time in history, engaging in one great atrocity might well convince others to submit without fighting, thus preserving resources and allowing someone like Zhang to capture cities intact further down the road. But in the case of Zhang, this behavior seems to persist and more and more massacres will occur. It should be noted that Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang were said to try and curb Zhang's murderous side when possible.    After Chongqing, Zhang's forces fanned out and attacked the localities, and in a short time 47 districts and prefectures fell to his men. Many independent bandit groups such as the Yao-Huang bandits would come to join his forces bolstering him by another 50,000 men. Then Zhang set his eyes upon Chengdu which he thought would make a perfect capital for his new regime. At Chengdu Prince Shu made the same mistake as his cousin, Prince Rui at Chongqing, he sat upon his treasure rather than spend it to bolster the cities defenses. The city's defenses were organized by Liu Jiachong and Yang Zhang who raised a force no larger than 10,000. They dug moats, repaired walls and trained the troops as best they could.    Zhang's troops approached Chengdu from 3 directions. At this point, the official Shen Yunzuo, fed up with the greed and incompetence of Prince Shu, gave up trying to press the prince for funds and raised a funds from other officials instead acquiring enough to hire a mercenary force of 2000 troops. They would not make much of a difference. As with Chongqing, Zhang first offered the city a chance to submit sending envoys ahead, but the envoys were executed. Li Dingguo pushed Zhang to slip some spies into the city to learn of its defenses which proved very useful. Zhang's army hit the city from all 4 sides on the first day. The initial assault of ladders was repulsed by the commander Liu Zhibo. Soon Zhang's men set to the old strategy of finding weak points along the walls and setting sappers in to use gunpowder to blow them up. Always reminds me of the Scene in Peter Jackson's LOTR two towers, sorry had to say it. As the charges went off , several parts of the walls collapsed and the bandit soldiers clambered through the breaches. The Prince of Shu tried to escape but failed, so he drowned himself in an old well when he heard the rebels had entered the city.  It is alleged Zhang Xianzhong began to systematically massacre the population of Chengdu for 3 days, though the numbers are disputed. Reports of bodies being tossed into the river or left on the streets to rot made for a horrific scene. But a lot of accounts also state that after the 3 days some sort of order was established. Some scholars argue Zhang's generals began to protest all the killing, such as Sun Kewang who said to Zhang “My king has fought battles for over a decade and has repeatedly slaughtered without acquiring an inch of territory to defend. Your generals and soldiers can no longer follow this way of thinking. Now we'd risk ten thousand deaths to see the completion of our king's enterprise. But if you kill the masses, who will be left to implement your plans? I beg my king to put up your sword and spare the common people from death.”. Eventually the other generals  joined in to convince Zhang to make Chengdu his new capital and stop killing its populace. Soon Zhang proclaimed himself emperor Da Shun. This of course was ironically the same title as Li Zicheng who was of course his former rival. His kingdom was called “Da Xiguo” the great western kingdom and Chengdu was renamed Xijing “western capital”.    Zhang then appointed special titles for his 4 adopted sons as he called them. Sun Kewang was made “pingdong Jiangjun” generalissimo who pacifies the east in charge of conquering Shandong, Liaodong, the coast and Korea.  Li Dinggou was generalissimo of the west in charge of conquering western Sichuan and Tibet. Liu Wenxiu was generalissimo of the south in charge of conquering Guizhou, Yunnan, Burma, Thailand and Southeast Asia. Last was Ai Nengqi generalissimo of the north in charge of conquering all northern provinces and Mongolia. Pretty ridiculous tasks, but the more you learn of Zhang Xianzhong, who might I add talked to himself in third person, heard and saw things no one else could, well it makes more sense. Zhang restricted his entire military into 120 camps and appointed countless commanders with 5 chief military commissions similar to the Ming Dynasty military structure. His force is loosely estimated to have grown at this point to 600,000 to a possible million strong. With such incredibly high numbers of mouths, a ton of feeding was required and this is the crux of a horrid story. Zhang soon had to form an intensively strict government designed specifically to maximize resource acquisition and find any semblance of sedition. Districts were organized into units which were expected to inform Zhang's authorities if there was any seditious talk or activity, failure to do so could result in execution of that person and or their entire families.  Light punishments could be a good old flogging, for example if you enter the wrong door or face the wrong direction during certain events. Then if you were caught lets say hoarding anything, well you could expect a ear, nose, a hand or foot cut off, so a more moderate punishment? If you did something a bit worse than that, there was decapitation, even worse crimes met with slower deaths, dismemberment for example. If you did something really bad, Zhang's favorite was to flay someone alive.  It is said the outer walls of Zhang's palace were decorated with flayed skins of offenders and piles of severed body parts, divided by type amassed in front of his residence…remember that last part because oh boy it comes around later.    Zhang had secret police everywhere, strict curfews were enforced, people required travel passes and if anyone was caught messing about it was a quick execution. The populace could be arrested and questioned for anything. It is alleged from the year 1644 to 1647 the land of Sichuan was drenched in blood. Yet despite the horror, Zhang apparently had plans for a peaceful administration of Sichuan. Seals of office were used, government organs operated all the while the citizens were threatened with death if they fled or resisted. Zhang set his army to work, hunting any Ming royal family members or supporters who were to be brought back to Chengdu, for some gruesome endings I imagine. His army fanned out into the countryside scouring for resources, anything that could be eaten or traded for food. It was reported that all cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs and even rats if it's to be believed were scavenged by his armies. Commoners were forbidden to hoard livestock or valuables and you can imagine how many would die as a result. It is alleged that Zhang “deemed a day without killing a wasted day” and he began to refer to himself as “heaven's executioner” claiming he had a divine mission to kill. Now I want to make another point like I did at the beginning of this episode. Modern Chinese historians stress the positive aspects of Zhang's regim, after all if you read between the lines you see how he was redistributed wealth and …well…for the most part the higher classes were the ones being squeezed the most, cause the peasants could only offer so much. There were many aspects of his government that seemed like they worked, surely everyone was kept in line. Zhang was extremely paranoid, we are talking Stalin levels here, he tried to control everything. His army was enormous and their tasks were even larger than them, this required an incredible amount of resources, which shows an incredible amount of capability…however it was done in quite a horrifying and irresponsible way. Regardless many of these modern Chinese scholars argue the merit for Zhang's promotion of the peasant class, one could see great revolutionary here. But their arguments are laid out with endless excuses for what is a known fact, one of the most insane death tolls imaginable for the people of Sichuan. They say, it was the Qing invaders who eventually show up, other bandit groups, climate problems and drought, which might I add is true, the climate at this time is responsible for unbelievable famine and death. But why do we face so many sources telling of unbelievable atrocities performed by a man, who quite frantically is seen to be the harbinger of doom. Anyways I wanted to give some of their side in this, cause from here on, its going to heavily skew to the anti-Zhang side. A Jesuit priest who was with Zhang had this to say of his early reign and I find it a bit revealing “His wisdom and perceptiveness are vast and exceed that of most people. He is certainly capable of governing a state.” “He began to govern at first with such liberality, justice, and greatness that all were taken by him; however, this benignity did not endure, because little by little he began taking off his human disguise and showing his ugly countenance of cruelty.” “So immense was this man's ferociousness that from the beginning of the world right up to the present day there has never existed a tyrant so wild and so inhuman.”.   Zhang made claims to those around him that he could see entities, ghosts or spirits if you were, because of his capacity as the Son of Heaven. At times these entities or better said heavenly spirits told him to commit slaughter. He would also go on to say the people he killed sometimes came back to speak to him and in his frustration he could not kill the entities.     After only a month of establishing his new Kingdom, matters began to spiral out of control. This would lead to 2 years which would go down in the annals of Chinese history as some of the bloodiest and in Sichuan, Zhang would earn the moniker “the butcher”.  Between 1646 and 1649, Sichuan which some called “heaven's storehouse” would become a charnel house. Zhang's forces lashed out all over Sichuan hunting anyone down who did not hand over food, funds or anything else necessary for the regime. Anyone who tried to flee Zhang proclaimed “would be regarded as a rebel in the eyes of the law”. He proclaimed to the countryside that he would punish bad officials and reassess land taxation for the peasants which did swing some of the peasants to him. Despite his best efforts to fleece the rich, there was such general chaos that tax collection or the conduct of official business was in quite disarray. Despite all of this his forces for at least the first month of the regime remained quite disciplined and many prohibitions were in place to stop looting, rape and pillage. But many  historians argue this was the work of his subordinates trying to build local level support and not so much Zhang himself.    Four different regimes were competing for Sichuan, Zhang's regime, Li Zichengs Dashun kingdom based at Xi'an, the Qing regime in Beijing and the Hongguang South Ming Regime in Nanjing. Zhang's northern forces managed to repel Li Zicheng's incursions on multiple occasions, the Qing were not yet this far south, but the South Ming regime remained a constant thorn. The South Ming loyalists were fighting back tooth and nail against the Zhang's Da Xi army on all frontiers. The Ming loyalist commander Yang Zhan soon established a base of operations in southern Sichuan. He inspired the locals to help resist Zhang Xianzhong's regime and harassed multiple cities under Zhang's control. Southern Sichuan soon became a hotbed for resistance against Zhang's rule furthering others to do the same. Another fire was the Ming commander Zeng Ying who also began raising forces in resistance and reclaiming some lost territory. Zeng Ying managed to recapture Chongqing and greatly bolstered its strength. To add to this injury, other bandit groups such as the Yao-Huang bandits within Sichuan began to rebel against Zhang in retaliation for his massacres upon the people. Some estimates suggest the Yao-Huang bandits numbers in Sichuan could had been up to 100,000, so this was no minor issue. Soon Xuzhou fell to the Ming loyalists and the more Zhang lost the more furious he became and unhinged. He soon sent his commanders with orders to indiscriminately kill, which was not a popular policy for them. Zhang had local militias rising up against him, Ming loyalist armies and soon the Qing would descend upon Sichuan.   On March 8th of 1645 he suddenly began multiple campaigns in all directions as Zhang declared his intention to recover vast lost territory. His 4 great generals went off in their respective directions. Liu Wenxiu was sent to pacify Chongqing, Sun Kewang and Ma Yuanli were sent into the north and Ai Nengqi was sent into the south.  It is said by the time their eradication campaigns had finished ““One could travel for a thousand li and see only red earth and in ten thousand homes there was no smoke [from cooking fires]. Travelers encountered no one living in Shu; there was land but no people, and the environment made it hard to stay there.”  Ai Nengqi won a few battles in the vicinity of Yazhou, driving the Ming forces further south, but it was only temporary as they kept coming right back recapturing lost territory. Its said half the residents of Yazhou died at the hands of Ai Nengqi's army before the Ming retook the city.  Liu Wenxiu with a force of 30,000 men hit Chongqing by land and water, but Zeng Ying sent 2 riverine units and land forces pincer attacking Liu's main force at Duogongcheng and smashed his army, apparently 3000 of Liu's men would survive. Zeng Ying was promoted vice commander and made an earl of Jinpingkou by Prince Fu for the great victory and his forces allegedly grew to 100,000. This was the first major defeat for Zhang Xianzhong in Sichuan. Xuzhou was captured soon by other Ming loyalists, taking the lives of 2000 Daxi soldiers. One of Zhangs commanders, Feng Shuangli retook Xuzhou only to lose it again to Yang Zhan who burnt Feng's boats not allowing him to retreat and killing most of his forces. Yang Zhan would follow this up by ambushing a force led by Zhang XianZhong's younger brother, capturing tons of men, money and supplies. With the booty in hand he soon hired 8000 more mercenaries and many spies to send into Zhang's armies to cause mayhem. Even Buddhist monasteries began joining the resistance against Zhang in Sichuan.     Zhang was livid at the reports and sent more and more forces out to kill indiscriminately. Zhang began to form repeated conferences with his advisers and noted that Chongqing needed to be rid of the Ming so that Zhang could refocus his attention upon the Dashun army in the north and the Qing even further north of them. By this point Zhang only really controlled an area of 30 miles around Chengdu. As he faced more and more defeats, his fury grew and massacres mounted. Corpses piled outside the offices of the Ministry of War as Zhang vented his rage. He began to purge his eunuch cohort, killing 280 out of a possible 300, possibly because he suspected them of being spies for his enemies. The courtyards and grassy areas around the palace were said to be stained with blood and the stench of rotting flesh. Official appointments became death sentences.   By the time Zhang's armies had finished their campaigns which can be better described as eradication campaigns all he had really done was create more and more resistance. As his enemies multiplied so did his paranoia. This is where you find a ton of sources talking about Zhang seeing and hearing things. In the early part of 1645 it is said he was seeing headless ghosts stalking the halls of his palace, he claimed at one point to one of his advisers that one of the ghosts stole food from his plate…perhaps a starving servant? He complained that he kept hearing the cries of those flayed outside his halls at night. It was around this time where Zhang became fixated with what he called his divine mission to slaughter. He claimed to receive directions from a “tianshu” “divine book” that only he could read and understand. He would rant “There are too many commoners in China, and their wickedness is unchecked. Therefore the Lord of Heaven has sent old Zhang to the world to kill people. . . . I want to fulfill the charge of Heaven, so my plan is to kill all the evil people in China.”. He told the populace of Sichuan to cleanse themselves lest he be forced to do it for them “His majesty is truly acting on behalf of Heaven. All of you, officials and commoners alike, must wash your hearts and cleanse your thoughts in order to avoid Heaven's wrath.”. It was after stating this to the Sichuan populace that we get that famous line he told his subordinate Wang Zhaolin about how “if a day went by and he did not kill somebody, then he was really unhappy”. How much of this is real and what is exaggerated or blemishing of character I leave up to you, but man does it make for a hell of a story.    It's frowned upon to give psychology diagnosis for people too far back in history who we cant really know how they were like, secondary sources and all. Even myself with a degree in neuroscience, not sure if I ever mentioned that hear on the podcast, bit bizarre to hear, my first degree is neuroscience and my second is in history, don't ask long story there. Anyways Zhang's condition based on these sources indicates he was at minimum suffering from paranoid delusions if not full blown schizophrenia. His apparent delight in the torture and murder of so many also indicats typical behaviors of anti-social personality disorder aka psychopathy.    Another account form the Portuguese Jesuit Gabriel De Magalhaens tells us “It seems that he ate and drank with greater gusto when people were being skinned alive or being cut up into pieces in his presence and at the same time that the pieces of human flesh were being cut off and dropping to the ground, he would be cutting up and eating the meat on his plate. And while the blood dripped, he drank his wine.”Things got so bad in Chengdu that Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang complained the capital had become a cemetery.    Things got much worse when Zhang began the practice of having soldiers submit severed body parts for rewards and promotions. Apparently Zhang was enticed by this practice because of a subordinate under Sun Kewang who showed up with 1700 hands to show his work. Chengdu became a scene of horror as shipments of hands, ears, and noses started coming in and piling up around the city. As one could imagine, with so many body parts came scavengers and soon the city became filled with scavengers such as wolves, leopards and tigers.    Now a lot of modern scholars point at Zhang's insanity leading to the desolation of Sichuan, but there is also another aspect I have mentioned. Zhang had an enormous army that required an enormous amount of food. Zhang was estimated to have a force of 600,000 to a possible million which required nearly twice what all of Sichuan's annual crop yields could manage. As the old saying goes, killing the chicken to get the eggs led to disaster. Zhang's men might have killed many on their own accord simply to acquire food and yes if you were wondering there were widespread reports of cannibalism.  As seen with so many tyrants throughout history, the policy of killing to overawe reached a breaking point. Local bandits, Ming Loyalists and commoners were resisting all over in greater numbers. Da Xi soldiers and officials alike were being killed wherever they went. Zhang's armies would systematically come to places, “pacify” them and as soon as they left the areas were in the words of Li Dingguo “as soon as we leave these righteous armies spring up. The officials we appoint are killed one by one and after 3 or 4 months they are all dead. If the previous dynasty had not tried to do this to us, we never would have survived. So we must prioritize protecting the people”. What could make matters worse for Zhang you might imagine, how about the new enemy finally reaching the scene, the Qing. The Qing finally managed to kill Li Zicheng and his Dashun army, well most of them defected to the Ming loyalists. At the same time the Qing also defeated Zuo Liangyu who would defect to them. Zuo Liangyu's defection bolstered the Qing with 100,000 troops, 40,000 boats and soon Henan, Huguang and Jiangxi were looking like easy grabs for them. Yet in order to take these places it was viewed that Sichuan required pacification as Zhang Xianzhong was a major menace with his giant army.    In 1645 the Dorgon sent emissaries to persuade Zhang Xianzhong to surrender proclaiming “everything Zhang Xianzhong's army had done during the Ming Dynasty was over, let bygones be bygones”. Provided Zhang Xianzhong and his army surrender, he would be appointed an official and his children would enjoy honor and wealth within the Qing dynasty. Well Zhang Xianzong chose to adopt a wait and see attitude, not surrendering, to no surprise the Qing were not too happy. Sun Kewang and some other generals began to complain to Zhang that the massacres of the population were creating more enemies and pushing them into the arms of the Ming and Qing. Zhang retorted simply that those who resisted must be slaughtered.    In the beginning of 1646 the Qing sent an expedition against Zhang Xianzhong, but it never reached Sichuan as it got held up by various Ming loyalist armies along the way. Then the Qing sent a 2nd expedition led by the Prince of Suqin, Haoge and Wu Sangui to march south and attack the Daxi army in Sichuan.    Now as bad as Zhang has been to the people of Sichuan thus far, it was at this point with the Qing coming to his doorstep where Zhang performed some of the most horrible atrocities against the people of Sichuan. Our portuguese man on the ground, Magalhaen claimed that Zhang's hatred for the people of Sichuan stemmed from his belief that their perfidy had undermined his campaign in Hanzhong the previous year. For whatever reason, Zhang resolved to kill all Sichuanese people. Specifics are hard to gauge, but it is estimated Zhang would kill 140,000 people in only 4 days. Just to showcase again the character that was Zhang during his regime in Sichuan, here is a little story.   Zhang was known for his cruelty and horribly stories are attributed to him, such as Shu Bi's story about Zhang's “heavenly-candles”. The story goes that Zhang got sick and vowed that if he recovered from his illness he would offer 2 heavenly candles as a sacrifice. No one understood what he meant at the time, but when he recovered, he ordered the small bound feet of many women to be cut off and placed in 2 large piles. The feet of one of his favorite concubines were unusually small and he had them served and placed at the very top of each large pile. Oil was poured on the piles and they were ignited fulfilling his vow to offer 2 heavenly candles. Have to say I've read some gruesome things but this one was particularly gross. According to Shu Bi Well that was just 1 story, during Zhang's rule in Sichuan, now let us talk about how he quote “engaged in one of the most hair-raising genocides in imperial history”.    When word came that the Qing were sending an army against him in Sichuan, Zhang ordered the massacre of all Sichuanese people. Zhang had people skinned alive, with their bodies stuffed with straw and sent ahead to their home villages to spread terror.  People were killed for the slightest offenses, like not cutting weeds in their courtyards or miscopying characters in official documents. Some people were simply pulled off the streets and executed for allegedly using seditious words like “defeat” in public. Magalheans wrote this of the decaying situation “There was no exchange among friends, no one visited anyone; even though they were relatives there could be no conversation between two men under pain of being skinned alive immediately. When doors were shut for the night, so were mouths. If a door was left open or a fire kindled in one's house, if one word were spoken, punishment was swift, not just for the culprit, but for those living in the ten neighboring houses on both sides of the guilty one's house. Parents accused children and children their parents, and those who did this were highly praised by the Tyrant. If a large group of people were talking together even though there were the mandarins living in the royal palace, spies would immediately arrive on the scene, if they weren't already there, and ask what was being discussed. This caused such horror and fear that these men no longer resembled living men but mute statues and portraits of death itself.”.   People were killed indiscriminately if seen outside their homes after dark. Women were being raped enmasse. If you had a lock on any of your doors, you died, if a Dr failed to cure any of Zhang's official, they died, if you failed to show travel papers you died, you get the picture. At one point someone lit a literary temple on fire and Zhang took this as an omen that he must kill all scholars in Chengdu…..cause of course. When Sun Kewang heard the order to kill all scholars he said “The intellectuals are scattered all over. How can we kill them all?”. Well here is a story of how Zhang figured out how to solve that problem.    During 1 incident it is said he organized an imperial examination at the Qingyang Daoist Temple under the guise he was recruiting scholars for his regime's new administration, only to have the an estimated 5 to 23 thousand candidates butchered. Apparently they entered through the east gate of the temple and were “processed” out of the west gate. Bodies were tossed into the nearby river and their exam writings were “piled up like a mountain in front of the temple”. Zhang followed this up by inviting Buddhist monks for ordination ceremonies at temples only to kill them. People were tied to horses to be torn apart at the blast of a cannon. Zhang men went into the countryside to purge and at Qiongzhou alone, Liu Wenxiu reportedly killed 10,000 refugees and 1000 Buddhist and Daoist monks. It was said that for 50 miles around Qiongzhou “the plains were awash with flesh and blood”. Another incident alleged Zhang killed 4975 out of his 5000 corut eunuchs because 1 of them used his given name at a banquet, that one I have a hard time believing, but these are the stories I read.   On january 8th of 1646 Zhang held a military conference and said that the massacre of the entire populace of Chengdu would commence the very next day “not a single person will be spared”. Accounts say the river of Chengdu was crimson red with blood and rose several feet up on the city walls. It got so bad, Zhang had to order his men to go in boats downriver from Chengdu to unclog it and the smell of decaying flesh filled the air for miles, imagine doing that job. Sun Kewang wrote of the massacres “This truncates our wishes. After all weren't our years of rebellion on behalf of the peasants? Now we're roaming back east and for what? If our fatherly king acts like this, then he's really not pondering things deeply. Our fatherly king should regard the peasants of Sichuan like his head, like the trunk of looting heaven's storehouse his body. Now if you've already cut off your hands and feet, how can the head survive? What kind of state has a king without subjects? Is this not only a king in name?”. After a couple of days of massacre, Zhang summoned all his court ministers, separating the Sichuanese from the rest and executed the Sichuanese ones. Chengdu was virtually empty by the end of the year and Zhang's armies fanned out into the countryside. All the while he proclaimed his forces were preparing to face against the Qing. Some have made comparisons to this moment to that of Hitler pursuing the holocaust while neglecting his military aims during the last years of WW2. Zhang was fixated on the extermination of the people of Sichuan over all other goals it seems. Some accounts go as far as to claim Zhang had fetuses ripped out of the womb and children rounded up for systematic executions. Mountains of hands and feet piled up outside Zhang's palace in Chengdu “like Mount Fenghuang”. Zhang is said to have been seen stalking his palace at night with his sword trying to kill ghosts. Zhang told advisors he was seeing disembodied hands stealing food from his plates, headless females playing instruments in rooms and all the while he heard the cries of the dead. Zhang began to believe Chengdu itself was haunted and had all his highest ranking officials flogged to break the curse.    Zhang had begun a new military program where his soldiers could be promoted based on how many limbs they brought to him. Feet, hands, heads, ears and noses were stacked in separate piles and Zhang would supposedly gather the severed heads together for banquets. Promotions and ranks for his soldiers were based on the number submitted. 200 pairs of hands and feet got a rank of squad commander, 1700 pairs could get you promoted from vice commander to commander. If 1 soldier killed hundreds in a single day, he could be promoted to supreme commander. According to Shun records for 4 months in 1646 alone, Sun Kewang, Liu Wenxiu, Ai Nengqi and Li Dingguo each killed around 10 million people, an exaggeration of course. Records state they razed up to 8 towns a day seeking grisly trophies. Anyone above the age of 3 was said to be subject to attack. Zhang would even kill disloyal soldiers, and it is said “that the trail of corpses extended for seventy li north and south of Chengdu and the “lands ran red with blood and bones piled up like mountains.”.    Jesuits in Sichuan claim that Zhang left the city in the summer of 1646 for a military campaign and spent 40 days on a killing spree in the countryside before returning to Chengdu and killing 25 out of 30 of his high officials, including his minister of war. Civilians were rounded up and killed in the central park in Chengdu. Children were cut to pieces, and officials were flogged without reason. Zhang then ordered his soldiers to kill their own wives and daughters so they would be less encumbered by them in the upcoming campaign. To set an example he killed 23 of his 300 serving maids and concubines. People were killed for drinking tea, soldiers were flayed for trying to flee, mandarins were killed for sleeping at a banquet, and more servants were killed for smoking tobacco. Hoarding a single tael meant decapitation, hoarding ten meant death by flaying. Some were even cut open and their skin stretched to resemble bird's wings.    The modern Chinese scholar Zheng Guanglu estimates that from 1.8 to 2 million people died in Sichuan between 1644 to 1645 out of a total population of around 3 to 3.6 million. He concluded that 1 million died as a result of direct military operation and the rest died from starvation, disease, marauding wildlife eeeek, and other factors. 40-50% of the Sichuanese population had been killed in just a few short years. Sichuan would see up to 75% of its population decline from death and people fleeing. It was a combination of the massacres and also drought and famine that led to the flight. This by the way occurred before and after Zhang, many Chinese scholars argue it may have been the Qing armies who performed many of the atrocities that may have been attributed to Zhang. For example in Chengdu a stele (stone carving) known as the Seven kill stele holds the inscription “Heaven brings forth innumerable things to nurture man. Man has nothing good with which to recompense Heaven. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.” In the summer of 1646, Zhang was receiving word of the military situation from Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang that both the Ming loyalists and the Qing were making significant inroads. Zhang had spent too much time and effort on his insane butchering of the people and not enough against the Ming loyalists. The Ming loyalists controlled south and east Sichuan now, the most fertile and productive areas. They drained Zhang's resources and drew the attention of the Qing towards Sichuan. They also controlled Chongqing which was the transport hub of the province especially by river.    Zhang gathered his officials and proclaimed “I've been in Sichuan for two years, but the Sichuanese haven't accepted my kindness, nor do they dread my awesomeness. The more I pacify, the more they rebel. As I consider what I can do, I've decided to abandon Sichuan and go to Shaanxi [lit. leave Shu for Qin] so I can take Chang'an [Xi'an] and use it as a springboard for recovering the central plain. This was my base of origins before, and my generals and soldiers are all folk of Qin. I can rely on Qin as the place to strengthen my troops and war horses. So my master plan is to return to Shaanxi and then follow the river south into Huguang and then come back into Sichuan.”. Sun Kewang argued they should not so easily abandon Sichuan and that they should begin extending relief to its people, in his words “replace killing with kindness”. With that perhaps they could restore a new government, to throw away all they had done in Sichuan would be such a waste. Li Dingguo concurred with his colleague and this forced Zhang to think a bit more on his decision. However in the end Zhang concluded he would follow through with what he proclaimed.  Thus Zhang prepared a sortie, spending months gathering all the treasure he could find or loot from all around stored on boats. He then ordered Chengdu burnt to the ground, which also allegedly took months. Zhang began to send out boats filled up with treasure and sent his 600,000 strong army forth by land and river southeast. Zhang made a rather bizarre strategic error and decided to attack Yang Zhang and seize his controlled territory, despite being hampered by his treasure and massive numbers of refugees.    Well Yang Zhan who had countless spies amongst Zhang's forces found out about Zhangs plan and ambushed him by land and river at Jiangkou near Pengshan. Yang managed to cut Zhangs fleet off from the shore and set fires to his boats. The battle almost immediately turned into a rout with most of Zhang's navy being sunk to the bottom of the river. It is said Yang Zhan would spend months salvaging tens of thousands of taels worth of treasure and supplies from the bottom of the river. Yang would use all of his new found funds to pay his own army and help refugees in southern Sichuan. Yang pursued Zhangs forces all the way to Hanzhou, but upon seeing the scene of rotting corpses everywhere he apparently turned back in horror, who can blame him. Zhang then attempted to take back Chongqing but was defeated by Zeng Ying yet again. It was around this time, Zhang's commanders began to lose the stomach for his campaigning and many deserted. This also prompted as you can imagine, Zhang to kill those who seemed to be faltering. He had 13,000 of his followers executed and apparently Liu Wenxiu captured 6000 soldiers trying to desert and flayed them alive.    Zhangs Da Xi army moved east, but he left many subordinate commanders to garrison key locals, but most were defeated by Ming loyalist armies. Zhang's army was so large and difficult to feed that he soon feared illness would spread amongst them and apparently he ordered his 4 great generals to kill anyone who looked sick. Allegedly this would see 4000 of his men butchered by their own commanders. Zhang reached Shunqing and besieged the city for 3 days before Zhang's cannons broke its walls and he burnt the city to the ground killing an estimated 100,000 people inside. When his army continued to march on, he sent forces into the mountains and forests to forage for food and any who came back without a required quota of food each day were executed.    Zhang then made his way to Mount Fenghuang located outside the city of Xichong. He attacked a fortified mountain stockade which was garrisoned by 2000 troops. Once he took the mountain he began to construct defensive works and built boats to try and head southeast on Haguang. But then his massive army ran out of food and he sent them fanning out to plunder, starting a wide array of massacres. It is at this point we get a lot of accounts of cannibalism amongst the troops. It is alleged Zhang had more visions telling him to kill more people and that at some points he was killing 10 to 20 thousand per day, beginning with Sichuanese, but soon people from Huguang and then Shaanxi. Supposedly he is said to have killed half of his own men in under 2 months, which has to be exaggerated. It is reported some of his advisers would often find Zhang talking to himself saying things like “Heaven has instructed me to kill. I dare not avoid killing.”.   Around the time Zhang and his army occupied Xizhou, Emperor Yongli took the throne at Zhaoqing and Emperor Shaowu at Guangzhou. Thus the Qing had plenty of work on their hands with the south east and soon appointed Prince Haoge to focus his attention on defeating Zhang Xianzhong.    Prince Haoge soon captured Xi'an and continued to march south into Sichuan. The Qing began proclaiming to all the areas the occupied that no one was to be killed and that they would protect them. As you can imagine many of the populace fled into the arms of the Qing immediately. One of Zhang's commanders Liu Jinzhong had an army of mostly Sichuanese who for understandable reasons did not want to butcher Sichuanese people and he decided to defect to the Qing, most likely fearing for his life. Liu Jinzhong fled north and met with Prince Haoge telling him the exact location of Zhang. Liu told him “to save the people from fire and water” and that he would guide Prince Haoge and his men to Zhang personally. Thus Prince Haoge and Liu's armies marched together into northern Sichuan finding roads strewn with bones. This prompted Prine Haoge to ask Liu if all of Sichuan was like this and Liu sighed and replied “For years Sichuan has endured the local bandits Yao and Huang and been trampled underfoot and since been subjected to the massacres of my old lord Xianzhong.”. Haoge replied “As soon as we encounter Huang, Yao, and the Zhang bandits, we must extinguish them immediately so as to alleviate the people's suffering.”. In early January of 1647, Prince Haoge was led by Liu to Mount Fenghuang and Prince Haoege sent his most elite bannermen as a vanguard to find Zhang Xianzhong.  Zhang got word of the incoming Qing force  and initially disbelieved his own scouts, in fact he killed them. He then exclaimed “The Awe of the Eighth Great King encompasses the realm and my name resounds over the Four Seas. Who comes here to die? I will personally go forth to greet them.”. Then Zhang emerged from his tent, grabbed a spear, mounted his horse and went to investigate with only 10 men. They reached the Taiyang Creek and saw enemy troops on the other side of the creek. As Zhang galloped into view, Liu allegedly pointed him out to he Qing force, prompting a Qing archer to shoot Zhang through his torso with a single arrow killing him. Prince Haoge recovered the body and decapitated it, cut him up and burned all the pieces on the spot. It is alleged when they cut Zhang's body open he had a heart that was as black as ink and that he had no liver. Stories told of strange thorns growing in the spot of Zhang Xianzhongs deaths and that a black tiger guarded his gravesite. OhhhhhHHhhHHH.    One of Zhang's men fled back to the army camp, relating what had happened. Upon hearing of Zhang's death, Zhang's surviving commanders immediately served under Sun Kewang who became the de-facto leader. They attacked Chongqing and managed to take this city this time and killed Zeng Ying. It seems Zeng Ying had finally made a tactical error and underestimated their force going out to fight them in the field and lost. Sun Kewang did not stay long in Chongqing, fearing the Qing pursuit and fled south taking Qijiang where Sun Kewang attempted to reorganize the Da Xi army and resurrect some form of government. They then marched on Zunyi and it is here, the former bandit army of Zhang Xianzhong had a change of heart. They began to join forces with the Ming loyalists, moving even further south to Guizhou. The Qing for their part had to abandon the pursuit rather quite owing to lack of supplies as Sichuan was a barren wasteland. They soon pulled up to Baoning where they butchered 10,000 of Zhang's former men.   Meanwhile the hardship of Sichuan would go on for many years. Famine was rampant in Sichuan as a result of Zhang's chaos. It was said “women of good families offered their bodies in exchange for food but could find no takers”. The land of Sichuan was desolate, people resorted to cannibalism and allegedly human flesh was sold by vendors and that bandits were making “lamb stew” out of their victims. There were tales of people looting coffins of the recently deceased for flesh. One source lamented “because of the long period of disorder, the cattle were all gone, so people replaced cattle”. Disease and pestilence sprang up everywhere as a result of malnutrition. Recorded illnesses such as “big head boils, horse eye disease, horse trot disease” were reported. Apparently in Sichuan the number of tigers increased 100 fold as did packs of wolves and wild dogs…so yeah on top of everything else imagine being chased by a tiger while your family is starving? I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.

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Life in the later Heian may have been a near-constant party for the aristocratic nobility, but what was it like for those on the bottom rungs of Heian society? In this episode we will explore the lives of the common folk who made the lavish lifestyle of the nobles possible through their backbreaking labor.For pictures of pig iron, the special bellows used to refine iron sand, and two swords that date to the Heian Period, check out the supplemental post!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/AHistoryOfJapan)

Sean and Andy are honored to sit down with Marxist historian of the Transatlantic World and Anglo-Irish labor history, Peter Linebaugh, to discuss his 2019 book, "Red Round Globe Hot Burning: A Tale at the Crossroads of Commons and Closure, of Love and Terror, of Race and Class, and of Kate and Ned Despard". What is revolutionary love? How were the commons enclosed? What's the connection between capital and the anthropocene? How can the racialization of proletarians be overcome? How do we wrest back the commons for ourselves? This was a great conversation and we're really proud to present this episode. Outro: Robert Johnson - Crossroads Blues Check out Peter's excellent book: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520383036/red-round-globe-hot-burning For access to bonus content, our discord service and to call in for our live twitch.tv/theantifada streams become a patron at www.patreon.com/theantifada

Josh and Mark discuss the pirate life in the 21st century.  From Somalia to the West African coast, pirates still exist and it is a bigger problem that people realize.  They discuss creative solutions to the issue, and also connect previous episodes to prove once again that nothing happens independently in this world.  Wisdom of the week comes from Brownell Landrum "A thief might steal from anyone.  Why he's stealing from you is what you need to understand."  APES & AHUG coming together once again.  Thanks for listening Commoners!   Follow us on instagram for exclusive content @TheCommonCounterpart

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