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We're Not So Different

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A podcast about how we've always been idiots

We're Not So Different

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Medieval Religious Orders 1

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

Heresies 11: Protestant Work Ethic

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

Heresies 10: We Killed God

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

Heresies 9: Counter-Reformations

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

Heresies 8: The Rise of Calvinism

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

Heresies 7: Not Radical, Only Magisterial

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

100th Episode Mailbag Spectacular

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

Heresies 6: First Reformed

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

A Knight's Tale Review (Patreon Ep Unlocked)

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

Heresies 5: Let's Name Some Czech Guys

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

Heresies 4: Antipopes & Black Death

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

Christmas & Saturnalia Redux

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

Heresies 3: "Crusades" Against Christians

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

Heresies 2: Schism

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

Heresies & Reformations: The Early Years

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

The 30 Years War Explains it All feat. Matt Christman

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

Pentiment feat Josh Sawyer

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

Medieval Systems of Measurement

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

Source Survival

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

Death and the Soul of Man

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

Monsters, Demons, and Revenant Dead

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

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

Holy Roman Empire 4: The Thirty Years War

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

Holy Roman Empire 3

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

Holy Roman Empire 2

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

Holy Roman Empire 1

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

Death of a Monarch feat Florence H R Scott

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

Medievalism in Video Games 2

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

Medievalism in Video Games 1

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

Medieval Pilgrimage

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

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

Medieval Parenting Respoinsibilities

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

Game of Thrones and Medievalism

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

Medieval Cities: Genoa & Venice

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

Medieval Cities: Florence & Pisa

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

Medieval Cities: London & Paris

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

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

Medieval Cities: Constantinople and Rome

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

Medieval Witchcraft

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

Oh Oh Oh It's Magic

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

Hospitality & Guest Right

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

Medieval Policing

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

The Northman Review

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

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

Medieval Hygiene

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

Historical Materialism 23: The End of History

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

Historical Materialism 22: Cold War Kids

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

Historical Materialism 21: Pax Americana

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

Historical Materialism 20: World War 2

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

Historical Materialism 19: Interwar

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

Historical Materialism 18: Must Crush Capitalism

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

Historical Materialism 17: The Calm Before the Storm

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

Historical Materialism 16: The Springtime of the Peoples

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

Let's Name Some Historical Guys feat. Patrick Wyman

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

Historical Materialism 15: Napoleon

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

Historical Materialism 14: Big-C Capitalism

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

Historical Materialism 13: Class Consciousness

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

Historical Materialism 12: Unintended Global Consequences

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

Historical Materialism 11: Colonialism

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

Historical Materialism 10: That's How You Get Protestants

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

Historical Materialism 9: Exogenous System Shock

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

Christmas & Saturnalia

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

Historical Materialism 8: Climate Changes

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

Historical Materialism 7: Primitive Accumulation

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

Historical Materialism 6: Blame it on Charlemagne

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

Historical Materialism 5: Feudalism, finally

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

Historical Materialism 4: Age of Empires

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

Historical Materialism 3: We Live in a Society

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

Historical Materialism 2: "Primitive" Communism

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

Historical Materialism 1: Intro to Historical Materialism

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

The Green Knight Review

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

Medieval Indonesia & Malaysia feat. Alex West

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

Food 5: Dietetics

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

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

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

Food 2: Beer, Wine, and Bread

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

Food in the Middle Ages 1

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

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

The Middle Ages x Star Wars

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

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

Medieval China 7: The Great Wall

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

Medieval China 6: Sex in Medieval China & Elsewhere

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

Medieval China 5: Barbarians & Ceramics

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

Medieval China 4: Gunpowder

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

Medieval China 3: The Silk Road

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

Patreon Ep Unlocked: Interview with Patrick Wyman

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

Medieval China 2: More Intro

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

Medieval China 1: Intro

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

The Peasants are Revolting Again

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

The Peasants are Still Revolting

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

The Peasants are Revolting

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

Peasant Mindset

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

Enclosing the Peasants

Luke and Eleanor are back to continue the series of the peasantry and this time it's all about the process known as Enclosure and how it fundamentally altered property ownership forever by alienating the people from the land they lived and worked upon and accumulating even more capital in the hands of the elites. also, we talk about the Green Knight trailer, fun! here's a link to what land looked like under the Open Field System, before Enclosure started. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclosure#/media/File:Three_Field_System.svg

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

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

Let's Talk About Sex Again

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

Let's Talk About Sex

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

The Black Death 2

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

The Black Death 1

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

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

Judaism in the Middle Ages

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

The Rise of Islam

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

The Hegemony of the Catholic Church

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

Comparative Medieval Religion

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

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

What Are We Doing Here?

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

An introduction to the We're Not So Different podcast

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