Episode 52: Women for the Presidency (Candidates & Catalysts)
Heretic History Podcast
The history of women in the American presidential election dates back to before the Civil War, and in the 177 years since scores of women from across the political spectrum have stepped forward to seek the highest office. It has been an uphill battle every step of the way, yet the momentum continues to build. In this episode, I am choosing to celebrate those brilliant women who have helped forge this path forward. I will be covering the background and candidacies of four whose stories mark significant milestones in the ongoing pursuit of seeing a woman in the Oval Office.
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Episode 51: Joan of Arc P4 (Revelations)
Heretic History Podcast
The conclusion of this four part series... We know how the story of Joan of Arc ends, but her path to martyrdom is not as straightforward as you might expect. After rising as a cherished symbol of the Armagnac cause, she finds herself captured in May 1430. Abandoned by her King, Joan is thrust into the harrowing reality of imprisonment. As she stands trial before a panel of learned men, they seek to dismantle her claims of divine inspiration, questioning her voices and visions. Joan has already demonstrated unmatched courage on the battlefield, but this trial tests her faith and resolve in...
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Episode 50: Joan of Arc P3 (The Time for Miracles Has Passed)
Heretic History Podcast
Picking up from where we left off... It is the summer of 1429 and Charles Valois, the dauphine and would-be king, is finally marching north to claim his birthright, the crown of France. His campaign, once viewed to be nearly hopeless, has been revived and supporters are flocking to join his army or, at the very least, catch a glimpse of his triumphant procession. However, it is not only him that they have come to see. Across the French countryside, word has spread of the extraordinary girl who travels with the prince; a sixteen-year-old peasant, dressed in gleaming armor, bearing a standard of...
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Episode 49: Joan of Arc P2 (la Pucelle)
Heretic History Podcast
In the late winter of 1429, France is a land divided. The 'rightful' heir to the French throne, Prince Charles, is on the brink of despair, his claim weakened and his forces dwindling. As he contemplates the grim possibility of fleeing into exile, he has turned to prayer, seeking divine intervention. Into this moment of crisis steps an unexpected figure: a young peasant girl from the remote village of Domrémy. This girl, a mere teenager, claims to be sent by God Himself, bearing a message of salvation. Unlike other divine messengers who have come before with tales of visions or prophecies,...
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Episode 48: Joan of Arc P1 (This Dismal Dance)
Heretic History Podcast
She is arguably one of the most well known figures of history. The young peasant girl who, supposedly following the commandment of god, cut her hair, donned a suit of armor, and led a nation into battle. The story of her life, brief as it was, has inspired countless recreations, in art, film, music and theater. Since the days she walked the earth and in the centuries since her death, Joan of Arc had held our attention. Over the next few episodes I will delve into the history surrounding her life, in the hopes of unraveling myth from reality. Of course, to do that, I must first make sense of...
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Episode 47: Willie Mae Thornton (Rock Me Mama)
Heretic History Podcast
Before the glam of the 1980s, the funk of the 1970s, the counterculture of the 1960s, and the birth of rock & roll in the 1950s, a group of rag tag blues performers were revolutionizing the music industry. Genre blending and gender bending, they introduced a new kind of style and performance that would inspire American culture for decades to come. Their contributions have long been overlooked and many would received little in the way of compensation or recognition during their lifetimes. One of these trendsetters was a woman named Willie Mae Thornton. Born to a church going family...
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Episode 46: My IUD (A Personal Heretic History)
Heretic History Podcast
This month we're (I'm) doing something a little different. Due to my graduate studies, I've been somewhat limited on time to dedicate to historical research. So instead, I'm sharing a bit of my own, personal history. I want to talk about that time I got an IUD. In this episode, I'll be sharing my journey of getting an intrauterine device. From the research and conversations I had with my friends and doctor, to the physical experience itself, and the effects afterward. Maybe this is a subject you are curious to learn more about, or maybe there are some folks you might want to share this episode...
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Episode 45: Valkyries (Warriors of the Viking Age)
Heretic History Podcast
In 1878 archeologists were conducting expansive excavations on the island of Björkö in Sweden. A millennia before, this quiet spot had been a bustling port of international trade and one of the last bastions of Norse paganism in Viking culture. As they worked, the researchers soon uncovered a massive tomb, filled with weaponry. It was the final resting place of a great warrior and military leader, whose bones (greatly degraded) were discovered in the center of the tomb. In an age before DNA testing, the quickest way to determine the gender of a Viking grave was by observing the items...
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Episode 44: Mary "Rose" Tudor (Hey Little Sister)
Heretic History Podcast
The Tudors may be one of Western history's most well-known families. Their real-life traumas, dramas, and intrigues still inspire plot lines in popular media today. One of the often overlooked members of this family is Mary Tudor, the youngest daughter of Henry VII. Although her story has been the inspiration for many a romance novel (she famously married for love rather than power) these fanciful tales fail to capture the character of the real woman. Mary Tudor was more than a swooning damsel. She was self-assured, determined, and fiercely loyal to those she loved. She may have also been the...
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Episode 43: Boudica (Destruction Horizon)
Heretic History Podcast
Another release from the Patreon vault! At its height, the Roman Empire stretched across the regions of what today makes up most of Western Europe, portions of Eastern Europe and West Asia, down into the Middle East, and across northern Africa. And at the farthest western reach of that great Empire was the island of Britannia. But in 60/61 CE, the unquestionable might of Rome was nearly upended by a band of rebellious tribes at the edge of the empire. This violent uprising would leave three Roman cities in ruins and thousands dead. The rebellion was eventually quashed, its leaders annihilated,...
info_outlineItaly in the 1400's was a land of contradictions. The cradle of the Renaissance was encapsulated with bloody warfare and nefarious plots; beautiful and deadly. Only a backdrop such as this could produce a woman like Caterina Sfroza.
Born the illegitimate daughter to one of the wealthiest men in Romagna, her upbringing was on par with any prince of Europe. She was trained to observe, calculate, hunt and fight. But most of all, she was conditioned to be loyal to her family above all others.
In Part 1 of this series, we will discuss her youth. Her evolution from a child-bride to a young mother. And from a sweet and beguiling Countess to the adversary of the Vatican itself.
TW: Some discussion of childhood trauma, SA.