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,...
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Episode 42: Rosa Parks (After Montgomery)
Heretic History Podcast
Something a little different for you this month... I'm releasing what was originally my first Patreon-exclusive episode, Rosa Parks P3. If you need a refresher on Parts 1 and 2, just scroll back to 2022 and give those episodes a listen. Otherwise, let's dive into the conclusion of this incredible story: The name Rosa Parks will be forever linked to the early years of the American Civil Rights Movement, particularly in the Deep South. But she would spend more than half of her life living in Detroit, fighting against the racist policies and oppressive systems that were often overlooked and...
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Episode 41: Nur Jahan P2 (A Tiger-Slayer Among Men)
Heretic History Podcast
Part 2 and conclusion of my Nur Jahan series. We pick up right where we left off: The year is 1608 and 31-year-old Mihr-un-Nissa has arrived in the capital of Agra. Recently widowed, she and her daughter will join the royal harem of Emperor Jahangir. But her place here is far from certain. Her late husband died a suspected traitor, her brother was also executed for treason, and her father has been imprisoned under suspicion of being the same. But, unlike the mostly sheltered women of the harem, Mirh was a woman of the world. Her noble upbringing, combined with her years in the untamed region...
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Episode 40: Nur Jahan P1 (From Persia to Bengal)
Heretic History Podcast
In the winter of 1577 a great comet lit up the skies across the globe. Scholars of the age from every kingdom, pondered what omen this celestial body might portend. Meanwhile, in a caravan camp along the road outside of Kandahar, a young refugee couple would welcome their fourth child. A daughter, whom they named Mihr-un-Nisa, meaning Sun of Women. The family was making their way to the Mughal-ruled empire of Hindustan (India). Despite their refugee status they were of the noble ruling class of Persia and would find themselves welcomed in the court of Emperor Akbar. Hindustan of the late 16th...
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Episode 39: Hattie McDaniel P2 (Credit To Her Craft)
Heretic History Podcast
In 1931 Hattie McDaniel arrived in Los Angeles with only a few dollars in her pocket. After over a decade of singing in jazz clubs and touring the vaudeville circuit, she was ready to try her hand in the booming film industry. Already familiar with the prejudices and limitations placed on black entertainers, McDaniel was well-equipped to navigate the expectations of white Hollywood, and quickly found herself booking featured parts. Then, in 1939, her fame would be catapulted to new heights when she was cast in one of the most anticipated films of all time. From there, Hattie would ascend to...
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Episode 38: Hattie McDaniel P1 (Lady Sings the Blues)
Heretic History Podcast
Before MGM, the Oscars, and fame, Hattie McDaniel was a struggling stage actress and singer. The daughter of a Union soldier, her family endeavored to find a better way of life in the aftermath of the Civil War. But injustice, poverty, and discrimination hindered them at every turn. Amid the strife and uncertainty of their youth, the McDaniel children would find salvation through performance. As a black woman, strict societal standards regulated every facet of her life. But up on the stage, Hattie found the freedom to express her desires, anger, heartache, and laughter.
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Episode 37: Hypatia of Alexandria (Brother, Mother, Teacher)
Heretic History Podcast
Since its founding, the city of Alexandria had been the pinnacle of wisdom in the ancient world. A beacon of knowledge and research, it boasted the largest library the world had ever seen and attracted the greatest scholars of every generation. But in the spring of 415 CE, a brutal slaying would irrevocably shatter this pristine image, when the city's leading philosopher was dragged through the streets and murdered by a mob of enraged fanatics. This tragedy, and the events leading up to it, would lay bare the deep divides that threatened to tear the city apart. A clash of religions and social...
info_outlineThe 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 only person in England who would dare to defy the fearsome Henry VIII, her dearest big brother.