Deconstructed History

In this episode, we’re going to explore the man known to history as the pretender to the English throne, Perkin Warbeck. I’m covering the pieces of contemporary evidence which suggests that maybe we shouldn’t trust everything the Tudors tell us. At least, not when it comes to making their enemies look bad in front of the history books. For full show notes head to http://deconstructedhistory.com/pe...

This episode aims to give you an overview of five Ancient Greek constellations seen in the night sky, and what story the Ancient Greeks themselves attributed to them. We’ve all heard of Greek myths, whether that’s the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, or Theseus and the Minotaur. But the stories the Greeks themselves told about the natural world particularly fascinates me. How did they explain the st...

Today we’re diving into a topic I think the Tudors largely overshadow, vilify, or ignore in favour of certain other members of the family. And with the Boleyns, no-one really talks about George Boleyn. For the full show notes, head to http://deconstructedhistory.com/george-boleyn/ Resources and Links “George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat” by Clare Cherry & Claire Ridgway (2014)....

If you’ve heard of the Ancient Egyptians, it’s probably something about the gods, or the pyramids, or Cleopatra. But how often do we think about what it was like to live in the Ancient Egyptian world? The period we call Ancient Egypt lasted for five thousand years, and all of it was pretty much under one governmental system. We’re talking from the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt in 3,000 BCE...

In this episode, we’re looking at one of the most well-known motifs in Arthurian legends: the Holy Grail. I have a love-hate relationship with the Grail, mostly because of the emphasis placed on it when compared to other aspects of the legends. As a literary device, it’s fantastic. When held against other parts of the legends? Well, I prefer my heroes not overshadowed by a single item of magical p...

This episode is about a god. But not just any god “Hijacked by Jesus” and forced into the role of villain. Oh no. This god starred as the villain and/or antihero in another god’s heroic quest to prove his worth. I am, of course, talking about Loki. For full show notes, head to http://deconstructedhistory.com/loki/ Resources and Links “Norse Mythology” by Neil Gaiman (2017). A fantastic retelling o...

In this episode, we’re looking at the legendary figure of Orpheus and what his myths can tell us about the world. The Ancient Greeks and Romans believed Orpheus was a real person. He had the ability to create music so beautiful it could make rocks cry. There’s one version where he plays his lyre and the rock someone threw at him just refused to hit him. He was that great at it. These days, musicia...

In this episode, we’re looking at how legitimate the claim Henry Tudor made for the throne was, after he claimed the throne through conquest on 30th October 1485. Don’t worry, I’ll try to keep my irritation at him at bay long enough to get through his episode. For full show notes, head to http://deconstructedhistory.com/podcast/henry-tudor/ Resources and Links “The Princes in the Tower: Solving Hi...

There’s a common misconception out there about what Old English actually is. Whenever I ask someone what they think about Shakespeare (because I’m a nerd), they always go off on a rant about how Old English is totally incomprehensible and why couldn’t I have asked about something else? For full show notes, head to http://deconstructedhistory.com/old-middle-english/ Resources and Links “Beowulf” Tr...

In the grand scheme of things, you probably haven’t heard of the Mycenaeans. That’s okay, we all get that Ancient Greek democracy and theatre overshadows everything and all. The Mycenaeans were the people who lived in mainland Greece between approximately 1750 to 1050 BCE. They represent the first distinctively Greek civilization in mainland Greece. They had palatial states, urban organization, di...

I feel the first thing I should mention is that the Middle Ages as a whole span a thousand years. It makes it confusing when someone mentions one thing and assumes it was true for the entire duration of the era. This is particularly true when it comes to Arthurian myths and legends. For full show notes, head to http://deconstructedhistory.com/podcast/arthurian-legends-inaccuracies/ Resources and L...

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