The Sacred Band of Thebes, comprised entirely of gay male lovers, was Ancient Greece’s original response to the gays in the military question. What was that like? How did it function? And what was its lasting legacy? That’s what we’re going to find out today, just in time for Pride Month. Here to help us do it is classicist James Romm, author of The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers Fighting to Save Greek Freedom.

By the way, the New Yorker article referenced in the episode is “Ancient Greece’s Army of Lovers” by Daniel Mendelsohn.

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/btnewberg and get a hand-drawn portrait. Research, writing, editing, and production by B. T. Newberg. Music and Logo Design by Rachel Westhoff. Additional credits, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

References

Mendelsohn, Daniel. “Ancient Greece’s Army of Lovers.” The New Yorker. April 29, 2021. Retrieved Jun 6, 2021, from: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/04/19/ancient-greeces-army-of-lovers

Romm, James. The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers Fighting to Save Greek Freedom. New York, NY: Scribner, 2021.

Audio Credits

Additional music and audio from:

“Battle of Gaugamela – Alexander Film – Phalanx Marching” from KidUKnott

“Horse Galloping Sound Effect” from wdylj

“Ancient Power of Serpents” by Kevin MacLeod

“Batman 1966 Original Theatrical Trailer” from Cinematica Virtual

“300 Official Trailer” from Warner Bros Pictures

“Large Group of Soldiers Fighting with Swords and Yelling” and other videos in the Medieval Sound Effects series from Sound Ideas – Topic

“Lamentation” by Kevin MacLeod

Image Credits

From the cover of The Sacred Band, by James Romm.

My city is on fire today. This is day four of the riots in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police. And everyone around me is saying, “I’m angry too, but why destroy your own community? It doesn’t make sense.”

But is there another way to look at it? In this episode, I share first-hand reports of the riots as well as experiences of income disparity in local schools. By looking behind the violence to the roots of disadvantage, can we turn confusion into empathy?

References

Andone, Dakin. “Surveillance Video Does Not Support Police Claims That George Floyd Resisted Arrest.” CNN. 2020, May 29. Retrieved May 30, 2020, from: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/28/us/video-george-floyd-contradict-resist-trnd/index.html

Image Credits

US Flag – Wikipedia

Fire – Pixabay

This episode goes out to all of you at home out there during this pandemic, but we want to dedicate it especially to listener Owyn in Toronto, Canada. He’s faced a string of tough challenges recently, and now there’s the covid challenge on top of it all, but on the bright side, Owyn: it’s your 19^th birthday today! Happy Covid 19th, Owyn!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/btnewberg to get your portrait drawn!

Music by Rachel Westhoff. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Audio Credits

“Best TV Static Animation” by YouToogle.

“Le Freak” from Karaoke-Version.com.

“Heartwarming” by Kevin MacLeod.

“The More You Know” from Jacob M.

“Fluffing a Duck” by Kevin MacLeod.

“Happy Happy Game Show” by Kevin MacLeod.

“My Sharona” from Karaoke-Version.com.

“Copa Cabana” from Karaoke-Version.com.

“Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” from Karaoke-Version.com.

“Cars” from Karaoke-Version.com.

“Drum Roll Sound Effect” from Lil Bruhhh.

“Our House” from Karaoke-Version.com.

“Call Me Maybe” from Karaoke-Version.com.

Vocals by B. T. Newberg and Rachel Westhoff.

Image Credits

Masked Caronavirus from Pixabay.

Did you know America spawned its very own homegrown fascist movement in the 1930s? Yup. The Silver Legion’s William Dudley Pelley was the original Man in the High Castle. Or… at least he dreamed himself to be.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music by Rachel Westhoff. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Worldwide, early 20th cen. CE

Dead Idea: Fascism

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Alonzo-Zaldivar, R. (2019, May 24). “Administration Moves to Revoke Transgender Health Protection.” AP News. Retrieved Nov 3, 2019, from: https://apnews.com/44494a468abe4e009b0388798c16a197

Albright, M. (2018). Fascism: A Warning. New York: HarperCollins.

Beekman, Scott. William Dudley Pelley: A Life in Right-wing Extremism and Occultism. New York: Syracuse University Press, 2005.

Blitzer, J. (2016, Nov 4). “A Scholar of Fascism Sees a Lot That’s Familiar With Trump.” The New Yorker. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/a-scholar-of-fascism-sees-a-lot-thats-familiar-with-trump

Buhres, E. (2019, Nov 2). “Don’t Call Trump a Fascist.” Foreign Policy. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/02/donald-trump-fascist-nazi-right-wing/

Daley, J. (2018, Oct. 3). “The Screenwriter Mystic Who Wanted to Be the American Fuhrer.” Smithsonian.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meet-screenwriting-mystic-who-wanted-be-american-fuhrer-180970449/

Deconstructed. (2019, May 9). “Is Trump a Fascist?.” The Intercept. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://theintercept.com/2019/05/09/is-trump-a-fascist/

D’Souza, D. (2017). The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing.

Guyette, C. (2019, Sep 11). “Is Trump a Fascist? The F Word.” Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/is-trump-a-fascist/Content?oid=22617920

Gawthorpe, A. (2019, Jul 31). “Is This Fascism? No. Could It Become Fascism? Yes.” The Guardian. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/31/is-this-fascism-no-could-it-become-fascism-yes

Kagan, R. (2016, May 18). “This Is How Fascism Comes to America.” Washington Post. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-is-how-fascism-comes-to-america/2016/05/17/c4e32c58-1c47-11e6-8c7b-6931e66333e7_story.html?noredirect=on

Kessler, G., et al. “Trump Has Made More Than 10,000 False of Misleading Claims.” The Washington Post. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/29/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/

Lewis, Sinclair. It Can’t Happen Here. New York: Penguin, 2014/1935.

Matthews, D. (2016, May 19). “I Asked 5 Fascism Experts Whether Trump Is a Fascist. Here Is What They Said.” Vox.com. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2015/12/10/9886152/donald-trump-fascism

Namier, L. (1947). “The First Mountebank Dictator.”

Olsen, H. (2019, Jun 5). “Trump Isn’t a Fascist, He’s Just a Bully.” The Washington Post. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019,from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/06/05/trump-isnt-fascist-hes-just-bully/

Pelley, W. D. (1031/2011). No More Hunger. Noblesville, IA: Trafford Publishing.

Pelley, W. D. (1929, Mar/1952). “Seven Minutes in Eternity.” The American Magazine. SoulCraft Press.

Porter, T. (2017, Sep 27). “Is North Korea Communist? Experts Warn Failure to Understand Kim Jong Un’s Regime Could Spell Catastrophe.” Newsweek. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.newsweek.com/north-korea-communist-critics-warn-failure-understand-kim-jong-uns-beliefs-672399

Reimann, M. (2017, Feb. 6). “The Heyday of American Nazism Was Led by a Prize-winning Hollywood Screenwriter.” Timeline.com. https://timeline.com/silver-shirts-nazi-history-cf3080eb2da2

Rindskopf, J. (2018, Jun 15). “20 of Trump’s Worst Tweets (So Far).” CheatSheet. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/trumps-worst-tweets-so-far.html/

Schivelbusch, W. (2006). Three New Deals: Reflections on America, Mussolini’s Italy, and Hitler’s Germany, 1933-1939. New York: Picador.

Serwer, A. (2019, Jul 3). “A Crime by Any Name: The Trump Administration’s Commitment to Deterring Immigration Through Cruelty Has Made Horrifying Conditions in Detention Facilities Inevitable.” The Atlantic. Retrieved Nov 3, 2019, from: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/border-facilities/593239/

“Silver Shirt Legion of America, Washington State Division Photograph Collection, circa 1930s.” Archives West. 2018.

“Silver Shirts.” Holocaust Online. http://www.holocaustonline.org. Retrieved Aug. 11, 2019.

Stanley, J. (2018). How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. New York: Random House.

“William Dudley Pelley.” American National Biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Audio Credits

“Nazis Auf Speed” by Die Krupps

“Battle Hymn of the Republic” performed by the Capitol Symphony Orchestra

TRIGGER WARNING: Politics. Today we explore what characterized early 20th-century fascism, and then ask whether it’s fair to call Trump fascist.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Worldwide, early 20th cen. CE

Dead Idea: Fascism

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Alonzo-Zaldivar, R. (2019, May 24). “Administration Moves to Revoke Transgender Health Protection.” AP News. Retrieved Nov 3, 2019, from: https://apnews.com/44494a468abe4e009b0388798c16a197

Albright, M. (2018). Fascism: A Warning. New York: HarperCollins.

Beekman, Scott. William Dudley Pelley: A Life in Right-wing Extremism and Occultism. New York: Syracuse University Press, 2005.

Blitzer, J. (2016, Nov 4). “A Scholar of Fascism Sees a Lot That’s Familiar With Trump.” The New Yorker. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/a-scholar-of-fascism-sees-a-lot-thats-familiar-with-trump

Buhres, E. (2019, Nov 2). “Don’t Call Trump a Fascist.” Foreign Policy. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/02/donald-trump-fascist-nazi-right-wing/

Daley, J. (2018, Oct. 3). “The Screenwriter Mystic Who Wanted to Be the American Fuhrer.” Smithsonian.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meet-screenwriting-mystic-who-wanted-be-american-fuhrer-180970449/

Deconstructed. (2019, May 9). “Is Trump a Fascist?.” The Intercept. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://theintercept.com/2019/05/09/is-trump-a-fascist/

D’Souza, D. (2017). The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing.

Guyette, C. (2019, Sep 11). “Is Trump a Fascist? The F Word.” Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/is-trump-a-fascist/Content?oid=22617920

Gawthorpe, A. (2019, Jul 31). “Is This Fascism? No. Could It Become Fascism? Yes.” The Guardian. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/31/is-this-fascism-no-could-it-become-fascism-yes

Kagan, R. (2016, May 18). “This Is How Fascism Comes to America.” Washington Post. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-is-how-fascism-comes-to-america/2016/05/17/c4e32c58-1c47-11e6-8c7b-6931e66333e7_story.html?noredirect=on

Kessler, G., et al. “Trump Has Made More Than 10,000 False of Misleading Claims.” The Washington Post. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/29/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/

Lewis, Sinclair. It Can’t Happen Here. New York: Penguin, 2014/1935.

Matthews, D. (2016, May 19). “I Asked 5 Fascism Experts Whether Trump Is a Fascist. Here Is What They Said.” Vox.com. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2015/12/10/9886152/donald-trump-fascism

Namier, L. (1947). “The First Mountebank Dictator.”

Olsen, H. (2019, Jun 5). “Trump Isn’t a Fascist, He’s Just a Bully.” The Washington Post. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019,from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/06/05/trump-isnt-fascist-hes-just-bully/

Pelley, W. D. (1031/2011). No More Hunger. Noblesville, IA: Trafford Publishing.

Pelley, W. D. (1929, Mar/1952). “Seven Minutes in Eternity.” The American Magazine. SoulCraft Press.

Porter, T. (2017, Sep 27). “Is North Korea Communist? Experts Warn Failure to Understand Kim Jong Un’s Regime Could Spell Catastrophe.” Newsweek. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.newsweek.com/north-korea-communist-critics-warn-failure-understand-kim-jong-uns-beliefs-672399

Reimann, M. (2017, Feb. 6). “The Heyday of American Nazism Was Led by a Prize-winning Hollywood Screenwriter.” Timeline.com. https://timeline.com/silver-shirts-nazi-history-cf3080eb2da2

Rindskopf, J. (2018, Jun 15). “20 of Trump’s Worst Tweets (So Far).” CheatSheet. Retrieved Nov 2, 2019, from: https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/trumps-worst-tweets-so-far.html/

Schivelbusch, W. (2006). Three New Deals: Reflections on America, Mussolini’s Italy, and Hitler’s Germany, 1933-1939. New York: Picador.

Serwer, A. (2019, Jul 3). “A Crime by Any Name: The Trump Administration’s Commitment to Deterring Immigration Through Cruelty Has Made Horrifying Conditions in Detention Facilities Inevitable.” The Atlantic. Retrieved Nov 3, 2019, from: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/border-facilities/593239/

“Silver Shirt Legion of America, Washington State Division Photograph Collection, circa 1930s.” Archives West. 2018.

“Silver Shirts.” Holocaust Online. http://www.holocaustonline.org. Retrieved Aug. 11, 2019.

Stanley, J. (2018). How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. New York: Random House.

“William Dudley Pelley.” American National Biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

It’s here! It’s finally here! After a full year of development, our new show the History of Sex is here. Cruise on over to The History of Sex on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get podcasts.

Also, an announcement: next month, we will have more Dead Ideas!

http://www.historyofsexpod.com

Audio Credits

Podcast theme music mixed from “Gregorian Chant”, “Mystery Sax”, and “There It Is” by Kevin MacLeod

Additional music and audio from “Brandenburg Concerto” by Kevin MacLeod, “DJ Stop Sound Effect” by Bju KS, and “Ancient Roman Music – Synaulia I” from Aemilius Paulus.

“What It Is Like to Make a Podcast” skit audio clips from: “Brandenburg Concerto” by Kevin MacLeod, “Harp Sound Effects”, “Book Flipping Pages Sound Effects”, and “Hospital Background Sound Effects” by Nick Judy

It’s another best of the best for you! This one has it all: romance, plunder, mimes – and it all ends in a bloodbath! This was our first mashup and it’s still one of my favorite episodes. What are your faves? Let me know at deadideaspod@gmail.com or on Facebook at @deadideaspod.

Also, an update on our upcoming show The History of Sex: we’re looking at a release date in October! It’s coming up fast!

This episode features a rockin’ soundtrack by Brooklyn band Twin Guns.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Time/place: Ireland, composed 6th-10th cen. CE

Dead Idea: Geis

A Map of Medieval Ireland, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Glossary of Irish Words and Spellings

Note: “KH” should be pronounced like the ending sound of “Bach”

• Aífe (EE-fuh) – a warrior woman in the Táin bó Cúailnge, rival of Scáthach
• aire (EYE-ruh) – lordly class
• brat (BRAT) – cloak
• Caier (KEYE-ur) – king of Connacht in the story Caier and Nede
• coibche (KWIV-khuh) – bride-price
• Conall Cernach (KO-nul KAIR-nakh) – curly blond-haired warrior and favorite of Conaire in The Destruction of Dá Derga’s Hostel
• Conaire (KO-na-ruh) – king of Tara in the The Destruction of Dá Derga’s Hostel
• Connacht (KON-akht) – a kingdom in the middle west of Ireland
• Connla (KON-luh) – son of Cú Chulainn in the Táin bó Cúailnge
• Críth Gablach (KREEH GOW-luhch) – a law-tract featuring 7 ranks of lords, 7 ranks of farmers, and 7 ranks of kings
• Cú Chulainn (KOO KHUH-lun) – hero in the Táin bó Cúailnge
• cúlán (KOO-lun) – men’s hairstyle with shaved front, long back
• cumal (COO-wul) – unit of measurement roughly equal to 34 acres of land or 3 cattle; lit. “slave girl”
• dairt (DEERCH) – a heifer, as in “from a needle to a dairt”, the honor-price of the lowest level of farmer which varies from a needle to a heifer
• Diarmuid (JAR-muhj) – hero in the story of Diarmuid and Grainne
• Drogheda (DRO-hay-duh) – site of a battle against the Vikings in 902 CE
• Emer (EV-ur) – woman wooed by Cú Chulainn in the Táin bó Cúailnge
• féni (FAY-nee) – farmer class, subdivided into 7 ranks according to the Crith Gablach law-tract: 1. 1st fer midboth (FAIR MEE-vuh) lit. “man between huts”; 2. 2nd fer midboth; 3. ócaire (O-keye-ruh); 4. aithech (EYE-chuh); 5. bóaire (BO-eye-ruh); 6. mruigfher (MREE-khur); 7. fer fothlai (FAIR FO-lee)
• fidchell (FEE-khel) – an Old Irish board game, often called “Irish chess”
• Forgall (FOR-gul) – father of Emer in the Táin bó Cúailnge
• fuba and ruba (FOO-buh and ROO-buh) – military service; lit. “attack and defense”
• fuidir (FEE-jur) – transitional slave
• geis (GAYSH) / pl. geassa (GAYSA) – mystical personal injunction
• Grainne (GRAH-nyuh) – woman in the story of Diarmuid and Grainne
• léine (LAY-nya) – tunic
• Mac Cécht (Mak KEKHT) – warrior and right-hand man of Conaire in The Destruction of Dá Derga’s Hostel
• Nede (NAY-thuh) – a satire poet in the story of Caier and Nede
• rath (RATH) – a loan taken from a lord in a clientship contract
• rosc (ROSK) – a nearly untranslatable type of poem with multiple meanings, often signaled in English by ellipses where parts are left untranslated
• Scáthach (SKAH-hakh) – a warrior woman in the Táin bó Cúailnge, mentor of Cú Chulainn
• senchléithe (SHEN-khlay-huh) – hereditary serf
• sét (SET) – unit of measurement equal to 4/5 of a cow
• Táin bó Cúailnge (TOYN bo KOOL-nee) – epic featuring Cú Chulainn; lit. “The Cattle Raid of Cooley”
• Tara (TAH-ruh) – traditional capital of the high kinds of Ireland
• Togail Bruidne Dá Derga (TO-gul BREEJ-nuh da JAIR-guh) – epic featuring King Conaire; lit. “The Destruction of Dá Derga’s Hostel” or “…of the Red God”
• toinal (TEE-nyul) – joint conjugal fund
• Uí Néill (oy NAYLZ) – one of the most powerful clans of medieval Ireland
• Ulster (UHL-stur) – Anglicized name for a kingdom in northeast Ireland

Main Sources

Ambient Mixer. “A Lively Night at the Tavern.” Ambient Mixer. (Audio Clip). Used under CC license. Downloaded Dec. 18, 2016, from: http://rpg.ambient-mixer.com/bustling-tavern

Barrett, C. (2006). “Early Gaelic Dress: An Introduction.” Downloaded Nov. 18, 2016, from: http://coblaith.net/EarlyGaelicDress/EarlyGaelicDress12bw.pdf

Dwyer, F. (2010-2017). Irish History Podcast.

Dwyer, F. (2013). Witches, Spies and Stockholm Syndrome: Life in Medieval Ireland. Dublin: New Island.

Kenny, G. (2013). “Anglo-Irish and Gaelic Marriage Laws and Traditions in Late Medieval Ireland.” Journal of Medieval History, 32(1): 27-42.

Kinsella, T. (1969). The Tain Bo Cuailnge. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mallory, J. P. (1992). Aspects of the Tain. Belfast: December Publications.

MacCulloch, J. A. (1911). The Religion of the Ancient Celts. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.

O’Connor, R. (2013). The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel: Kingship and Narrative Artistry in a Medieval Irish Saga. Oxford: University Press.

O’Leary, P. (1988). “Honour-bound: The Social Context of Early Irish Heroic Geis.” Celtica, 20: 85-107.

Patterson, N. (1994). Cattle Lords and Clansmen. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press.

Stokes, W. (1862). Three Irish Glossaries. London: Williams and Norgate.

Wyatt, D. R. (2009). Slaves and Warriors in Medieval Britain and Ireland: 800-1200. Boston: Brill.

We’re trying something new here on Dead Ideas. We have a sizeable back-catalog of episodes, many of which new listeners may never have heard, and which long-time listeners may have forgotten. So, we’re reprising classic episodes that are among the best of the best.

One of my personal favorites is the finale episode from our cuneiform series. It’s a mash-up juxtaposing the story of the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh with the cyberpunk feel of the thriller Ghost in the Shell.

See, one of the things I loved about studying the Sumerians, world’s oldest known city-building culture, is how surprisingly modern they feel. Thanks to the preservation of cuneiform tablets, we know more about them than, say, the Vikings or the Mongols. We even have their letters, giving us their most intimate thoughts and feelings, and that makes them feel strikingly recent – hence the futuristic cyberpunk elements. If you want more on the history of the Sumerians, by all means go back and listen to our full cuneiform series, which still stands as one of our best, but today’s episode stands on its own as a complete self-contained story. The oldest of the old meets the newest of the new in this Cyber-Sumerian retelling of the world’s most ancient epic. Enjoy.

Featuring a haunting soundtrack by Belgian industrial band Militia.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Co-hosts: Andre Solo

Time/place: Composed in final form in Ancient Mesopotamia, c. 1100 BCE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

Ghost in the Shell, directed by Mamoru Oshii, 1995

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

When was the last time you put a city to the sword? It’s not something we do much anymore today. Yet there was a day and age when it was quite normal to slaughter every last man, woman, and child in a captured city. Neil Eckart of the podcast War and Conquest returns to the show today to talk about Julius Caesar’s slaughter of the Gallic city of Avaricum.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Avaricum, Gaul, 52 BCE

Dead Idea: Putting Cities to the Sword

Main Sources

Caesar, J. (1982). The Conquest of Gaul. London: Penguin.

Grossman, D. (2009/1995). On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. New York: Back Bay Books.

Marlantes, K. (2011). What It Is Like to Go to War. New York: Atlantic Books Monthly.

Audio Credits

“Let’s Do It (Let’s Put That City to the Sword)” song mixed from “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)” from Piano Busker.

What will Game of Thrones be remembered for? I would argue it’s not its supposed character realism, nor it’s moral ambiguity. Rather, it will be its depiction of unusual gender identities in fantasy. No other major fantasy show that I can think of does that. In the spirit of our upcoming show the History of Sex, let’s talk about gender in Game of Thrones!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

What’s it like to make a podcast? Sam Hume of the new show Pax Britannica talks with me about all the ups and downs of podcasting. Check out Sam’s show.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

The end is nigh! Or so they’ve been saying since the year 1000 A.D. Today, Neil Eckart of the podcast War and Conquest tells us about millenarianism, the medieval idea that the world was coming to crashing halt at the end of the millennium. So, how did medieval folks party like it was 999? They went crusading! Discover the connection with the crusades in today’s episode.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Medieval Europe, c. 1000 CE

Dead Idea: Millenarianism

Main Sources

Holland, T. (2008). The Forge of Christendom: The End of Days and the Epic Rise of the West. London: Little, Brown.

Rubenstien, J. (2011). Armies of Heaven: The First Crusade and the Quest for the Apocalypse. Philadelphia, PA: Basic Books.

Last time we delved into the History of History Podcasting, and now we are giving you the full interview with none other than the host of Hardcore History, Dan Carlin.

For the rest of the full interviews, check out our Patreon feed at http://www.patreon.com/deadideaspod.

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Now that you know ancient Rome fell just shy of an industrial revolution, why not enjoy a world where Rome does industrialize? That’s Jordan Harbour’s Rome Industrial setting, which he is here to talk to us about today. Jordan is the host of Twilight Histories, an alternate history podcast you should listen to in the dark.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

The Hellenistic World, end of 3rd cen. BCE

Custom-generated map of alternate history Rome by Adam McKithern

The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, 117 CE

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Allen, R. C. (2017). The Industrial Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Arun. (2018). “10 Major Causes of the Industrial Revolution.” Learnodo-Newtonic.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://learnodo-newtonic.com/industrial-revolution-causes

Deakin, M. A. B. (1994, Mar). “Hypatia and Her Mathematics.” The American Mathematical Monthly, 101(3): 234-243.

Dzielska, M. (1995). Hypatia of Alexandria. Lyra, F., Trans. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Greene, M. (2004). “The Birth of Modern Science?” Nature.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://www.nature.com/articles/430614a

Hero of Alexandria. (1851). The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria. Woodcroft, B., Trans. Himedo.net. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/TimeLine/Wales/Steam/URochesterCollection/Hero/index-2.html

James, P., and Thorpe, N. (1994). Ancient Inventions. New York: Ballantine.

Jones, P. J. (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press.

Koyama, M. (2017). “Could Rome Have Had an Industrial Revolution?” Medium.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://medium.com/@MarkKoyama/could-rome-have-had-an-industrial-revolution-4126717370a2

Lefkowitz, M. R., and Fant, M. B. (2016). Women’s Life in Greece and Rome: A Source Book in Translation. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lowe, D. (2016). “Suspending Disbelief: Magnetic Levitation in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.” Classical Antiquity, 35(2): 247-278.

MacLeod, R., Ed. (2000). The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the Ancient World. New York: I. B. Tauris.

Miles, M. M. (2011). Cleopatra: A Sphinx Revisited. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Montserrat, D. (1996). Sex and Society in Graeco-Roman Egypt. New York: Kegan Paul International.

Mosjov, B. (2010). Alexandria Lost: From the Advent of Christianity to the Arab Conquest. London: Duckworth.

Oleson, J. P., Ed. (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World. New York: Oxford University Press.

Pollard, J. and Reid, H. (2006). The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind. New York: Viking.

Rowan-Robinson, M. (2004). “Praising Alexandrians to Excess.” PhysicsWorld.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://physicsworld.com/a/praising-alexandrians-to-excess/

Rowlandson, J., Ed. (1998). Women & Society in Greek & Roman Egypt: A Sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Russo, L. (2004). The Forgotten Revolution: How Science Was Born in 300 BC and Why It Had to Be Reborn. Levy, S., Trans. New York: Springer.

Torchinsky, J. (2012). “The Greeks Had the Technology to Build a Car in 60 A.D.” Jalopnik.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://jalopnik.com/5888188/the-greeks-had-the-technology-to-build-a-car-in-60-ad

Watts, E. J. (2010). Riot in Alexandria: Tradition and Group Dynamics in Late Antique Pagan and Christian Communities. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Wyatt, L. T. (2009). The Industrial Revolution: Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500-1900. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Success is at hand for Andre’s character Pyrrho. But it is a Pyrrhic victory, for after that we recount the history of the backward slide of science from the Roman conquest into the Middle Ages, until its final rebirth in the Renaissance and Enlightenment.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: The Hellenistic World, 201 BCE

Dead Idea: Ancient Steam Technology

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Andre’s character has one final challenge to solve. You can try your hand at solving it too. Post your solution to our Facebook page at @deadideaspod!

Challenge #3: Invent the World’s Most Accurate Water Clock

The ancient water clock known as the clepsydra measures time by the draining of water from one jar to another. However, it suffers from the problem of diminishing flow: as water drains out, water pressure decreases. This causes the water to flow more slowly, making time read slower. Your task is to come up with a new design that overcomes this problem of diminishing flow. For the Hellenistic solution, listen to the episode.

The Hellenistic World, end of 3rd cen. BCE

Custom-generated map of alternate history Rome by Adam McKithern

The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, 117 CE

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Allen, R. C. (2017). The Industrial Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Arun. (2018). “10 Major Causes of the Industrial Revolution.” Learnodo-Newtonic.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://learnodo-newtonic.com/industrial-revolution-causes

Deakin, M. A. B. (1994, Mar). “Hypatia and Her Mathematics.” The American Mathematical Monthly, 101(3): 234-243.

Dzielska, M. (1995). Hypatia of Alexandria. Lyra, F., Trans. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Greene, M. (2004). “The Birth of Modern Science?” Nature.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://www.nature.com/articles/430614a

Hero of Alexandria. (1851). The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria. Woodcroft, B., Trans. Himedo.net. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/TimeLine/Wales/Steam/URochesterCollection/Hero/index-2.html

James, P., and Thorpe, N. (1994). Ancient Inventions. New York: Ballantine.

Jones, P. J. (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press.

Koyama, M. (2017). “Could Rome Have Had an Industrial Revolution?” Medium.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://medium.com/@MarkKoyama/could-rome-have-had-an-industrial-revolution-4126717370a2

Lefkowitz, M. R., and Fant, M. B. (2016). Women’s Life in Greece and Rome: A Source Book in Translation. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lowe, D. (2016). “Suspending Disbelief: Magnetic Levitation in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.” Classical Antiquity, 35(2): 247-278.

MacLeod, R., Ed. (2000). The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the Ancient World. New York: I. B. Tauris.

Miles, M. M. (2011). Cleopatra: A Sphinx Revisited. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Montserrat, D. (1996). Sex and Society in Graeco-Roman Egypt. New York: Kegan Paul International.

Mosjov, B. (2010). Alexandria Lost: From the Advent of Christianity to the Arab Conquest. London: Duckworth.

Oleson, J. P., Ed. (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World. New York: Oxford University Press.

Pollard, J. and Reid, H. (2006). The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind. New York: Viking.

Rowan-Robinson, M. (2004). “Praising Alexandrians to Excess.” PhysicsWorld.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://physicsworld.com/a/praising-alexandrians-to-excess/

Rowlandson, J., Ed. (1998). Women & Society in Greek & Roman Egypt: A Sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Russo, L. (2004). The Forgotten Revolution: How Science Was Born in 300 BC and Why It Had to Be Reborn. Levy, S., Trans. New York: Springer.

Torchinsky, J. (2012). “The Greeks Had the Technology to Build a Car in 60 A.D.” Jalopnik.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://jalopnik.com/5888188/the-greeks-had-the-technology-to-build-a-car-in-60-ad

Watts, E. J. (2010). Riot in Alexandria: Tradition and Group Dynamics in Late Antique Pagan and Christian Communities. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Wyatt, L. T. (2009). The Industrial Revolution: Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500-1900. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Arriving at the Great Library of Alexandria, Andre’s character Pyrrho of Pergamum searches for the secret plans for the floating statue. But in order to get his hands on them, he must first solve several science and engineering challenges. Along the way, we learn a great deal about the Library of Alexandria and its marvelous discoveries.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: The Hellenistic World, 201 BCE

Dead Idea: Ancient Steam Technology

Co-host: Andre Sólo

In this episode, Andre’s character faces several science and engineering challenges. You can try your hand at solving them too. Post your solutions to our Facebook page at @deadideaspod!

Challenge #1: Invent an Ox-powered Water Lifter

An ox can walk in a circle, providing horizontal motion, but your water-lifter wheel requires vertical motion (see illustration below). Can you invent a way to make these two technologies interface? You can add whatever components you like, so long as it was available in the Hellenistic world (which includes gears, axles, pistons, cams, valves, pulleys, reduction gears, driveshafts, screws, bolts, nuts, ball bearings, floats, etc.). For the Hellenistic solution, listen to the episode.

Challenge #2: Find the Circumference of the Earth

This one’s a doozy, but Eratosthenes solved it using little more than a stick, a shadow, and some sick geometry. Can you? Use the information in the diagram below to figure out the answer. Here are the important details:

• Assume the Earth is round
• Assume the sun’s rays strike the earth in parallel lines
• The sun is directly overhead at noon on the summer solstice at Syene
• At the same moment in Alexandria, the sun casts a shadow at angle of 7 degrees ,or 1/50th of a circle
• Alexandria is 5000 stadia (about 800km/497mi) north of Syene

For the Hellenistic solution, listen to the episode.

The Hellenistic World, end of 3rd cen. BCE

Custom-generated map of alternate history Rome by Adam McKithern

The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, 117 CE

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Allen, R. C. (2017). The Industrial Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Arun. (2018). “10 Major Causes of the Industrial Revolution.” Learnodo-Newtonic.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://learnodo-newtonic.com/industrial-revolution-causes

Deakin, M. A. B. (1994, Mar). “Hypatia and Her Mathematics.” The American Mathematical Monthly, 101(3): 234-243.

Dzielska, M. (1995). Hypatia of Alexandria. Lyra, F., Trans. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Greene, M. (2004). “The Birth of Modern Science?” Nature.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://www.nature.com/articles/430614a

Hero of Alexandria. (1851). The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria. Woodcroft, B., Trans. Himedo.net. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/TimeLine/Wales/Steam/URochesterCollection/Hero/index-2.html

James, P., and Thorpe, N. (1994). Ancient Inventions. New York: Ballantine.

Jones, P. J. (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press.

Koyama, M. (2017). “Could Rome Have Had an Industrial Revolution?” Medium.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://medium.com/@MarkKoyama/could-rome-have-had-an-industrial-revolution-4126717370a2

Lefkowitz, M. R., and Fant, M. B. (2016). Women’s Life in Greece and Rome: A Source Book in Translation. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lowe, D. (2016). “Suspending Disbelief: Magnetic Levitation in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.” Classical Antiquity, 35(2): 247-278.

MacLeod, R., Ed. (2000). The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the Ancient World. New York: I. B. Tauris.

Miles, M. M. (2011). Cleopatra: A Sphinx Revisited. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Montserrat, D. (1996). Sex and Society in Graeco-Roman Egypt. New York: Kegan Paul International.

Mosjov, B. (2010). Alexandria Lost: From the Advent of Christianity to the Arab Conquest. London: Duckworth.

Oleson, J. P., Ed. (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World. New York: Oxford University Press.

Pollard, J. and Reid, H. (2006). The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind. New York: Viking.

Rowan-Robinson, M. (2004). “Praising Alexandrians to Excess.” PhysicsWorld.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://physicsworld.com/a/praising-alexandrians-to-excess/

Rowlandson, J., Ed. (1998). Women & Society in Greek & Roman Egypt: A Sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Russo, L. (2004). The Forgotten Revolution: How Science Was Born in 300 BC and Why It Had to Be Reborn. Levy, S., Trans. New York: Springer.

Torchinsky, J. (2012). “The Greeks Had the Technology to Build a Car in 60 A.D.” Jalopnik.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://jalopnik.com/5888188/the-greeks-had-the-technology-to-build-a-car-in-60-ad

Watts, E. J. (2010). Riot in Alexandria: Tradition and Group Dynamics in Late Antique Pagan and Christian Communities. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Wyatt, L. T. (2009). The Industrial Revolution: Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500-1900. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

So Roman tech was pretty surprising, but still more surprising is that all that was developed centuries earlier in the Hellenistic period. What’s up with that? Today we explore the development of Hellenistic science, then go deep into that world with a roleplay that will continue in the following episodes. Today we visit Pergamum and Rhodes, discovering all about Hellenistic learning along the way.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: The Hellenistic World, 201 BCE

Dead Idea: Ancient Steam Technology

Co-host: Andre Sólo

The Hellenistic World, end of 3rd cen. BCE

Custom-generated map of alternate history Rome by Adam McKithern

The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, 117 CE

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Allen, R. C. (2017). The Industrial Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Arun. (2018). “10 Major Causes of the Industrial Revolution.” Learnodo-Newtonic.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://learnodo-newtonic.com/industrial-revolution-causes

Deakin, M. A. B. (1994, Mar). “Hypatia and Her Mathematics.” The American Mathematical Monthly, 101(3): 234-243.

Dzielska, M. (1995). Hypatia of Alexandria. Lyra, F., Trans. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Greene, M. (2004). “The Birth of Modern Science?” Nature.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://www.nature.com/articles/430614a

Hero of Alexandria. (1851). The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria. Woodcroft, B., Trans. Himedo.net. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/TimeLine/Wales/Steam/URochesterCollection/Hero/index-2.html

James, P., and Thorpe, N. (1994). Ancient Inventions. New York: Ballantine.

Jones, P. J. (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press.

Koyama, M. (2017). “Could Rome Have Had an Industrial Revolution?” Medium.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://medium.com/@MarkKoyama/could-rome-have-had-an-industrial-revolution-4126717370a2

Lefkowitz, M. R., and Fant, M. B. (2016). Women’s Life in Greece and Rome: A Source Book in Translation. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lowe, D. (2016). “Suspending Disbelief: Magnetic Levitation in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.” Classical Antiquity, 35(2): 247-278.

MacLeod, R., Ed. (2000). The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the Ancient World. New York: I. B. Tauris.

Miles, M. M. (2011). Cleopatra: A Sphinx Revisited. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Montserrat, D. (1996). Sex and Society in Graeco-Roman Egypt. New York: Kegan Paul International.

Mosjov, B. (2010). Alexandria Lost: From the Advent of Christianity to the Arab Conquest. London: Duckworth.

Oleson, J. P., Ed. (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World. New York: Oxford University Press.

Pollard, J. and Reid, H. (2006). The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind. New York: Viking.

Rowan-Robinson, M. (2004). “Praising Alexandrians to Excess.” PhysicsWorld.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://physicsworld.com/a/praising-alexandrians-to-excess/

Rowlandson, J., Ed. (1998). Women & Society in Greek & Roman Egypt: A Sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Russo, L. (2004). The Forgotten Revolution: How Science Was Born in 300 BC and Why It Had to Be Reborn. Levy, S., Trans. New York: Springer.

Torchinsky, J. (2012). “The Greeks Had the Technology to Build a Car in 60 A.D.” Jalopnik.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://jalopnik.com/5888188/the-greeks-had-the-technology-to-build-a-car-in-60-ad

Watts, E. J. (2010). Riot in Alexandria: Tradition and Group Dynamics in Late Antique Pagan and Christian Communities. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Wyatt, L. T. (2009). The Industrial Revolution: Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500-1900. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

So why didn’t Rome undergo an industrial revolution? Today, we take a look at some of the contributing factors for 18th-century Britain and see how Rome stacks up.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: The Roman Empire, 10-70 CE

Dead Idea: Ancient Steam Technology

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Custom-generated map of alternate history Rome by Adam McKithern

The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, 117 CE

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Allen, R. C. (2017). The Industrial Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Arun. (2018). “10 Major Causes of the Industrial Revolution.” Learnodo-Newtonic.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://learnodo-newtonic.com/industrial-revolution-causes

Deakin, M. A. B. (1994, Mar). “Hypatia and Her Mathematics.” The American Mathematical Monthly, 101(3): 234-243.

Dzielska, M. (1995). Hypatia of Alexandria. Lyra, F., Trans. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Greene, M. (2004). “The Birth of Modern Science?” Nature.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://www.nature.com/articles/430614a

Hero of Alexandria. (1851). The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria. Woodcroft, B., Trans. Himedo.net. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/TimeLine/Wales/Steam/URochesterCollection/Hero/index-2.html

James, P., and Thorpe, N. (1994). Ancient Inventions. New York: Ballantine.

Jones, P. J. (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press.

Koyama, M. (2017). “Could Rome Have Had an Industrial Revolution?” Medium.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://medium.com/@MarkKoyama/could-rome-have-had-an-industrial-revolution-4126717370a2

Lefkowitz, M. R., and Fant, M. B. (2016). Women’s Life in Greece and Rome: A Source Book in Translation. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lowe, D. (2016). “Suspending Disbelief: Magnetic Levitation in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.” Classical Antiquity, 35(2): 247-278.

MacLeod, R., Ed. (2000). The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the Ancient World. New York: I. B. Tauris.

Miles, M. M. (2011). Cleopatra: A Sphinx Revisited. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Montserrat, D. (1996). Sex and Society in Graeco-Roman Egypt. New York: Kegan Paul International.

Mosjov, B. (2010). Alexandria Lost: From the Advent of Christianity to the Arab Conquest. London: Duckworth.

Oleson, J. P., Ed. (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World. New York: Oxford University Press.

Pollard, J. and Reid, H. (2006). The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind. New York: Viking.

Rowan-Robinson, M. (2004). “Praising Alexandrians to Excess.” PhysicsWorld.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://physicsworld.com/a/praising-alexandrians-to-excess/

Rowlandson, J., Ed. (1998). Women & Society in Greek & Roman Egypt: A Sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Russo, L. (2004). The Forgotten Revolution: How Science Was Born in 300 BC and Why It Had to Be Reborn. Levy, S., Trans. New York: Springer.

Torchinsky, J. (2012). “The Greeks Had the Technology to Build a Car in 60 A.D.” Jalopnik.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://jalopnik.com/5888188/the-greeks-had-the-technology-to-build-a-car-in-60-ad

Watts, E. J. (2010). Riot in Alexandria: Tradition and Group Dynamics in Late Antique Pagan and Christian Communities. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Wyatt, L. T. (2009). The Industrial Revolution: Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500-1900. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

For our final series, we’re doing the steam technology of the ancient world that died and had to be resurrected in 18th-century Europe. How close was Rome to being able to construct a working steam locomotive? That may sound silly, but you won’t think so after this episode!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Custom map of Rome by Adam McKithern. Music by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: The Roman Empire, 10-70 CE

Dead Idea: Ancient Steam Technology

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Custom-generated map of alternate history Rome by Adam McKithern

The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, 117 CE

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Allen, R. C. (2017). The Industrial Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Arun. (2018). “10 Major Causes of the Industrial Revolution.” Learnodo-Newtonic.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://learnodo-newtonic.com/industrial-revolution-causes

Deakin, M. A. B. (1994, Mar). “Hypatia and Her Mathematics.” The American Mathematical Monthly, 101(3): 234-243.

Dzielska, M. (1995). Hypatia of Alexandria. Lyra, F., Trans. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Gibbs, P., and Geim, A. (1997, Mar). “Is Magnetic Levitation Possible?” Physics FAQ. Retrieved Dec. 4, 2018, from: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/Levitation/levitation.html

Greene, M. (2004). “The Birth of Modern Science?” Nature.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://www.nature.com/articles/430614a

Hero of Alexandria. (1851). The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria. Woodcroft, B., Trans. Himedo.net. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/TimeLine/Wales/Steam/URochesterCollection/Hero/index-2.html

James, P., and Thorpe, N. (1994). Ancient Inventions. New York: Ballantine.

Jones, P. J. (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press.

Koyama, M. (2017). “Could Rome Have Had an Industrial Revolution?” Medium.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://medium.com/@MarkKoyama/could-rome-have-had-an-industrial-revolution-4126717370a2

Lefkowitz, M. R., and Fant, M. B. (2016). Women’s Life in Greece and Rome: A Source Book in Translation. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Lowe, D. (2016). “Suspending Disbelief: Magnetic Levitation in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.” Classical Antiquity, 35(2): 247-278.

MacLeod, R., Ed. (2000). The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the Ancient World. New York: I. B. Tauris.

Miles, M. M. (2011). Cleopatra: A Sphinx Revisited. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Montserrat, D. (1996). Sex and Society in Graeco-Roman Egypt. New York: Kegan Paul International.

Mosjov, B. (2010). Alexandria Lost: From the Advent of Christianity to the Arab Conquest. London: Duckworth.

Oleson, J. P., Ed. (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World. New York: Oxford University Press.

Pollard, J. and Reid, H. (2006). The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind. New York: Viking.

Rowan-Robinson, M. (2004). “Praising Alexandrians to Excess.” PhysicsWorld.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://physicsworld.com/a/praising-alexandrians-to-excess/

Rowlandson, J., Ed. (1998). Women & Society in Greek & Roman Egypt: A Sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Russo, L. (2004). The Forgotten Revolution: How Science Was Born in 300 BC and Why It Had to Be Reborn. Levy, S., Trans. New York: Springer.

Torchinsky, J. (2012). “The Greeks Had the Technology to Build a Car in 60 A.D.” Jalopnik.com. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2018, from: https://jalopnik.com/5888188/the-greeks-had-the-technology-to-build-a-car-in-60-ad

Watts, E. J. (2010). Riot in Alexandria: Tradition and Group Dynamics in Late Antique Pagan and Christian Communities. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Wyatt, L. T. (2009). The Industrial Revolution: Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500-1900. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Is the surface of Mars criss-crossed by lines so long and straight they can only be constructions of an advanced alien civilization? Many astronomers in the late 19th and early 20th century thought so. Join us in this jaunt into the frailty of human perception.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: United States, 1894-1906 CE

Dead Idea: The Canals of Mars

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Click to view slideshow.

Color Plate III from Lowell’s 1906 Mars and Its Canals

Plate VII from Lowell’s 1895 Mars

First photographs of Mars, 1905 – Lowell claims to see up to 38 canals and one double canal in these photographs. Can you?

Modern Enhanced Photograph of Mars

Illustrations from Evans and Maunder’s Greenwich schoolboys experiment

Main Sources

Evans, J. E., and Maunder, E. W. (1903). “Experiments as to the Actuality of the ‘Canals’ Observed on Mars.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 43: 488-499.

Hyde, D., Veiller, A., and Horner, H. (1952). Red Planet Mars [Motion Picture]. USA: Mellaby Pictures. Retrieved Aug 29, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OXYLCVUaCc

Lowell, P. (1895). Mars. New York: Houghton, Mifflin, and Co.

Lowell, P. (1906). Mars and Its Canals. Norwood, MA: Norwood Press.

Lowell, P. (1908). Mars as the Abode of Life. New York: MacMillan.

McGinty, M. J. (2016). Canals on Mars: Lowell Revisited. Amazon Digital Services LLC (self-published).

Sagan, C., and Fox, P. (1975, August). “The Canals of Mars: An Assessment After Mariner 9.” Icarus 25(4): 602-612.

Wallace, A. R. (1907). Is Mars Habitable?: A Critical Examination of Professor Lowell’s Book “Mars and Its Canals”, With an Alternative Explanation. London: MacMillan.

In the early 20th century, the word “vampire” was used to mean something quite different: a female sexual predator. And no one struck more fear into the hearts of men than cinema’s first sex symbol, silent film actress Theda Bara. Happy Halloween.

Featuring piano music by Kevin MacLeod, used by Creative Commons License Attribution 3.0.

Be sure to support us on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Theme music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Find pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: America, 1897 – c. 1926 CE

Dead Idea: “Vampire” as Female Sexual Predator

Click to view slideshow.

The Vampire

By Rudyard Kipling, 1897

A fool there was and he made his prayer

(Even as you or I!)

To a rag and a bone and a hank of hair,

(We called her the woman who did not care),

But the fool he called her his lady fair—

(Even as you or I!)

Oh, the years we waste and the tears we waste,

And the work of our head and hand

Belong to the woman who did not know

(And now we know that she never could know)

And did not understand!

A fool there was and his goods he spent,

(Even as you or I!)

Honour and faith and a sure intent

(And it wasn’t the least what the lady meant),

But a fool must follow his natural bent

(Even as you or I!)

Oh, the toil we lost and the spoil we lost

And the excellent things we planned

Belong to the woman who didn’t know why

(And now we know that she never knew why)

And did not understand!

The fool was stripped to his foolish hide,

(Even as you or I!)

Which she might have seen when she threw him aside—

(But it isn’t on record the lady tried)

So some of him lived but the most of him died—

(Even as you or I!)

And it isn’t the shame and it isn’t the blame

That stings like a white-hot brand—

It’s coming to know that she never knew why

(Seeing, at last, she could never know why)

And never could understand!

The Vampire (From a woman’s point of view. With apologies to Rudyard Kipling.)

By Mary C. Low, 1899

A woman there was who heard’a prayer,

(Even as you and I!)

From flesh and bones and a lock of hair

(He called her the woman beyond coiflpare),

But he only used her to lighten his care,

(Even as you and I!)

Oh, the walks we had and the talks we had.

And the best of our heart and hand.

Were sought by the man who pretended to care,

He didn’t—but why he pretended to care.

We cannot understand.

A woman received the flowers he sent,

(Even as you and I)

Honour and faith she thought his intent,

(But God only knows what the gentleman meant).

Yet a man must follow his natural bent,

(Even as you and I!)

Oh, the vows we spoke and the vows we broke.

And the various things we planned.

Belong to the man who said he was true,

(But now we know that he never was true)

And we cannot understand.

One favour she asked—but it was denied,

(Even as you and I!)

In some way or other he might have replied,

(But it isn’t on record the gentleman tried).

Her faith in him faltered and finally died,

(Even as you and I!)

And it isn’t the shame and it isn’t the blame.

That stings like a white hot brand.

I t ‘ s coming to know he would never say why.

Seeing at last she could never know why.

And never could understand.

Main Sources

Bara. T. (1919, Jun.). “How I Became a Film Vampire.” The Forum: 715-727. Retrieved Oct. 27, 2018, from: http://www.unz.com/print/Forum-1919jun-00715/

Bara, T. (1919, Jul.). “The Curse on the Moving-Picture Actress.” The Forum: 83-93. Retrieved Oct. 27, 2018, from: http://www.unz.com/print/Forum-1919jul-00083/

Kipling, R. (1897). “The Vampire.” Pamphlet.

Low, M. (1899, Mar.). “The Vampire: From a Woman’s Point of View, With Apologies to Rudyard Kipling.” The Bookman: 61. Retrieved Oct. 27, 2018, from: http://www.unz.com/print/Bookman-1899mar-00061/

MacLeod, K. (2014). “Silent Film Score Compilation – Old Times.” Youtube.com. Licensed under Creative Commons By Attribution 3.0 License. Retrieved Oct. 28, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ-Su4utvm8

“Vampire.” (2018). Mirriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved Oct. 27, 2018, from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vampire

Today, we’re talking Vikings in Byzantium with special guest Robin Pierson of the History of Byzantium podcast. What were these big-bearded warriors doing standing next to beardless eunuchs? And why were both Vikings and eunuchs entrusted with such important positions?

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Byzantine Empire, 324-1453 BCE

Dead Idea: Court Eunuchs

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Agathias. “The Histories.” Translated by Walter de Grutyer, 1975.
Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=Wp92bUzuMoQC&q

Berger, A., Ed. & Trans. (2013). Accounts of medieval Constantinople: The Patria. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Blöndel, S. (1978). The Varangians of Byzantium. Benedikz, B. S., Trans. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Browning, Robert. Justinian and Theodora. Praeger Publishers, 1971.

Evagrius Scholasticus. “Ecclesiastical History, Book Four”. Translated
by E. Walford, 1846.
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/evagrius_4_book4.htm

Kaldellis, A. (2017). A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Norwich, John Julius. A Short History of Byzantium. Vintage Books, 1999.

Procopius. The Secret History. Translated by G.A. Williamson and Peter
Sarris. Penguin Classics, 2007.

Procopius. History of the Wars, Books I-II and VII-VIII. Translated
into English by H.B. Dewing. Harvard University Press, 1996.

Ringrose, K. (2003). The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rosen, William. Justinian’s Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of
Europe. Viking, 2007.

Rowland, M. R. (2014). “Eunuchs and Sex: Beyond Sexual Dichotomy in the Roman World.” Dissertation. University of Missouri-Colombia.

Tougher, S. (2008). The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society. New York: Routledge.

What can the sex lives of Byzantines tell us about court eunuchs? Find out today in these sizzling chariot-cab confessions.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Byzantine Empire, 324-1453 BCE

Dead Idea: Court Eunuchs

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Agathias. “The Histories.” Translated by Walter de Grutyer, 1975.
Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=Wp92bUzuMoQC&q

Berger, A., Ed. & Trans. (2013). Accounts of medieval Constantinople: The Patria. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Blöndel, S. (1978). The Varangians of Byzantium. Benedikz, B. S., Trans. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Browning, Robert. Justinian and Theodora. Praeger Publishers, 1971.

Evagrius Scholasticus. “Ecclesiastical History, Book Four”. Translated
by E. Walford, 1846.
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/evagrius_4_book4.htm

Kaldellis, A. (2017). A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Norwich, John Julius. A Short History of Byzantium. Vintage Books, 1999.

Procopius. The Secret History. Translated by G.A. Williamson and Peter
Sarris. Penguin Classics, 2007.

Procopius. History of the Wars, Books I-II and VII-VIII. Translated
into English by H.B. Dewing. Harvard University Press, 1996.

Ringrose, K. (2003). The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rosen, William. Justinian’s Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of
Europe. Viking, 2007.

Rowland, M. R. (2014). “Eunuchs and Sex: Beyond Sexual Dichotomy in the Roman World.” Dissertation. University of Missouri-Colombia.

Tougher, S. (2008). The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society. New York: Routledge.

How awkward is it for the Roman Empire to not control Rome? Uh, yeah, this cannot stand. Anna’s back today to finish the story of eunuch general Narses, as he completes Justinian’s reconquest of the Eternal City!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Byzantine Empire, 324-1453 BCE

Dead Idea: Court Eunuchs

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Agathias. “The Histories.” Translated by Walter de Grutyer, 1975.
Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=Wp92bUzuMoQC&q

Berger, A., Ed. & Trans. (2013). Accounts of medieval Constantinople: The Patria. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Blöndel, S. (1978). The Varangians of Byzantium. Benedikz, B. S., Trans. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Browning, Robert. Justinian and Theodora. Praeger Publishers, 1971.

Evagrius Scholasticus. “Ecclesiastical History, Book Four”. Translated
by E. Walford, 1846.
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/evagrius_4_book4.htm

Kaldellis, A. (2017). A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Norwich, John Julius. A Short History of Byzantium. Vintage Books, 1999.

Procopius. The Secret History. Translated by G.A. Williamson and Peter
Sarris. Penguin Classics, 2007.

Procopius. History of the Wars, Books I-II and VII-VIII. Translated
into English by H.B. Dewing. Harvard University Press, 1996.

Ringrose, K. (2003). The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rosen, William. Justinian’s Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of
Europe. Viking, 2007.

Rowland, M. R. (2014). “Eunuchs and Sex: Beyond Sexual Dichotomy in the Roman World.” Dissertation. University of Missouri-Colombia.

Tougher, S. (2008). The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society. New York: Routledge.

Today, Anna takes the lead with the story of the eunuch general Narses! In this episode, we get an overview of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, and then we see Narses make his first appearance in quelling the infamous Nika Riots. Finally, he heads to Italy to reconquer Rome.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Byzantine Empire, 324-1453 BCE

Dead Idea: Court Eunuchs

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Agathias. “The Histories.” Translated by Walter de Grutyer, 1975.
Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=Wp92bUzuMoQC&q

Berger, A., Ed. & Trans. (2013). Accounts of medieval Constantinople: The Patria. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Blöndel, S. (1978). The Varangians of Byzantium. Benedikz, B. S., Trans. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Browning, Robert. Justinian and Theodora. Praeger Publishers, 1971.

Evagrius Scholasticus. “Ecclesiastical History, Book Four”. Translated
by E. Walford, 1846.
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/evagrius_4_book4.htm

Kaldellis, A. (2017). A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Norwich, John Julius. A Short History of Byzantium. Vintage Books, 1999.

Procopius. The Secret History. Translated by G.A. Williamson and Peter
Sarris. Penguin Classics, 2007.

Procopius. History of the Wars, Books I-II and VII-VIII. Translated
into English by H.B. Dewing. Harvard University Press, 1996.

Ringrose, K. (2003). The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rosen, William. Justinian’s Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of
Europe. Viking, 2007.

Rowland, M. R. (2014). “Eunuchs and Sex: Beyond Sexual Dichotomy in the Roman World.” Dissertation. University of Missouri-Colombia.

Tougher, S. (2008). The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society. New York: Routledge.

Happy anniversary! We’re getting cranky today with our 5 biggest peeves of history podcasting – what we consistently get annoyingly wrong. We call out our fellow podcasters, with plenty of self-deprecating humor as well. Last, we talk a little more about our upcoming new show on the history of sex.

Be sure to support us on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. http://www.deadideas.net

Did you know that Byzantine culture recognized three genders? This begins our new series on Byzantine court eunuchs, and today it’s all about different constructions of gender. That, and cutting off your junk to get ahead! Follow the spectacular rise and fall of the court eunuchs of Byzantium.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Byzantine Empire, 324-1453 BCE

Dead Idea: Court Eunuchs

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Agathias. “The Histories.” Translated by Walter de Grutyer, 1975.
Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=Wp92bUzuMoQC&q

Berger, A., Ed. & Trans. (2013). Accounts of medieval Constantinople: The Patria. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Blöndel, S. (1978). The Varangians of Byzantium. Benedikz, B. S., Trans. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Browning, Robert. Justinian and Theodora. Praeger Publishers, 1971.

Evagrius Scholasticus. “Ecclesiastical History, Book Four”. Translated
by E. Walford, 1846.
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/evagrius_4_book4.htm

Kaldellis, A. (2017). A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Norwich, John Julius. A Short History of Byzantium. Vintage Books, 1999.

Procopius. The Secret History. Translated by G.A. Williamson and Peter
Sarris. Penguin Classics, 2007.

Procopius. History of the Wars, Books I-II and VII-VIII. Translated
into English by H.B. Dewing. Harvard University Press, 1996.

Ringrose, K. (2003). The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rosen, William. Justinian’s Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of
Europe. Viking, 2007.

Rowland, M. R. (2014). “Eunuchs and Sex: Beyond Sexual Dichotomy in the Roman World.” Dissertation. University of Missouri-Colombia.

Tougher, S. (2008). The Eunuch in Byzantine History and Society. New York: Routledge.

Forget heroine chic. This is tuberculean chic! This episode, courtesy of Dig: A History Podcast, features a most peculiar fashion “look” inspired by the White Plague, i.e. tuberculosis.

For credits, show notes, and further reading see digpodcast.org.

Show your support at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod.

Dead Ideas music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Our grand finale is a saga chock full of no less than 19 berserkers, all villains. And just like the movie Suicide Squad, we’re telling it from the bad guys’ perspective. So, get ready for Suicide Swords: Berserker Battallion! With a soundtrack by Finnish composer Antti Martikainen!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

Main Sources

Bayerschmidt, C. F., and Hollander, L. M., Trans. (1955). Njal’s Saga. New York: New York University Press.

Beck, H. (1968). “Die Stanzen von Torslunda und die literarische Überlieferung.” Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2: 237-250.

Blaney, B. (1972). “The Berserkir: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature.” Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. University of Colorado.

Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Byock, J. L. (2002). “The Icelandic Althing: Dawn of Parliamentary Democracry.” In: Heritage and Identity: Shaping the Nations of the North. Ed.: Fladmark, J. M. Heyerdahl Institute and Robert Gordon University. Donhead St. Mary, Shaftesbury: Donhead.

Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

Danielli, M. (1945, June). “Initiation Ceremonial from Norse Literature.” Folklore, 56(2): 229-245.

Faoladh. (2011, May 17). “Hounds of God: The Werewolf Ritual According to Theiss.” A Wolf Man, Not a Man in Wolf’s Clothing. Retrieved June 6th, 2018, from: http://faoladh.blogspot.com/

Foote, P., and Wilson, D. M. (1990). The Viking Achievement: The Society and Culture of Early Medieval Scandinavia. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Friedman, D. (1979). “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case.” Retrieved May 5, 2018, from: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Gershenson, D. (1992). “Apollo the Wolf God.” Journal of Indo-European Monograph Series, 8. Institute for the Study of Man.

Griffith, P. (2009). The Viking Art of War. Havertown, PA: Casemate.

Grundy, S. (1998). “Shapeshifting and Berserkergang.” In: Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Höfler, O. (1934). Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen. Frankfurt: Moritz Diesterweg. 340-41.

Holman, K. (2003). Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Oxford: Scarecrow Press.

Jesch, J. (1991). Women In the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.

Konstam, A. (2002). Historical Atlas of the Viking World. New York: Thalamus Publishing.

Liberman, A. (2004). “Berserkir: A Double Legend.” Brathair 4(2): 97-101.

Miller, W. I. (1984). “Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in Medieval Iceland.” American Journal of Legal History, 28: pp. 95-134.

Pálsson, H., and Edwards, P., Trans. (1980). Göngu-Hrolf’s Saga. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Rees, O. “Going Berserk: The Psychology of the Berserkers.” Medieval Warfare, Vol. II, 9(1): 23-26.

Sanmark, A. (2017). Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Saxo Grammaticus. (1979). The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Fisher, P., Trans. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.

Somerville, A. A., and McDonald, R. A., Eds. (2010). The Viking Age: A Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Speidel, M. P. (2002). “Berserks: A History of Indo-European ‘Mad Warrors.’” Journal of World History, Vol. 13(2): 253-290.

Speidel, M. P. (2004). Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas. London: Routledge.

Stapleton, S. (2015). “Justice Done: Outlawry Crimes in Medieval Iceland.” Thesis. In: theses, Dissertations, Capstones. Marshall University.

Tolkien, C., Trans. (1960). The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Weiser, L. (1927). Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde. Bühl: Knkordia. P. 80-82.

Wilder, G. (1971). “Wondrous Boat Ride.” In: Marguiles, S., & Wolper, D. L. (Producers), & Stuart, M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Available from Wolper Pictures.

Wood, D. (2005, Oct. 1). “Book Review: Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from

Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas.” German History, 23(4):557-558.

We’re joined today by the host of the Viking Age Podcast, Lee Accomondo. Together, we’re turning back the clock to the early Viking Age today to ask: what got this whole thing started? Why leave the farms and fjords to risk life and limb on some foolish raid abroad? Why go a-Viking in the first place?

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

Main Sources

Bayerschmidt, C. F., and Hollander, L. M., Trans. (1955). Njal’s Saga. New York: New York University Press.

Beck, H. (1968). “Die Stanzen von Torslunda und die literarische Überlieferung.” Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2: 237-250.

Blaney, B. (1972). “The Berserkir: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature.” Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. University of Colorado.

Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Byock, J. L. (2002). “The Icelandic Althing: Dawn of Parliamentary Democracry.” In: Heritage and Identity: Shaping the Nations of the North. Ed.: Fladmark, J. M. Heyerdahl Institute and Robert Gordon University. Donhead St. Mary, Shaftesbury: Donhead.

Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

Danielli, M. (1945, June). “Initiation Ceremonial from Norse Literature.” Folklore, 56(2): 229-245.

Faoladh. (2011, May 17). “Hounds of God: The Werewolf Ritual According to Theiss.” A Wolf Man, Not a Man in Wolf’s Clothing. Retrieved June 6th, 2018, from: http://faoladh.blogspot.com/

Foote, P., and Wilson, D. M. (1990). The Viking Achievement: The Society and Culture of Early Medieval Scandinavia. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Friedman, D. (1979). “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case.” Retrieved May 5, 2018, from: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Gershenson, D. (1992). “Apollo the Wolf God.” Journal of Indo-European Monograph Series, 8. Institute for the Study of Man.

Griffith, P. (2009). The Viking Art of War. Havertown, PA: Casemate.

Grundy, S. (1998). “Shapeshifting and Berserkergang.” In: Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Höfler, O. (1934). Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen. Frankfurt: Moritz Diesterweg. 340-41.

Holman, K. (2003). Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Oxford: Scarecrow Press.

Jesch, J. (1991). Women In the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.

Konstam, A. (2002). Historical Atlas of the Viking World. New York: Thalamus Publishing.

Liberman, A. (2004). “Berserkir: A Double Legend.” Brathair 4(2): 97-101.

Miller, W. I. (1984). “Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in Medieval Iceland.” American Journal of Legal History, 28: pp. 95-134.

Pálsson, H., and Edwards, P., Trans. (1980). Göngu-Hrolf’s Saga. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Rees, O. “Going Berserk: The Psychology of the Berserkers.” Medieval Warfare, Vol. II, 9(1): 23-26.

Sanmark, A. (2017). Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Saxo Grammaticus. (1979). The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Fisher, P., Trans. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.

Somerville, A. A., and McDonald, R. A., Eds. (2010). The Viking Age: A Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Speidel, M. P. (2002). “Berserks: A History of Indo-European ‘Mad Warrors.’” Journal of World History, Vol. 13(2): 253-290.

Speidel, M. P. (2004). Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas. London: Routledge.

Stapleton, S. (2015). “Justice Done: Outlawry Crimes in Medieval Iceland.” Thesis. In: theses, Dissertations, Capstones. Marshall University.

Tolkien, C., Trans. (1960). The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Weiser, L. (1927). Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde. Bühl: Knkordia. P. 80-82.

Wilder, G. (1971). “Wondrous Boat Ride.” In: Marguiles, S., & Wolper, D. L. (Producers), & Stuart, M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Available from Wolper Pictures.

Wood, D. (2005, Oct. 1). “Book Review: Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from

Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas.” German History, 23(4):557-558.

We go down the rabbit hole today as we explore the possible deep origins of berserkers in initiatory cults and Indo-European wolf traditions. Buckle in – it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Special thanks to Faoladh for pointing us at some of the more obscure connections between medieval werewolves and ancient wolf warrior cults. www.faoladh.blogspot.com/

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

Main Sources

Bayerschmidt, C. F., and Hollander, L. M., Trans. (1955). Njal’s Saga. New York: New York University Press.

Beck, H. (1968). “Die Stanzen von Torslunda und die literarische Überlieferung.” Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2: 237-250.

Blaney, B. (1972). “The Berserkir: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature.” Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. University of Colorado.

Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Byock, J. L. (2002). “The Icelandic Althing: Dawn of Parliamentary Democracry.” In: Heritage and Identity: Shaping the Nations of the North. Ed.: Fladmark, J. M. Heyerdahl Institute and Robert Gordon University. Donhead St. Mary, Shaftesbury: Donhead.

Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

Danielli, M. (1945, June). “Initiation Ceremonial from Norse Literature.” Folklore, 56(2): 229-245.

Faoladh. (2011, May 17). “Hounds of God: The Werewolf Ritual According to Theiss.” A Wolf Man, Not a Man in Wolf’s Clothing. Retrieved June 6th, 2018, from: http://faoladh.blogspot.com/

Foote, P., and Wilson, D. M. (1990). The Viking Achievement: The Society and Culture of Early Medieval Scandinavia. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Friedman, D. (1979). “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case.” Retrieved May 5, 2018, from: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Gershenson, D. (1992). “Apollo the Wolf God.” Journal of Indo-European Monograph Series, 8. Institute for the Study of Man.

Griffith, P. (2009). The Viking Art of War. Havertown, PA: Casemate.

Grundy, S. (1998). “Shapeshifting and Berserkergang.” In: Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Höfler, O. (1934). Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen. Frankfurt: Moritz Diesterweg. 340-41.

Holman, K. (2003). Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Oxford: Scarecrow Press.

Jesch, J. (1991). Women In the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.

Konstam, A. (2002). Historical Atlas of the Viking World. New York: Thalamus Publishing.

Liberman, A. (2004). “Berserkir: A Double Legend.” Brathair 4(2): 97-101.

Miller, W. I. (1984). “Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in Medieval Iceland.” American Journal of Legal History, 28: pp. 95-134.

Pálsson, H., and Edwards, P., Trans. (1980). Göngu-Hrolf’s Saga. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Rees, O. “Going Berserk: The Psychology of the Berserkers.” Medieval Warfare, Vol. II, 9(1): 23-26.

Sanmark, A. (2017). Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Saxo Grammaticus. (1979). The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Fisher, P., Trans. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.

Somerville, A. A., and McDonald, R. A., Eds. (2010). The Viking Age: A Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Speidel, M. P. (2002). “Berserks: A History of Indo-European ‘Mad Warrors.’” Journal of World History, Vol. 13(2): 253-290.

Speidel, M. P. (2004). Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas. London: Routledge.

Stapleton, S. (2015). “Justice Done: Outlawry Crimes in Medieval Iceland.” Thesis. In: theses, Dissertations, Capstones. Marshall University.

Tolkien, C., Trans. (1960). The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Weiser, L. (1927). Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde. Bühl: Knkordia. P. 80-82.

Wilder, G. (1971). “Wondrous Boat Ride.” In: Marguiles, S., & Wolper, D. L. (Producers), & Stuart, M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Available from Wolper Pictures.

Wood, D. (2005, Oct. 1). “Book Review: Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from

Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas.” German History, 23(4):557-558.

We’re continuing to explore the Viking world, and today we ask: did Viking women really fight? Were they truly badass?

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

Main Sources

Bayerschmidt, C. F., and Hollander, L. M., Trans. (1955). Njal’s Saga. New York: New York University Press.

Beck, H. (1968). “Die Stanzen von Torslunda und die literarische Überlieferung.” Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2: 237-250.

Blaney, B. (1972). “The Berserkir: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature.” Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. University of Colorado.

Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Byock, J. L. (2002). “The Icelandic Althing: Dawn of Parliamentary Democracry.” In: Heritage and Identity: Shaping the Nations of the North. Ed.: Fladmark, J. M. Heyerdahl Institute and Robert Gordon University. Donhead St. Mary, Shaftesbury: Donhead.

Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

Danielli, M. (1945, June). “Initiation Ceremonial from Norse Literature.” Folklore, 56(2): 229-245.

Faoladh. (2011, May 17). “Hounds of God: The Werewolf Ritual According to Theiss.” A Wolf Man, Not a Man in Wolf’s Clothing. Retrieved June 6th, 2018, from: http://faoladh.blogspot.com/

Foote, P., and Wilson, D. M. (1990). The Viking Achievement: The Society and Culture of Early Medieval Scandinavia. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Friedman, D. (1979). “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case.” Retrieved May 5, 2018, from: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Gershenson, D. (1992). “Apollo the Wolf God.” Journal of Indo-European Monograph Series, 8. Institute for the Study of Man.

Griffith, P. (2009). The Viking Art of War. Havertown, PA: Casemate.

Grundy, S. (1998). “Shapeshifting and Berserkergang.” In: Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Höfler, O. (1934). Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen. Frankfurt: Moritz Diesterweg. 340-41.

Holman, K. (2003). Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Oxford: Scarecrow Press.

Jesch, J. (1991). Women In the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.

Konstam, A. (2002). Historical Atlas of the Viking World. New York: Thalamus Publishing.

Liberman, A. (2004). “Berserkir: A Double Legend.” Brathair 4(2): 97-101.

Miller, W. I. (1984). “Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in Medieval Iceland.” American Journal of Legal History, 28: pp. 95-134.

Pálsson, H., and Edwards, P., Trans. (1980). Göngu-Hrolf’s Saga. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Rees, O. “Going Berserk: The Psychology of the Berserkers.” Medieval Warfare, Vol. II, 9(1): 23-26.

Sanmark, A. (2017). Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Saxo Grammaticus. (1979). The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Fisher, P., Trans. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.

Somerville, A. A., and McDonald, R. A., Eds. (2010). The Viking Age: A Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Speidel, M. P. (2002). “Berserks: A History of Indo-European ‘Mad Warrors.’” Journal of World History, Vol. 13(2): 253-290.

Speidel, M. P. (2004). Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas. London: Routledge.

Stapleton, S. (2015). “Justice Done: Outlawry Crimes in Medieval Iceland.” Thesis. In: theses, Dissertations, Capstones. Marshall University.

Tolkien, C., Trans. (1960). The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Weiser, L. (1927). Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde. Bühl: Knkordia. P. 80-82.

Wilder, G. (1971). “Wondrous Boat Ride.” In: Marguiles, S., & Wolper, D. L. (Producers), & Stuart, M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Available from Wolper Pictures.

Wood, D. (2005, Oct. 1). “Book Review: Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from

Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas.” German History, 23(4):557-558.

Andre’s character Snorri Ankle-grabber shows up at the Althing, the greatest assembly of Iceland, and attempts to convict his stepfather for manslaughter. Will this game of law devolve into a violent duel? Find out today on… Berserker Court!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

Main Sources

Bayerschmidt, C. F., and Hollander, L. M., Trans. (1955). Njal’s Saga. New York: New York University Press.

Beck, H. (1968). “Die Stanzen von Torslunda und die literarische Überlieferung.” Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2: 237-250.

Blaney, B. (1972). “The Berserkir: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature.” Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. University of Colorado.

Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Byock, J. L. (2002). “The Icelandic Althing: Dawn of Parliamentary Democracry.” In: Heritage and Identity: Shaping the Nations of the North. Ed.: Fladmark, J. M. Heyerdahl Institute and Robert Gordon University. Donhead St. Mary, Shaftesbury: Donhead.

Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

Danielli, M. (1945, June). “Initiation Ceremonial from Norse Literature.” Folklore, 56(2): 229-245.

Faoladh. (2011, May 17). “Hounds of God: The Werewolf Ritual According to Theiss.” A Wolf Man, Not a Man in Wolf’s Clothing. Retrieved June 6th, 2018, from: http://faoladh.blogspot.com/

Foote, P., and Wilson, D. M. (1990). The Viking Achievement: The Society and Culture of Early Medieval Scandinavia. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Friedman, D. (1979). “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case.” Retrieved May 5, 2018, from: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Gershenson, D. (1992). “Apollo the Wolf God.” Journal of Indo-European Monograph Series, 8. Institute for the Study of Man.

Griffith, P. (2009). The Viking Art of War. Havertown, PA: Casemate.

Grundy, S. (1998). “Shapeshifting and Berserkergang.” In: Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Höfler, O. (1934). Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen. Frankfurt: Moritz Diesterweg. 340-41.

Holman, K. (2003). Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Oxford: Scarecrow Press.

Jesch, J. (1991). Women In the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.

Konstam, A. (2002). Historical Atlas of the Viking World. New York: Thalamus Publishing.

Liberman, A. (2004). “Berserkir: A Double Legend.” Brathair 4(2): 97-101.

Miller, W. I. (1984). “Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in Medieval Iceland.” American Journal of Legal History, 28: pp. 95-134.

Pálsson, H., and Edwards, P., Trans. (1980). Göngu-Hrolf’s Saga. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Rees, O. “Going Berserk: The Psychology of the Berserkers.” Medieval Warfare, Vol. II, 9(1): 23-26.

Sanmark, A. (2017). Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Saxo Grammaticus. (1979). The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Fisher, P., Trans. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.

Somerville, A. A., and McDonald, R. A., Eds. (2010). The Viking Age: A Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Speidel, M. P. (2002). “Berserks: A History of Indo-European ‘Mad Warrors.’” Journal of World History, Vol. 13(2): 253-290.

Speidel, M. P. (2004). Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas. London: Routledge.

Stapleton, S. (2015). “Justice Done: Outlawry Crimes in Medieval Iceland.” Thesis. In: theses, Dissertations, Capstones. Marshall University.

Tolkien, C., Trans. (1960). The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Weiser, L. (1927). Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde. Bühl: Knkordia. P. 80-82.

Wilder, G. (1971). “Wondrous Boat Ride.” In: Marguiles, S., & Wolper, D. L. (Producers), & Stuart, M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Available from Wolper Pictures.

Wood, D. (2005, Oct. 1). “Book Review: Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from

Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas.” German History, 23(4):557-558.

Happy Father’s Day, everybody. Today I’m telling stories of my father’s side of the family. It’s a tale of adventure, tragedy, murder, loss, and triumph. Join me as we explore what it means to try to live up to the expectations of those that have gone before you.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Click to view slideshow.

Today we experience life as a berserker in medieval Iceland on the cusp of Christianization. In this roleplaying epsidoe, Andre faces some tough choices on his road to vengeance!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

Main Sources

Bayerschmidt, C. F., and Hollander, L. M., Trans. (1955). Njal’s Saga. New York: New York University Press.

Beck, H. (1968). “Die Stanzen von Torslunda und die literarische Überlieferung.” Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2: 237-250.

Blaney, B. (1972). “The Berserkir: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature.” Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. University of Colorado.

Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Byock, J. L. (2002). “The Icelandic Althing: Dawn of Parliamentary Democracry.” In: Heritage and Identity: Shaping the Nations of the North. Ed.: Fladmark, J. M. Heyerdahl Institute and Robert Gordon University. Donhead St. Mary, Shaftesbury: Donhead.

Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

Danielli, M. (1945, June). “Initiation Ceremonial from Norse Literature.” Folklore, 56(2): 229-245.

Faoladh. (2011, May 17). “Hounds of God: The Werewolf Ritual According to Theiss.” A Wolf Man, Not a Man in Wolf’s Clothing. Retrieved June 6th, 2018, from: http://faoladh.blogspot.com/

Foote, P., and Wilson, D. M. (1990). The Viking Achievement: The Society and Culture of Early Medieval Scandinavia. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Friedman, D. (1979). “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case.” Retrieved May 5, 2018, from: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Gershenson, D. (1992). “Apollo the Wolf God.” Journal of Indo-European Monograph Series, 8. Institute for the Study of Man.

Griffith, P. (2009). The Viking Art of War. Havertown, PA: Casemate.

Grundy, S. (1998). “Shapeshifting and Berserkergang.” In: Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Höfler, O. (1934). Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen. Frankfurt: Moritz Diesterweg. 340-41.

Holman, K. (2003). Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Oxford: Scarecrow Press.

Jesch, J. (1991). Women In the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.

Konstam, A. (2002). Historical Atlas of the Viking World. New York: Thalamus Publishing.

Liberman, A. (2004). “Berserkir: A Double Legend.” Brathair 4(2): 97-101.

Miller, W. I. (1984). “Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in Medieval Iceland.” American Journal of Legal History, 28: pp. 95-134.

Pálsson, H., and Edwards, P., Trans. (1980). Göngu-Hrolf’s Saga. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Rees, O. “Going Berserk: The Psychology of the Berserkers.” Medieval Warfare, Vol. II, 9(1): 23-26.

Sanmark, A. (2017). Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Saxo Grammaticus. (1979). The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Fisher, P., Trans. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.

Somerville, A. A., and McDonald, R. A., Eds. (2010). The Viking Age: A Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Speidel, M. P. (2002). “Berserks: A History of Indo-European ‘Mad Warrors.’” Journal of World History, Vol. 13(2): 253-290.

Speidel, M. P. (2004). Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas. London: Routledge.

Stapleton, S. (2015). “Justice Done: Outlawry Crimes in Medieval Iceland.” Thesis. In: theses, Dissertations, Capstones. Marshall University.

Tolkien, C., Trans. (1960). The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Weiser, L. (1927). Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde. Bühl: Knkordia. P. 80-82.

Wilder, G. (1971). “Wondrous Boat Ride.” In: Marguiles, S., & Wolper, D. L. (Producers), & Stuart, M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Available from Wolper Pictures.

Wood, D. (2005, Oct. 1). “Book Review: Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from

Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas.” German History, 23(4):557-558.

Today we explore the Viking world of the berserkers, from the Rus to Scandinavia and Iceland, covering everything from longship warfare to romance with dubious queens.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

Main Sources

Bayerschmidt, C. F., and Hollander, L. M., Trans. (1955). Njal’s Saga. New York: New York University Press.

Beck, H. (1968). “Die Stanzen von Torslunda und die literarische Überlieferung.” Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2: 237-250.

Blaney, B. (1972). “The Berserkir: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature.” Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. University of Colorado.

Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Byock, J. L. (2002). “The Icelandic Althing: Dawn of Parliamentary Democracry.” In: Heritage and Identity: Shaping the Nations of the North. Ed.: Fladmark, J. M. Heyerdahl Institute and Robert Gordon University. Donhead St. Mary, Shaftesbury: Donhead.

Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

Danielli, M. (1945, June). “Initiation Ceremonial from Norse Literature.” Folklore, 56(2): 229-245.

Faoladh. (2011, May 17). “Hounds of God: The Werewolf Ritual According to Theiss.” A Wolf Man, Not a Man in Wolf’s Clothing. Retrieved June 6th, 2018, from: http://faoladh.blogspot.com/

Foote, P., and Wilson, D. M. (1990). The Viking Achievement: The Society and Culture of Early Medieval Scandinavia. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Friedman, D. (1979). “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case.” Retrieved May 5, 2018, from: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Gershenson, D. (1992). “Apollo the Wolf God.” Journal of Indo-European Monograph Series, 8. Institute for the Study of Man.

Griffith, P. (2009). The Viking Art of War. Havertown, PA: Casemate.

Grundy, S. (1998). “Shapeshifting and Berserkergang.” In: Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Höfler, O. (1934). Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen. Frankfurt: Moritz Diesterweg. 340-41.

Holman, K. (2003). Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Oxford: Scarecrow Press.

Jesch, J. (1991). Women In the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.

Konstam, A. (2002). Historical Atlas of the Viking World. New York: Thalamus Publishing.

Liberman, A. (2004). “Berserkir: A Double Legend.” Brathair 4(2): 97-101.

Miller, W. I. (1984). “Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in Medieval Iceland.” American Journal of Legal History, 28: pp. 95-134.

Pálsson, H., and Edwards, P., Trans. (1980). Göngu-Hrolf’s Saga. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Rees, O. “Going Berserk: The Psychology of the Berserkers.” Medieval Warfare, Vol. II, 9(1): 23-26.

Sanmark, A. (2017). Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Saxo Grammaticus. (1979). The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Fisher, P., Trans. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.

Somerville, A. A., and McDonald, R. A., Eds. (2010). The Viking Age: A Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Speidel, M. P. (2002). “Berserks: A History of Indo-European ‘Mad Warrors.’” Journal of World History, Vol. 13(2): 253-290.

Speidel, M. P. (2004). Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas. London: Routledge.

Stapleton, S. (2015). “Justice Done: Outlawry Crimes in Medieval Iceland.” Thesis. In: theses, Dissertations, Capstones. Marshall University.

Tolkien, C., Trans. (1960). The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Weiser, L. (1927). Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde. Bühl: Knkordia. P. 80-82.

Wilder, G. (1971). “Wondrous Boat Ride.” In: Marguiles, S., & Wolper, D. L. (Producers), & Stuart, M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Available from Wolper Pictures.

Wood, D. (2005, Oct. 1). “Book Review: Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from

Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas.” German History, 23(4):557-558.

They were the howling, shield-biting badasses of the Viking Age! Who were these frightening fighters? What were they really like? We’re exploring all that and more in our new epic series on Viking berserkers!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

Main Sources

Bayerschmidt, C. F., and Hollander, L. M., Trans. (1955). Njal’s Saga. New York: New York University Press.

Beck, H. (1968). “Die Stanzen von Torslunda und die literarische Überlieferung.” Frühmittelalterliche Studien, 2: 237-250.

Blaney, B. (1972). “The Berserkir: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature.” Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. University of Colorado.

Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Byock, J. L. (2002). “The Icelandic Althing: Dawn of Parliamentary Democracry.” In: Heritage and Identity: Shaping the Nations of the North. Ed.: Fladmark, J. M. Heyerdahl Institute and Robert Gordon University. Donhead St. Mary, Shaftesbury: Donhead.

Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

Danielli, M. (1945, June). “Initiation Ceremonial from Norse Literature.” Folklore, 56(2): 229-245.

Faoladh. (2011, May 17). “Hounds of God: The Werewolf Ritual According to Theiss.” A Wolf Man, Not a Man in Wolf’s Clothing. Retrieved June 6th, 2018, from: http://faoladh.blogspot.com/

Foote, P., and Wilson, D. M. (1990). The Viking Achievement: The Society and Culture of Early Medieval Scandinavia. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Friedman, D. (1979). “Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case.” Retrieved May 5, 2018, from: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Gershenson, D. (1992). “Apollo the Wolf God.” Journal of Indo-European Monograph Series, 8. Institute for the Study of Man.

Griffith, P. (2009). The Viking Art of War. Havertown, PA: Casemate.

Grundy, S. (1998). “Shapeshifting and Berserkergang.” In: Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Höfler, O. (1934). Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen. Frankfurt: Moritz Diesterweg. 340-41.

Holman, K. (2003). Historical Dictionary of the Vikings. Oxford: Scarecrow Press.

Jesch, J. (1991). Women In the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.

Konstam, A. (2002). Historical Atlas of the Viking World. New York: Thalamus Publishing.

Liberman, A. (2004). “Berserkir: A Double Legend.” Brathair 4(2): 97-101.

Miller, W. I. (1984). “Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in Medieval Iceland.” American Journal of Legal History, 28: pp. 95-134.

Pálsson, H., and Edwards, P., Trans. (1980). Göngu-Hrolf’s Saga. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Poster, C. and Utz, R., Eds. (1998). Disputatio, Vol. 3: Translation, Transformation, and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Rees, O. “Going Berserk: The Psychology of the Berserkers.” Medieval Warfare, Vol. II, 9(1): 23-26.

Sanmark, A. (2017). Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Saxo Grammaticus. (1979). The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Fisher, P., Trans. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.

Somerville, A. A., and McDonald, R. A., Eds. (2010). The Viking Age: A Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Speidel, M. P. (2002). “Berserks: A History of Indo-European ‘Mad Warrors.’” Journal of World History, Vol. 13(2): 253-290.

Speidel, M. P. (2004). Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas. London: Routledge.

Stapleton, S. (2015). “Justice Done: Outlawry Crimes in Medieval Iceland.” Thesis. In: theses, Dissertations, Capstones. Marshall University.

Tolkien, C., Trans. (1960). The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Weiser, L. (1927). Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde. Bühl: Knkordia. P. 80-82.

Wilder, G. (1971). “Wondrous Boat Ride.” In: Marguiles, S., & Wolper, D. L. (Producers), & Stuart, M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Available from Wolper Pictures.

Wood, D. (2005, Oct. 1). “Book Review: Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from

Trajan’s Column to Icelandic Sagas.” German History, 23(4):557-558.

It’s our first-ever dead fashion: the Renaissance trend of showing one boob! Believe it or not, that was an actual fashion among court ladies in France and beyond. That’s right, we’re really classing it up today. We’re talking about the topless Renaissance.

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Click to view slideshow.

References

Boileu, J. (fl. 1678). A Just and Seasonable Reprehension of Naked Breasts and Shoulders Written by a Grave and Learned Papist. Cooke, E., Trans.

“Historian Reveals Janet Jackson’s ‘Accidental’ Exposing of her Breast was the Height of Fashion in the 1600s.” (Press Release). University of Warwick. Retrieved: Apr 29, 2018, from: https://web.archive.org/web/20040803155530/http:/www.newsandevents.warwick.ac.uk/index.cfm?page=pressrelease&id=1858

McShane, A. (2004, Mar). “Revealing Mary.” History Today, 54(3). Retrieved Apr 29, 2018, from: https://www.historytoday.com/angela-jones/revealing-mary

Technocracy isn’t dead! Today we talk to a card-carrying modern technocrat, Justin Lazzara. How has the movement grown and changed? Find out with us today.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: North America, primarily 1918-1947 CE

Dead Idea: Technocracy

Co-hosts: Jon and Ingrid

Click to view slideshow.

References

Akin, W. E. (1977). Technocracy and the American Dream: The Technocrat Movement 1900-1941. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

“Automatic Robot.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Carter, J. (2011). “Adopt Technocracy Technate Design Ideas for North America.” Petition. Change.org. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.change.org/p/adopt-technocracy-technate-design-ideas-for-north-america

Hubbert, M. King. (1934). “Technocracy Study Course.” Retrieved Feb. 3, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/study-guide/

“Hydrology.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Gilcrease, C. (2018). “Is Technocracy a Dead Idea?” Technocacy, Inc. Retreived Mar. 3, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/is-technocracy-a-dead-idea/

“Mr. Deeds Goes To Town.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Peterson, A. (1980/2013). “Technocracy Full Presentation.” Youtube.com. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bqPXqYWHlE

“Science. Technocrat.” (1932, Dec. 26). Time. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,744852,00.html

Scott, H. (1933). “Technocracy: Science Vs. Chaos.” Retrieved from: https://kupdf.com/download/technocracy-howard-scott-science-vs-chaos-1933_59f20af6e2b6f5462a605522_pdf

Siefert, S., Ed. (2008). Technate Information Essay Book. (39 essays written by women). Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://archive.org/details/TechnocracyTechnateDesign.WomenEssayWriters

“Talk of the Nation.” (1933, Feb). The New Outlook. Retrieved Feb. 3, 2018, from: http://unz.org/Pub/Outlook-1933feb-00056?View=PDF&Text=technocracy

“Technocracy: Operation Columbia – (1947).” Youtube.com. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDX9dyjqimA&feature=youtu.be

Technocracy, Inc. TechnocracyInc.org. Official website. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/

“Technology Smashes the Price System.” Harpers Magazine. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://unz.org/Pub/Harpers-1933jan

The Technocrat News Magazine. (1937, Sep). Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc. Retrieved Feb. 3, from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiO0KzRq4rZAhUBX60KHaN1BBwQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2FTheTechnocrat-September1937&usg=AOvVaw3GwRrWXJQQ6bD1XuMoxmay

Waterman, J. W. (1932, Dec. 18). “Hope Discovered in Technocracy; It is Viewed as a Possible Method of Economic Salvation.” The New York Times. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03E6DD1731E633A2575BC1A9649D946394D6CF&legacy=true

“What Is Technocracy?” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

What if the Technate succeeded? Today, we indulge in a bit of alternate history, constructing a timeline where North America joins into one nation ruled by experts. Then we explore what life might be like in 2018 in that alternate timeline world.  Welcome to the Technate!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: North America, primarily 1918-1947 CE

Dead Idea: Technocracy

Co-hosts: Jon and Ingrid

Click to view slideshow.

References

Akin, W. E. (1977). Technocracy and the American Dream: The Technocrat Movement 1900-1941. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

“Automatic Robot.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Carter, J. (2011). “Adopt Technocracy Technate Design Ideas for North America.” Petition. Change.org. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.change.org/p/adopt-technocracy-technate-design-ideas-for-north-america

Hubbert, M. King. (1934). “Technocracy Study Course.” Retrieved Feb. 3, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/study-guide/

“Hydrology.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Gilcrease, C. (2018). “Is Technocracy a Dead Idea?” Technocacy, Inc. Retreived Mar. 3, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/is-technocracy-a-dead-idea/

“Mr. Deeds Goes To Town.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Peterson, A. (1980/2013). “Technocracy Full Presentation.” Youtube.com. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bqPXqYWHlE

“Science. Technocrat.” (1932, Dec. 26). Time. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,744852,00.html

Scott, H. (1933). “Technocracy: Science Vs. Chaos.” Retrieved from: https://kupdf.com/download/technocracy-howard-scott-science-vs-chaos-1933_59f20af6e2b6f5462a605522_pdf

Siefert, S., Ed. (2008). Technate Information Essay Book. (39 essays written by women). Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://archive.org/details/TechnocracyTechnateDesign.WomenEssayWriters

“Talk of the Nation.” (1933, Feb). The New Outlook. Retrieved Feb. 3, 2018, from: http://unz.org/Pub/Outlook-1933feb-00056?View=PDF&Text=technocracy

“Technocracy: Operation Columbia – (1947).” Youtube.com. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDX9dyjqimA&feature=youtu.be

Technocracy, Inc. TechnocracyInc.org. Official website. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/

“Technology Smashes the Price System.” Harpers Magazine. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://unz.org/Pub/Harpers-1933jan

The Technocrat News Magazine. (1937, Sep). Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc. Retrieved Feb. 3, from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiO0KzRq4rZAhUBX60KHaN1BBwQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2FTheTechnocrat-September1937&usg=AOvVaw3GwRrWXJQQ6bD1XuMoxmay

Waterman, J. W. (1932, Dec. 18). “Hope Discovered in Technocracy; It is Viewed as a Possible Method of Economic Salvation.” The New York Times. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03E6DD1731E633A2575BC1A9649D946394D6CF&legacy=true

“What Is Technocracy?” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

It gets snarky today with snippets of articles from a 1937 Technocratic magazine, and it gets visionary with excerpts from Harold Loeb’s visionary book Life In a Technate: What It Might Be Like.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: North America, primarily 1918-1947 CE

Dead Idea: Technocracy

Co-hosts: Jon and Ingrid

Click to view slideshow.

References

Akin, W. E. (1977). Technocracy and the American Dream: The Technocrat Movement 1900-1941. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

“Automatic Robot.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Carter, J. (2011). “Adopt Technocracy Technate Design Ideas for North America.” Petition. Change.org. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.change.org/p/adopt-technocracy-technate-design-ideas-for-north-america

Hubbert, M. King. (1934). “Technocracy Study Course.” Retrieved Feb. 3, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/study-guide/

“Hydrology.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Gilcrease, C. (2018). “Is Technocracy a Dead Idea?” Technocacy, Inc. Retreived Mar. 3, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/is-technocracy-a-dead-idea/

“Mr. Deeds Goes To Town.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Peterson, A. (1980/2013). “Technocracy Full Presentation.” Youtube.com. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bqPXqYWHlE

“Science. Technocrat.” (1932, Dec. 26). Time. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,744852,00.html

Scott, H. (1933). “Technocracy: Science Vs. Chaos.” Retrieved from: https://kupdf.com/download/technocracy-howard-scott-science-vs-chaos-1933_59f20af6e2b6f5462a605522_pdf

Siefert, S., Ed. (2008). Technate Information Essay Book. (39 essays written by women). Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://archive.org/details/TechnocracyTechnateDesign.WomenEssayWriters

“Talk of the Nation.” (1933, Feb). The New Outlook. Retrieved Feb. 3, 2018, from: http://unz.org/Pub/Outlook-1933feb-00056?View=PDF&Text=technocracy

“Technocracy: Operation Columbia – (1947).” Youtube.com. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDX9dyjqimA&feature=youtu.be

Technocracy, Inc. TechnocracyInc.org. Official website. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/

“Technology Smashes the Price System.” Harpers Magazine. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://unz.org/Pub/Harpers-1933jan

The Technocrat News Magazine. (1937, Sep). Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc. Retrieved Feb. 3, from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiO0KzRq4rZAhUBX60KHaN1BBwQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2FTheTechnocrat-September1937&usg=AOvVaw3GwRrWXJQQ6bD1XuMoxmay

Waterman, J. W. (1932, Dec. 18). “Hope Discovered in Technocracy; It is Viewed as a Possible Method of Economic Salvation.” The New York Times. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03E6DD1731E633A2575BC1A9649D946394D6CF&legacy=true

“What Is Technocracy?” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Our new series is a 1930s vision of techno-topia! It’s not only from the 30s, though – while long past its heyday, a small Technocracy movement still exists today, which only makes this all the more interesting. This movement that proposed all of North America should be one unified country governed by scientists and experts.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: North America, primarily 1918-1947 CE

Dead Idea: Technocracy

Co-hosts: Jon and Ingrid

Click to view slideshow.

References

Akin, W. E. (1977). Technocracy and the American Dream: The Technocrat Movement 1900-1941. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

“Automatic Robot.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Carter, J. (2011). “Adopt Technocracy Technate Design Ideas for North America.” Petition. Change.org. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.change.org/p/adopt-technocracy-technate-design-ideas-for-north-america

Hubbert, M. King. (1934). “Technocracy Study Course.” Retrieved Feb. 3, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/study-guide/

“Hydrology.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Gilcrease, C. (2018). “Is Technocracy a Dead Idea?” Technocacy, Inc. Retreived Mar. 3, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/is-technocracy-a-dead-idea/

“Mr. Deeds Goes To Town.” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Peterson, A. (1980/2013). “Technocracy Full Presentation.” Youtube.com. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bqPXqYWHlE

“Science. Technocrat.” (1932, Dec. 26). Time. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,744852,00.html

Scott, H. (1933). “Technocracy: Science Vs. Chaos.” Retrieved from: https://kupdf.com/download/technocracy-howard-scott-science-vs-chaos-1933_59f20af6e2b6f5462a605522_pdf

Siefert, S., Ed. (2008). Technate Information Essay Book. (39 essays written by women). Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://archive.org/details/TechnocracyTechnateDesign.WomenEssayWriters

“Talk of the Nation.” (1933, Feb). The New Outlook. Retrieved Feb. 3, 2018, from: http://unz.org/Pub/Outlook-1933feb-00056?View=PDF&Text=technocracy

“Technocracy: Operation Columbia – (1947).” Youtube.com. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDX9dyjqimA&feature=youtu.be

Technocracy, Inc. TechnocracyInc.org. Official website. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://www.technocracyinc.org/

“Technology Smashes the Price System.” Harpers Magazine. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://unz.org/Pub/Harpers-1933jan

The Technocrat News Magazine. (1937, Sep). Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc. Retrieved Feb. 3, from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiO0KzRq4rZAhUBX60KHaN1BBwQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2FTheTechnocrat-September1937&usg=AOvVaw3GwRrWXJQQ6bD1XuMoxmay

Waterman, J. W. (1932, Dec. 18). “Hope Discovered in Technocracy; It is Viewed as a Possible Method of Economic Salvation.” The New York Times. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2018, from: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03E6DD1731E633A2575BC1A9649D946394D6CF&legacy=true

“What Is Technocracy?” (1937, Sep). The Technocrat News Magazine. Los Angeles: Technocracy, Inc.

Today we put Mohist principles to the test. Andre’s character returns to his home province and is forced to face complicated challenges of family, politics, and intrigue as a newly-trained Mohist. Featuring a soundtrack by Lunar Synth.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: China, 475-221 BCE

Dead Idea: Mohism

Co-hosts: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Confucius. (1998). The Analects. Hinton, D., Trans. Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint.

Eno, R. (1990). The Confucian Creation of Heaven: The Philosophy and the Defense of Ritual Mastery. New York: State University of New York Press.

Frazer, C. (2016). The Philosophy of the Mozi: The First Consequentialists. New York: Columbia University Press.

Frazer, C. (2010). “Mohism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/mohism/

Feng, Y. (1952/1983). A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 1. Bodde, D., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Knoblock, J. and Riegel, J. (2013). Mozi: A Study and Translation of the Ethical and Political Writings. Berkely, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California Berkeley

Lee, J. (2004). Xunzi and Early Chinese Naturalism. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Lunar Synth. (2014). “Chinese Dragon.” Future City. Poland: Generator.pl

Machle, E. J. (1993). Nature and Heaven in the Xunzi: A Study of the Tian Lun. Albany, NY: University of New York Press.

Mencius. (2016). Mencius: An Online Teaching Translation. Eno, R., Trans. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2017, from: http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Mengzi.pdf

Mozi. (2010). The Mozi: A Complete Translation. Johnston, I., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Mozi. (1963). Mo Tzu: Basic Writings. Watson, B., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Xunzi. (2014). Xunzi: The Complete Text. Hutton, E. L., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Train with the Mohists! This week is a roleplaying episode in which Andre’s character experiences what life is like as a Mohist-in-training in the Warring States Era. We read snippets from the actual text of the Mozi and struggle to grasp its ideas.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

Time/place: China, 475-221 BCE

Dead Idea: Mohism

Co-hosts: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Confucius. (1998). The Analects. Hinton, D., Trans. Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint.

Eno, R. (1990). The Confucian Creation of Heaven: The Philosophy and the Defense of Ritual Mastery. New York: State University of New York Press.

Frazer, C. (2016). The Philosophy of the Mozi: The First Consequentialists. New York: Columbia University Press.

Frazer, C. (2010). “Mohism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/mohism/

Feng, Y. (1952/1983). A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 1. Bodde, D., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Knoblock, J. and Riegel, J. (2013). Mozi: A Study and Translation of the Ethical and Political Writings. Berkely, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California Berkeley

Lee, J. (2004). Xunzi and Early Chinese Naturalism. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Machle, E. J. (1993). Nature and Heaven in the Xunzi: A Study of the Tian Lun. Albany, NY: University of New York Press.

Mencius. (2016). Mencius: An Online Teaching Translation. Eno, R., Trans. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2017, from: http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Mengzi.pdf

Mozi. (2010). The Mozi: A Complete Translation. Johnston, I., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Mozi. (1963). Mo Tzu: Basic Writings. Watson, B., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Xunzi. (2014). Xunzi: The Complete Text. Hutton, E. L., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

It’s Valentine’s Day, and this is a valentine to humanity, sort of. In honor of last week’s Falcon Heavy Launch by SpaceX, we’re reading a space exploration article from 1920. What was it like to imagine reaching space at such an early date? Let’s find out together in this episode of Public Domain Theater 3000.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

References

Bowie, D. (1971). “Life On Mars.”  [Recorded by David Bowie]. On Hunky Dory. London: Trident Studios.

Bowie, D. (1969). “Space Oddity.” [Recorded by David Bowie]. On Space Oddity. London: Trident Studios.

Dockril, P. (2018, Feb 12). “SpaceX Hid a Secret Payload Aboard Falcon Heavy, and It Sounds Amazing.” Science Alert. https://www.sciencealert.com/spacex-launched-second-secret-payload-designed-last-millions-years-tesla-arch

“Falcon Heavy Test Flight.” (2018). SpaceX.com. http://www.spacex.com/webcast

“Live: Starman Driving in Space After Successful Heavy Falcon Launch SpaceX Real Time Updates.” (2018, Feb 7). Youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3niFzo5VLI

Pappalardo, J. (2018, Feb 6). “Elon Musk’s Space Tesla Isn’t Going to Mars. It’s Going Somewhere More Important.” Popular Mechanics. https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/moon-mars/a16571489/elon-musk-space-tesla-mars/

“Rockets to Explore Space.” (1920, Mar 13). The Literary Digest. http://unz.org/Pub/LiteraryDigest-1920mar13-00028

I still haven’t taken that damn city! We’re continuing our Mohist military defense tactics mini-series in which I am attempting to take a city and Andre is using Mohist tactics against me. This time I’m sure to succeed! Or not…

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: China, 475-221 BCE

Dead Idea: Mohism

Co-hosts: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Confucius. (1998). The Analects. Hinton, D., Trans. Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint.

Eno, R. (1990). The Confucian Creation of Heaven: The Philosophy and the Defense of Ritual Mastery. New York: State University of New York Press.

Frazer, C. (2016). The Philosophy of the Mozi: The First Consequentialists. New York: Columbia University Press.

Frazer, C. (2010). “Mohism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/mohism/

Feng, Y. (1952/1983). A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 1. Bodde, D., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Knoblock, J. and Riegel, J. (2013). Mozi: A Study and Translation of the Ethical and Political Writings. Berkely, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California Berkeley

Lee, J. (2004). Xunzi and Early Chinese Naturalism. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Machle, E. J. (1993). Nature and Heaven in the Xunzi: A Study of the Tian Lun. Albany, NY: University of New York Press.

Mencius. (2016). Mencius: An Online Teaching Translation. Eno, R., Trans. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2017, from: http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Mengzi.pdf

Mozi. (2010). The Mozi: A Complete Translation. Johnston, I., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Mozi. (1963). Mo Tzu: Basic Writings. Watson, B., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Xunzi. (2014). Xunzi: The Complete Text. Hutton, E. L., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

The enemy is attacking – call the Mohists! Andre Sólo gives us the skinny on the military defense tactics for which the Mohists were so famous. And he gives me the fool’s errand of attacking a city defended by a Mohist scholar. Woe is me.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: China, 475-221 BCE

Dead Idea: Mohism

Co-hosts: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Confucius. (1998). The Analects. Hinton, D., Trans. Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint.

Eno, R. (1990). The Confucian Creation of Heaven: The Philosophy and the Defense of Ritual Mastery. New York: State University of New York Press.

Frazer, C. (2016). The Philosophy of the Mozi: The First Consequentialists. New York: Columbia University Press.

Frazer, C. (2010). “Mohism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/mohism/

Feng, Y. (1952/1983). A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 1. Bodde, D., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Knoblock, J. and Riegel, J. (2013). Mozi: A Study and Translation of the Ethical and Political Writings. Berkely, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California Berkeley

Lee, J. (2004). Xunzi and Early Chinese Naturalism. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Machle, E. J. (1993). Nature and Heaven in the Xunzi: A Study of the Tian Lun. Albany, NY: University of New York Press.

Mencius. (2016). Mencius: An Online Teaching Translation. Eno, R., Trans. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2017, from: http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Mengzi.pdf

Mozi. (2010). The Mozi: A Complete Translation. Johnston, I., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Mozi. (1963). Mo Tzu: Basic Writings. Watson, B., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Xunzi. (2014). Xunzi: The Complete Text. Hutton, E. L., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

We have a very special episode today: the first ever not hosted by me! Join guest host Kelly Nussbaum and me (as co-host) as we talk about all the ways women have tried to keep the bun out of the oven.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Here’s the Lysol ad referenced in the episode:

Main Sources

McLaren, A.(1990). A History of Contraception: From Antiquity to the Present Day. Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell.

Riddle, J. H. (1997). Eve’s Herbs: A History of Contraception and Abortion in the West. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Robertson, W. H. (1990). An Illustrated History of Contraception. Park Ridge, NJ: Parthenon.

Pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

How did the Mohists see life differently in the Hundred Schools of Thought era? We find out today, as we explore their particular perspective as working class philosophers. We also learn lots about the early Confucians.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: China, 475-221 BCE

Dead Idea: Mohism

Co-hosts: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Confucius. (1998). The Analects. Hinton, D., Trans. Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint.

Eno, R. (1990). The Confucian Creation of Heaven: The Philosophy and the Defense of Ritual Mastery. New York: State University of New York Press.

Frazer, C. (2016). The Philosophy of the Mozi: The First Consequentialists. New York: Columbia University Press.

Frazer, C. (2010). “Mohism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/mohism/

Feng, Y. (1952/1983). A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 1. Bodde, D., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Knoblock, J. and Riegel, J. (2013). Mozi: A Study and Translation of the Ethical and Political Writings. Berkely, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California Berkeley

Lee, J. (2004). Xunzi and Early Chinese Naturalism. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Machle, E. J. (1993). Nature and Heaven in the Xunzi: A Study of the Tian Lun. Albany, NY: University of New York Press.

Mencius. (2016). Mencius: An Online Teaching Translation. Eno, R., Trans. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2017, from: http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Mengzi.pdf

Mozi. (2010). The Mozi: A Complete Translation. Johnston, I., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Mozi. (1963). Mo Tzu: Basic Writings. Watson, B., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Xunzi. (2014). Xunzi: The Complete Text. Hutton, E. L., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

They were the chief rivals of the Confucians in their early days, but today no one has heard of them. Meet the Mohists: a faction of hard-headed, big-hearted philosophers whose ideas would fit right in to modern leftist politics, but which were scorned at the time in ancient China.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: China, 475-221 BCE

Dead Idea: Mohism

Co-hosts: Andre Sólo

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Confucius. (1998). The Analects. Hinton, D., Trans. Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint.

Eno, R. (1990). The Confucian Creation of Heaven: The Philosophy and the Defense of Ritual Mastery. New York: State University of New York Press.

Frazer, C. (2016). The Philosophy of the Mozi: The First Consequentialists. New York: Columbia University Press.

Frazer, C. (2010). “Mohism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2017, from: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/mohism/

Feng, Y. (1952/1983). A History of Chinese Philosophy, Vol. 1. Bodde, D., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Knoblock, J. and Riegel, J. (2013). Mozi: A Study and Translation of the Ethical and Political Writings. Berkely, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California Berkeley

Lee, J. (2004). Xunzi and Early Chinese Naturalism. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Machle, E. J. (1993). Nature and Heaven in the Xunzi: A Study of the Tian Lun. Albany, NY: University of New York Press.

Mencius. (2016). Mencius: An Online Teaching Translation. Eno, R., Trans. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2017, from: http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Mengzi.pdf

Mozi. (2010). The Mozi: A Complete Translation. Johnston, I., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Mozi. (1963). Mo Tzu: Basic Writings. Watson, B., Trans. New York: Columbia University Press.

Xunzi. (2014). Xunzi: The Complete Text. Hutton, E. L., Trans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Maps, pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

More ghost stories! This year we hear a spooky tale from 13th-cen. Iceland: the story of Glámr the draugr! And as a bonus, Andre Sólo appears to read an original story of his own called “13 Candles.”

And don’t forget you can get yourself drawn as a comic book character by supporting the show at: http://www.patreon.com/deadideaspod

Co-hosts: Andre Sólo

Main Sources

Baring-Gould, S. (1863). “Glámr.” A Book of Ghosts. Retrieved Dec. 10, 2017, from: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Book_of_Ghosts/Gl%C3%A1mr

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

To conclude our series, here’s a a self-mummified monk whose bawdy tale could be called a Japanese Abelard and Heloise (i.e. the story Romeo and Juliet was based on, but with more genital mutilation). We also hear how self-mummification died, and even about a 20th-century self-mummified monk.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Japan, 1081 – 1868 CE

Dead Idea: Self-mummification

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Link to my Livejournal post when I visited these mummies in 2007

Trailer for a documentary on Shugendo, the religion from which these mummies came (adherents today no longer practice self-mummification)

Cold water ablutions practiced by Shugenja today

The symbolism of the white garb of the Shugenja

A documentary on the mummies – not terribly good, but it does have footage of them and interviews with locals

Main Sources

Blacker, C. (1979/1999). The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan. London: Routledge Curzon.

Jeremiah, K. (2010). Living Buddhas: The Self-mummified Monks of Yamagata, Japan. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

It’s story time! Today we hear two stories of monks who self-mummified, one starting out as the perfect samurai, the other as a not-so-perfect farmer in samurai-era Japan.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Japan, 1081 – 1868 CE

Dead Idea: Self-mummification

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Link to my Livejournal post when I visited these mummies in 2007

Trailer for a documentary on Shugendo, the religion from which these mummies came (adherents today no longer practice self-mummification)

Cold water ablutions practiced by Shugenja today

The symbolism of the white garb of the Shugenja

A documentary on the mummies – not terribly good, but it does have footage of them and interviews with locals

Main Sources

Blacker, C. (1979/1999). The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan. London: Routledge Curzon.

Jeremiah, K. (2010). Living Buddhas: The Self-mummified Monks of Yamagata, Japan. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Our craziest Thanksgiving special yet! This unexpectedly weird story tells of a lone woman who hates union plumbers, who gets an unexpected visitor in the night. Featuring guest co-host Jon.

Don’t forget to support us at http://www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn in the time period and culture of your choosing!

Co-hosts: Jon Carnes

Main Sources

Thanet, O. (1895). “The Merry Thanksgiving of the Burglar and Plumber.” McClure’s Magazine. Retrieved November 18, 2017, from: http://unz.org/Pub/McClures-1895nov-00515?View=PDF&Text=Thanksgiving+Burglar

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

That’s right: *self*-mummification, mummifying yourself through a special 3000-day diet and regimen of spiritual exercises which will lead to your death but, if you do it correctly, will mummify your body and make you a sokushinbutsu or “Buddha in the Flesh.” I witnessed many of these mummies personally while living in Japan. This is their story.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Japan, 1081 – 1868 CE

Dead Idea: Self-mummification

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Link to my Livejournal post when I visited these mummies in 2007

Trailer for a documentary on Shugendo, the religion from which these mummies came (adherents today no longer practice self-mummification)

Cold water ablutions practiced by Shugenja today

The symbolism of the white garb of the Shugenja

A documentary on the mummies – not terribly good, but it does have footage of them and interviews with locals

Main Sources

Blacker, C. (1979/1999). The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan. London: Routledge Curzon.

Jeremiah, K. (2010). Living Buddhas: The Self-mummified Monks of Yamagata, Japan. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Watch out… it’s the KALING!! Learn about this 19th-century Scottish Halloween tradition, and a whole lot more, in this holiday special. We finish last year’s article, and learn about Scottish Halloween divination methods, along with what it’s like to experience Halloween on a trans-oceanic ship. And joining us once again are Pete and Meagan!

Don’t forget to support us at http://www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn in the time period and culture of your choosing!

Co-hosts: Pete Miller and Meagan Finnegan

Main Sources

Sharp, W. (1886, November). “Halloween: A Threefold Chronicle.” Harpers Monthly, 842-856.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

In the end, Titoism bit the dust, but did it really have to die? And what does all this mean for ethnicity, nationalism, and family? That’s how we’re concluding this series, which is officially our longest yet.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Southeast Europe, 1945-1980  CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here

Click to view slideshow.

Slovene lands mostly covered by what is labeled Carniola and Gorizia-Gradisca in far northwest

Main Sources

Biography International. (1998, Sep 2). “Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist.” Biography International. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAq5dBBuiD4&t=313s

CIA. (1957). “Titoism and Soviet Communism: An Analysis and Comparison of Theory and Practice.” Declassified in Part, Sanitized. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80T00246A073800530001-4.pdf

Diljas, M. (1980). Tito: The Story from the Inside. Kojic, V., and Hayes, R., Trans. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Drnovsek, M. (n.d.). “The Causes for Emigration of Slovenes in the Last Two Centuries.” The Slovenian. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from: http://www.theslovenian.com/articles/drnovsek.htm

Enrico, S. (n.d.). “Boxing Arena Sound.” SoundBible. Sound clip used according to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  Retrieved August 1, 2017, from: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Fine. J. V. A. (2007). “Strongmen Can Be Beneficial: The Exceptional Case of Josip Broz Tito.” In: Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Flaherty, D. (2003, May). “Self-management and Requirements for Social Property: Lessons from Yugoslavia.” In: The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century Conference held in Havana.

Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/congreso/flaherty_15abr03.pdf

Horvat, B., Markovic, M, Supek, R. (1975). Self-governing Socialism, Vol. 1 & 2. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, Inc.

Kardelj, E. (1956, July). “Evolution in Jugoslavia.” Foreign Affairs: p. 580-602.

Laibach. (n.d.). “Biography.” Laibach. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.laibach.org/bio/

Mrak, M., Rojeć, M., and Silva-Jáuregui, C. (2004). Slovenia: From Yugoslavia to the European Union. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

NSK State. (n.d.). NSK State. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://passport.nsk.si/en/

Patterson, P. H. (2013). “Bought and Sold: Living and Losing the Good Life in Socialist Yugoslavia.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjAt9Z-pFo

Plut-Pregelj, L., and Rogel, C. (1996). Historical Dictionary of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Repe, Božo. (1992). Das Besondere am “Titoismus” – seine Gewaltherrschaft und sein Zerfall. Aufrisse, 13, 3 “Flammenzeichen Jugoslawien”.

RSFSR. (2016). “Josip Broz Tito’s Funeral 8 May 1980 Yugoslavia – Anthem & The Internationale.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EmqgwRmtk

Savli, J., Bor, M., Tomazić, I. (1996). Veneti: First Builders of European Community: Tracing the History and Language of the Early Ancestors of the Slovenes. Anton Skerbinc.

Slovenski Magazin. (2017, May 19). Video. RTV 4. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394

Tito, J. B. (1979). Non-alignment: The Conscience and Future of Mankind. Belgrade: Socialist Thought and Practice.

Tito, J. B. (2013). The Selected Works of Josip Broz Tito. New York: Prism Key Press.

Velikonja, M. (2008). Titostalgia: A Study of Nostalgia for Josip Broz. Vuković, O., Trans. Ljubljana: Peace Institute.

Zukin, S. (1975). Beyond Marx and Tito: Theory and Practice in Yugoslav Socialism. New York: Cambridge University press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

What was the deal with all the ethnic divisions that eventually erupted in the Yugoslav War, and did that rivalry really disappear while Tito was in power? Today we talk to Alex Cruikshanks, host of the History of Yugoslavia podcast, to get to the root of the matter.

Check out Alex’s show at www.historyofyugoslavia.libsyn.com.

Be sure to support our show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Southeast Europe, 1945-1980  CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here

Click to view slideshow.

Slovene lands mostly covered by what is labeled Carniola and Gorizia-Gradisca in far northwest

Main Sources

Biography International. (1998, Sep 2). “Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist.” Biography International. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAq5dBBuiD4&t=313s

CIA. (1957). “Titoism and Soviet Communism: An Analysis and Comparison of Theory and Practice.” Declassified in Part, Sanitized. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80T00246A073800530001-4.pdf

Diljas, M. (1980). Tito: The Story from the Inside. Kojic, V., and Hayes, R., Trans. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Drnovsek, M. (n.d.). “The Causes for Emigration of Slovenes in the Last Two Centuries.” The Slovenian. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from: http://www.theslovenian.com/articles/drnovsek.htm

Enrico, S. (n.d.). “Boxing Arena Sound.” SoundBible. Sound clip used according to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  Retrieved August 1, 2017, from: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Fine. J. V. A. (2007). “Strongmen Can Be Beneficial: The Exceptional Case of Josip Broz Tito.” In: Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Flaherty, D. (2003, May). “Self-management and Requirements for Social Property: Lessons from Yugoslavia.” In: The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century Conference held in Havana.

Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/congreso/flaherty_15abr03.pdf

Horvat, B., Markovic, M, Supek, R. (1975). Self-governing Socialism, Vol. 1 & 2. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, Inc.

Kardelj, E. (1956, July). “Evolution in Jugoslavia.” Foreign Affairs: p. 580-602.

Laibach. (n.d.). “Biography.” Laibach. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.laibach.org/bio/

Mrak, M., Rojeć, M., and Silva-Jáuregui, C. (2004). Slovenia: From Yugoslavia to the European Union. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

NSK State. (n.d.). NSK State. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://passport.nsk.si/en/

Patterson, P. H. (2013). “Bought and Sold: Living and Losing the Good Life in Socialist Yugoslavia.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjAt9Z-pFo

Plut-Pregelj, L., and Rogel, C. (1996). Historical Dictionary of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Repe, Božo. (1992). Das Besondere am “Titoismus” – seine Gewaltherrschaft und sein Zerfall. Aufrisse, 13, 3 “Flammenzeichen Jugoslawien”.

RSFSR. (2016). “Josip Broz Tito’s Funeral 8 May 1980 Yugoslavia – Anthem & The Internationale.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EmqgwRmtk

Savli, J., Bor, M., Tomazić, I. (1996). Veneti: First Builders of European Community: Tracing the History and Language of the Early Ancestors of the Slovenes. Anton Skerbinc.

Slovenski Magazin. (2017, May 19). Video. RTV 4. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394

Tito, J. B. (1979). Non-alignment: The Conscience and Future of Mankind. Belgrade: Socialist Thought and Practice.

Tito, J. B. (2013). The Selected Works of Josip Broz Tito. New York: Prism Key Press.

Velikonja, M. (2008). Titostalgia: A Study of Nostalgia for Josip Broz. Vuković, O., Trans. Ljubljana: Peace Institute.

Zukin, S. (1975). Beyond Marx and Tito: Theory and Practice in Yugoslav Socialism. New York: Cambridge University press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Dr. Noah Charney of the University of Ljubljana joins us today to talk about artistic freedom under Tito. Former Yugoslav Srdjan Perisic also joins us again to talk about Yugoslav music and today’s phenomenon of Yugonostalgia. And I talk Yugoslav hippies and punks. What’s not to love?

Check out Noah Charney at www.noahcharney.smugmug.com.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Southeast Europe, 1945-1980  CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here

Click to view slideshow.

Slovene lands mostly covered by what is labeled Carniola and Gorizia-Gradisca in far northwest

Main Sources

Biography International. (1998, Sep 2). “Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist.” Biography International. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAq5dBBuiD4&t=313s

CIA. (1957). “Titoism and Soviet Communism: An Analysis and Comparison of Theory and Practice.” Declassified in Part, Sanitized. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80T00246A073800530001-4.pdf

Diljas, M. (1980). Tito: The Story from the Inside. Kojic, V., and Hayes, R., Trans. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Drnovsek, M. (n.d.). “The Causes for Emigration of Slovenes in the Last Two Centuries.” The Slovenian. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from: http://www.theslovenian.com/articles/drnovsek.htm

Enrico, S. (n.d.). “Boxing Arena Sound.” SoundBible. Sound clip used according to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  Retrieved August 1, 2017, from: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Fine. J. V. A. (2007). “Strongmen Can Be Beneficial: The Exceptional Case of Josip Broz Tito.” In: Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Flaherty, D. (2003, May). “Self-management and Requirements for Social Property: Lessons from Yugoslavia.” In: The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century Conference held in Havana.

Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/congreso/flaherty_15abr03.pdf

Horvat, B., Markovic, M, Supek, R. (1975). Self-governing Socialism, Vol. 1 & 2. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, Inc.

Kardelj, E. (1956, July). “Evolution in Jugoslavia.” Foreign Affairs: p. 580-602.

Laibach. (n.d.). “Biography.” Laibach. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.laibach.org/bio/

Mrak, M., Rojeć, M., and Silva-Jáuregui, C. (2004). Slovenia: From Yugoslavia to the European Union. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

NSK State. (n.d.). NSK State. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://passport.nsk.si/en/

Patterson, P. H. (2013). “Bought and Sold: Living and Losing the Good Life in Socialist Yugoslavia.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjAt9Z-pFo

Plut-Pregelj, L., and Rogel, C. (1996). Historical Dictionary of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Repe, Božo. (1992). Das Besondere am “Titoismus” – seine Gewaltherrschaft und sein Zerfall. Aufrisse, 13, 3 “Flammenzeichen Jugoslawien”.

RSFSR. (2016). “Josip Broz Tito’s Funeral 8 May 1980 Yugoslavia – Anthem & The Internationale.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EmqgwRmtk

Savli, J., Bor, M., Tomazić, I. (1996). Veneti: First Builders of European Community: Tracing the History and Language of the Early Ancestors of the Slovenes. Anton Skerbinc.

Slovenski Magazin. (2017, May 19). Video. RTV 4. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394

Tito, J. B. (1979). Non-alignment: The Conscience and Future of Mankind. Belgrade: Socialist Thought and Practice.

Tito, J. B. (2013). The Selected Works of Josip Broz Tito. New York: Prism Key Press.

Velikonja, M. (2008). Titostalgia: A Study of Nostalgia for Josip Broz. Vuković, O., Trans. Ljubljana: Peace Institute.

Zukin, S. (1975). Beyond Marx and Tito: Theory and Practice in Yugoslav Socialism. New York: Cambridge University press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Today we hear from three former Yugoslavs about their stories of what life was like under Tito. Also, the winner of our Who Should Play Tito in a Hollywood Movie contest is announced!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Southeast Europe, 1945-1980  CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here

Click to view slideshow.

Slovene lands mostly covered by what is labeled Carniola and Gorizia-Gradisca in far northwest

Main Sources

Biography International. (1998, Sep 2). “Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist.” Biography International. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAq5dBBuiD4&t=313s

CIA. (1957). “Titoism and Soviet Communism: An Analysis and Comparison of Theory and Practice.” Declassified in Part, Sanitized. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80T00246A073800530001-4.pdf

Diljas, M. (1980). Tito: The Story from the Inside. Kojic, V., and Hayes, R., Trans. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Drnovsek, M. (n.d.). “The Causes for Emigration of Slovenes in the Last Two Centuries.” The Slovenian. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from: http://www.theslovenian.com/articles/drnovsek.htm

Enrico, S. (n.d.). “Boxing Arena Sound.” SoundBible. Sound clip used according to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  Retrieved August 1, 2017, from: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Fine. J. V. A. (2007). “Strongmen Can Be Beneficial: The Exceptional Case of Josip Broz Tito.” In: Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Flaherty, D. (2003, May). “Self-management and Requirements for Social Property: Lessons from Yugoslavia.” In: The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century Conference held in Havana.

Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/congreso/flaherty_15abr03.pdf

Horvat, B., Markovic, M, Supek, R. (1975). Self-governing Socialism, Vol. 1 & 2. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, Inc.

Kardelj, E. (1956, July). “Evolution in Jugoslavia.” Foreign Affairs: p. 580-602.

Laibach. (n.d.). “Biography.” Laibach. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.laibach.org/bio/

Mrak, M., Rojeć, M., and Silva-Jáuregui, C. (2004). Slovenia: From Yugoslavia to the European Union. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

NSK State. (n.d.). NSK State. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://passport.nsk.si/en/

Patterson, P. H. (2013). “Bought and Sold: Living and Losing the Good Life in Socialist Yugoslavia.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjAt9Z-pFo

Plut-Pregelj, L., and Rogel, C. (1996). Historical Dictionary of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Repe, Božo. (1992). Das Besondere am “Titoismus” – seine Gewaltherrschaft und sein Zerfall. Aufrisse, 13, 3 “Flammenzeichen Jugoslawien”.

RSFSR. (2016). “Josip Broz Tito’s Funeral 8 May 1980 Yugoslavia – Anthem & The Internationale.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EmqgwRmtk

Savli, J., Bor, M., Tomazić, I. (1996). Veneti: First Builders of European Community: Tracing the History and Language of the Early Ancestors of the Slovenes. Anton Skerbinc.

Slovenski Magazin. (2017, May 19). Video. RTV 4. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394

Tito, J. B. (1979). Non-alignment: The Conscience and Future of Mankind. Belgrade: Socialist Thought and Practice.

Tito, J. B. (2013). The Selected Works of Josip Broz Tito. New York: Prism Key Press.

Velikonja, M. (2008). Titostalgia: A Study of Nostalgia for Josip Broz. Vuković, O., Trans. Ljubljana: Peace Institute.

Zukin, S. (1975). Beyond Marx and Tito: Theory and Practice in Yugoslav Socialism. New York: Cambridge University press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

This is our grand finale! Take out your holographic tablets and laser styluses, because we’re mashing up the most ancient with the most modern: the Epic of Gilgamesh with the 1995 classic anime Ghost in the Shell! Featuring a haunting soundtrack by Belgian industrial band Militia.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Andre Solo

Time/place: Composed in final form in Ancient Mesopotamia, c. 1100 BCE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

Ghost in the Shell, directed by Mamoru Oshii, 1995

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Presenting… the history of the History Channel! This is our one-year anniversary special, so we’re doing something special: a *should be* dead idea – the History Channel! Also, a huge thank you to all of you supporters out there. Enjoy!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

“History TV Schedule.” (n.d.) History.com. Retrieved Sep. 1, 2017, from: http://www.history.com/schedule

“History (U.S. TV Network).” (n.d.). Wikipedia.com. (for some reason, the History Channel did not inspire me to find only credible sources!) Retrieved Sep. 1, 2017: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_(U.S._TV_network)

“Hitler Youth Rally Speech – Nuremberg 1935.” (2014). Youtube.com. Retrieved Sep. 1, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnHeX4OHIqo

Kutler, S. I. (2004). “Why the History Channel Had to Apologize for the Documentary that Blamed LBJ for JFK’s Murder.” History News Network. Retrieved Sep. 1, 2017, from: http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/4504

Lockwood, B. (2011, Oct. 17). “High Ratings Aside, Where’s the History on the History Channel?” Forbes.com. Retreived Sep. 1, 2017, from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradlockwood/2011/10/17/high-ratings-aside-wheres-the-history-on-history/2/#7c0ee27a73d0

Schone, M. (1997, May 8). “Media Circus: All Hitler, All the Time.” Salon.com. Retrieved Sep. 1, 2017, from: http://www.salon.com/1997/05/08/media_90/

Switek, B. (2012, May 11). “The Idiocy, Fabrications, and Lies of Ancient Aliens.” Smithsonian.com. Retrieved Sep. 1, 2017, from: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-idiocy-fabrications-and-lies-of-ancient-aliens-86294030/?no-ist

Pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Was the famous/infamous institution of temple prostitution in ancient Mesopotamia ever really a thing? And if so, what was that like?

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Ancient Mesopotamia, c. 3000 BCE – 300 CE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

Click to view slideshow.

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Today we look at Tito’s post-war regime in which the ideas of Titoism take shape, namely workers’ self-management and political non-alignment. And we ask: was Tito ultimately a hero or an anti-hero?

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Southeast Europe, 1945-1980  CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here

Click to view slideshow.

Slovene lands mostly covered by what is labeled Carniola and Gorizia-Gradisca in far northwest

Main Sources

Biography International. (1998, Sep 2). “Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist.” Biography International. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAq5dBBuiD4&t=313s

CIA. (1957). “Titoism and Soviet Communism: An Analysis and Comparison of Theory and Practice.” Declassified in Part, Sanitized. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80T00246A073800530001-4.pdf

Diljas, M. (1980). Tito: The Story from the Inside. Kojic, V., and Hayes, R., Trans. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Drnovsek, M. (n.d.). “The Causes for Emigration of Slovenes in the Last Two Centuries.” The Slovenian. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from: http://www.theslovenian.com/articles/drnovsek.htm

Enrico, S. (n.d.). “Boxing Arena Sound.” SoundBible. Sound clip used according to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  Retrieved August 1, 2017, from: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Fine. J. V. A. (2007). “Strongmen Can Be Beneficial: The Exceptional Case of Josip Broz Tito.” In: Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Flaherty, D. (2003, May). “Self-management and Requirements for Social Property: Lessons from Yugoslavia.” In: The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century Conference held in Havana.

Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/congreso/flaherty_15abr03.pdf

Horvat, B., Markovic, M, Supek, R. (1975). Self-governing Socialism, Vol. 1 & 2. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, Inc.

Kardelj, E. (1956, July). “Evolution in Jugoslavia.” Foreign Affairs: p. 580-602.

Laibach. (n.d.). “Biography.” Laibach. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.laibach.org/bio/

Mrak, M., Rojeć, M., and Silva-Jáuregui, C. (2004). Slovenia: From Yugoslavia to the European Union. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

NSK State. (n.d.). NSK State. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://passport.nsk.si/en/

Patterson, P. H. (2013). “Bought and Sold: Living and Losing the Good Life in Socialist Yugoslavia.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjAt9Z-pFo

Plut-Pregelj, L., and Rogel, C. (1996). Historical Dictionary of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Repe, Božo. (1992). Das Besondere am “Titoismus” – seine Gewaltherrschaft und sein Zerfall. Aufrisse, 13, 3 “Flammenzeichen Jugoslawien”.

RSFSR. (2016). “Josip Broz Tito’s Funeral 8 May 1980 Yugoslavia – Anthem & The Internationale.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EmqgwRmtk

Savli, J., Bor, M., Tomazić, I. (1996). Veneti: First Builders of European Community: Tracing the History and Language of the Early Ancestors of the Slovenes. Anton Skerbinc.

Slovenski Magazin. (2017, May 19). Video. RTV 4. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394

Tito, J. B. (1979). Non-alignment: The Conscience and Future of Mankind. Belgrade: Socialist Thought and Practice.

Tito, J. B. (2013). The Selected Works of Josip Broz Tito. New York: Prism Key Press.

Velikonja, M. (2008). Titostalgia: A Study of Nostalgia for Josip Broz. Vuković, O., Trans. Ljubljana: Peace Institute.

Zukin, S. (1975). Beyond Marx and Tito: Theory and Practice in Yugoslav Socialism. New York: Cambridge University press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

At last, it’s the business nuns? (wait… what?!) That’s right – there was a class of nun-like religious devotees who apparently wheeled and dealed like they were trying out for The Apprentice!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick, Anna, and Rachel

Time/place: Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

This week you get TWO episodes! This is our first-ever crossover episode going on both Dead Ideas *and* Eastern Border. Kristaps and I talk about the split between Tito and Stalin like it’s a heavyweight boxing match!

Be sure to support both shows at http://www.patreon.com!

Sound Effects Credits:

http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Time/place: Yugoslavia, 1941-1945 CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

Co-hosts: B. T. Newberg and Kristaps Andrejsons

Slovene lands mostly covered by what is labeled Carniola and Gorizia-Gradisca in far northwest

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Biography International. (1998, Sep 2). “Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist.” Biography International. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAq5dBBuiD4&t=313s

CIA. (1957). “Titoism and Soviet Communism: An Analysis and Comparison of Theory and Practice.” Declassified in Part, Sanitized. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80T00246A073800530001-4.pdf

Diljas, M. (1980). Tito: The Story from the Inside. Kojic, V., and Hayes, R., Trans. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Drnovsek, M. (n.d.). “The Causes for Emigration of Slovenes in the Last Two Centuries.” The Slovenian. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from: http://www.theslovenian.com/articles/drnovsek.htm

Enrico, S. (n.d.). “Boxing Arena Sound.” SoundBible. Sound clip used according to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  Retrieved August 1, 2017, from: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Fine. J. V. A. (2007). “Strongmen Can Be Beneficial: The Exceptional Case of Josip Broz Tito.” In: Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Flaherty, D. (2003, May). “Self-management and Requirements for Social Property: Lessons from Yugoslavia.” In: The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century Conference held in Havana.

Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/congreso/flaherty_15abr03.pdf

Horvat, B., Markovic, M, Supek, R. (1975). Self-governing Socialism, Vol. 1 & 2. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, Inc.

Kardelj, E. (1956, July). “Evolution in Jugoslavia.” Foreign Affairs: p. 580-602.

Laibach. (n.d.). “Biography.” Laibach. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.laibach.org/bio/

Mrak, M., Rojeć, M., and Silva-Jáuregui, C. (2004). Slovenia: From Yugoslavia to the European Union. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

NSK State. (n.d.). NSK State. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://passport.nsk.si/en/

Patterson, P. H. (2013). “Bought and Sold: Living and Losing the Good Life in Socialist Yugoslavia.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjAt9Z-pFo

Plut-Pregelj, L., and Rogel, C. (1996). Historical Dictionary of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Repe, Božo. (1992). Das Besondere am “Titoismus” – seine Gewaltherrschaft und sein Zerfall. Aufrisse, 13, 3 “Flammenzeichen Jugoslawien”.

RSFSR. (2016). “Josip Broz Tito’s Funeral 8 May 1980 Yugoslavia – Anthem & The Internationale.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EmqgwRmtk

Savli, J., Bor, M., Tomazić, I. (1996). Veneti: First Builders of European Community: Tracing the History and Language of the Early Ancestors of the Slovenes. Anton Skerbinc.

Slovenski Magazin. (2017, May 19). Video. RTV 4. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394

Tito, J. B. (1979). Non-alignment: The Conscience and Future of Mankind. Belgrade: Socialist Thought and Practice.

Tito, J. B. (2013). The Selected Works of Josip Broz Tito. New York: Prism Key Press.

Velikonja, M. (2008). Titostalgia: A Study of Nostalgia for Josip Broz. Vuković, O., Trans. Ljubljana: Peace Institute.

Zukin, S. (1975). Beyond Marx and Tito: Theory and Practice in Yugoslav Socialism. New York: Cambridge University press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Was Tito more of a James Bond or a James Bond villain? A romantic hero, demonic villain, or both? That’s the question for today as we explore the early life of the man who would become the dictator of Yugoslavia, and who would later create the peculiar communist ideology called Titoism.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Southeast Europe, 1892-1945 CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here.

Slovene lands mostly covered by what is labeled Carniola and Gorizia-Gradisca in far northwest

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Biography International. (1998, Sep 2). “Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist.” Biography International. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAq5dBBuiD4&t=313s

CIA. (1957). “Titoism and Soviet Communism: An Analysis and Comparison of Theory and Practice.” Declassified in Part, Sanitized. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80T00246A073800530001-4.pdf

Diljas, M. (1980). Tito: The Story from the Inside. Kojic, V., and Hayes, R., Trans. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Drnovsek, M. (n.d.). “The Causes for Emigration of Slovenes in the Last Two Centuries.” The Slovenian. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from: http://www.theslovenian.com/articles/drnovsek.htm

Enrico, S. (n.d.). “Boxing Arena Sound.” SoundBible. Sound clip used according to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  Retrieved August 1, 2017, from: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Fine. J. V. A. (2007). “Strongmen Can Be Beneficial: The Exceptional Case of Josip Broz Tito.” In: Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Flaherty, D. (2003, May). “Self-management and Requirements for Social Property: Lessons from Yugoslavia.” In: The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century Conference held in Havana.

Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/congreso/flaherty_15abr03.pdf

Horvat, B., Markovic, M, Supek, R. (1975). Self-governing Socialism, Vol. 1 & 2. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, Inc.

Kardelj, E. (1956, July). “Evolution in Jugoslavia.” Foreign Affairs: p. 580-602.

Laibach. (n.d.). “Biography.” Laibach. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.laibach.org/bio/

Mrak, M., Rojeć, M., and Silva-Jáuregui, C. (2004). Slovenia: From Yugoslavia to the European Union. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

NSK State. (n.d.). NSK State. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://passport.nsk.si/en/

Patterson, P. H. (2013). “Bought and Sold: Living and Losing the Good Life in Socialist Yugoslavia.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjAt9Z-pFo

Plut-Pregelj, L., and Rogel, C. (1996). Historical Dictionary of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Repe, Božo. (1992). Das Besondere am “Titoismus” – seine Gewaltherrschaft und sein Zerfall. Aufrisse, 13, 3 “Flammenzeichen Jugoslawien”.

RSFSR. (2016). “Josip Broz Tito’s Funeral 8 May 1980 Yugoslavia – Anthem & The Internationale.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EmqgwRmtk

Savli, J., Bor, M., Tomazić, I. (1996). Veneti: First Builders of European Community: Tracing the History and Language of the Early Ancestors of the Slovenes. Anton Skerbinc.

Slovenski Magazin. (2017, May 19). Video. RTV 4. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394

Tito, J. B. (1979). Non-alignment: The Conscience and Future of Mankind. Belgrade: Socialist Thought and Practice.

Tito, J. B. (2013). The Selected Works of Josip Broz Tito. New York: Prism Key Press.

Velikonja, M. (2008). Titostalgia: A Study of Nostalgia for Josip Broz. Vuković, O., Trans. Ljubljana: Peace Institute.

Zukin, S. (1975). Beyond Marx and Tito: Theory and Practice in Yugoslav Socialism. New York: Cambridge University press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

This the world’s first bow-chicka-wow. Today, we explore the intimate lives of ancient Mesopotamians, in their own words. Warning: we do get a little crazy toward the end. May your sanity survive.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick, Anna, and Rachel

Time/place: Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Today begins our series on the ideology of the communist dictator of the former Yugoslavia, Tito, and I’m telling it specifically from the perspective of my own family’s ethnic background, the Slovenians. I give the history of the formation of the Slovenian identity up till Tito’s time, so that we will be ready to see Titoism from the Slovenian perspective next time, when we talk about Tito himself.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Southeast Europe, 600 CE – 1914 CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

For a video of the mercury mines at Idrija, Slovenia, go here.

Slovene lands mostly covered by what is labeled Carniola and Gorizia-Gradisca in far northwest

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Biography International. (1998, Sep 2). “Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist.” Biography International. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAq5dBBuiD4&t=313s

CIA. (1957). “Titoism and Soviet Communism: An Analysis and Comparison of Theory and Practice.” Declassified in Part, Sanitized. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80T00246A073800530001-4.pdf

Diljas, M. (1980). Tito: The Story from the Inside. Kojic, V., and Hayes, R., Trans. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Drnovsek, M. (n.d.). “The Causes for Emigration of Slovenes in the Last Two Centuries.” The Slovenian. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from: http://www.theslovenian.com/articles/drnovsek.htm

Enrico, S. (n.d.). “Boxing Arena Sound.” SoundBible. Sound clip used according to Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  Retrieved August 1, 2017, from: http://soundbible.com/1559-Boxing-Arena-Sound.html

Fine. J. V. A. (2007). “Strongmen Can Be Beneficial: The Exceptional Case of Josip Broz Tito.” In: Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Fischer, B., Ed. (2007). Balkan Strongmen: Dictators and Authoritarian Rulers of Southeast Europe. West Lafayette, IA: Purdue University press.

Flaherty, D. (2003, May). “Self-management and Requirements for Social Property: Lessons from Yugoslavia.” In: The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century Conference held in Havana.

Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/congreso/flaherty_15abr03.pdf

Horvat, B., Markovic, M, Supek, R. (1975). Self-governing Socialism, Vol. 1 & 2. New York: International Arts and Sciences Press, Inc.

Kardelj, E. (1956, July). “Evolution in Jugoslavia.” Foreign Affairs: p. 580-602.

Laibach. (n.d.). “Biography.” Laibach. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://www.laibach.org/bio/

Mrak, M., Rojeć, M., and Silva-Jáuregui, C. (2004). Slovenia: From Yugoslavia to the European Union. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

NSK State. (n.d.). NSK State. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://passport.nsk.si/en/

Patterson, P. H. (2013). “Bought and Sold: Living and Losing the Good Life in Socialist Yugoslavia.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbjAt9Z-pFo

Plut-Pregelj, L., and Rogel, C. (1996). Historical Dictionary of Slovenia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Repe, Božo. (1992). Das Besondere am “Titoismus” – seine Gewaltherrschaft und sein Zerfall. Aufrisse, 13, 3 “Flammenzeichen Jugoslawien”.

RSFSR. (2016). “Josip Broz Tito’s Funeral 8 May 1980 Yugoslavia – Anthem & The Internationale.” Youtube. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EmqgwRmtk

Savli, J., Bor, M., Tomazić, I. (1996). Veneti: First Builders of European Community: Tracing the History and Language of the Early Ancestors of the Slovenes. Anton Skerbinc.

Slovenski Magazin. (2017, May 19). Video. RTV 4. Retrieved July 14, 2017, from: http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/slovenski-magazin/174472394

Tito, J. B. (1979). Non-alignment: The Conscience and Future of Mankind. Belgrade: Socialist Thought and Practice.

Tito, J. B. (2013). The Selected Works of Josip Broz Tito. New York: Prism Key Press.

Velikonja, M. (2008). Titostalgia: A Study of Nostalgia for Josip Broz. Vuković, O., Trans. Ljubljana: Peace Institute.

Zukin, S. (1975). Beyond Marx and Tito: Theory and Practice in Yugoslav Socialism. New York: Cambridge University press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Cooks, brewers, and foodies: you’re going to love this. We went all out and cooked up a real seven-course meal of Sumerian dishes, and brewed actual Sumerian beer! Sample the world’s oldest cuisine with us. Featuring extra-special co-host Rachel!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick, Anna, and Rachel

Time/place: Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

Click to view slideshow.

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Education makes women… what?! Yep. This time we delve into a wildly popular book from 1873 that proposed precisely this. This is Edward H. Clarke’s Sex in Education: A Fair Chance for the Girls. It’s gonna be a doozy.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Main Sources

Clarke, E. H. (1873). Sex In Education: Or, A Fair Chance for the Girls. Boston: James R. Osgood & Co.

Drachman, V. G. (2012, Apr 24). “The History Page: The Fairer Sex.” The Daily. Retrieved July 1, 2017, from: http://wwphs.sharpschool.com/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=18072594

Gold, S. (2013, May 13). “College Doesn’t Make You Infertile: The AAUW’s 1885 Research.” AAUW. Retrieved July 1, 2017, from: http://www.aauw.org/2013/05/13/college-doesnt-make-you-infertile/

Howes, A. G. (1885). Health Statistics of Women College Graduates. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Our scribes travel to the court of Mari, a city in the far northwest of the Fertile Crescent. There they discover a viper’s nest of courtly intrigue in this role-playing game of episode.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Time/place: Ancient Mari, c. 1800 BCE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

This episode is a personal reflection on nationality and my own awkward relationship with my Slovenian heritage. This is an initial baby-step toward a longer series on Titoism, the ideology of Josep Broz Tito, the communist dictator of the former Yugoslavia, who defied Moscow to grow his own brand of communism, which unfortunately did not survive his death.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Time/place: Yugoslavia, 1945-1980 CE

Dead Idea: Titoism

Main Sources

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Grab your tablet and stylus and try to avoid the muggles! In this special role-playing game episode, we explore the life of a cuneiform scribe in the age of Babylon.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Time/place: Ancient Babylon, c. 1800 BCE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Who were the “boy scouts of feudal Japan”? I have no idea! In this episode of Public Domain Theater 3000, we read this 1914 article to discover what in the hell this author could possibly mean.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Main Sources

Hibbard, C. A. (1914). “The Boy Scouts of Feudal Japan.” The Outlook, p. 183-187.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

We’re going all the way back to ancient Sumer! Our new epic series is about the world’s oldest writing system, which revolutionized communication. Get your clay tablet and your stylus, and join us for: cuneiform!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Time/place: Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE

Dead Idea: Cuneiform

A Map of Ancient Sumer, c. 3000 BCE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

Bahrani, Z. (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. New York: Routledge.

Baruch, Book of. 6:43. Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Baruch%206%3A43

Bertman, S. (2005). Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press.

Black, J., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G. (2004). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. New York: Oxford University Press. – “A Supervisor’s Advice to a Young Scribe”

Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bottéro, J. (2004). The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Budin, S. (2006). “Sacred Prostitution in the First Person.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Bullough, V., and Bullough, B. (1987). Women and Prostitution: A Social History. New York: Prometheus Books.

Chalcier, P. (2011). “Cuneiform Culture’s Last Guardians.” In: Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Civil, M., Trans. “Hymn to Ninkasi.” Retrieved May 14^th, 2017, from: http://www.piney.com/BabNinkasi.html

Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Fink, S. (2013). “The Genealogy of Gilgamesh.” Classica et Christiana, 8(1): pp. 81-107.

Fisher, D. S. (2008). Representations of the Poor in The Poor Man of Nippur and The Eloquent Peasant. Thesis. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University.

Foster, B. (1982). “Administration and Use of Institutional Land in Sargonic Sumer.” Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology, Vol. 9. Copenhagen.

George, A., Trans. (1999). The Epic of Gilgamesh: The Babylonian Epic Poem and Other Texts in Akkadian and Sumerian. New York: Penguin.

Glassner, J. (2003). The Invention of Cuneiform. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Harris, S. (2010, Sep. 16). “Prostitutes of God.” Vice. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/prostitutes-of-god-episode-1

Herodotus. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Macaulay, G. C., Trans. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hh/hh1190.htm

Jacobsen, T. (1987). The Harps That Once…: Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Lafront, B. (2001). “The Ordeal.” In: Bottéro, J. (2001). Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Lahtinen, S. (n.d.). “The Naditum as Businesswoman: The Economic Role of the Naditum in Old Babylonian Sippur.” Thesis. Uppsala University. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/354008/The_Old-Babylonian_naditu_as_businesswoman?auto=download

Nemet-Nejat, K. R. (1998). Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

“Proverbs, Collection 1.” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html

Radner, K., and Robson, E. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture. New York: Oxford.

Roth, M. T. (2006). “Marriage, Divorce, and the Prostitute in Ancient Mesopotamia.” In: Faraone, C. A. & McClure, L. K. (2006). Prostitutes and Courtesans in the Ancient World. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Silver, M. (n.d.). “Temple/Sacred Prostitution in Ancient Mesopotamia Revisited: Religion in the Economy.” Retrieved May 29, 2017, from: https://www.academia.edu/2360254/Temple_Sacred_Prostitution_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Revisited

Stone, E. C. (1982). “The Social Role of the Naditu Women in Old Babylonian Nippur.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 15(1): 50-70.

Superdrug Online Doctors. (n.d.). “Perceptions of Perfection.” Superdrug Online Doctors. Retrieved 6-20-17 from: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/perceptions-of-perfection/?utm_source=affiliatewindow&utm_medium=affiliate

Visicato, G. (2000). The Power and the Writing: Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. Bethesda, MD: CDL Press.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

The balance of power was designed to prevent a great from ever happening again. And then THE Great War happened. Today we see how it all went to shit. We conclude by exploring whether we are still living in a balance of power system, or if we have gone beyond it and why.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Host: B. T. Newberg

Time/place: Europe, 1914-1918 CE

Dead Idea: Balance of Power

Click to view slideshow.

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

“The Assassinations at Sarajevo.” (1914, Jul. 11). The Outlook, p. 577.

“The Balkan Situation.” (1908, Oct. 17). The Outlook, p. 319-320.

Calquhoun, A. R. (1910, Jan.). “The New Balance of Power in Europe.” The North American Review. pp. 18-28.

“Death Agonies of the Triple Alliance.” (1906, Apr. 14). The Literary Digest, p. 575.

Edwards, A. (1912, Dec.). “The New Map of Europe.” The Outlook, p. 855-860.

“The Effect of the Polish Child Floggings on the Triple Alliance.” (1902, Feb. 1). The Literary Digest, p. 159.

“Europe and the Balkans.” (1913, May 17). The Outlook, p. 97.

“Europe’s Call to Arms.” (1914, Aug. 8). The Literary Digest, p. 215-216.

“Ferdinand of Bulgaria as Enfant Terrible.” (1897, Oct. 2). The Literary Digest, p. 682.

Frederick the Great. (1739/2017). Anti-Machiavel. Retrieved Mar. 15^th, 2017, from: http://www.oocities.org/danielmacryan/antimac.html#chap26

“The German Bugaboo.” (1914, May 2). The Literary Digest, p. 1040.

Glenny, M. (2000). The Balkans: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers, 1804-1999. New York: Viking.

Hubbard, J. M. (1890, Jul.). “Warlike Europe.” The North American Review, p. 125-126.

Low, A. N. (1914, Nov.). “Weakness of the German Machine.” The North American Review, p. 699-708.

Luard, E. (1992). The Balance of Power: The System of International Relations, 1648-1815. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Miller, H. A. (1914, Dec.). “Nationalism in Bohemia and Poland.” The North American Review, p. 879-886.

Palmer, R. R. (1986). “Frederick the Great, Guibert, Bulow: From Dynastic to National War.” In: Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

“The Renewal of the Triple Alliance.” (1902, May 31). The Literary Digest, p. 748.

Schieder, T. (2000). Frederick the Great. Berkeley, S., and Scott, H. M., Ed./Trans. New York: Longman.

“Status Quo in the Balkans.” (1903, Oct. 10). The Literary Digest, p. 473-474.

Steiner, E. A. (1912, Nov. 9). “The Spirit of the Balkans.” The Outlook, p. 534-536.

Van Hise, C. R. (1919, Jan.). “Preventing Future Wars.” The Forum, p. 77-86.

“What Readers of the Outlook Think of the War.” (1914, Sep. 2). The Outlook, p. 44-47.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

What was going so crazy with the Balkans that it could spark a great war like WWI? And why? Guest co-host Adam McKithern and I go full-throttle to make sense of the Balkan Situation. Hint: It all has to do with the diplomatic game called the balance of power system.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-host: Adam McKithern

Time/place: Europe, 1878-1914 CE

Dead Idea: Balance of Power

Click to view slideshow.

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

“The Assassinations at Sarajevo.” (1914, Jul. 11). The Outlook, p. 577.

“The Balkan Situation.” (1908, Oct. 17). The Outlook, p. 319-320.

Calquhoun, A. R. (1910, Jan.). “The New Balance of Power in Europe.” The North American Review. pp. 18-28.

“Death Agonies of the Triple Alliance.” (1906, Apr. 14). The Literary Digest, p. 575.

Edwards, A. (1912, Dec.). “The New Map of Europe.” The Outlook, p. 855-860.

“The Effect of the Polish Child Floggings on the Triple Alliance.” (1902, Feb. 1). The Literary Digest, p. 159.

“Europe and the Balkans.” (1913, May 17). The Outlook, p. 97.

“Europe’s Call to Arms.” (1914, Aug. 8). The Literary Digest, p. 215-216.

“Ferdinand of Bulgaria as Enfant Terrible.” (1897, Oct. 2). The Literary Digest, p. 682.

Frederick the Great. (1739/2017). Anti-Machiavel. Retrieved Mar. 15^th, 2017, from: http://www.oocities.org/danielmacryan/antimac.html#chap26

“The German Bugaboo.” (1914, May 2). The Literary Digest, p. 1040.

Glenny, M. (2000). The Balkans: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers, 1804-1999. New York: Viking.

Hubbard, J. M. (1890, Jul.). “Warlike Europe.” The North American Review, p. 125-126.

Low, A. N. (1914, Nov.). “Weakness of the German Machine.” The North American Review, p. 699-708.

Luard, E. (1992). The Balance of Power: The System of International Relations, 1648-1815. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Miller, H. A. (1914, Dec.). “Nationalism in Bohemia and Poland.” The North American Review, p. 879-886.

Palmer, R. R. (1986). “Frederick the Great, Guibert, Bulow: From Dynastic to National War.” In: Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

“The Renewal of the Triple Alliance.” (1902, May 31). The Literary Digest, p. 748.

Schieder, T. (2000). Frederick the Great. Berkeley, S., and Scott, H. M., Ed./Trans. New York: Longman.

“Status Quo in the Balkans.” (1903, Oct. 10). The Literary Digest, p. 473-474.

Steiner, E. A. (1912, Nov. 9). “The Spirit of the Balkans.” The Outlook, p. 534-536.

Van Hise, C. R. (1919, Jan.). “Preventing Future Wars.” The Forum, p. 77-86.

“What Readers of the Outlook Think of the War.” (1914, Sep. 2). The Outlook, p. 44-47.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Rise up, for the Nation! What was nationalism, and how did it completely eff up the balance of power system prior to WWI? Today we dive into this, and we read an article from 1914 about Czech and Polish nationalism at the start of WWI.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Host: B. T. Newberg

Time/place: Europe, 1648-1914 CE

Dead Idea: Balance of Power

Click to view slideshow.

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

“The Assassinations at Sarajevo.” (1914, Jul. 11). The Outlook, p. 577.

“The Balkan Situation.” (1908, Oct. 17). The Outlook, p. 319-320.

Calquhoun, A. R. (1910, Jan.). “The New Balance of Power in Europe.” The North American Review. pp. 18-28.

“Death Agonies of the Triple Alliance.” (1906, Apr. 14). The Literary Digest, p. 575.

Edwards, A. (1912, Dec.). “The New Map of Europe.” The Outlook, p. 855-860.

“The Effect of the Polish Child Floggings on the Triple Alliance.” (1902, Feb. 1). The Literary Digest, p. 159.

“Europe and the Balkans.” (1913, May 17). The Outlook, p. 97.

“Europe’s Call to Arms.” (1914, Aug. 8). The Literary Digest, p. 215-216.

“Ferdinand of Bulgaria as Enfant Terrible.” (1897, Oct. 2). The Literary Digest, p. 682.

Frederick the Great. (1739/2017). Anti-Machiavel. Retrieved Mar. 15^th, 2017, from: http://www.oocities.org/danielmacryan/antimac.html#chap26

“The German Bugaboo.” (1914, May 2). The Literary Digest, p. 1040.

Glenny, M. (2000). The Balkans: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers, 1804-1999. New York: Viking.

Hubbard, J. M. (1890, Jul.). “Warlike Europe.” The North American Review, p. 125-126.

Low, A. N. (1914, Nov.). “Weakness of the German Machine.” The North American Review, p. 699-708.

Luard, E. (1992). The Balance of Power: The System of International Relations, 1648-1815. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Miller, H. A. (1914, Dec.). “Nationalism in Bohemia and Poland.” The North American Review, p. 879-886.

Palmer, R. R. (1986). “Frederick the Great, Guibert, Bulow: From Dynastic to National War.” In: Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

“The Renewal of the Triple Alliance.” (1902, May 31). The Literary Digest, p. 748.

Schieder, T. (2000). Frederick the Great. Berkeley, S., and Scott, H. M., Ed./Trans. New York: Longman.

“Status Quo in the Balkans.” (1903, Oct. 10). The Literary Digest, p. 473-474.

Steiner, E. A. (1912, Nov. 9). “The Spirit of the Balkans.” The Outlook, p. 534-536.

Van Hise, C. R. (1919, Jan.). “Preventing Future Wars.” The Forum, p. 77-86.

“What Readers of the Outlook Think of the War.” (1914, Sep. 2). The Outlook, p. 44-47.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

The Cabinet Wars were a period of supposedly restricted warfare, and no one was a greater Cabinet Warrior than Frederick the Great of Prussia. Though he was also in some ways the opposite. Today we look at the trajectory of Frederick the Great’s military thinking, from the early idealism of his Anti-Machiavel to his later years of restricted warfare.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Host: B. T. Newberg

Time/place: Europe, 1740-1786 CE

Dead Idea: Balance of Power

Click to view slideshow.

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

“The Assassinations at Sarajevo.” (1914, Jul. 11). The Outlook, p. 577.

“The Balkan Situation.” (1908, Oct. 17). The Outlook, p. 319-320.

Calquhoun, A. R. (1910, Jan.). “The New Balance of Power in Europe.” The North American Review. pp. 18-28.

“Death Agonies of the Triple Alliance.” (1906, Apr. 14). The Literary Digest, p. 575.

Edwards, A. (1912, Dec.). “The New Map of Europe.” The Outlook, p. 855-860.

“The Effect of the Polish Child Floggings on the Triple Alliance.” (1902, Feb. 1). The Literary Digest, p. 159.

“Europe and the Balkans.” (1913, May 17). The Outlook, p. 97.

“Europe’s Call to Arms.” (1914, Aug. 8). The Literary Digest, p. 215-216.

“Ferdinand of Bulgaria as Enfant Terrible.” (1897, Oct. 2). The Literary Digest, p. 682.

Frederick the Great. (1739/2017). Anti-Machiavel. Retrieved Mar. 15^th, 2017, from: http://www.oocities.org/danielmacryan/antimac.html#chap26

“The German Bugaboo.” (1914, May 2). The Literary Digest, p. 1040.

Glenny, M. (2000). The Balkans: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers, 1804-1999. New York: Viking.

Hubbard, J. M. (1890, Jul.). “Warlike Europe.” The North American Review, p. 125-126.

Low, A. N. (1914, Nov.). “Weakness of the German Machine.” The North American Review, p. 699-708.

Luard, E. (1992). The Balance of Power: The System of International Relations, 1648-1815. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Miller, H. A. (1914, Dec.). “Nationalism in Bohemia and Poland.” The North American Review, p. 879-886.

Palmer, R. R. (1986). “Frederick the Great, Guibert, Bulow: From Dynastic to National War.” In: Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

“The Renewal of the Triple Alliance.” (1902, May 31). The Literary Digest, p. 748.

Schieder, T. (2000). Frederick the Great. Berkeley, S., and Scott, H. M., Ed./Trans. New York: Longman.

“Status Quo in the Balkans.” (1903, Oct. 10). The Literary Digest, p. 473-474.

Steiner, E. A. (1912, Nov. 9). “The Spirit of the Balkans.” The Outlook, p. 534-536.

Van Hise, C. R. (1919, Jan.). “Preventing Future Wars.” The Forum, p. 77-86.

“What Readers of the Outlook Think of the War.” (1914, Sep. 2). The Outlook, p. 44-47.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

The balance of power system in place prior to WWI was meant to prevent a great war from ever happening again. Then what happened? Not just any great war, but THE Great War. What was this system and how was it supposed to work?

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Host: B. T. Newberg

Time/place: Europe, 1648-1914 CE

Dead Idea: Balance of Power

Click to view slideshow.

Click to view slideshow.

Main Sources

“The Assassinations at Sarajevo.” (1914, Jul. 11). The Outlook, p. 577.

“The Balkan Situation.” (1908, Oct. 17). The Outlook, p. 319-320.

Calquhoun, A. R. (1910, Jan.). “The New Balance of Power in Europe.” The North American Review. pp. 18-28.

“Death Agonies of the Triple Alliance.” (1906, Apr. 14). The Literary Digest, p. 575.

Edwards, A. (1912, Dec.). “The New Map of Europe.” The Outlook, p. 855-860.

“The Effect of the Polish Child Floggings on the Triple Alliance.” (1902, Feb. 1). The Literary Digest, p. 159.

“Europe and the Balkans.” (1913, May 17). The Outlook, p. 97.

“Europe’s Call to Arms.” (1914, Aug. 8). The Literary Digest, p. 215-216.

“Ferdinand of Bulgaria as Enfant Terrible.” (1897, Oct. 2). The Literary Digest, p. 682.

Frederick the Great. (1739/2017). Anti-Machiavel. Retrieved Mar. 15^th, 2017, from: http://www.oocities.org/danielmacryan/antimac.html#chap26

“The German Bugaboo.” (1914, May 2). The Literary Digest, p. 1040.

Glenny, M. (2000). The Balkans: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers, 1804-1999. New York: Viking.

Hubbard, J. M. (1890, Jul.). “Warlike Europe.” The North American Review, p. 125-126.

Low, A. N. (1914, Nov.). “Weakness of the German Machine.” The North American Review, p. 699-708.

Luard, E. (1992). The Balance of Power: The System of International Relations, 1648-1815. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Miller, H. A. (1914, Dec.). “Nationalism in Bohemia and Poland.” The North American Review, p. 879-886.

Palmer, R. R. (1986). “Frederick the Great, Guibert, Bulow: From Dynastic to National War.” In: Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Paret, P., Ed. (1986). Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

“The Renewal of the Triple Alliance.” (1902, May 31). The Literary Digest, p. 748.

Schieder, T. (2000). Frederick the Great. Berkeley, S., and Scott, H. M., Ed./Trans. New York: Longman.

“Status Quo in the Balkans.” (1903, Oct. 10). The Literary Digest, p. 473-474.

Steiner, E. A. (1912, Nov. 9). “The Spirit of the Balkans.” The Outlook, p. 534-536.

Van Hise, C. R. (1919, Jan.). “Preventing Future Wars.” The Forum, p. 77-86.

“What Readers of the Outlook Think of the War.” (1914, Sep. 2). The Outlook, p. 44-47.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.

Our serfdom grand finale! Guest Daniel Daughhetee of the Lesser Bonapartes and Canon Ball helps us bring it home in this cinematic mashup of the autobiography of runaway serf Nikolai Shipov with… Star Wars! Featuring music by David and Henry Dutton of 8-Bit Cinema!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-host: Daniel Daughhetee

Time/place: Russia, 1830-1845 CE

Dead Idea: Russian serfdom

A Map of Russia, 1834 CE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Glossary of Russian Words and Spellings

• aul (ah-OOL) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• bárshchina (BAHR-shchee-nah) – dues paid in labor to landlord; corvée
• brat na braty (BRAT na BRA-tee) – the “brother for brother” system in which half the adult laborers of a commune worked the landlord’s fields on any given day.
• burmistr (BOOR-mee-stur) – bailiff, manager of an estate
• chernaia (CHUR-nai-yuh) – chimney-less hut
• desiatina (DEE-syah-tee-nah) – a unit of area equal to 2.7 acres
• izbá (eez-BAH) – hut
• kholop (hah-LOHP) – slave
• krepostnoi (kray-PAHST-noy) – serf
• mir (MEER) – peasant commune; also means “world”, “peace”
• obrók (ahb-ROHK) – dues paid in kind or money to landlord
• oprichnina (ah-PREECH-nee-nah) – secret police of Ivan the Terrible
• poméshchik (pah-MYEE-shuhk) – servitor landlord
• Pomórskaia (POH-mohr-skai-yuh)– Old Belief, referring to liturgical forms retained from before the reforms of 1652-1658
• saklya (SACK-lee-yuh) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• sótskii (SOHT-skee) – peasant/serf assigned to keep order on an estate; lit. “hundredth” and in charge of 100 households
• stárosta (STAH-us-tuh) – village elder
• tiaglo (tee-ah-GLUH) – husband-wife work team
• upravitel (oop-rah-VEE-tul) – steward, bailiff
• versta (vyeer-STAH) – a unit of distance equal to 0.663 miles or 1.067 km

Main Sources

Avakkum. (1950/2003). “The Life of Archpriest Avakkum.” In: Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Buggle, J. C., and Nafziger, S. (2015). “Long-Run Consequences of Labor Coercion: Evidence from Russian Serfdom.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.johannesbuggle.com/docs/serfdom_1.4.pdf

Domar, E. (1970). “The Causes of Slavery or Serfdom: A Hypothesis.” The Journal of Economic History, 30(1): 18-32. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/div-classtitlethe-causes-of-slavery-or-serfdom-a-hypothesisdiv/B6055D4D909C9D21B79BB42D2CD952C5

Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Gogol, N. V. (1834). Taras Bulba and Other Tales. Cournos, J, ed. Retrieved Mar 16, 2017, from: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1197/1197-h/1197-h.htm

Gorshkov, B. B. (2005). A Life Under Russian Serfdom: The Memoirs of Savva Dmitrievich Purlevskii 1800-1868. New York: Central European University Press.

Hoch, S. L. (1986). Serfdom and Social Control in Russia: Petrovskoe, A Village in Tambov. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Kolchin, P. (1987). Unfree Labor: American Slavery and Russian Serfdom. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press

Lincoln, W. (1994). The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians. New York: Random House.

MacKay, J. (2009). Four Russian Serf Narratives. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Markevich, A., and Zhuravskaya, E. (2016). “The Economic Effects of the Abolition of Serfdom: Evidence from the Russian Empire.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/MarkevitchZhuravskaya2016.pdf

Moley, H. (1866). Sketches of Russian Life Before and During the Emancipation of the Serfs. London: Chapman and Hall.

Nafziger, S. (2013). “Russian Serfdom, Emancipation, and Land Inequality: New Evidence.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.ucrs.uu.se/digitalAssets/336/c_336060-l_3-k_serfdom_emancipation_inequality_steven_nafziger.pdf

Nafziger, S. (2011). “Serfdom, Emancipation, and Economic Development in Tsarist Russia.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: 12.161.242.125/dotAsset/60e0d541-627e-4028-bca1-5fb981169cc2.doc

Nafziger, S., and Lindert, P. (2013). “Russian Inequality on the Eve of Revolution.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/Nafziger_Lindert_Inequality_Sept2013.pdf

Rosa, J. (2011). “The Causes of Serfdom: Domar’s Puzzle Revisited.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1833511

Semyenov, Y. (1944). The Conquest of Siberia. Dickes, E. W., Ed. London: G. Routledge & Sons, Ltd.

Tolstoy, L. (1887). A Russian Proprietor and Other Stories. Dole, N. H., Trans. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.

Tolstoy, L. (1852). The Cossacks. Maude, L., & Maude, A., Trans. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Cossacks.html

Wirtschafter, E. K. (2008). Russia’s Age of Serfdom 1649-1861. Maldon, MA: Blackwell.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

The conquest of Siberia! Kinda. Sort of. Well, in name at least. How in the hell did the Russians manage to grab the northern expanses all the way to the Pacific? Find out today. Also, who were the Old Believers and what zany adventures did their founder get up to? Find that out too. Nick answers all the burning questions you never knew you had.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Time/place: Russia c.1500-1800-ish CE

Dead Idea: Russian serfdom

A Map of Russia, 1834 CE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Glossary of Russian Words and Spellings

• aul (ah-OOL) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• bárshchina (BAHR-shchee-nah) – dues paid in labor to landlord; corvée
• brat na braty (BRAT na BRA-tee) – the “brother for brother” system in which half the adult laborers of a commune worked the landlord’s fields on any given day.
• burmistr (BOOR-mee-stur) – bailiff, manager of an estate
• chernaia (CHUR-nai-yuh) – chimney-less hut
• desiatina (DEE-syah-tee-nah) – a unit of area equal to 2.7 acres
• izbá (eez-BAH) – hut
• kholop (hah-LOHP) – slave
• krepostnoi (kray-PAHST-noy) – serf
• mir (MEER) – peasant commune; also means “world”, “peace”
• obrók (ahb-ROHK) – dues paid in kind or money to landlord
• oprichnina (ah-PREECH-nee-nah) – secret police of Ivan the Terrible
• poméshchik (pah-MYEE-shuhk) – servitor landlord
• Pomórskaia (POH-mohr-skai-yuh)– Old Belief, referring to liturgical forms retained from before the reforms of 1652-1658
• saklya (SACK-lee-yuh) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• sótskii (SOHT-skee) – peasant/serf assigned to keep order on an estate; lit. “hundredth” and in charge of 100 households
• stárosta (STAH-us-tuh) – village elder
• tiaglo (tee-ah-GLUH) – husband-wife work team
• upravitel (oop-rah-VEE-tul) – steward, bailiff
• versta (vyeer-STAH) – a unit of distance equal to 0.663 miles or 1.067 km

Main Sources

Avakkum. (1950/2003). “The Life of Archpriest Avakkum.” In: Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Buggle, J. C., and Nafziger, S. (2015). “Long-Run Consequences of Labor Coercion: Evidence from Russian Serfdom.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.johannesbuggle.com/docs/serfdom_1.4.pdf

Domar, E. (1970). “The Causes of Slavery or Serfdom: A Hypothesis.” The Journal of Economic History, 30(1): 18-32. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/div-classtitlethe-causes-of-slavery-or-serfdom-a-hypothesisdiv/B6055D4D909C9D21B79BB42D2CD952C5

Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Gogol, N. V. (1834). Taras Bulba and Other Tales. Cournos, J, ed. Retrieved Mar 16, 2017, from: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1197/1197-h/1197-h.htm

Gorshkov, B. B. (2005). A Life Under Russian Serfdom: The Memoirs of Savva Dmitrievich Purlevskii 1800-1868. New York: Central European University Press.

Hoch, S. L. (1986). Serfdom and Social Control in Russia: Petrovskoe, A Village in Tambov. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Kolchin, P. (1987). Unfree Labor: American Slavery and Russian Serfdom. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press

Lincoln, W. (1994). The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians. New York: Random House.

MacKay, J. (2009). Four Russian Serf Narratives. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Markevich, A., and Zhuravskaya, E. (2016). “The Economic Effects of the Abolition of Serfdom: Evidence from the Russian Empire.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/MarkevitchZhuravskaya2016.pdf

Moley, H. (1866). Sketches of Russian Life Before and During the Emancipation of the Serfs. London: Chapman and Hall.

Nafziger, S. (2013). “Russian Serfdom, Emancipation, and Land Inequality: New Evidence.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.ucrs.uu.se/digitalAssets/336/c_336060-l_3-k_serfdom_emancipation_inequality_steven_nafziger.pdf

Nafziger, S. (2011). “Serfdom, Emancipation, and Economic Development in Tsarist Russia.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: 12.161.242.125/dotAsset/60e0d541-627e-4028-bca1-5fb981169cc2.doc

Nafziger, S., and Lindert, P. (2013). “Russian Inequality on the Eve of Revolution.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/Nafziger_Lindert_Inequality_Sept2013.pdf

Rosa, J. (2011). “The Causes of Serfdom: Domar’s Puzzle Revisited.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1833511

Semyenov, Y. (1944). The Conquest of Siberia. Dickes, E. W., Ed. London: G. Routledge & Sons, Ltd.

Tolstoy, L. (1887). A Russian Proprietor and Other Stories. Dole, N. H., Trans. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.

Tolstoy, L. (1852). The Cossacks. Maude, L., & Maude, A., Trans. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Cossacks.html

Wirtschafter, E. K. (2008). Russia’s Age of Serfdom 1649-1861. Maldon, MA: Blackwell.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Run away to join the Cossacks, young serf! Who were these cowboy-like steppe peoples? And what was their obsession with disdain for pants?! Anna digs into Russian author Nikolai Gogol for a unique view of these riders of the wild wastes.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Time/place: Russia c.1834 CE

Dead Idea: Russian serfdom

A Map of Russia, 1834 CE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Glossary of Russian Words and Spellings

• aul (ah-OOL) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• bárshchina (BAHR-shchee-nah) – dues paid in labor to landlord; corvée
• brat na braty (BRAT na BRA-tee) – the “brother for brother” system in which half the adult laborers of a commune worked the landlord’s fields on any given day.
• burmistr (BOOR-mee-stur) – bailiff, manager of an estate
• chernaia (CHUR-nai-yuh) – chimney-less hut
• desiatina (DEE-syah-tee-nah) – a unit of area equal to 2.7 acres
• izbá (eez-BAH) – hut
• kholop (hah-LOHP) – slave
• krepostnoi (kray-PAHST-noy) – serf
• mir (MEER) – peasant commune; also means “world”, “peace”
• obrók (ahb-ROHK) – dues paid in kind or money to landlord
• oprichnina (ah-PREECH-nee-nah) – secret police of Ivan the Terrible
• poméshchik (pah-MYEE-shuhk) – servitor landlord
• Pomórskaia (POH-mohr-skai-yuh)– Old Belief, referring to liturgical forms retained from before the reforms of 1652-1658
• saklya (SACK-lee-yuh) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• sótskii (SOHT-skee) – peasant/serf assigned to keep order on an estate; lit. “hundredth” and in charge of 100 households
• stárosta (STAH-us-tuh) – village elder
• tiaglo (tee-ah-GLUH) – husband-wife work team
• upravitel (oop-rah-VEE-tul) – steward, bailiff
• versta (vyeer-STAH) – a unit of distance equal to 0.663 miles or 1.067 km

Main Sources

Avakkum. (1950/2003). “The Life of Archpriest Avakkum.” In: Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Buggle, J. C., and Nafziger, S. (2015). “Long-Run Consequences of Labor Coercion: Evidence from Russian Serfdom.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.johannesbuggle.com/docs/serfdom_1.4.pdf

Domar, E. (1970). “The Causes of Slavery or Serfdom: A Hypothesis.” The Journal of Economic History, 30(1): 18-32. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/div-classtitlethe-causes-of-slavery-or-serfdom-a-hypothesisdiv/B6055D4D909C9D21B79BB42D2CD952C5

Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Gogol, N. V. (1834). Taras Bulba and Other Tales. Cournos, J, ed. Retrieved Mar 16, 2017, from: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1197/1197-h/1197-h.htm

Gorshkov, B. B. (2005). A Life Under Russian Serfdom: The Memoirs of Savva Dmitrievich Purlevskii 1800-1868. New York: Central European University Press.

Hoch, S. L. (1986). Serfdom and Social Control in Russia: Petrovskoe, A Village in Tambov. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Kolchin, P. (1987). Unfree Labor: American Slavery and Russian Serfdom. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press

Lincoln, W. (1994). The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians. New York: Random House.

MacKay, J. (2009). Four Russian Serf Narratives. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Markevich, A., and Zhuravskaya, E. (2016). “The Economic Effects of the Abolition of Serfdom: Evidence from the Russian Empire.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/MarkevitchZhuravskaya2016.pdf

Moley, H. (1866). Sketches of Russian Life Before and During the Emancipation of the Serfs. London: Chapman and Hall.

Nafziger, S. (2013). “Russian Serfdom, Emancipation, and Land Inequality: New Evidence.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.ucrs.uu.se/digitalAssets/336/c_336060-l_3-k_serfdom_emancipation_inequality_steven_nafziger.pdf

Nafziger, S. (2011). “Serfdom, Emancipation, and Economic Development in Tsarist Russia.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: 12.161.242.125/dotAsset/60e0d541-627e-4028-bca1-5fb981169cc2.doc

Nafziger, S., and Lindert, P. (2013). “Russian Inequality on the Eve of Revolution.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/Nafziger_Lindert_Inequality_Sept2013.pdf

Rosa, J. (2011). “The Causes of Serfdom: Domar’s Puzzle Revisited.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1833511

Semyenov, Y. (1944). The Conquest of Siberia. Dickes, E. W., Ed. London: G. Routledge & Sons, Ltd.

Tolstoy, L. (1887). A Russian Proprietor and Other Stories. Dole, N. H., Trans. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.

Tolstoy, L. (1852). The Cossacks. Maude, L., & Maude, A., Trans. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Cossacks.html

Wirtschafter, E. K. (2008). Russia’s Age of Serfdom 1649-1861. Maldon, MA: Blackwell.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

How did the Soviet kolkhoz, or collective farm, stack up against the serf commune? Here to help us understand is Kristaps Andrejsons from the podcast The Eastern Border. Also, it’s my birthday! Yay!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Interviewee: Kristaps Andrejsons

Time/place: Imperial Russia and USSR eras

Dead Idea: Russian serfdom

A Map of Russia, 1834 CE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Glossary of Russian Words and Spellings

• aul (ah-OOL) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• bárshchina (BAHR-shchee-nah) – dues paid in labor to landlord; corvée
• brat na braty (BRAT na BRA-tee) – the “brother for brother” system in which half the adult laborers of a commune worked the landlord’s fields on any given day.
• burmistr (BOOR-mee-stur) – bailiff, manager of an estate
• chernaia (CHUR-nai-yuh) – chimney-less hut
• desiatina (DEE-syah-tee-nah) – a unit of area equal to 2.7 acres
• izbá (eez-BAH) – hut
• kholop (hah-LOHP) – slave
• krepostnoi (kray-PAHST-noy) – serf
• mir (MEER) – peasant commune; also means “world”, “peace”
• obrók (ahb-ROHK) – dues paid in kind or money to landlord
• oprichnina (ah-PREECH-nee-nah) – secret police of Ivan the Terrible
• poméshchik (pah-MYEE-shuhk) – servitor landlord
• Pomórskaia (POH-mohr-skai-yuh)– Old Belief, referring to liturgical forms retained from before the reforms of 1652-1658
• saklya (SACK-lee-yuh) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• sótskii (SOHT-skee) – peasant/serf assigned to keep order on an estate; lit. “hundredth” and in charge of 100 households
• stárosta (STAH-us-tuh) – village elder
• tiaglo (tee-ah-GLUH) – husband-wife work team
• upravitel (oop-rah-VEE-tul) – steward, bailiff
• versta (vyeer-STAH) – a unit of distance equal to 0.663 miles or 1.067 km

Main Sources

Avakkum. (1950/2003). “The Life of Archpriest Avakkum.” In: Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Buggle, J. C., and Nafziger, S. (2015). “Long-Run Consequences of Labor Coercion: Evidence from Russian Serfdom.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.johannesbuggle.com/docs/serfdom_1.4.pdf

Domar, E. (1970). “The Causes of Slavery or Serfdom: A Hypothesis.” The Journal of Economic History, 30(1): 18-32. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/div-classtitlethe-causes-of-slavery-or-serfdom-a-hypothesisdiv/B6055D4D909C9D21B79BB42D2CD952C5

Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Gogol, N. V. (1834). Taras Bulba and Other Tales. Cournos, J, ed. Retrieved Mar 16, 2017, from: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1197/1197-h/1197-h.htm

Gorshkov, B. B. (2005). A Life Under Russian Serfdom: The Memoirs of Savva Dmitrievich Purlevskii 1800-1868. New York: Central European University Press.

Hoch, S. L. (1986). Serfdom and Social Control in Russia: Petrovskoe, A Village in Tambov. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Kolchin, P. (1987). Unfree Labor: American Slavery and Russian Serfdom. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press

Lincoln, W. (1994). The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians. New York: Random House.

MacKay, J. (2009). Four Russian Serf Narratives. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Markevich, A., and Zhuravskaya, E. (2016). “The Economic Effects of the Abolition of Serfdom: Evidence from the Russian Empire.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/MarkevitchZhuravskaya2016.pdf

Moley, H. (1866). Sketches of Russian Life Before and During the Emancipation of the Serfs. London: Chapman and Hall.

Nafziger, S. (2013). “Russian Serfdom, Emancipation, and Land Inequality: New Evidence.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.ucrs.uu.se/digitalAssets/336/c_336060-l_3-k_serfdom_emancipation_inequality_steven_nafziger.pdf

Nafziger, S. (2011). “Serfdom, Emancipation, and Economic Development in Tsarist Russia.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: 12.161.242.125/dotAsset/60e0d541-627e-4028-bca1-5fb981169cc2.doc

Nafziger, S., and Lindert, P. (2013). “Russian Inequality on the Eve of Revolution.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/Nafziger_Lindert_Inequality_Sept2013.pdf

Rosa, J. (2011). “The Causes of Serfdom: Domar’s Puzzle Revisited.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1833511

Semyenov, Y. (1944). The Conquest of Siberia. Dickes, E. W., Ed. London: G. Routledge & Sons, Ltd.

Tolstoy, L. (1887). A Russian Proprietor and Other Stories. Dole, N. H., Trans. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.

Tolstoy, L. (1852). The Cossacks. Maude, L., & Maude, A., Trans. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Cossacks.html

Wirtschafter, E. K. (2008). Russia’s Age of Serfdom 1649-1861. Maldon, MA: Blackwell.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

What was the relationship like between serf and master? Hear chilling first-hand accounts from 19th-century serf autobiographies!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Time/place: Russia, 1834 CE

Dead Idea: Russian serfdom

A Map of Russia, 1834 CE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Glossary of Russian Words and Spellings

• aul (ah-OOL) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• bárshchina (BAHR-shchee-nah) – dues paid in labor to landlord; corvée
• brat na braty (BRAT na BRA-tee) – the “brother for brother” system in which half the adult laborers of a commune worked the landlord’s fields on any given day.
• burmistr (BOOR-mee-stur) – bailiff, manager of an estate
• chernaia (CHUR-nai-yuh) – chimney-less hut
• desiatina (DEE-syah-tee-nah) – a unit of area equal to 2.7 acres
• izbá (eez-BAH) – hut
• kholop (hah-LOHP) – slave
• krepostnoi (kray-PAHST-noy) – serf
• mir (MEER) – peasant commune; also means “world”, “peace”
• obrók (ahb-ROHK) – dues paid in kind or money to landlord
• oprichnina (ah-PREECH-nee-nah) – secret police of Ivan the Terrible
• poméshchik (pah-MYEE-shuhk) – servitor landlord
• Pomórskaia (POH-mohr-skai-yuh)– Old Belief, referring to liturgical forms retained from before the reforms of 1652-1658
• saklya (SACK-lee-yuh) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• sótskii (SOHT-skee) – peasant/serf assigned to keep order on an estate; lit. “hundredth” and in charge of 100 households
• stárosta (STAH-us-tuh) – village elder
• tiaglo (tee-ah-GLUH) – husband-wife work team
• upravitel (oop-rah-VEE-tul) – steward, bailiff
• versta (vyeer-STAH) – a unit of distance equal to 0.663 miles or 1.067 km

Main Sources

Avakkum. (1950/2003). “The Life of Archpriest Avakkum.” In: Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Buggle, J. C., and Nafziger, S. (2015). “Long-Run Consequences of Labor Coercion: Evidence from Russian Serfdom.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.johannesbuggle.com/docs/serfdom_1.4.pdf

Domar, E. (1970). “The Causes of Slavery or Serfdom: A Hypothesis.” The Journal of Economic History, 30(1): 18-32. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/div-classtitlethe-causes-of-slavery-or-serfdom-a-hypothesisdiv/B6055D4D909C9D21B79BB42D2CD952C5

Fedotov, G. P., Ed. (1950/2003). The Way of a Pilgrim and Other Classics of Russian Spirituality. Iswolsky, H., Trans. Mineola, NY: Dover.

Gogol, N. V. (1834). Taras Bulba and Other Tales. Cournos, J, ed. Retrieved Mar 16, 2017, from: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1197/1197-h/1197-h.htm

Gorshkov, B. B. (2005). A Life Under Russian Serfdom: The Memoirs of Savva Dmitrievich Purlevskii 1800-1868. New York: Central European University Press.

Hoch, S. L. (1986). Serfdom and Social Control in Russia: Petrovskoe, A Village in Tambov. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Kolchin, P. (1987). Unfree Labor: American Slavery and Russian Serfdom. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press

Lincoln, W. (1994). The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians. New York: Random House.

MacKay, J. (2009). Four Russian Serf Narratives. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Markevich, A., and Zhuravskaya, E. (2016). “The Economic Effects of the Abolition of Serfdom: Evidence from the Russian Empire.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/MarkevitchZhuravskaya2016.pdf

Moley, H. (1866). Sketches of Russian Life Before and During the Emancipation of the Serfs. London: Chapman and Hall.

Nafziger, S. (2013). “Russian Serfdom, Emancipation, and Land Inequality: New Evidence.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.ucrs.uu.se/digitalAssets/336/c_336060-l_3-k_serfdom_emancipation_inequality_steven_nafziger.pdf

Nafziger, S. (2011). “Serfdom, Emancipation, and Economic Development in Tsarist Russia.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: 12.161.242.125/dotAsset/60e0d541-627e-4028-bca1-5fb981169cc2.doc

Nafziger, S., and Lindert, P. (2013). “Russian Inequality on the Eve of Revolution.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/Nafziger_Lindert_Inequality_Sept2013.pdf

Rosa, J. (2011). “The Causes of Serfdom: Domar’s Puzzle Revisited.” Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1833511

Semyenov, Y. (1944). The Conquest of Siberia. Dickes, E. W., Ed. London: G. Routledge & Sons, Ltd.

Tolstoy, L. (1887). A Russian Proprietor and Other Stories. Dole, N. H., Trans. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.

Tolstoy, L. (1852). The Cossacks. Maude, L., & Maude, A., Trans. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2017, from: http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Cossacks.html

Wirtschafter, E. K. (2008). Russia’s Age of Serfdom 1649-1861. Maldon, MA: Blackwell.

Maps, pics, references, and more at http://www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Map by Adam McKithern.

Experience the horrors of the military draft and the joys (?) of marriage on a Russian serf commune in this role-playing game episode.

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Co-hosts: Nick and Anna

Time/place: Russia, 1834 CE

Dead Idea: Russian serfdom

A Map of Russia, 1834 CE, by Adam McKithern

Click to view slideshow.

Glossary of Russian Words and Spellings

• aul (ah-OOL) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• bárshchina (BAHR-shchee-nah) – dues paid in labor to landlord; corvée
• brat na braty (BRAT na BRA-tee) – the “brother for brother” system in which half the adult laborers of a commune worked the landlord’s fields on any given day.
• burmistr (BOOR-mee-stur) – bailiff, manager of an estate
• chernaia (CHUR-nai-yuh) – chimney-less hut
• desiatina (DEE-syah-tee-nah) – a unit of area equal to 2.7 acres
• izbá (eez-BAH) – hut
• kholop (hah-LOHP) – slave
• krepostnoi (kray-PAHST-noy) – serf
• mir (MEER) – peasant commune; also means “world”, “peace”
• obrók (ahb-ROHK) – dues paid in kind or money to landlord
• oprichnina (ah-PREECH-nee-nah) – secret police of Ivan the Terrible
• poméshchik (pah-MYEE-shuhk) – servitor landlord
• Pomórskaia (POH-mohr-skai-yuh)– Old Belief, referring to liturgical forms retained from before the reforms of 1652-1658
• saklya (SACK-lee-yuh) – a Caucasian mountain hut
• sótskii (SOHT-skee) – peasant/serf assigned to keep order on an estate; lit. “hundredth” and in charge of 100 households
• stárosta (STAH-us-tuh) – village elder
• tiaglo (tee-ah-GLUH) – husband-wife work team
• upravitel (oop-rah-VEE-tul) – steward, bailiff
• versta (vyeer-STAH) – a unit of distance equal to 0.663 miles or 1.067 km