Deconstructed History

Deconstructed History

By George ElmerSociety & CultureHistory
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Deconstructed History episodes

  • 5 Classic Myths and their Modern Retelling
    There’s no such thing as an original story. We’ve told them all so many times, we’ve developed archetypal arcs and structural beats. We know when a story isn’t right. And everyone and their mother has a modern retelling of some ancient myth they just have to share.

    But are we prioritising this rightness of a good story over the historical and mythological facts? As my dad always says when I go off on a tangent during a period drama, “it’s just fiction, it doesn’t have to be accurate.”

    Does it? Does it really?

    Well, he’s not here right now. So let’s pick apart five modern-ish retellings and what they got wrong while updating the original myths to the times.
    1) Disney’s Sword in the Stone vs Arthurian Legend
    2) Marvel’s Thor vs Norse Mythology
    3) Percy Jackson and the Olympians vs Greek Mythology
    4) La Belle et La Bête vs Eros and Psyche
    5) 2004 film King Arthur vs Arthurian Legend 
    13 min
  • Galehaut: The Love Affair of Lancelot You’ve Never Heard Of
    We all know of how Camelot fell from grace when Lancelot accepted the queen’s invitation to her bed. Can you ignore such a thing from a queen in the first place? But being the person I am, I stumbled upon Galehaut, a figure in the Arthurian legends while Wiki-hopping one day and haven’t looked back since.
    For the full show notes and transcript, head on over to www.georgeelmer.co.uk/galehaut/

    Links and Resources:
    “Lancelot and the Lord of the Distant Isles; or, The Book of Galehaut Retold” by Patricia Terry and Samuel N. Rosenberg (2007). A book with beautiful wood carvings retelling of the little-known story of Galehaut and Lancelot with emotion, rather than sidelining Galehaut in favour of Lancelot’s love for Guinevere. 
    "The Prose 'Lancelot's' Galehot, Malory's Lavain, and the Queering of Late Medieval Literature" by Gretchen Mieszkowski (1995). An article from the journal Arthuriana, analysing homoeroticism in late medieval literature. A but dry but intriguing, nonetheless. 
    11 min
  • Looking for Atlantis, the Missing Continent
    We’ve all heard of the tale of Atlantis. There’s something fascinating about an underwater city where you the bells toll in calm waters.

    For full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/atlantis/

    Resources and Links

    Atlantis: The Discovery with Dan Snow (2024). A fantastic documentary about the real locations which could have influenced Plato’s story.
    “Critias” by Plato, translated by Benjamin Jowett at Project Gutenberg. This is the dialogue which contains most of the references to Atlantis.

    16 min
  • Five Greek Constellations and their Myths

    This episode aims to give you an overview of five Ancient Greek constellations seen in the night sky, and what story the Ancient Greeks themselves attributed to them.


    We’ve all heard of Greek myths, whether that’s the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, or Theseus and the Minotaur. But the stories the Greeks themselves told about the natural world particularly fascinates me. How did they explain the stars in the sky and the natural satellites they saw?


    Read the full show notes at www.DeconstructedHistory.com/podcast/greek-constellations/


    Resources and Links

    • “The Secret World of Stargazing” by Adrian West (2021). I went to see him give a talk with my parents; you can tell he’s enthusiastic about the subject of making astronomy accessible. His book (my father bought a signed copy) is an easy read which is also illustrated.
      • 11 min
    • The Tragic Fate of George Boleyn

      Today we’re diving into a topic I think the Tudors largely overshadow, vilify, or ignore in favour of certain other members of the family. And with the Boleyns, no-one really talks about George Boleyn.


      For the full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/george-boleyn/


      Resources and Links

      • “George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat” by Clare Cherry & Claire Ridgway (2014).
      • “Among the Wolves of Court: The Untold Story of Thomas and George Boleyn” by Lauren Mackay (2021).
        • 14 min
      • A Brief Introduction to the Ancient Egyptian World

        If you’ve heard of the Ancient Egyptians, it’s probably something about the gods, or the pyramids, or Cleopatra. But how often do we think about what it was like to live in the Ancient Egyptian world?


        The period we call Ancient Egypt lasted for five thousand years, and all of it was pretty much under one governmental system. We’re talking from the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt in 3,000 BCE all the way to the Roman occupation in the 30s CE. In that time, even if some other religion came along, it all came back to the Pharaonic rule. So how did they do it?


        For full show notes, head to http://deconstructedhistory.com/podcast/ancient-egyptian-world/


        Resources and Links

        • “Ancient Egyptian Magic: A Hands-On Guide” by Christina Riggs (2020). An easy-to-understand book on just how engrained every aspect of magic was in the life of an Ancient Egyptian.
        • “An Introduction to the Ancient World” by L. de Blois and R.J. van der Spek (2019). A fantastic textbook on Ancient Egypt if you want to understand the basics and don’t know where to begin.
        • Interactive timeline and map of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The green dates are the construction of each wonder, the red their destruction.
          • 13 min
        • What Even Is The Holy Grail?

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


          For full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/the-holy-grail/


          Resources and Links

          • “Le Morte d’Arthur” by Thomas Malory, rendered by Keith Baines (2010). A tough read due to how many independent factors, but Malory is the creator of many myths we’re familiar with.
            • 12 min
          • Loki: Was He Really Evil After All?

            This episode is about a god. But not just any god “Hijacked by Jesus” and forced into the role of villain. Oh no. This god starred as the villain and/or antihero in another god’s heroic quest to prove his worth. I am, of course, talking about Loki.


            For full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/loki/


            Resources and Links

            • “Norse Mythology” by Neil Gaiman (2017). A fantastic retelling of the original myths. He said he tried to avoid later attestations while writing it.
            • “Loki’s gender fluidity and bisexuality in Norse mythology and in modern adaptations by Alice Martinelli (2022).” An academic article (possibly a dissertation) on the topic of Loki and his portrayal in multiple forms of media.
              • 15 min
            • Orpheus: The Man Behind the Myth

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


              For full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/orpheus/


              Resources and Links

              • “Jason and the Golden Fleece” by Apollonius of Rhodes (Oxford World’s Classics, 2009). An updated version of the original published in 1993. It was recommended for its readability, accuracy to the original text, and with annotations within the same chapter. Also, it comes with maps.
              • The game “Hades” by Supergiant Games. A single-player game released for macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows following an early access release in December 2018. Later released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in August 2021. Released for iOS in 2024 through Netflix Games.
              • “Hadestown Original Broadway Cast Recording” by Anaïs Mitchell (2019). Represents the Broadway show in its entirety. The deluxe 2-CD set comes with a 64-page booklet, including full libretto and production photos.
                • 15 min
              • Henry Tudor: The Legitimacy of His Claim to the Throne

                In this episode, we’re looking at how legitimate the claim Henry Tudor made for the throne was, after he claimed the throne through conquest on 30th October 1485. Don’t worry, I’ll try to keep my irritation at him at bay long enough to get through his episode.


                For full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/henry-tudor/


                Resources and Links

                • “The Princes in the Tower: Solving History’s Greatest Cold Case” by Philippa Langley (2023). Langley uses contemporary sources rather than later Tudor ones to establish just what was going on in the period before and the aftermath of the Battle of Bosworth.
                  • 16 min

                About Deconstructed History

                From the publisher's feed

                Why does every history lesson always leave out the gory bits? Did I just watch a popular historical drama get it wrong? Why are the Tudors all any documentary series ever seem to talk about? And the biggest question: How can I find out where to get to the truth about what *really* happened in history? If you’re looking for manic lectures on various topics, you’re in the right place.