There’s a common misconception out there about what Old English actually is. Whenever I ask someone what they think about Shakespeare (because I’m a nerd), they always go off on a rant about how Old English is totally incomprehensible and why couldn’t I have asked about something else?

For full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/old-middle-english/

Resources and Links

In the grand scheme of things, you probably haven’t heard of the Mycenaeans. That’s okay, we all get that Ancient Greek democracy and theatre overshadows everything and all.

The Mycenaeans were the people who lived in mainland Greece between approximately 1750 to 1050 BCE. They represent the first distinctively Greek civilization in mainland Greece. They had palatial states, urban organization, distinctly Olympian gods, and the first Greek writing system. This was the last of the Greek Bronze Age, when the city states of Sparta and Athens started to emerge.

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

Resources and Links

I feel the first thing I should mention is that the Middle Ages as a whole span a thousand years. It makes it confusing when someone mentions one thing and assumes it was true for the entire duration of the era. This is particularly true when it comes to Arthurian myths and legends.

For full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/inaccuracy-in-arthurian-legends/

Resources and Links

“Le Morte D’Arthur” by Thomas Malory (rendition by Keith Baines, 2010). Considered the de-facto literature for the Arthurian legends, this is the text everyone has either heard stories from, or they use it as the basis for their retelling. It’s also historically inaccurate and requires complete focus to understand without “updated language.”

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

For full show notes head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/perkin-warbeck/

Resources and Links

Welcome to Deconstructed History.