Heretic History Podcast

We pick up right where we left off... Caterina, after holding the Vatican hostage, is forced to relinquish her post and follow her hapless husband north to Florì. Although now far removed from the intrigues of the Roman court, political plots and vendettas follow them, threatening retribution at every turn.

As the next ten years unfold, the Countess will face horrors and triumphs: wars, shifting alliances, forbidden love and unimaginable devastation. From this, Caterina Sforza will emerge transformed; the woman known to history as the Tigress of Florì.

Be warned: This episode is going to get bloody.

Italy in the 1400's was a land of contradictions. The cradle of the Renaissance was encapsulated with bloody warfare and nefarious plots; beautiful and deadly. Only a backdrop such as this could produce a woman like Caterina Sfroza.

Born the illegitimate daughter to one of the wealthiest men in Romagna, her upbringing was on par with any prince of Europe. She was trained to observe, calculate, hunt and fight. But most of all, she was conditioned to be loyal to her family above all others.

In Part 1 of this series, we will discuss her youth. Her evolution from a child-bride to a young mother. And from a sweet and beguiling Countess to the adversary of the Vatican itself.

TW: Some discussion of childhood trauma, SA.

The Iranian or Isalmic Revolution of 1979 is now synonymous with far-right/religious extremism, but it was almost something completely different. Many revolutionaries were progressives, marching for democracy. Cheifly amoung these were Iranian women, who had made great advances over the previous five decades.

By 1978 they had gained the right to vote and joined the workforce in droves. They were running thier own companies, attending university, even being elected to serve in public office.

When the revolution unfolded they marched in the streets, firmly believing that a new age of equality was on the horizon. At that time, they could not fathom that they stood on the precipice of losing everything they had worked so hard to gain.

New Orleans is a city of history and myth, and often the two become intertwined. No where is this more apparent than in the legend of the most notorious female figure in the city's history... Marie Laveau, the "Voodoo Queen" of New Orleans.

In her lifetime she was both haled as a spiritual leader and condemned as vial sinner (depending on who you asked). In the century or so since her death her myth has only grown.

In this episode I will be parsing out the real Marie Laveau, separating fact from legend, as much as is possible. Uncovering the real woman who lived, loved and lost, who served as a healer and leader among her people in a time of upheaval and uncertainty. I will also be delving into the history and practice of the greatly misunderstood and often misrepresented religion of Voodoo.

A sneak peak at my latest Patreon Exclusive episode!

At its height, the Roman Empire stretched across the regions of what today make up most of western Europe, portions of eastern Europe and west Asia, down into the Middle East and across northern Africa. And at the farthest western reach of that great Empire was the island of Britannia.

But in the 60/61 CE the unquestionable might of the Rome was nearly upended by a band of rebellious tribes at the edge of the empire. This violent uprising would leave three Roman cities in ruins and thousands dead. The rebellion was eventually quashed, it's leaders annihilated, and considering the war had only lasted one year, it should have just been footnote in history. Instead it captured the attention and imagination of chroniclers, rulers and historians across the world and down the generations.

In part because this fierce and bloody rebellion was led by a woman: Boudica, Queen of the Iceni. Her name and her life have become the stuff of legends.

As a special holiday treat we are taking a look back at my first two episodes Elizabeth Tudor Part 1 & 2 (Royal Bastard). Examining the tumultuous background and early years of her life before she became the powerful figure we remember her as today.

Way back in 2018 I started this podcast with little idea what I was doing; a lot of heart without much technical know-how. We have done our best to brush up and remaster these early episodes for your listening enjoyment. Cheers!

Anne of Cleves was not born to be a queen... but by chance or fate she found herself married at the age of 24 to Henry VIII of England, arguably the most infamous ruler of his day. Anne's arrival in England should have been the start of a real-life fairy tale, instead it was the beginning of a nightmare. Separated from her family in a strange new land and unhappily married to a King with a ferocious reputation. She would have to rely on herself to navigate the dangerous terrain of the English court, where one wrong move might cost you your reputation, your freedom or even your life.

The cards were stacked against Sarah Breedlove from the start. Born in 1867 to formerly enslaved parents and growing up along the cotton fields of the deep south during the Reconstruction Era. She was orphaned at 7, married at 14 and widowed at 20, leaving her utterly alone in the world with a small child to raise. But Sarah had learned from an early age to be her own advocate and her own savior. Dragging herself up from the dredges of poverty to become one of the wealthiest business owners in America. In turn she would set out to use her wealth and influence to better the lives of black citizens, specifically black women and girls across the nation.

In the early morning hours of July 17th, 1918 the Romanov family and their four servants were awoken and told they needed to be moved for their own protection. Escorted by armed guards, they were brought to a tiny, dimly lit cellar room. Completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Much had changed for the Romanovs in the last four years. War and revolution had rendered the world a strange and terrifying place. But bound by duty and love, the four sisters Romanova would hold fast to each other and their family. Following their parents to the ends of the earth and straight into the inferno.

Part 2 of my Romanova series. In this episode I discuss the childhoods of the often over-looked Romanov daughters: Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia.

Spending much of their youth sequestered away at the family palace or aboard the imperial yacht, their world was simple, idyllic and profoundly isolated. To the press and the public, they were nothing more than four pretty faces. And in the century since that view has continued, their own personalities and experiences forgotten in the infamous story of their family's downfall.

The reality is that these four sisters each had their own hopes, desires and humors. Extremely devoted to their parents and little brother, but hungry to see the world. Coming of age against a backdrop of family illness, sinister plots, and rising political violence.