Hark! A dark deed has been done and scurrilous work is afoot Give an ear as John Taylor entreats us with a discussion of English Curse by Frank Turner. The song is an instrument-less ballad from 2011's England Keep My Bones. The tune is brimming with Englishness and condemns William the Conqueror's exploits in 1st Century England. And more explicity the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of William's son William II (Rufus) while hunting in the New Forest are lauded. Join us for a big-brained discussion on Normans, Anglo-Saxons and the early history of Southern England. If you've been wondering where we stand on the latest Norman vs Anglo-Saxon issue, listen in and find out! Commoners won't want to this this one.

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In probably our most scandocious episode yet, we are joined by the world's best bike rider Greg Smith to talk Bad Books' song Pyotr. The indie jam tells of an alleged affair Tsarina Catherine (not Catherine the Great) had which was later discovered by her husband Tsar Peter the Great and ended with rather macabre results. A brief discussion of 17th Century Russia, Peter the Great, St. Petersburg, and the supposed legend surrounding this event ensues. Громъ побҍды, раздавайся!

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For Episode 16 we were joined by the illustrious Jesus to discuss a folk song from 1799 called Canto dei Sanfedisti. The Sanfedisti were founded by based TradCath Cardinal Fabrizio Ruffo in 1799 to drive French revolutionaries and Jacobins from his home in Naples Italy. The song recounts the retaking of Naples in the name of King Ferdinand I - King of the Two Sicilies. Catholics, Royalists, and Neapolitan stans rejoice, your king has (briefly) returned and the Parthenopean Republic be damned! If that isn't enough to get you to listen in on this episode, we don't know what else will. Sona Carmagnola, Sona li cunziglie: Viva 'o rre cu la famiglia! Viva Napule!

Link to the song we used in this episode:

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This week we were joined by the History in Music Podcast catalyst and overall Eiffel 65 enthusiast Bobdaduck. Bob's song suggestion for this episode was Bloc Party's Hunting for Witches (released 1/25/2007). The song mentions both the September 11 and July 7 terrorist attacks in New York City and London respectively. Specifically the singer lampoons the mainstream media and what he perceives as a fomentation of fear with the express purpose of controlling the populace in a time of crisis. Not familiar with 7/7? Is the liberal pie in the sky utopian dream of the western melting pot/"diversity is our strength" mantra still possible? Listen in to find out!

Link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnTMm5RPFaM

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This week we were joined in the HiM spacecraft by Giordano Lives AKA The Mambo Wizard AKA The Italian Stallion AKA Mr. Giordano to discuss Drab Majesty's 2017 hit Dot in the Sky. The song is a new new wave hit about the Heaven's Gate cult and their 1997 mass suicide (spoiler alert). What in the Hale-Bopp was Heaven's Gate? Who were Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles? How can one achieve the Next Level? Get your new age ufology christian millenariansm fix and reach the Evolutionary Level Above Human all while enjoying some new wave jams. Lace up your Nike Decades, your spaceship awaits!

Link to the song: https://youtu.be/HALKkedJUqM

https://www.heavensgate.com/

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In third chair this week we are joined by resident runic scholar and based metalhead Runes. The song we discuss is Canute the Great (King of Danish Pride) by Rebellion from their 2005 album Sagas of Iceland - The History of the Vikings, Vol. 1. Sail along with us as we raid, pillage, and plunder the historical details of Cnut's life contained in this ballad. How can one man unify the fractured kingdoms of southern England and unite them with the kingdoms of Norway and Denmark into the North Sea Empire? through sheer force of will - will to power. Fans of Aethelred the Unready can go ahead and sit this one out. It's the Nord's time on top. Who exactly was Cnut? Listen to find out! ᚲᚾᚢᛏᚱ ᛁᚾᚾ ᚱᛁᚲᛁ

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Dr. Bennett joins us in third chair discussing his song suggestion: Batzorig Vaanchig's rendition of the traditional Mongolian song Chinggis Khaanii Magtaal (Ode to Genghis Khan/In Praise of Genghis Khan). During our discussion of the great Khan's life, we pontificate on the idea of ensuring your own immortality (it may involve conquering most of the world and fathering hundreds of children by multiple women), what the "retvrn to tradition" gang might be getting wrong, and the finer points of khoomei (Mongolian/Tuvan throat singing). While the song lyrics are relatively minimal historically speaking, this may be our most cerebral and dense episode yet. Enjoy!

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Typhus, scurvy, and dysentery will not stop us - the show must go on. Maladies aside, in this episode we are joined by Tiberius to discuss his song suggestion: Alestorm's 1741 (The Battle of Cartagena). The song (and the album it's taken from ) are inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy. The tune specifically tells the story of the 1741 Battle of Cartagena between the British and the Spanish during The War of Jenkins' Ear (as we all know). Meds rejoice at the victory of the Spanish over their English attackers during the month long siege that ended with over 15,000 casualties on the British side alone. Americans bristle at the cruel treatment by their English overlords during the battle and we learn where George Washington's beloved Mt. Vernon gets its name. All this and more on today's show, check it out!

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New Mexico stan, history buff, and fluent German-speaker New Mexico Supremacist joins us in third chair for another German folk song. Wir sind des Geyers schwarzer Haufen (We are Geyer's Black Company). The song, while written in the early 1920's, details the struggles of the common man in the German Peasants' War of 1524-1525 and specifically the only heavy calvalry unit to fight on the side of the peasants during the conflict: Florian Geyer's Black Company. The ballad is strongly anti-cleric and anti-noble and has been used by various groups in Germany to rally youth to their cause... oh the German Peasant's War? Yeah it's pretty obscure, you probably haven't heard of it. Spoiler alert: everybody dies.

Link to the song (this is the version we used for the episode, there are many others out there):

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In third chair we are joined by renaissance man and talented musician Beta Pvnk discussing his song suggestion Wind of Change by the Scorpions. The song holds a special place in his heart which comes through in our discussion. This rock ballad is one of the best selling singles of all time, did it also single-handedly bring down the USSR? Was the song actually written by the CIA as a psyop during the Cold War? Grab your balalaika and give us a listen to find out!

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