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Get early episodes & ad-free audio on Patreon: https://patreon.com/DrowsyHistorian
Tonight, we’re not following kings, warriors, or saints. We’re following a tailor’s apprentice in Renaissance Europe… as his skin blooms with red sores, his neighbors whisper of sin and punishment, and the local barber-surgeon arrives with hot cups and mustard plasters.
There are no miracles here. Just fever. Isolation. And a slow, painful transformation that leaves the body disfigured — and the memory quietly erased.
This is the horrifying fate of a smallpox victim. And in the Renaissance, you wouldn’t need to be cursed or criminal to suffer it. Just unlucky.
🛏️ Drowsy Historian’s Favorite Sleep Tools
Looking to upgrade your nighttime routine? These are a few things I personally use or recommend:
• Sleep Earbuds for Enhanced Immersion → https://amzn.to/4pVFoJy
• Blanket Soft Enough to Make the Plague Feel Tolerable → https://amzn.to/3GSOq8f
• Weighted Blanket for Pretending You’re a Mummified Pharaoh → https://amzn.to/4kVJCgE
• Sleep Mask Headphones For Total Historical Escape → https://amzn.to/4nWsNVn
• Book Light for Reading About Plagues at 2AM → https://amzn.to/4eSg0iu
• White Noise Machine for Blocking Out the 21st Century → https://amzn.to/3GJ9jTw
These are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show while staying cozy.
#smallpox #renaissance #drowsyhistorian #historysleepstories #calmhistory #historicalillness #plague #barbersurgeon #historicalfiction #secondperson
By Drowsy Historian4.7
1414 ratings
Get early episodes & ad-free audio on Patreon: https://patreon.com/DrowsyHistorian
Tonight, we’re not following kings, warriors, or saints. We’re following a tailor’s apprentice in Renaissance Europe… as his skin blooms with red sores, his neighbors whisper of sin and punishment, and the local barber-surgeon arrives with hot cups and mustard plasters.
There are no miracles here. Just fever. Isolation. And a slow, painful transformation that leaves the body disfigured — and the memory quietly erased.
This is the horrifying fate of a smallpox victim. And in the Renaissance, you wouldn’t need to be cursed or criminal to suffer it. Just unlucky.
🛏️ Drowsy Historian’s Favorite Sleep Tools
Looking to upgrade your nighttime routine? These are a few things I personally use or recommend:
• Sleep Earbuds for Enhanced Immersion → https://amzn.to/4pVFoJy
• Blanket Soft Enough to Make the Plague Feel Tolerable → https://amzn.to/3GSOq8f
• Weighted Blanket for Pretending You’re a Mummified Pharaoh → https://amzn.to/4kVJCgE
• Sleep Mask Headphones For Total Historical Escape → https://amzn.to/4nWsNVn
• Book Light for Reading About Plagues at 2AM → https://amzn.to/4eSg0iu
• White Noise Machine for Blocking Out the 21st Century → https://amzn.to/3GJ9jTw
These are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show while staying cozy.
#smallpox #renaissance #drowsyhistorian #historysleepstories #calmhistory #historicalillness #plague #barbersurgeon #historicalfiction #secondperson