In the first half of the 1700s, Britain was overwhelmed by gin. But it might not have been as fun as it sounds.Today, we're hearing about what the so-called gin-craze was, the impact that it had on regular people, and the government's attempts to control it.Kate is joined by Prof ...Show more
Why Are Vampires Sexy?
Demonic blood-sucking creatures have existed for thousands of years before Dracula showed up all sexy, suave and problematic.Who were these figures who inspired what we know today as vampires? Why are a lot of these supernatural creatures female figures? And why did left-handed r ...Show more
From Egyptians Pharaohs marrying their own sisters, to the Hapsburgs’ notoriously oversized lower jaws. Here are the stories of some of the most shocking incestuous relationships and tragically inbred individuals in royal history. King Tut, Queen Juana the Mad of Castile, King Ch ...Show more
Warning: this episode contains explicit language.Medieval people weren’t prudish—far from it. Dan is joined by medieval historian Dr Eleanor Janega to explore sex, marriage, and desire in the Middle Ages. They delve into the beliefs around sodomy as “non-procreative sex”; pilgrim ...Show more
Incest And Infanticide! Post-Revolutionary Love Triangle Goes Bad
Finally, an episode featuring incest. Before she married Founding Daddy Gouverneur Morris, Ann Cary "Nancy" Randolph got accused of not just incest but also infanticide! Neat! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.