Episodes

  • Beasts of the Bayeux

    Beasts of the Bayeux
    Jan 19 2025
    Guest Elizabeth Pastan explores the animals in the Bayeux Embroidery (aka the Bayeux Tapestry). If you want to see the images we're discussing, you can go to the Youtube version of the episode here: https://youtu.be/pOaibXA5XrI .

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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    49 mins
  • The Animals of the Twelve Days of Christmas

    The Animals of the Twelve Days of Christmas
    Dec 24 2024
    From partridges to "colly" birds, we explore the early history of the animals (and especially birds) of the beloved Christmas counting song. Special thanks to Evelyn Wohlbier for recording the song for us.

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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    43 mins
  • Putting the Why in the Wyvern

    Putting the Why in the Wyvern
    Dec 14 2024
    Guest Edana Kleinhans takes us through the subtle differences between wyverns and dragons.

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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    41 mins
  • Thoroughly Thoroughbred

    Thoroughly Thoroughbred
    Nov 10 2024
    Guest expert Richard Nash takes us through the history of the thoroughbred horse, from its hybrid origins to the cult of purity that made it the background to racial narratives of the modern world.

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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    48 mins
  • When do demons get their bat wings?

    When do demons get their bat wings?
    Oct 28 2024
    Just in time for Halloween, we explore the humble bat, whose wings suddenly became the standard for all demonic flying creatures.

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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    32 mins
  • Is this the Loch Ness monster?

    Is this the Loch Ness monster?
    Aug 31 2024
    We explore the lore of the hippocampus, from its classical roots to its Celtic legends.

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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    31 mins
  • The golden age of the bestiary

    The golden age of the bestiary
    Jun 17 2024
    Beth Morrison, senior curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum, talks about medieval bestiaries, her favorite imaginary animal, and a new exhibition at the Getty Museum.

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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    46 mins
  • Medieval Ivory

    Medieval Ivory
    May 11 2024
    Guest Sarah M. Guérin explains Medieval Europe's fascination with ivory and the differences between the early ivory trade and the savagery of modern Elephant poaching.

    Become a member of the Manticores club https://plus.acast.com/s/real-fantastic-beasts.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    50 mins