We're Not So Different

we're back to continue our deep dive into historical materialism and the eventual rise and fall of feudalism. this week, we discuss "primitive" communist societies of hunter-gatherers who lived in tribes and had no hierarchies, kings, or social classes. so let's go back to a time before sedentism and agriculture and look at the first mode of production

this week, Luke and Eleanor begin a much-requested series on the factors that led to the rise, dominance, and fall of feudalism during and after the Middle Ages. the series will focus on how feudalism and the feudal mode of production came to be and how it shaped our world today in eventually giving way to capitalism. but before we actually get to feudalism, we have to set the stage by discussing historical materialism and what it says about the development of society and culture.

Luke and Eleanor finally get around to reviewing The Green Knight only 3 months after it premiered. check it out, you'll love it

Luke and Eleanor are back with an interview of Alex West, a philologist and historian who focuses on Medieval Indonesia and Malaysia. we talk about some of the differences between Europe and SE Asia in the Middle Ages as well as Alex's work on the Old Sundanese epic poem, Bujangga Manik. if you'd like to see the surviving Bujangga Manik palm leaves, click this link: https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/ad204470-7490-4316-a015-1063f1513523/surfaces/f724ce1b-fed0-4267-a9ac-6c6fa413fc2f/

Discover the fascinating diets of Medieval people and how they balanced their four humours through food. Learn about the role of dietetics, its Greek origins, and its connections to Hippocrates. Explore the Salerno school's health rules and the importance of regimen sanitatis in public health. Delve into how different foods affected the body and shaped acquired tastes. Finally, uncover the links between social class and food choices, revealing a rich tapestry of medieval culinary practices!

Luke and Eleanor continue the series on food in the Middle Ages by discussing the consumption of mind-altering substances. that's right, Medieval people used drugs for various reasons and we're here to talk about it. from the ancient uses of opium as a painkiller to tripping on magic mushrooms found in forests to eating that awful pre-2000's era ditch weed, there's a lot of medieval drug use, so check it out!

Luke and Eleanor continue their series on Medieval food by discussing the massive number of feasts days, what those feasts were like, and more! cover art is The Fight Between Carnival and Lent by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Luke and Eleanor are back to continue their series on food, drink, and drugs in the Middle Ages. this time, we look at some regional differences in foods, debate the best type of beer, and discuss the conquest of bread

Luke and Eleanor are back and, after so many asked, they're finally talking about food in the Middle Ages. what did they eat and drink, how was it like our food, how was it different, and more!

Luke and Eleanor are back to close out their series on Medieval China by talking some more about the Mongols. How did the Mongol Empire rise to such great heights, only to break apart within 150 years? What was the Pax Mongolica? Who was Kublai Khan and why did his Yuan Dynasty, which China, Mongolia, and parts of Russia, fall apart at the end of the Middle Ages?