Show Notes
It's time to get continental because on this episode of the Weird Medieval Guys podcast, we're heading to the Holy Roman Empire! When Voltaire famously said that the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, Roman, nor an empire, he probably didn't think that his words would haunt history classrooms and conversations centuries in the future. Unfortunately they did, and so we are left to deal with the legacy of this smarmy soundbite. Join Olivia and Aran as they unpack what on earth this crazy, crazy thing really was and try to deliver a verdict on whether Voltaire was right.
For more on some of what we discuss, please check out: Nation States as Empire, Empires as Nation States by Krishan Kumarhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Krishan-Kumar-13/publication/227138385_Nation-states_as_empires_empires_as_nation-states_two_principles_one_practice/links/56a7ae0a08ae860e0255800e/Nation-states-as-empires-empires-as-nation-states-two-principles-one-practice.pdf
Rulers on the Road: Itinerant Rule in the Holy Roman Empire, AD 919–1519https://www.carlmueller-crepon.org/publication/itinerant_rule/MNKM_itin_rulers_20240430.pdf
IMPERIAL FANTASIES: IMAGINING CHRISTIAN EMPIRE IN THREE FOURTEENTH-CENTURY VERSIONS OF "THE BOOK OF SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE by Marianne O'Dohertyhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/26396423
And be sure to join the official WMG Discord server!! https://discord.gg/S6tdHCDq
More from Weird Medieval Guys
As we all know, everyone in the middle ages lived and died in the muck. What's worse, they had no idea that being caked in shit and smelling terrible was bad. Or did they? Maybe instead they all just smelled like a mild curry...
"PEOPLE OF CAIRO, YOU LISTEN TO ME. GO INTO THE TREASURY, AND PUT YOUR HAND IN THE CASH REGISTER FOR NO REASON. THAT MONEY IS YOUR MONEY AS OF RIGHT NOW." al-Umari, attributed to Mansa Musa, 14th century
The movies are back, or so they say. But what makes a good medieval movie? Historical accuracy? Satisfying storytelling? The quality of the tassels? To find out, Aran, Olivia and Joe Mason reviewed five movies. Some of them were good, some of them were interesting, and some of them were Braveheart. Films reviewed: Braveheart (1995) The Northman (2022) The Green Knight (2021) The Kingdom of Heaven (2005) A Knight's Tale (2001)