
Before Bigfoot and Nessie: Earth's Forgotten Monsters
What We Did Before | A History of Everyday LifeShow Notes
Send us Fan Mail 💬 Before we had myths like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster, our ancestors believed all sorts of strange creatures roamed the Earth. The difference is, they believed these strange species of half-humans and monsters were real. ⚡In this episode we explore the ancient legends of four different cryptids that were once said to roam the distant corners of the unmapped world. Including the Blemmyes, the Cynocephali, the Aspidochelone and the Catoblepas. Discover the origin of each...
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Send us Fan Mail 💬 In the early 20th century, radium was hailed as a wonder substance. Young women landed well-paid jobs painting glow-in-the-dark watch dials with it, even putting their brushes between their lips to keep a fine point. Years later, their teeth began falling out, their bones started disintegrating and the horrifying truth about radium emerged. ⚡ In this episode we hear from Kate Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Radium Girls. She tells the remarkable story of the...
Send us Fan Mail 💬 When we think of fools or jesters, we often imagine a peculiar Medieval entertainer in a funny hat. But court jesters aren’t confined to one timeline - they appear around the world, throughout history. Far from being silly entertainers, they were often highly intelligent figures who could mock kings, challenge their decisions and wield surprising political power. ⚡ In this episode we hear from Beatrice Otto, author of Fools Are Everywhere, who has uncovered the extraordinar...
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Send us Fan Mail About the podcast: What We Did Before is a podcast exploring the history of everyday life, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what came before AI. About your host: Ollie Guillou is an award-winning podcast producer and broadcaster. He's co-founder of OG Podcasts, working with the likes of New Scientist, Dr Karan and Lessons From Our Mothers. Don't miss an episode - subscribe now: https://podfollow.com/what-we-did-before Connect wi...
Send us Fan Mail 💬 What did Medieval people actually find funny? Very little record of Medieval comedy remains, but thanks to one 15th century priest we now have a rare glimpse into the life of a Minstrel and the types of jokes they would’ve told. ⚡ In this episode we hear from Dr James Wade, professor in English at Girton College at Cambridge and expert on the Middle Ages. His work has involved deciphering a manuscript written by Richard Heege, which has reshaped how we view Medieval culture...