Shows
The Spouter-InnBonus: Mark Sundaram and Aven McMaster on Etymology
Language is so personal and internal. It exists in your head. You can close
your eyes and plug your ears and not engage with the outside world at all, and
yet you still have language going on. So I think one of the things that
attracts people to [etymology] is, it’s discussing something that they
feel they have a part in.
Mark Sundaram is a medievalist
and linguist who specializes in the history of the English language. He’s the
co-host of the podcast The Endless Knot
and the main force behind the
Alliterative YouTube channel. Mark...2023-07-1543 min
DemythifyingDemythifying x Dr. Aven McMasterSend us a textJoining Charlotte in today's episode is Dr. Aven McMaster. In a conversation that could have carried on for HOURS, they talk about sexual and gender politics in Rome. From Ovid to Catullus. Aven tells the story of the woman she believes everyone should know about and mentions a few sources by the end, for anyone who enjoys a rabbit hole;Suetonius "Lives of the Caesars", Cicero "Philippics", Catullus, and Juvenal "Satires"."Exploring Gender Diversity" edited by Allison Surtees and Jennifer Dyer, from Edinburgh University Press, and "Performing the Kinaidos...2023-06-221h 24
Kaleidoscope of PossibilitiesEP 63 – Exploring The Chakras with Aven Armstrong-SuttonTo watch the video of this episode, please go to: https://youtu.be/bfbjg8Wam1E
What is the chakra system and how does it work?
How can we use this information in working with mental health and trauma?
What would integrating these and other approaches create for the future?
Find a wealth of information and insights into the energy flows in the body, presence, healing, and spirituality in this episode of Kaleidoscope of Possibilities: Alternative Perspectives on Mental Health, in which Dr. Adri...2022-12-0748 min
New Books in FoodStephen Le, "100 Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today" (Picador, 2016)There are few areas of modern life that are burdened by as much information and advice, often contradictory, as our diet and health: eat a lot of meat, eat no meat; whole-grains are healthy, whole-grains are a disaster; eat everything in moderation; eat only certain foods--and on and on. In 100 Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today (Picador, 2016), biological anthropologist Stephen Le explains how cuisines of different cultures are a result of centuries of evolution, finely tuned to our biology and surroundings. Today many cultures have strayed from their ancestral diets, relying instead o...2022-09-291h 05
The Endless KnotAnnounement: Online CourseAven: Hi everyone. This isn't a regular episode of the Endless Knot podcast. Just a quick announcement. Mark: I wanted to let you all know about something new that I'm doing: an online seminar series. It's basically a short course open to anyone, on the Speakeasy platform. The title is: "The origins of English: learning to think like an etymologist" and it's going to be four one-hour classes on zoom, in which, through a series of linguistic puzzles, we will follow in the footsteps of etymologists and historical linguists to reconstruct the relationships between languages and long f...2021-02-2701 min
The Endless KnotRecipes and Authority, from Intelligent SpeechBack in June we had the pleasure of being part of the Intelligent Speech Conference 2020 — this year, held entirely online. It was a day filled with amazing podcasters and great conversations, and in this short episode we’re sharing the talk that we gave at the event. It’s about the word Recipe and early cookbooks, medicine, and women’s magazines. If you’d like to see the images that accompanied the presentation, you can watch the talk on YouTube, where the questions and post-talk discussion are also included.Transcript of this episodeIntelligent Speech Conference...2020-08-0625 min
The Endless KnotPlagues, with Moxie from Your Brain on FactsIt’s time for us to talk about plagues — ancient, medieval, literary, etymological, and psychological! We’re joined by Moxie from Your Brain on Facts for a very fun — if slightly disturbing — discussion of many aspects of historical plagues.Transcript of this episodeYour Brain on FactsGardner, H.H. Pestilence and the Body Politic in Latin Literature. 2019.Episode 44: "Us" & "Them" in the Ancient & Anglo-Saxon WorldsEpisode 51: Race & Racism in Ancient & Medieval Studies, Part One: The ProblemEpisode 52: Race & Racism in Ancient & Medieval Studies, Part Two: ResponsesThor...2020-07-061h 35
The Endless KnotThe Rise (and Fall) of SkywalkerIn an episode that was recorded in late May before the protests started, we took a break from COVID talk to give our thoughts on the final movie in the Star Wars saga. We discussed how it was similar to or different from ancient epic, medieval romance, and Icelandic sagas, but mostly we talked about the ways it failed to bring together the many threads of the Star Wars story.Given current events, and the protests against police brutality and systemic anti-Black racism, we urge our white and non-Black listeners to continue their education on these subjects...2020-06-051h 17
The Endless KnotRunes and Early Writing SystemsWe take a look at the history of runes and their connection to early alphabets and Germanic culture. Then we take a trip back to the Phoenician and Egyptian origins of the modern English alphabet, and talk about some of the earliest examples of Greek writing, in inscriptions, epic poetry, and myth. Also, introducing Lyceum, a new platform for educational podcasting!Transcript of this episodeThe “Screaming Viking” cocktailLyceumNativLang’s video Muslim Vikings & Magic Letters: The Odd History of Runes pt 1Images of English RunesThe st...2020-04-101h 34
The Endless KnotSex & GenderWe trace the etymologies and development of the words “sex” and “gender”, as well as words for women and men in Greek, Latin, and English, touching on Roman, Greek, and medieval English ideas about gender. Then we discuss the grammatical term “gender” and how it differs across languages around the world.Transcript of this episodeThe History of Sex PodcastThe “Pink Lady” cocktailThis episode on YouTubeOur Patreon pageThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS2020-02-111h 27
The Endless KnotAn Etymological Holiday FeastThis year’s holiday episode is all about festivals and feasts — and in particular, midwinter celebrations, the solstice, and the seasons. And we read a couple of Latin poems about drinking — and explore the odd connection between them and a tire company!The Christmas Cake cocktailHesiod’s Works and Days in EnglishHorace’s Odes in LatinHorace Odes 1.37 in EnglishFeast videoThis episode on YouTubeOur Patreon pageThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License2019-12-171h 44
The Endless KnotThorneloe Race ForumThis bonus episode contains two talks we gave at our university in November. Mark spoke about “The ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Problem: Language and Racism in Medieval Studies” and Aven spoke about “Defining ‘Race’ in the Ancient Mediterranean and Today”. Google ngrams for collocations of “Anglo-Saxon”: All English TextsAmerican EnglishBritish EnglishOur Patreon pageThis episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License2019-12-1037 min
New Books in MedicineStephen Le, "100 Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today" (Picador, 2016)There are few areas of modern life that are burdened by as much information and advice, often contradictory, as our diet and health: eat a lot of meat, eat no meat; whole-grains are healthy, whole-grains are a disaster; eat everything in moderation; eat only certain foods--and on and on. In 100 Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today (Picador, 2016), biological anthropologist Stephen Le explains how cuisines of different cultures are a result of centuries of evolution, finely tuned to our biology and surroundings. Today many cultures have strayed from their ancestral diets, relying instead o...2019-12-031h 05
New Books in MusicRichard F. Thomas, "Why Bob Dylan Matters" (Dey Street, 2017)When the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Bob Dylan in 2016, a debate raged. Some celebrated, while many others questioned the choice. How could the world’s most prestigious book prize be awarded to a famously cantankerous singer-songwriter who wouldn’t even deign to attend the medal ceremony?In Why Bob Dylan Matters (Dey Street, 2017), Harvard Professor Richard F. Thomas answers this question with magisterial erudition. A world expert on Classical poetry, Thomas was initially ridiculed by his colleagues for teaching a course on Bob Dylan alongside his traditional seminars on Homer, Virgil, and Ovid. Dylan’s Nobel...2019-11-261h 07
Itinera PodcastBonus Episode: Endless Knot at SoundEdu19Enjoy this bonus episode of the Endless Knot with Aven McMaster and Mark Sundaram recorded at Sound Education 2019! Endless Knot: http://www.alliterative.net, https://twitter.com/AllEndlessKnot Aven McMaster: https://twitter.com/AvenSarah Mark Sundaram: https://twitter.com/Alliterative Sound Education: https://www.soundeducation.fm, https://twitter.com/sound_edu Scott Lepisto: https://scottlepisto.com https://twitter.com/ScottLepisto Itinera: https://twitter.com/itinerapod2019-11-1952 min
The Endless KnotSoundEdu19 with Scott LepistoCrossover time! We’re joined by Scott Lepisto, of the Itinera Podcast, in a conversation at the SoundEducation podcasting conference in Boston. We talked about the conference itself, the use of podcasting in classrooms, and the importance of public-facing scholarship in Classics and Medieval Studies. And please check out Scott’s podcast, in which he interviews classicists about their work and their journey to and through the field!Scott on TwitterItinera PodcastOur Patreon pageThis episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Inte...2019-11-1951 min
New Books in FilmLiz Gloyn, "Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2019)What is it about ancient monsters that popular culture still finds so enthralling? Why do the monsters of antiquity continue to stride across the modern world? In Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture (Bloomsbury Academic, 2019), the first in-depth study of how post-classical societies use the creatures from ancient myth, Liz Gloyn reveals the trends behind how we have used monsters since the 1950s to the present day, and considers why they have remained such a powerful presence in our shared cultural imagination. She presents a new model for interpreting the extraordinary vitality that classical monsters have shown, and their...2019-11-121h 08
The Endless KnotDo You Believe in Magic?Happy Halloween! This year we’re talking about the origins of “Magic”, the differences between religion and magic, Greek and Roman spells and curses, and some rather bizarre tales about Virgil & Aristotle.Our “Magic” videoCocktail: Black MagicReligion in the Roman Empire, James B Rives, 2007Arcana Mundi,Georg Luck, 2006Our Patreon page This episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS2019-10-311h 38
History, eh?1:6 Greek & Roman Sexuality with Dr. Aven McMaster Today we talk to Dr. Aven McMaster about the Ancient World.
"We have a whole genre of [Love] Poetry from the Hellenistic period [...] arguing the merits of women versus boys. And they are very explicit..."
Book Recommendations: (Non-Fiction) Greek and Roman Sexuality by Thomas K. Hubbard
| (Fiction) Circe by Madeline Miller
Follow Me
Host: Rosie
Social Media: Twitter @historyeh | Instagram @historyeh.podcast | Facebook @historyeh | Website www.historyeh.com
Join me on the Blog for more in-depth information: Greek & Roman Sexuality with Dr. Aven McMaster
Follow t...2019-10-2359 min
History, eh?1:6 Greek & Roman Sexuality with Dr. Aven McMasterToday we talk to Dr. Aven McMaster about the Ancient World. "We have a whole genre of [Love] Poetry from the Hellenistic period [...] arguing the merits of women versus boys. And they are very explicit..." Book Recommendations: (Non-Fiction) Greek and Roman Sexuality by Thomas K. Hubbard| (Fiction) Circe by Madeline MillerFollow MeHost: RosieSocial Media: Twitter @historyeh | Instagram @historyeh.podcast | Facebook @historyeh | Website www.historyeh.comJoin me on the Blog for more in-depth information: Greek & Roman Sexuality with Dr. Aven McMasterFollow the GuestGuest: Aven McMasterSocial Media: Twitter @AllEndlessKnot and @AvenMcMaster | Facebook @alliterativeendlessknot | Instagram @alliterativeendlessknot | YouTube @Alliterative | Website Alliterative#History #HistoryEh #Podcast #HistoryPodcast #EndlessKn...2019-10-2359 min
The Endless KnotTracking Monsters, with Liz GloynWe speak with Dr. Liz Gloyn about her new book, Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture. We talk about Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, the Odyssey, the problems with Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey pattern, and more!Liz GloynClassically Inclined blogTracking Classical Monsters in Popular CultureFacebook Page for Tracking Classical MonstersOur Patreon pageThis episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS2019-10-081h 04
The Endless KnotMedieval Fact & Fiction, with Winston BlackWe talked to Winston Black about his new book, The Middle Ages: Fact & Fiction, which addresses the most common myths and misconceptions about the Middle Ages. And we touch on video games, D&D, and Game of Thrones in the process!The SoundEducation Conference pageThe Middle Ages: Fact & FictionWinston on TwitterOur Patreon pageThis episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS2019-09-101h 06
The Endless KnotThings Get WeirdThe Fates have decreed that it’s time for us to talk about the word “Weird”! We discuss its etymology, the concept of fate in the ancient and medieval world, whether mythical women really do usually appear in threes, and Shakespeare.Twist of Fate cocktailWeird Sisters Blood & Hand PunchShakespeare Not Stirred book“Weird” video“Does English have a future tense?” video“Arrow” video“As We Like It Podcast” – Macbeth episodeChart of ‘strange’ vs ‘weird’ usageChart of ‘weird’, ‘uncanny’, ‘eerie’, & ‘unearthly’2019-08-131h 35
The Endless KnotDispatches from VidCon 2019While at VidCon this year, we sat down and chatted with a few of our fellow educational YouTubers: The Cynical Historian, Knowing Better, 12tone, and Step Back History. This is a compilation of our discussions about their channels, their reasons for making videos, and their experience of VidCon and its educational companion event, EduCon. If you don’t already watch their videos, we strongly recommend you check them out. Thank you to them all for taking part!Our Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis po...2019-07-162h 06
The Endless KnotEnlisting Imagination under the Banner of ScienceWe discuss a person who had an important impact on both science and language: Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles. In particular, we talk about the use of poetry to explain science, from Hesiod to Lucretius to Darwin to Baba Brinkman, and the new wave of science communicators on and off line.Erasmus Darwin cocktail menu, based on The Loves of the PlantsD.G. King-Hele. “Erasmus Darwin, Man of Ideas and Inventor of Words.” Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London 42.2 (1988): 149–180 .Baba BrinkmanHesiod’s TheogonyAratus’s Phaenome...2019-06-181h 20
The Endless KnotCarly SilverWe spoke to Carly Silver, an editor and a writer on ancient history and horse racing, about how she connects the past to contemporary issues, the intriguing stories in curse tablets in Roman Britain, murder mysteries set in the ancient world, romance novels, breeding programs for American Thoroughbreds, and more!Carly’s websiteCarly’s article about Hadrian’s WallCarly’s article about the sexual assault charges against a workman in ancient EgyptCarly’s writing about horse racingAncient murder mysteries mentioned in the podcast:Gary Corby...2019-05-171h 23
The Endless KnotThe Spirit of the AgeHappy (?) April Fool’s Day! We talk about the origins of the holiday, its connections to the Tom Collins cocktail, and hoaxes throughout history, from Athenian tyrants to the ‘Scratching Fanny’ ghost to the Da Vinci Code.Tom Collins recipePodcast episode on CuckoldPodcast episode 7, with discussion about urban legendsPodcast episode on SublimeBunny Trails episode on ‘wild goose chase’Herodotus passageErasmus Darwin videoPodcast episode about the 12 Days of ChristmasOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitc...2019-04-011h 46
The Endless KnotGlossed in TranslationWe talk about names for countries — endonyms and exonyms — and the trade goods named after the places they come from, in a discussion that ranges from Japanese guns to the connection between Wales and roosters to the colour of the phoenix, and much more. If you can make it to the end of the podcast, you’ll never look at porcelain the same way again!Red Dragon CocktailThe Rising Sun CocktailJabzy’s Japan videos: Europeans in Japan and Guns in JapanCynical Historian’s video on gun historyEidolon...2019-03-151h 26
The Endless KnotMortal Republic, with Edward WattsWe talk to Edward Watts about his new book Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny, which covers the history of Rome from the 3rd century BCE to the rise of Octavian to princeps. Our conversation ranges across questions of Roman identity, our fascination with transitional periods, and the connections between Roman history and contemporary politics.Edward WattsAncient Greece Declassified episode 19 “America's Greco-Roman Legacies w/ Caroline Winterer”Our Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeTh...2019-02-181h 14
MythTakeEpisode 30: MythTake at the Movies-- AquamanThis episode we head to the movies and apply our mythological skills to the recent release Aquaman (starring Jason Momoa and Amber Heard and Directed by James Wan). Spoiler alerts!
Patrons
These people like our show so much, they decided to support us on Patreon! Thank you so much!
Aven McMaster & Mark Sundaram (Alliterative); Joelle Barfoot; Erika Dilworth; Stargate Pioneer (Better Podcasting); Dan Lizotte; and Greg Beu.
We want to hear from you!
Join us on Twitter @InnesAlison and @darrinsunstrum or @MythtakePodcast.
Give us a like, let us know...2019-01-2800 min
The Endless KnotWriting Myth with Amalia DillinAmalia Dillin is an author of mythic fantasy and historical fiction set in the ancient and Viking worlds. Among other books, she’s written the Fate of the Gods trilogy, about Eve and Adam (and Thor and Athena and more!), and the Orc Saga, beginning with Honor among Orcs. She also writes, as Amalia Carosella, about Bronze Age Greece (Helen of Sparta & sequels, about the love between Helen & Theseus) and the Viking Age (Daughter of a Thousand Years, about Freydis, daughter of Erik the Red, and also a modern women wrestling with her newly found pagan faith).We...2019-01-181h 06MythTakeEpisode 29: From the Vault--Crossover Episode with Jeff Wright and Ryan StittIt's New Year's Eve and that means out with the old and in with the new! While cleaning out the MythTake vault, we found this unreleased recording from earlier this year, so we're wrapping it up and giving it to you now.
In the summer of 2018, four intrepid podcasters-- Alison, Darrin, Ryan, and Jeff-- headed off to the Shaw Festival to watch Stephen Fry perform Heroes, the second part of his three-part trilogy Mythos, based on his book by the same name. Then we talked about it. Here is that conversation.
Mythos: A Trilogy--Gods. Heroes. Men...2019-01-0100 min
The Endless KnotReindeer GamesTime for a holiday episode! This time we’re talking about how Santa’s reindeer got their names, including some of their classical ties to Roman religion and Greek myth, the Reindeer Rule in US law, and NORAD’s Santa Tracker. And we have a quiz about the animals that bring the winter gift giver around the world!Our video “Who are Santa’s reindeer?”Mark’s Lexitecture episodeOur Christmas videos playlistEpisode 8: YuleEpisode 25: The 12 Days of ChristmasEpisode 49: Stocking StuffersThe Rudolph Cocktail2018-12-111h 19MythTakeEpisode 28: Antigone
This episode is all about Antigone. We discuss a recent local production of Antigone that explores the current cultural significance of the play and explore a variety of themes. We also have a special free give away for our listeners!
Antigone, Adapted and Directed by Mike Griffin
Literature & History Episode 32 Antigone
History of Ancient Greece Episode 51 Sophocles
Patrons
These people like our show so much, they decided to support us on Patreon! Thank you so much!
Aven McMaster & Mark Sundaram (Alliterative); Joelle Barfoot; Eri...2018-12-0900 min
The Endless KnotThe History of English's Kevin StroudWhile at the Sound Education conference we had the chance to sit down with Kevin Stroud, host of the History of the English Language podcast. We talked about his passion for language, his experiences with enthusiastic but pedantic listeners, his project to gather a database of accent samples from around the world, and much more. Thank you Keven for chatting with us, it was great fun to meet you and hang out!Sound EducationThe History of the English Language podcastOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher link2018-11-161h 10
The Endless KnotSoundEducation ReportWe went to the Sound Education conference on educational podcasting at Harvard Divinity School, and we want to tell you all about it! We’re joined by Ryan Stitt of the History of Ancient Greece Podcast to talk about the panels we were on, the panels we went to, the talks we gave, and most importantly the amazing people we met!Sound EducationThe History of Ancient Greece PodcastDan Carlin’s Keynote TalkOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music link2018-11-1200 min
The Endless KnotEtymological GhostsFrom modern words for ghost, to Latin and Greek terms for spirits, to ghost words that haunt dictionaries, we explore some spooky etymologies and tell some ancient ghost stories.Sound EducationGreen Ghost CocktailLiquified Ghost CocktailGhost videoEidolon online journalPliny’s letter 7.27 in EnglishVIdeo of a performance of the Latin version of Pliny’s ghost storyList of ancient ghost stories sourced from TwitterOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoog...2018-10-221h 14
The Endless KnotClassing up our Languages?In this episode we talk about the history of education in Europe, from classical Greece to the 19th century, covering the origins of many education-related words. Then we turn to the history of second-language teaching of Latin, from Roman Egypt to today’s Living Latin movement.DSM (channel about language and etymology)Sound EducationClassic CocktailEducation videoLearning Latin and Greek from Antiquity to Present, chapters on teaching Latin to Greek speakers (Dickey) & Latin in Anglo-Saxon England (Fisher)“Medieval and Modern Views of Universal Grammar and the...2018-09-301h 26
The Endless KnotWhat We Did on Our Summer VacationWe report on our trips to EduCon, VidCon, Iceland, & England. Lots of museums and historical places, and check out the web page for pictures of some of our favourite artifacts and images.Sound Education podcasting conferenceWe Create Edu communityOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSSTravelling Etymologies...2018-08-241h 10
The Endless KnotQuick Announcement June 20182018-06-2802 min
The Endless KnotFrom the Sublime to the RomanticThe etymology of 'sublime' takes us through a discussion of the Gothic, Neo-Classical, and Romantic periods, the origins of the Romance languages, the roots of romantic love, and more.The Sublime Moment CocktailMats Malm “On the Technique of the Sublime”, Comparative Literature, Vol. 52, No. 1 (Winter, 2000), pp. 1-10.Sarah Bond on Polychromy in Ancient StatuesAlex Potts, Flesh and the Ideal: Winckelmann and the Origins of Art HistoryOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis...2018-06-081h 20The Endless KnotSymposium!This episode, we travel to Calgary, Alberta for a conference, and try some very questionable "ancient" potables! Aven takes a microphone on the road, and chats with a bunch of classicists about Roman beer, barley water, Homeric kykeon, conference papers, social media, and more!Matt Gibbs' article in The ConversationThe slides & papers & resources from the Public-Facing Scholarship panelOur previous episode about ancient and medieval beer brewing Kevin SolezMatt GibbsAmber PorterMary DeminionCarolyn WillekesConor Whately2018-05-1853 min
The Endless KnotFreebooting, Piracy, & CopyrightWe sail the high seas and surf the interwebs for this episode all about the etymology of pirate-related words and the coinage of a new term for stealing videos. We also cover the development of copyright law, the reasons pirates say "Arrrr!", and what Julius Caesar did to his kidnappers.Show NotesBumbo cocktail recipe"Freebooting" videoThe Maritime History podcastThe Academic Podcast by Sam McLean"CAESAR AND THE PIRATES: OR HOW TO MAKE (AND BREAK) AN ANCIENT LIFE", JOSIAH OSGOOD...2018-04-261h 18
The Endless KnotLinguistic Discrimination, with the Vocal FriesWe have the great pleasure to be joined by Megan & Carrie from the Vocal Fries podcast to talk about linguistic discrimination: what is it, why is it bad, what is its history, and how can we combat it?Show NotesThe Vocal Fries PodcastOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License2018-04-111h 11
The Endless KnotOur Pet Topic (part two, with cats)In part two of our miniseries on pets, we cover cats, monkeys, birds, and more. Find out the surprising origins of the word for parrot, what medieval people named their cats, and what bird was symbolic of the Virgin Mary. Show Notes@AllEndlessKnot on TwitterMedieval Pets by Kathleen Walker-Meikle"Greek and Roman Household Pets", Francis D. LazenbyAnimals for Show and Pleasure in Ancient Rome, George DennisonCompanion Animals and Us: Exploring the Relationships Between People and Pets Anthony L. Podberscek, Elizabeth S. Paul, James A. Se...2018-03-2144 min
The History of Ancient Greece***Special Guest Episode on Roman Sexuality w/Aven McMaster***In this special guest episode, Aven and I discuss love, sex, and prostitution from the Roman perspective and compare/contrast it with ancient Greece Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2018/03/special-guest-episode-on-roman.html Aven McMaster Assistant Professor of Ancient Studies at Thorneloe University at Laurentian Co-Host of the Endless Knot Podcast Website: http://www.alliterative.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliterativeendlessknot/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AvenSarah and https://twitter.com/AvenMcMaster2018-03-121h 14The Endless KnotOur Pet Topic (part one)What makes an animal a pet? Who kept pets in the ancient and medieval worlds? What kinds of animals were they? And why are all the words for pets in English of (mostly) unknown origin?! We start a mini two-part series with a general discussion of ancient and medieval pets, and then some great stories about some Very Good Dogs.Show Notes@AllEndlessKnot on TwitterMedieval Pets by Kathleen Walker-Meikle"Greek and Roman Household Pets", Francis D. LazenbyFederico II Gonzaga by TitianOdyssey, 17. 309-10...2018-02-2843 minThe Endless KnotTiki or Not Tiki?We head back to the Endless Knot Cocktail Bar to talk about the history of the Mai Tai, the Tiki craze, Polynesian mythology, cultural appropriation, and World's Fairs. And then we turn to Rome's relationship to Greece, and discuss whether Horace wrote the Exotica music of the ancient world!Show NotesMai Tai Video@AllEndlessKnot on TwitterMai Tai RecipePolynesian Lexicon Project OnlineWallace-Hadrill, A. “To Be Roman, Go Greek Thoughts on Hellenization at Rome.” Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies. Supplement, no. 71, 1998, pp. 79–91.Our...2018-02-1558 minThe Endless KnotRace & Racism in Ancient & Medieval Studies: ResponsesIn part two of our discussion about racism, we talk about ways to respond to the problems in the field, in teaching, scholarship, and more. Thank you to Katherine Blouin, Damian Fleming, Usama Ali Gad, Rebecca Futo Kennedy, Asa Mittman, Dimitri Nakassis, Helen Young, and Donna Zuckerberg for their generous contributions of time and thoughtful discussion of these difficult subjects. Please join in the conversation with your thoughts and ideas about how to move the fields forward.Show Notes@AllEndlessKnot on TwitterThe Optimist CocktailEpisode 44: "Us" & "Them" in the Ancient...2018-01-311h 41MythTakeEpisode 27: A Bard and a HorseWe're back with a full-length episode! For episode 27, we crack open our shiny new copy of Emily Wilson's translation of Odyssey! After a chat about the challenges of accessing myths through translation, we take a look at a small episode that makes up a big part of the Trojan War myth. We hope we do this beautiful translation justice!We also have listener mail from Andrew, who asks us for some reading recommendations. Check out our recommended reading and listening! Source PassagesOdyssey 8. 482- 520 (Trans. Wilson).Translation SourcesHomer. Odyssey. Trans. Emil...2018-01-211h 11MythTakeEpisode 27: A Bard and a Horse
We're back with a full-length episode! For episode 27, we crack open our shiny new copy of Emily Wilson's translation of Odyssey! After a chat about the challenges of accessing myths through translation, we take a look at a small episode that makes up a big part of the Trojan War myth. We hope we do this beautiful translation justice!
We also have listener mail from Andrew, who asks us for some reading recommendations. Check out our recommended reading and listening!
Source Passages
Odyssey 8. 482- 520 (Trans. Wilson).
Translation Sources
Ho...2018-01-2100 minThe Endless KnotRace & Racism in Ancient & Medieval StudiesWhat are the problems surrounding race and racism in the fields of Classics and Medieval Studies today? Where did these fields come from, and how does that affect the way we think about the past, and how we construct the present? For this episode (and the next) we interviewed eight scholars and put it together into an exploration of these unfortunately timely topics. Thank you to Katherine Blouin, Damian Fleming, Usama Ali Gad, Rebecca Futo Kennedy, Asa Mittman, Dimitri Nakassis, Helen Young, and Donna Zuckerberg for their generous contributions of time and thoughtful discussion of these difficult subjects. In...2018-01-171h 22The Endless KnotTranslating the Odyssey, with Emily WilsonWe interview Emily Wilson, whose new translation of the Odyssey for Norton was published in November to great acclaim and critical praise. She tells us about some of her choices in the areas of metre, vocabulary, register, and more, and we discuss the very concept of 'choice' in translation, the notion of a 'faithful' translation, the complicated question of heroic women, and 70's blaxpoitation films!Show NotesThe Odyssey, translated by Emily WilsonOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis...2018-01-031h 04The Endless KnotStocking Stuffers & Christmas TreatsReindeer videoMerchandise (CafePress Site)Stocking videoGerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of ChristmasBruce David Forbes, Christmas: A Candid HistoryDesmond Morris, Christmas WatchingAndrea Broomfield, Food and Cooking in Victorian England: A HistoryKaufman, Cathy. “The Ideal Christmas Dinner.” Gastronomica, vol. 4, no. 4, 2004, pp. 17–24. Leach, Helen. “Translating the 18th Century Pudding.” Islands of Inquiry: Colonisation, Seafaring and the Archaeology of Maritime Landscapes, edited by Geoffrey Clark et al., vol. 29, ANU Press, 2008, pp. 381–396. History of shortbread.Canadian Encyclopedia "Tourtière"Lemasson...2017-12-201h 20The Endless KnotTalking Teaching with MythTake!Mythtake PodcastBakkhai at StratfordIntroduction to Mythology from Oxford UPEaters of the Dead by Michael CrichtonOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTube2017-12-061h 13
The Endless KnotWhy Bob Dylan Matters, with Richard ThomasWhy Bob Dylan MattersMonday, Dec. 4, 2017 at Newtonville Books in Boston, MAWednesday, Dec. 6, 2017 at the University of Tulsa, in Tulsa, OKOur Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music link2017-11-221h 03
The Endless KnotMike Duncan & The Storm before the StormWe talk to podcaster and author Mike Duncan about his book, podcasting, Roman history, and more. Thanks to Mike for joining us -- and everyone, go get his book, it's great!Show NotesThe History of Rome PodcastRevolutions PodcastThe Storm before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic Our Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTube2017-11-081h 19The Endless KnotCostumes & the Language of FashionOur Hallowe'en themed episode this year is about costumes -- and etymologies and origin stories of a whole bunch of iconic items of clothing. We talk about the semiotics of fashion, the many varieties of the toga, and hats that caused fainting fits, and finish off with a couple of spooky Roman stories! Also, check out this year's Hallowe'en video, on words for Ghost.Show Notes#2PodsADayWerewolf Cocktail recipe"Costume" video"Jack o'Lantern" videoEp 22: Jack o'Lantern podcastThe "gens togata": Changing Styles and...2017-10-271h 17
The Endless Knot"Us" and "Them" in the Ancient and Anglo-Saxon WorldsWhat words did the Greeks, Romans, and Anglo-Saxons use to talk about different groups of people? What differences did they think were important? How do those compare to modern conceptions of ethnicity, national identity, or race? We try to give some basic background on this complicated question, starting with the etymology of the vocabulary and addressing some of the ways differences were conceptualized.Show NotesFull transcript of this episode#2PodsADayVideo on the Anglo-Saxon Invasion, collaboration with JabzyEthnicity in Herodotus--The Honest EntryHow is the...2017-10-131h 12The Endless KnotEpisode 43: Hercules the Much-Filmed2017-09-2759 minThe Endless KnotEpisode 42: Bugging Out!2017-09-131h 03The Endless KnotEpisode 41: Arrival, Linguistics, & Time2017-08-3053 min
The Endless KnotEpisode 40: The Cottage, Language, & Poetry2017-08-181h 00
As We Like ItEpisode 16: Michael Almereyda's Cymbeline
We review Ethan Hawke & Ed Harris's Cymbeline (2014), a movie that wasn't well received when it came out, but may offer interesting insights into the Shakespearean play it adapts. Is it a flat production of a poor play, as many critics said, or a philosophically coherent interpretation of work that offers us surprisingly existential insights into the violence of the modern world? Join Aven, Mark, & John as they work through their reactions to this sometimes perplexing movie.2017-07-261h 03The Endless KnotEpisode 39: From Fossil Hunters to Mammoth Cheese2017-07-1950 minThe Endless KnotEpisode 38: Wonder Woman & the Amazons2017-07-051h 00As We Like ItEpisode 15: Charlton Heston's Antony & Cleopatra
We discuss Heston's Antony, how little his Cleopatra gets to say, and the perils of rewording Shakespeare's text. And then we speculate about our dream casting for Antony & Cleopatra: who could be the power couple among current actors? Suggestions welcome!2017-06-2859 minThe Endless KnotEpisode 37: What is a Recipe? with Laura CarlsonWe talk to Laura Carlson from The Feast Podcast about recreating historical recipes, the many meanings of food, and what exactly defines a 'recipe'. This is part of The Recipe Project's Virtual Conversation: What is a Recipe? and you can join in the conversation by leaving a comment here or by checking out the hashtag #recipesconf on Twitter and Instagram.2017-06-201h 06