The Past Macabre

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Death Cannot Stop True Love - Ep 11

Uncover timeless displays of romantic affection or "true love" that were intended to endure long after death. We'll explore some remarkable examples, starting with the gold foil figures found at pre-Christian sites across Scandinavia that depict both mortal couples and the wedding of the Norse god Freyr to the jötunn Gerd. Then we'll examine a pre-Columbian stone pendant found on the ancestral lands of the Timbisha Shoshone (now known as Death Valley, California) that immortalized one couple's journey together. We'll discover the shared brass memorial over the adjacent graves of Elizabeth Etchingham and Agnes Oxenbridge, two English noblewomen who lived during the Tudor period, and the popular uprising in the previous century that helped pave the way for their public declaration of devotion.

We'll visit the Etruscan necropolises once again for examples of masterwork sarcophagi depicting affectionate couples lounging on couches called Klinai or lying in bed and facing one another. After that we'll delve into Ancient Egyptian tomb art and monuments like the tomb of Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum, two elite men from the 5th dynasty of Ancient Egypt who's tomb art depicts them in ways typically seen in heterosexual couples to show they were married. And we'll learn about the intricate art from the tomb of King Tutankhamun that show him and his wife Ankesenamun in affectionate moments during their brief reign from 1332 – 1323 BCE. Last but not least, we'll explore the monuments Ramses the Great built during his reign in 1279-1213 BCE that display his devotion to his Great Royal Wife Nefertari, like her beautifully decorated tomb in the Valley of Queens or the temple dedicated to her at Abu Simbel.

Transcripts

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Etruscan Death and Divination: Gods and Goddesses of Death (Part 4) - Ep 10

Explore the ancient Etruscan burial practices and deities of the underworld.

The Etruscans began rising to power around 900 BCE in Etruria, modern day Tuscany. They dominated the Italian peninsula and became a major political and economic force in the Mediterranean that left a legacy that shaped the region. Etruscan kings ruled over Rome until 509 BCE when an uprising removed the tyrannical monarch and people created the Roman Republic.

In this episode, we'll discover the Etruscan view of the journey to the underworld and the important role of horses in carrying the soul and the body to it's eternal destination. Learn about the elaborate celebrations that helped shape some of the most iconic Roman traditions. Uncover the cities for the dead with rock cut tombs shaped like family homes that reflect their emphasis on family connections in life. Then meet the guides, gatekeepers, and guardians of the Etruscan afterlife from the sun god who's dark side rules the underworld to goddesses who protect the deceased, and see how they changed over time as cultural exchange happened across the Mediterranean region.

Transcripts

  • For a transcript of this episode, tap the Zencastr icon on in the upper left corner of the Podcast image.

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Chthonic Mysteries of Greece: Gods and Goddesses of Death (Part 3) - Ep 09

In this episode, we uncover the Mycenaean roots of Ancient Greek deities and beliefs about death and the afterlife. The Mycenaeans controlled much of Greece and the Aegean Sea starting about 1700 BCE until about 1200 BE, when the Late Bronze Age collapse led to hundreds of years of political, social, and climate upheaval for the entire region. But through their monumental architecture, art, and stories they left behind, Classical Greek mythology was born. Discover the origins of deities like Dionysus, Poseidon, and Hermes and their original underworld associations. Journey into sacred sites the Greeks inherited from the Mycenaeans, like the Sanctuary of Poseidon with caverns that have been associated with sacred burials and the underworld as far back as the Neolithic. Then we'll take a look at Hades and several less famous Greek goddesses, gods, and monsters of death and the underworld.

Transcripts

  • For a transcript of this episode, tap the Zencastr icon on in the upper left corner of the Podcast image.

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