Podcast - The Endless Knot

Happy (?) 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 linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS

We 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 article about cooking sows’ vulvae (I’m afraid I said “vagina” not “vulvae” in the podcast, mea maxima culpa!)Schork, R. J. “Egyptian Etymology in Vergil.” Latomus, vol. 57, no. 4, 1998, pp. 828–831. JSTOROur 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 RSS

We 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 YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS

Amalia 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 spoke to Amalia before the holidays about her love of mythology, the complexities of writing historical fiction, and goats!And hey, the Kindle of Daughter of a Thousand Years is on sale for $0.99, and the paperback is also on sale!Amalia’s website with links to her blog and all of her books.Our Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share

Time 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 CocktailCatullus 14The two versions of Eros: Protogenos & OuraniosOvid Amores1.2Our 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 RSS

While 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 linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS

From 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 linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS

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 Nature of Second Language Learning” by Margaret Thomas“Inside the Anglo-Saxon Classroom“ by Kate Wiles“Grasping Sentences by Wholes: Henry Sweet’s Idea of Language Study in the Early Middle Ages” by Mark AthertonLearn Latin from the Romans: A Complete Introductory Course Using Textbooks from the Roman Empire by Eleanor DickeyLearning Latin the Ancient Way by Eleanor Dickey“The MovieTalk: A Practical Application of Comprehensible Input Theory” by Ra

We 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: Names in Iceland and EnglandGolden Circle Tour Volcano House Westman Island EruptionPenis Museum Vagina MuseumRodin and the Art of Ancient Greece Earliest English Word videoEpisode with James AndeanSator square Our friend Michael (Wombat)’s blog post about the Battle of Towton

The 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 podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International LicenseThe Endless Knot RSS

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 WhatelyPeter MillerVicky Austen-PerryPaul McGilveryAlison InnesMelanie Racette-CampbellMelissa FunkeOur 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 RSS

We 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, Greece & Rome, Vol. 57, No. 2 (OCTOBER 2010), pp. 319-336de Souza, Philip. "Rome's Contribution to the Development of Piracy". Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome. Vol. 6, The Maritime World of Ancient Rome (2008), pp. 71-96Our 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 RSS

We 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 License

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. Serpell, eds.Our episode on farm animalsPaw prints on a manuscriptMosaic from Istanbul (from Caitlin Green's blog)Dr. Caitlin Green's blogPangur BánCatullus 2 & 3Ovid Amores 2.6Our Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

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. 309-10Martial, 1.109Petronius, Satyricon, 71The Lady and the Unicorn, DesireAnimals 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. Serpell, eds.Our Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License 

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 Patreon pageiTunes linkStitcher linkGoogle Play Music linkThis podcast episode on YouTubeThis podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

In 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 & Anglo-Saxon WorldsEpisode 51: Race & Racism in Ancient & Medieval Studies, Part One: The ProblemDr. Katherine Blouin Everyday Orientalism blog@isisnaucratisDr. Damian Fleming @FW_MedievalDr. Usama Ali GadClassics in Arabic blog@Usamaligad78Dr. Rebecca Futo KennedyClassics at the Intersections blogSourcebook on Race and Ethnicity in the Classical World @kataplexisDr. Asa Mittman  Inconceivable Beasts: T

What 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 our next episode, we will hear about possible responses to these problems -- in teaching, scholarship, and more.Show NotesTranscriptConversation Starter cocktailEpisode 44: "Us" & "Them" in the Ancient & Anglo-Saxon WorldsPart Two: ResponsesDr. Katherine Blouin Everyday Orientalism blog@isisnaucratisDr. Damian Fleming @FW_MedievalDr. Usama Ali GadClassics in Arabic blog@Usamaligad78Dr. Rebecca F

We 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 podcast episode on YouTube