Hypatia was renowned in her own lifetime as a great teacher and a wise counselor in the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria. She was a prominent thinker, devoting herself to learning and teaching, leading the life of a respected academic at Alexandria's university. Ancient sources routinely depict Hypatia as a woman who was widely known for her generosity, love of learning, and expertise in teaching the subjects of Neoplatonism, mathematics, science, and philosophy. Little is known of her life, but her dramatic death at the hands of Christian fanatics culminating from the escalating political ..read more

Brunhild reigned as a Queen, Queen Mother and Queen Regent for a son, two grandsons and a great grandson for forty years. She attained a level of power in Medieval Frankia that few people—male or female—would ever achieve after her. In our epic conclusion of Brunhild’s story, we come to the end of the bloody rivalry between Brunhild and Fredegund. But that wasn’t the end of Brunhild yet! She had two unruly, and dare we say, petulant grandsons to deal with. But, as with many of the women in our epic tales, Brunhild’s downfall would come about simply because of the menfolk who considered her wom ..read more

While most Medieval Queens were generally expected to step aside for their young sons and disappear into obscurity within convent walls, Brunhild would prove to be the exception to the rule. Even after her son came of age to rule on his own, Brunhild still held an iron grip over the throne of Austrasia—much to the chagrin of the men around her. In this episode, Brunhild faces off against threats both within and outside of her kingdom even as her rivalry with Fredegund escalates and assassins are the name of the game. Despite efforts made by her brother-in-law to undermine her relationship with ..read more

You’ve heard the story from the murderess, Fredegund’s side. Now it’s time to here the cunning of a woman raised to be queen from birth. When Brunhild’s sister was murdered in the Kingdom of Neustria, it sparked one of the bloodiest rivalries to ever plague Europe. The early years of Brunhild were filled with tragedy, with the deaths of two husbands, scheming in convents, fighting the patriarchy—late 6th century style—and maybe incest for the purposes of rebellion. From victory to tragedy, Brunhild was expected to fade into obscurity (twice over) as the widowed wife of the fallen king of Austr ..read more

You’ve heard the story from the murderess, Fredegund’s side. Now it’s time to here the cunning of a woman raised to be queen from birth. When Brunhild’s sister was murdered in the Kingdom of Neustria, it sparked one of the bloodiest rivalries to ever plague Europe. The early years of Brunhild were filled with tragedy, with the deaths of two husbands, scheming in convents, fighting the patriarchy—late 6th century style—and maybe incest for the purposes of rebellion. From victory to tragedy, Brunhild was expected to fade into obscurity (twice over) as the widowed wife of the fallen king of Austr ..read more

When we last left off, Fredegund’s husband had just been murdered and she’s fled to Paris with an unnamed baby at her breast and an uncertain fate ahead of her. But this is Fredegund, and she’s not about to let that stop her from clawing, poisoning, stabbing, and climbing her way back to the top. In this episode, the rivalry between Fredegund and Brunhild escalates and we also learn what happens when you challenge Fredegund. Hint: it involves dramatic assassination in the middle of a church, snapping treasure chests and very awkward dinner parties. Just when you think this story can’t get any ..read more

It’s a choose your own adventure episode and Kat chose murder! Queen Fredegund is quite possibly one of the most ruthless, vicious and downright villainous queens you have never heard of! From kitchen slave to concubine to queen, Fredegund’s rise to power earned her the enmity of another powerful queen in Frankia and stoke a rivalry that eventually devastated Western Europe for 40 years. In one of the most unhinged stories we have ever told on this podcast, we follow Fredegund as she gives birth in the midst of a siege, strategically assassinates her brother-in-law, plots to overthrow two step ..read more

We’re back! And we’re taking a trip in the Rewind Time Machine to talk about two of the oldest goddesses in recorded history. Astarte and Ishtar both emerged out of Mesopotamia as goddesses of war, love, sex and fertility. Their influence would spread from the ancient Middle East to the Mediterranean and into Egypt, serving as the blueprint for several Greek, Roman and Egyptian gods. These ancient goddesses explore the duality of the divine feminine, as ferocious as they were sensual. Also in this episode is our very own “Reading Rainbow” segment where we regale you with tales from the Epic of ..read more

Idolator. Sorceress. Harlot. As far as wicked women go, Jezebel set the standard for which all women would be judged for thousands of years following her death. Her story is immortalized in the Bible, serving as a cautionary tale for those who would turn their back on God. In this episode, we examine the historical figure behind the tale. Jezebel was a Phoenician princess, married to King Ahab of Israel and (probably) his Queen Consort. When she came to Israel, she brought her Gods and her political aptitude with her. Naturally, the men who wrote her story weren’t happy about it. Also in this ..read more

To become Queen of Jérusalem, Sibylla had to endure the deaths of her father, brother and nine year old son. When she inherited the throne, her Kingdom was on the brink of civil war, slowly being chipped away by the unstoppable and ruthless Saladin. No pressure or anything. Sibylla’s first act of true autonomy would also be her last. By crowning her obnoxious husband (some guy named Guy), Sibylla upheld the sanctity of her marriage under God, but doomed her Kingdom to fall. Also in this episode, your favorite hosts discuss favorite historically-inspired shows and movies. Spoiler Alert: Kingdom ..read more