We explore ideas and practices once believed to be true but no longer. Each dead idea is explored in all its glorious eccentricity. For example, discover miasma, the theory that plague comes from stinky air; or the medical diagnosis of hysteria, which holds that women's wombs wander around their bodies causing trouble. Join us on a fun romp through the history of ideas that didn’t quite stand the test of time.
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Anti-Witches I: The Benandanti and the Inquisition in Renaissance Italy – Italian History
Happy Halloween! This new series is related to witches but not witches - it's the Anti-Witches! What was up with the Benandanti of Renaissance Italy? Why did they use fennel stalks to fight witches armed with sorghum sticks? And what did the Inquisition have to do with it? All this and more today on Dead Ideas! And be sure to review us so you can get your picture drawn in the historical time period and culture of your choosing! Become our patron on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod. Maps, pics, references, and more at www.deadideas.net. Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff.