In this episode, we’re going to explore the man known to history as the pretender to the English throne, Perkin Warbeck. I’m covering the pieces of contemporary evidence which suggests that maybe we shouldn’t trust everything the Tudors tell us. At least,

This episode aims to give you an overview of five Ancient Greek constellations seen in the night sky, and what story the Ancient Greeks themselves attributed to them.We’ve all heard of Greek myths, whether that’s the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, or Th

Today we’re diving into a topic I think the Tudors largely overshadow, vilify, or ignore in favour of certain other members of the family. And with the Boleyns, no-one really talks about George Boleyn.For the full show notes, head to http://deconstructe

If you’ve heard of the Ancient Egyptians, it’s probably something about the gods, or the pyramids, or Cleopatra. But how often do we think about what it was like to live in the Ancient Egyptian world?The period we call Ancient Egypt lasted for five thou

In this episode, we’re looking at one of the most well-known motifs in Arthurian legends: the Holy Grail. I have a love-hate relationship with the Grail, mostly because of the emphasis placed on it when compared to other aspects of the legends. As a liter

This episode is about a god. But not just any god “Hijacked by Jesus” and forced into the role of villain. Oh no. This god starred as the villain and/or antihero in another god’s heroic quest to prove his worth. I am, of course, talking about Loki.For f

In this episode, we’re looking at the legendary figure of Orpheus and what his myths can tell us about the world. The Ancient Greeks and Romans believed Orpheus was a real person. He had the ability to create music so beautiful it could make rocks cry. Th

In this episode, we’re looking at how legitimate the claim Henry Tudor made for the throne was, after he claimed the throne through conquest on 30th October 1485. Don’t worry, I’ll try to keep my irritation at him at bay long enough to get through his epi

There’s a common misconception out there about what Old English actually is. Whenever I ask someone what they think about Shakespeare (because I’m a nerd), they always go off on a rant about how Old English is totally incomprehensible and why couldn’t I h

In the grand scheme of things, you probably haven’t heard of the Mycenaeans. That’s okay, we all get that Ancient Greek democracy and theatre overshadows everything and all.The Mycenaeans were the people who lived in mainland Greece between approximately