33 – Brooches, Bards, and Bone Harps

Never the Twins Shall Meet

We’re back for our first episode of the summer! In this one, we take a trip to post-Rome Britain to explore our fascination with a time period that is more myth than history. Going full history nerd, we take a look at three books set in Britain after the withdrawal of Roman imperial powers: Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott, Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve, and Sistersong by Lucy Holland. We discuss the possible origin of the King Arthur myth, queer medieval narratives, and the cultural diversity of Britain at this time–as well as wizards, warlords, and murder ballads.

Other Media Mentioned:

• Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
• The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Little Blue Encyclopedia for Vivian by Hazel Jane Plante
• The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood
• Bernard Cornwell’s books
• Spear by Nicola Griffith
• Perceval by Chretien de Troyes
• The Two Sisters by Steeleye Span
• On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain by Gildas
• History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth

Content Warnings:

Discussions of war, death, and body horror

Also 1) apologies for the distant car horn in a few moments and 2) our discussion of Here Lies Arthur involves talking about some characters who present as different genders over the course of the story and so has some varying pronoun usage.