Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,
Ah, Halloween… Before the harvest themes of Thanksgiving and cheery gift-giving of Christmas comes the annual flirtation with the macabre, when the veil between the living and the dead grows thin and everyone indulges in the darker side of myth, mystery and monsters.
Here at Classical Wisdom we are no exception…though we do like our chills with a dash of history and a generous pour of philosophy! So, instead of plastic fangs and pumpkin spice, we’re tackling a more sophisticated horror:
Vampire epidemics.
Yes, yes dear reader, turns out Vampires aren’t so recent, though perhaps their modern blood drinking glow up is…
So, to discover the real history of the ancient undead in this month’s Podcast With Professors we turn to Professor John Blair, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History and Archaeology at Oxford. Together, we discuss his new book, Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World and delve into humanity’s unsettling belief that corpses don’t always stay put and that the dead can, in fact, rise, roam, and, occasionally, wreak havoc…
But what’s really fascinating is how societies deal with fear. When panic strikes, when plague spreads, or when reason falters, people have always sought scapegoats. And while burning witches was barbaric, at least burning corpses had one advantage: the victims were already dead.
Sounds horrific, gruesome, and downright morbid... But it’s also deeply human. Our ancestors mutilated the dead not because they were monsters, but because they believed they were fighting them.
And perhaps, in our own way, we still do…
So, as the nights lengthen for those up north and the shadows creep, join us for a hauntingly thoughtful exploration of what it really means to kill the dead. Because history, as always, is much stranger, and far more alive, than fiction.
Classical Wisdom Members: You can watch the full episode above (if you dare) as well as enjoy the transcript and audio only version below….
Just remember: the dead have to be dead, the living have to be living… though around Halloween, that’s never as simple as it sounds.
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom
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Members: Enjoy the Audio Only Version Here:
