We’re Not So Different
- Episodes
- 303
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Nov 11, 2026
About the podcast
A mostly Medieval history podcast about how we've always been idiots
patreon.com/wnsdpod
welcometothecrusades.com
Episodes 303
Ep 301 - Enter Leviathan, or, Why the Early Modern Period Sucked
folks, we are back to talk about the Early Modern Period and why it was such an awful time to be alive unless you were in the absolute highest upper strata--and even then it wasn't great. we discuss it a lot in …
Show notes
folks, we are back to talk about the Early Modern Period and why it was such an awful time to be alive unless you were in the absolute highest upper strata--and even then it wasn't great. we discuss it a lot in very vague terms, so we decided to do more of a deep dive about why it was so awful to live from about 1453-1800, not as a moral judgment of those people who lived at that time but instead because the birth of the modern world was an absolute horror show for the entire planet and you didn't even have modern medicine or air conditioning yet. this is when the Leviathan is born into the world
cover image is a stock photo of an edition of Hobbes' LeviathanEp 300 - November Mailbag
folks, we're back from Halloween with a new mailbag! this time, we answer questions about haircuts, 1066 and all that, the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse as humoral theory, new money, pet peeves, and more. enjoy!
Ep 299 - Army of Darkness Review
folks, it's time for us to review Sam Raimi's 1992 cult classic Army of Darkness, starring Bruce Campbell. never has a movie that takes place exclusively in the Middle Ages cared so little about the setting but …
Show notes
folks, it's time for us to review Sam Raimi's 1992 cult classic Army of Darkness, starring Bruce Campbell. never has a movie that takes place exclusively in the Middle Ages cared so little about the setting but still largely nailed it regardless. set in 1300 CE in England, the movie is largely concerned with letting Bruce Campbell do great facial acting, Raimi's stop-motion fun, and slapstick. the Middle Ages are just a trapping, a setting used to illustrate the fish out of water nature of someone traveling to the distant past. and yet, it all works. Raimi doesn't care about historical accuracy but he does care about making the movie look good and sometimes that's enough. enjoy!
cover image is a skeleton playing a bone flute as the titular army of darkness besieges the castleEp 298 - Welcome to the Crusades 2.2 Mosul
The hosts of American Prestige and We’re Not So Different join forces to examine one of the seminal events in world history: the Crusades. Season 2 focuses on the Second Crusade, oft overlooked among the first …
Show notes
The hosts of American Prestige and We’re Not So Different join forces to examine one of the seminal events in world history: the Crusades. Season 2 focuses on the Second Crusade, oft overlooked among the first four crusades, requested by the Principality of Antioch–amongst others–in the wake of the fall of the County of Edessa to the forces of Zengi, an existential threat to the survival of the rest of the Crusader States. You’ll follow along with us on the journey from France and Germany to the Holy Land, Iberia, and Northern Europe as new fronts are opened up and the Catholic Church suffers an embarrassing defeat thanks to supposed betrayal and a series of nasty rumors against Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Episode 2: Mosul, 1146Two years later, as the Crusaders build up power and alliances in Europe, the Zengid Dynasty of Mosul suffers a massive setback when Zengi, its founder, is assassinated. We take a deep look at how the Muslim forces in the region responded to their loss during the First Crusade, the centralization efforts of Zengi and his son and successor, Nur al-Din, the continued deterioration of the Fatimids, and the state of the Second Crusade’s ultimate destination: Damascus.
cover image by James MontalbanoEp 297 - Welcome to the Crusades 2.1 Jerusalem
The hosts of American Prestige and We’re Not So Different join forces to examine one of the seminal events in world history: the Crusades. Season 2 focuses on the Second Crusade, oft overlooked among the first …
Show notes
The hosts of American Prestige and We’re Not So Different join forces to examine one of the seminal events in world history: the Crusades. Season 2 focuses on the Second Crusade, oft overlooked among the first four crusades, requested by the Principality of Antioch–amongst others–in the wake of the fall of the County of Edessa to the forces of Zengi, an existential threat to the survival of the rest of the Crusader States. You’ll follow along with us on the journey from France and Germany to the Holy Land, Iberia, and Northern Europe as new fronts are opened up and the Catholic Church suffers an embarrassing defeat thanks to supposed betrayal and a series of nasty rumors against Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Episode 1: Jerusalem, 1144The Second Crusade begins in the Levant with Raymond of Poitiers and others calling out to Rome and the Catholic Church for a new crusade to avenge the loss of the County of Edessa to the Muslim forces of Zengi. We will discuss how all the major Christian players in the region, including the Crusader States, Byzantines, and Catholic Church have fared in the four decades since the end of the First Crusade.
cover image by James MontalbanoEp 296 - October Mailbag: Dungeon Master Timur
due to technical difficulties, the Army of Darkness review episode will be out next week, sorry about that!folks, we're diving back into the patron mailbag to answer a bunch of questions from our patrons. this …
Show notes
due to technical difficulties, the Army of Darkness review episode will be out next week, sorry about that!
folks, we're diving back into the patron mailbag to answer a bunch of questions from our patrons. this time we talk about spooooooky stories, best Medieval D&D dungeon master, Egyptian flood mitigation technology, celestial events, verified relics, and much more.
cover image is a statue of Timur in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. to read more about Great Chess or Tamerlane Chess, check this out: https://www.thecollector.com/tamerlane-chess-history/Medieval Militaries 2: Johnny Appleseed for Gunpowder
folks, we are back for part 2 of this woefully short series on Medieval military evolution in the Old World and it's time to talk about gunpowder. probably the single most important invention ever but it didn't …
Show notes
folks, we are back for part 2 of this woefully short series on Medieval military evolution in the Old World and it's time to talk about gunpowder. probably the single most important invention ever but it didn't follow the normal formula for these things, instead sitting on the shelf as a elixir for eternal life before being adopted for military application by increasingly desperate Chinese states. however, it would be the Mongols who spread the message of gunpowder across all of the Old World and it would change the face of Medieval society along with it.
cover image is from a 1398 series by Jean Froissart, this one showing cannons being used during the Battle of NicopolisMedieval Warfare 1: Size Queens
folks, we don't talk about military history all that much on the show except as an aspect of the overall narratives and histories we tell. however, we do sometimes have to talk about it specifically because it …
Show notes
folks, we don't talk about military history all that much on the show except as an aspect of the overall narratives and histories we tell. however, we do sometimes have to talk about it specifically because it is both interesting and necessary to understanding things. it's not the end-all, be-all, most important thing ever as it is sometimes portrayed but, ya know, you can't fully enforce your politics from the throne, now can you? that monopoly of violence is there for a reason. anyway, we start a two-part series talking about the evolutions of Medieval armies in Afroeurasia. this time, we talk about why the size of European armies dropped so drastically following the fall of Western Rome (while Eastern Rome and Asia did not), how was military training accomplished on a macro level, why the Crusades acted as a kickstarter to future European military endeavors, and more! next time: gunpowder! enjoy.
cover image is part of an illuminated manuscript by Jean Froissart about the Battle of CrecyPatreon Ep Unlocked: Mesopotamian Afterlife
folks, we have referenced it a couple of times but now it's finally time to focus on the Mesopotamian Afterlife, including their underworld and ghosts. we talk about how they formed their conception of the …
Show notes
folks, we have referenced it a couple of times but now it's finally time to focus on the Mesopotamian Afterlife, including their underworld and ghosts. we talk about how they formed their conception of the afterlife, what it looked like, the bizarre and unfair punishments received depending on how you die, leaving milk and cookies out for Gilgamesh, the quite beautiful and tender reception that babies receive, the social reinforcement these rules provided, using the Epic of Gilgamesh as a template, and more. Oh, and just one rule: no fires. No but for real, no fucking fires, don't you dare light a single fire ever, I don't care if it's what allows to stay up later at night and cook our food, no goddamn fire, ever! not even once!
cover image is something I found on a site called pngtree that said it was free to useSeptember Mailbag 2: Sister Act
folks, just as the ancient prophecies foretold, we're back for a second September mailbag episode. we dive back into the patrons questions again to talk about the 90's comedy Sister Act, treatments for very …
Show notes
folks, just as the ancient prophecies foretold, we're back for a second September mailbag episode. we dive back into the patrons questions again to talk about the 90's comedy Sister Act, treatments for very small injuries, the survival of the Hungarian language, pipe smoking in the Old World, Medieval home decor, what constitutes a colony, and more!
cover image is a promotional image for the 1992 film Sister Act, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie SmithSeptember Mailbag 1: Chateauneuf du Pape
folks, we are back with another mailbag episode for your enjoyment! we take patron questions about source survival, Tolkien as a medievalist, mercenaries, old primary sources, world peace, and more!cover image …
Show notes
folks, we are back with another mailbag episode for your enjoyment! we take patron questions about source survival, Tolkien as a medievalist, mercenaries, old primary sources, world peace, and more!
cover image is a bottle of Costco's Kirkland's Signature branded Chateauneuf du Pape, 2023 vintage I found onlineWhen the Church Changed
(00:00:00) Intro - A tales of 2 online interactions (00:06:32) What is hegemony, what does it mean for a Church to be hegemonic? (00:14:29) Hegemony can't override individual interpretations of the Bible …
Show notes
(00:00:00) Intro - A tales of 2 online interactions
(00:06:32) What is hegemony, what does it mean for a Church to be hegemonic?
(00:14:29) Hegemony can't override individual interpretations of the Bible
(00:29:02) The Gregorian Reforms and the blunders that led to the crackdowns
(00:40:00) When the Church changed on: clerical celibacy, just war theory, enslaving other Christians, Pagan and Muslim toleration,
(00:51:03) When the Church changed on: mystery plays, folk saints, anchorites, vernacular bibles, witchcraft, poor orders, indulgen
folks, we talk a lot about the hegemony of the Catholic Church in Medieval Europe but what does that mean, exactly? we know the early Medieval Church had a less firm hand on many issues while the late Medieval Church was the hegemonic behemoth we all remember, but why did this change and when did it happen? and, regardless of anything else, even if the Church has hegemony over Europe, that does very little to actually ensure people don't stray too far from orthodoxy given how personal and neurotic everyone's religious interpretations are. we talk about all this, the blunders that led the Church to crackdown on so many things, and when they actually began to change their theology to accommodate this new, more heavy-handed approach.
cover image is a meme I made based on a screen from the SimpsonsRobin Hood Was NOT Wat Tyler
folks, the new movie Uprising, starring Andrew Garfield, is supposed to be released in a week and yet, the film's entire marketing scheme was thrown into chaos when a seemingly unauthorized trailer linking the …
Show notes
folks, the new movie Uprising, starring Andrew Garfield, is supposed to be released in a week and yet, the film's entire marketing scheme was thrown into chaos when a seemingly unauthorized trailer linking the film to Robin Hood was published online. the production company has since confirmed that the film is based on Wat Tyler and the Peasant's Uprising of 1381 but that has still led many to question the origins of Robin Hood. so we talk about this movie marketing disaster, the origins of Robin Hood, how he is definitively not based on a real individual and is most certainly not Wat Tyler, and more. enjoy!
cover image is a still of Andrew Garfield as Wat Tyler in The UprisingMedieval News You Can Use
(00:00:00) Cold Open - Civ 7 and more ghosts (00:10:07) Patron questions - Weird Italian perverts and Papal naming conventions (00:24:05) Intro (00:26:05) Viking Textile Industries (00:31:57) Central Europe had …
Show notes
(00:00:00) Cold Open - Civ 7 and more ghosts
(00:10:07) Patron questions - Weird Italian perverts and Papal naming conventions
(00:24:05) Intro
(00:26:05) Viking Textile Industries
(00:31:57) Central Europe had 16 catastrophic floods in 2 years
(00:40:29) Bayeux Tapestry returns to England
(00:47:07) Alchemy is totally vindicated
(01:04:39) Death by Trebuchet
folks, there's recently been a spate of Medieval news that is interesting enough to include in podcast form and so we decide to talk about it. admittedly, some of it is not the most glamorous but it all greatly informs our understanding of the Medieval world, also death by trebuchet. we cover 5 topics: Viking textile industry, 2 years of catastrophic flooding in Central Europe, England bending the knee to get the Bayeux Tapestry back, the total vindication of alchemy, and, well, death by trebuchet!- Viking textile industry: https://archaeologymag.com/2026/06/viking-textile-production-center-near-aarhus/
- Catastrophic European flooding 1341-43: https://www.science.org/content/article/medieval-europe-was-battered-16-catastrophic-floods-just-2-years
- Bayeux Tapestry in England: https://www.artforum.com/news/british-culture-official-proposed-for-bayeux-tapestry-loan-1234756775/
- Alchemy: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/gold-big-bang-theory-large-hadron-collider-b3033578.html
- Trebuchet guy https://www.science.org/content/article/shattered-skeleton-scottish-castle-first-confirmed-death-trebuchet
Let's Rank the Avignon Popes
folks, some of our patrons requested that we do tier list rankings of the popes and we are so happy to oblige, you have no idea. however, we can't do all 267 at once or even in a row but we can start with some …
Show notes
folks, some of our patrons requested that we do tier list rankings of the popes and we are so happy to oblige, you have no idea. however, we can't do all 267 at once or even in a row but we can start with some smaller chunks and so we decided to rank the seven popes of the Avignon Papacy and the two antipopes in Avignon during the Western Schism. see where we rank them all from S down to F and let us know if you agree. we've Black Death popes and lawyer antipopes and nearly reuniting the Catholic and Orthodox churches popes, it's a lot of fun.Peter Abelard & Heloise
folks, today we tackle longtime frenemy of the podcast: Peter Abelard. he's a very interesting historical figure for his positively cutting edge ideas in numerous fields of study and is singled out and …
Show notes
folks, today we tackle longtime frenemy of the podcast: Peter Abelard. he's a very interesting historical figure for his positively cutting edge ideas in numerous fields of study and is singled out and oppressed by the Church and clergy but he's also most famous for an extremely problematic relationship with his lifelong love, Heloise, a probably underage girl and definitely his student and underling. it's real land of contrasts hours here, folks.
cover image is a medieval manuscript drawing of Abelard and Heloise from the cover of the Penguin classics edition of The Letters of Abelard and HeloiseAugust Mailbag: Medieval Crocs
folks, we're back with our monthly mailbag episode wherein we answer questions from our patrons. this time, we talk about what happens if you are shipwrecked in the Middle Ages, depictions of Jesus, Medieval …
Show notes
folks, we're back with our monthly mailbag episode wherein we answer questions from our patrons. this time, we talk about what happens if you are shipwrecked in the Middle Ages, depictions of Jesus, Medieval crocs–the shoes, not the giant creatures, though they were around–slaves at the end of empire, noble views on chivalry, getting cut off at the Medieval pub, the worst name I’ve ever heard for a child, and more.
cover image is from patron Quixotic from the Met CloistersThe Odyssey Review
folks, it's time to review Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of The Odyssey, which just came out a couple of weeks back. we talk about the good and bad choices Nolan made in his adaptation, his handling of …
Show notes
folks, it's time to review Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of The Odyssey, which just came out a couple of weeks back. we talk about the good and bad choices Nolan made in his adaptation, his handling of the source material, the stellar production values, Zeus's Law, our Age of Bronze collapsing, the spectacle, Rob Pattinson's masterclass, forgetting how to read, and so much more. enjoy!The Fall of Troy Probably
folks, everyone has Odyssey fever these days, so we decided to do a little episode talking about Homer, the Iliad, the Odyssey, what they mean, a weirdo named Heinrich Schliemann, the real Fall of Troy, and …
Show notes
folks, everyone has Odyssey fever these days, so we decided to do a little episode talking about Homer, the Iliad, the Odyssey, what they mean, a weirdo named Heinrich Schliemann, the real Fall of Troy, and what it all has to do with the Bronze Age Collapse and the enigmatic Sea Peoples. Tune in next time when we review Christopher Nolan's recently released Odyssey film.Patreon Ep Unlocked - Between Two Fires 1: Sock the Angel
folks, we start out book club series on Christopher Buehlman's 2012 Medievalist fantasy horror novel, Between Two Fires. we briefly introduce the author and the book and then jump right into the action. we talk …
Show notes
folks, we start out book club series on Christopher Buehlman's 2012 Medievalist fantasy horror novel, Between Two Fires. we briefly introduce the author and the book and then jump right into the action. we talk plague, a magic kid, a broken man, a Dark Souls boss fight, a few miracles, and an angel named Sock. enjoy!July Mailbag: It's All Greek to Us
folks, we are back and diving into our monthly episode of patron mailbag questions. this time, we talk about grain storage, the university at Bologna, Medieval fiction writing, the Greek language, new D&D …
Show notes
folks, we are back and diving into our monthly episode of patron mailbag questions. this time, we talk about grain storage, the university at Bologna, Medieval fiction writing, the Greek language, new D&D classes, and more. enjoy!The Wine Dark Sea
folks, today we talk about the Mediterranean Sea. you know it, you love it. we discuss how it just looks like a really cool place to set a fantasy series, where we would setup our fictional empire, why it was …
Show notes
folks, today we talk about the Mediterranean Sea. you know it, you love it. we discuss how it just looks like a really cool place to set a fantasy series, where we would setup our fictional empire, why it was so conducive to civilization and empire formation, how it served as a conduit for trade, travel, cultural influence, religious syncretism, and more. oh, and how it's always so wine dark and primed for adventure.
cover image: satellite view of the Mediterranean Sea surrounded by Europe, Asia, and Africa, taken from wikicommonsJune Mailbag 2: Flood Myths
folks, we are back with another mailbag because we are behind on patron questions. this time, we talk about everything from donkeys to postal services, gendered work to seasoning pans, Hungary to myths and …
Show notes
folks, we are back with another mailbag because we are behind on patron questions. this time, we talk about everything from donkeys to postal services, gendered work to seasoning pans, Hungary to myths and folklore, and even a whole block of questions about peasants running away to the cities and obtaining their freedom by staying for a year and a day. enjoy!
cover image: frontispiece from Gustave Dore's illustrations of The Holy Bible showing people clinging to rocks during the biblical Flood, entitled "The Deluge"Medieval Sportsball
folks, the World Cup is once again upon us in all of its glory and terror. so we take a look back at sports in the Middle Ages. we talk Medieval football, crossbow competitions, jousts and melees, chariot …
Show notes
folks, the World Cup is once again upon us in all of its glory and terror. so we take a look back at sports in the Middle Ages. we talk Medieval football, crossbow competitions, jousts and melees, chariot racing, the Mesoamerican ballgame, and more. we also talk about how sports has always been at the intersection of politics, culture, religion, and communal life for both the regular folks and the elites. also, we've always loved gambling
cover image: drawing made by Christoph Weiditz in 1528 showing Aztec Ullamalitzil players performing for Charles V of SpainJune Mailbag: Aurora Borealis
folks, we're back and diving into the patron mailbag once again. this time, we answer questions about a host of topics, including: height differences, Aurora Borealis, best Medieval turlet, Traditional Chinese …
Show notes
folks, we're back and diving into the patron mailbag once again. this time, we answer questions about a host of topics, including: height differences, Aurora Borealis, best Medieval turlet, Traditional Chinese Medicine, battlefield name changes, othering, and spectacular Medieval wizard battles! check it out!
cover image is of Aurora Borealis, taken from space.comThe Life and Death of Jane Boleyn feat Logan Weimer
folks, back in January, we brought on Logan Weimer to talk about the unfolding situation in Minneapolis but she was originally supposed to come on the show to talk about her deep interest in the life, death …
Show notes
folks, back in January, we brought on Logan Weimer to talk about the unfolding situation in Minneapolis but she was originally supposed to come on the show to talk about her deep interest in the life, death, and afterlife of Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, lady in waiting to four of Henry VIII's wives and sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn. we cover a whole range of topics, including coerced testimony, the use of "madness" as a tool for silencing unwanted voices, executions for "madness", and the poor treatment Jane has suffered in both scholarly and popular history until very recently.Patreon Ep Unlocked: The Day the Dinosaurs Died
folks, this is a long one. Luke talks about his Roman Empire: the Chicxulub Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. it's a scripted episode (don't get used to it) chronicling 3 separate stories: the asteroid impact …
Show notes
folks, this is a long one. Luke talks about his Roman Empire: the Chicxulub Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. it's a scripted episode (don't get used to it) chronicling 3 separate stories: the asteroid impact and its aftermath that killed the dinosaurs, the lives of some of those dinosaurs 66 million years ago, and the modern story of how the asteroid impact hypothesis became scientific consensus.
a list of sources appears at the end of the episode, go get mad at them if you don't like the way the narrative is presentedPremodern Iran 4: Vindication
folks, we finish up our series on Premodern Iran by looking at Greater Iran from the arrival of the Mongols in 1219 until the fall of the Timurid Empire and the Rise of the Safavids in 1501. we talk internal …
Show notes
folks, we finish up our series on Premodern Iran by looking at Greater Iran from the arrival of the Mongols in 1219 until the fall of the Timurid Empire and the Rise of the Safavids in 1501. we talk internal Mongol civil wars, the Ilkhanate, the Timurid Renaissance, the strains of apocalyptic thought amongst the peasantry, the Iranian Golden Age, and the final vindication of a nearly 900 year old ideological project with the rise of a new ethnic Iranian empire. we hope you enjoyed the series!
cover image: the Ulugh Beg Astronomical Observatory and madrasa in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (built in the time of Timur)Premodern Iran 3: Towers of Silence
folks, we are back with part 3 of our series on Premodern Iran. this time, we get into the long, dark years for Iran and its peoples between the Muslim conquest and the Mongol invasions (651-1221 CE). we talk …
Show notes
folks, we are back with part 3 of our series on Premodern Iran. this time, we get into the long, dark years for Iran and its peoples between the Muslim conquest and the Mongol invasions (651-1221 CE). we talk about how the idea of Iran survived even when the Persian language and Zoroastrianism were both suppressed, how the concept of Iranian identity formed into a real ideological project, why we lack sources, national epics and histories, the language of dissent, and the final grim fate of Zoroastrianism.
cover image is recent photo of the Yazd Tower of Silence, which is no longer in use and now serves as a museum.Eleanor of Aquitaine feat American Prestige
Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade coming Summer 2026this is just a special bonus episode we recorded with Danny and Derek from American Prestige. there will be a regular weekly episode out, the third …
Show notes
Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade coming Summer 2026
this is just a special bonus episode we recorded with Danny and Derek from American Prestige. there will be a regular weekly episode out, the third part of our series on Premodern Iran, the week of May 11. in order to celebrate Mother's Day and the announcement that Welcome to the Crusade is coming back to do the Second Crusade this summer, we got together with American Prestige to talk about Eleanor of Aquitaine. we cover her eventful life, her time on crusade, her awful husbands and sons, her wonderful daughters, her legacy, and more.
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