EPISODE 108: Tattooed Headhunters of the Steppes

"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind… Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph." Robert E Howard

“Becoming a barbarian was often a bid to improve one’s lot.” James C Scott

“We are riders; our business is with the bow and the spear, and we know nothing of women’s work. But in your country no woman has anything to do with such things—your women stay at home in their wagons occupied with feminine tasks, and never go out to hunt or for any other purpose” A speech by an Amazon quoted by Herodotus

“Persian, such is my nature: I have never run away for fear of any man, nor am I fleeing now from you. I am wandering, as I always wander in time of peace. You ask why I did not fight you at once. May I remind you that we have neither cities nor cultivated land of our own; since we are not afraid of our territory being ruined and plundered, we had no reason to fight you outright… Not will we, until we see fit. Instead of earth and water, I will send you other gifts, of the kind you deserve; and you will weep bitter tears for having claimed to be my ruler.” Idanthyrsus

 Typically, I prefer when the episodes I create have a clearly identifiable main character. This particular one doesn’t have a lead character. But what it does have instead is people drinking from the skulls of their enemies, and tattoos, and sweat lodges, and cannabis consumption, and blood brotherhood rituals, and getting drunk on fermented mare milk. In case, that’s not enough, it also has Amazons and Wonder Woman’s golden lasso, centaurs and King Arthur, and a whole lot more. So, I hope you shall forgive the lack of a lead character. Today, we won’t focus on a particular individual but on a culture, specifically some of the steppe nomadic cultures from roughly about 2,500 years ago among people like the Scythians and the Sarmatians.

If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content. 

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Shoutout to the folks making some of the best hot sauce I’ve ever tasted: Abuelita Guille! They are having a kickstarter right now. Check them out: grandmashotsauce.org

Also shoutout to https://centenariusnutrition.com/ A former student of mine started this excellent supplement company.

Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion's Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started Purest Mushrooms where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at https://dakotapurebison.com/ History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

[RERUN] EPISODE 72: John Brown (Part 3): Violent Delights, Violent Ends

“I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood.” — John Brown 

“If you seek my blood, you can have it at any moment without the mockery of a trial.” — John Brown 

“John Brown, and a thousand John Browns, can invade us, and the Government will not protect us. To secure our rights and protect our honor we will dissever the ties that bind us together, even if it rushes us into a sea of blood." — Mississippi congressman Reuben Davis

“John Brown began the war that ended American slavery and made this a free Republic.” — Frederick Douglass 

"I looked at the traitor with unlimited, undeniable contempt." — John Wilkes Booth

“He done more in dying than 100 men would in living.” — Harriet Tubman 

“Dear Husband, I want you to buy me as soon as possible for if you do not get me somebody else will. The servants are very disagreeable. They do all that they can to set my mistress against me. Dear Husband, you do not see the trouble I see the last two years. It has been like a troubled dream to me. It is said, Master is in want of money. If so, I know not what time he may sell me and then all my bright hopes of the future are blasted. For there has been one bright hope to cheer me in all my troubles, that is to be with you. For if I thought I should never see you this earth would have no charms for me. Do all you can for me, which I have no doubt you will. I want to see you so much, the children are all well. The baby cannot walk, yet, all it can do is step around everything by holding on. It is very much like Agnes. I must bring my letter to close, as I have no more news to write. You must write soon and say when you think you can come. Your affectionate wife, Harriet Newby.”

“I believe I’ll go with the old man.” — Shields Green

“Had I interfered in the manner which I admit… in behalf of the rich, the powerful… the so-called great… every man in this Court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment.” — John Brown 

"I am quite cheerful in view of my approaching end, being fully persuaded that I am worth inconceivably more to hang than for any other purpose.” “I can recover all the lost capital by only hanging a few moments by the neck...” John Brown

The subject of this series is easily one of the most divisive individuals in U.S. history. The man we are talking about is Mr. John Brown. Many, in fact, see Brown’s actions as the spark that ignited the Civil War. He has been described as a civil rights hero, a terrorist, and everything in between. Some have argued he was clinically insane. Others believe he was the most principled man of his age. Regardless of how we interpret his story, certain facts are beyond dispute. Throughout his life, slavery was the law of the land in much of the United States. With hardly any abolitionist willing to do more than use words against slavery, while pro-slavery forces demonstrated they were quite skilled at using violence to further their worldview, it seemed inevitable that slavery would last for the foreseeable future. To John Brown, that was an unacceptable option. Allowing it to continue for one more second was cowardly and evil.  If pacifist means weren’t enough to bring about the end of slavery, then John Brown was more than ready to speak the language of violence. For the sake of destroying slavery, he would shed the blood of his enemies, the blood of his family, and his own blood. 

In this final episode of this series, we’ll cover: John Brown’s meeting with Harriet Tubman, a raid to free slaves and bring them to Canada, the loyalty of Shields Green, Dangerfield Newby dying to save his family, the attack on Harpers Ferry, stealing George Washington’s sword, drunkards shooting corpses, Silas Soule’s jailbreaking skills, the trial of John Brown, the dangers posed by Zombie John Brown, guest appearances by Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, John Wilkes Booth and Jeb Stuart, and much more.

If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content.

All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at https://linktr.ee/danielebolelli 

Including the HOF YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFCiqHbWJO26nFzUP-Eu55Q

Substack: https://substack.com/@danielebolelli

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyonfire/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyonfirepodcast  

Thank you to today’s sponsor, Fabric by Gerber Life, a term life insurance. If you are interested in life insurance, please check them out at https://meetfabric.com/HISTORYONFIRE

Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started https://purestmushrooms.com/ where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount.

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at https://dakotapurebison.com/ History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

[RERUN] EPISODE 71: John Brown (Part 2): A Reckoning in Blood

“I think he [God] has used me as an instrument to kill men; and if I live, I think he will use me as an instrument to kill a good many more.” — John Brown

“I had reached the point at which I was not afraid to die. This spirit made me a freeman in fact, while I remained a slave in form.” — Frederick Douglass

“I have only a short time to live, only death to die and I will die fighting for this cause.  There will be no peace in this land until slavery is done for.” — John Brown

“We will continue to tar and feather, drown, lynch, and hang every white-livered abolitionist who dares to pollute our soil.” — Dr. John H Stringfellow

“Caution!? Caution!?—he exploded—I am eternally tired of hearing that word Caution! It is nothing but the word of cowardice!” — John Brown

“To know and not to act is not to know.” — Wang Yangming

“Behind them lay five twisted, red and mangled corpses. Behind them rose the stifled wailing of widows and little children… but before them rode a man, tall, dark, grim-faced and awful. His hands were red and his name was John Brown. Such was the cost of freedom.” — DuBois

The subject of this series is easily one of the most divisive individuals in U.S. history. The man we are talking about is Mr. John Brown. Many, in fact, see Brown’s actions as the spark that ignited the Civil War. He has been described as a civil rights hero, a terrorist, and everything in between. Some have argued he was clinically insane. Others believe he was the most principled man of his age. Regardless of how we interpret his story, certain facts are beyond dispute. Throughout his life, slavery was the law of the land in much of the United States. With hardly any abolitionist willing to do more than use words against slavery, while pro-slavery forces demonstrated they were quite skilled at using violence to further their worldview, it seemed inevitable that slavery would last for the foreseeable future. To John Brown, that was an unacceptable option. Allowing it to continue for one more second was cowardly and evil. If pacifist means weren’t enough to bring about the end of slavery, then John Brown was more than ready to speak the language of violence. For the sake of destroying slavery, he would shed the blood of his enemies, the blood of his family, and his own blood.

In this second episode of a three-part series, we see John Brown meeting Frederick Douglass & visiting Europe, the passing of the Fugitive Slave Law, the experiment at North Elba, Bleeding Kansas, the pathetic story of the Border Ruffians, revising the notion of abolitionist pacifism, blood on the floor of the Senate, the Pottawatomie massacre, guerrilla in Kansas, and much more.

If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content.

All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at https://linktr.ee/danielebolelli

Including the HOF YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFCiqHbWJO26nFzUP-Eu55Q

Substack: https://substack.com/@danielebolelli

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyonfire/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyonfirepodcast

Thank you to today’s sponsor, Fabric by Gerber Life, a term life insurance. If you are interested in life insurance, please check them out at https://meetfabric.com/HISTORYONFIRE

Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion's Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started Purest Mushrooms where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at https://dakotapurebison.com/ History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

If you are interested in the fantastic art of Frank Frazetta, check out the offerings at https://www.frazettagirls.com/