EPISODE 40: Joan of Arc (Part 2)

October 16, 2018 Daniele Bolelli

“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” — Star Wars

“… No one else, neither a king nor a duke nor the daughter of the king of Scotland, nor any other who can recover the kingdom of France, and he will have no help, if not through me…” — Joan of Arc

“You know as little of war as that Hobbit. When the fear takes him, and the blood, and the screams, and the horrors of battle take hold, do you think he would stand and fight? He would flee. And it would be right to do so. War is the province of Men, Éowyn.” — Eomer in The Lord of the Rings

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she is to keep silent.” — St Paul

“King of England, do justly by the King of Heaven. Return to the Maid sent by God to restore the royal blood the keys of all the good cities that you have taken and violated in France… King of England, if you do not do this, I am Chef de Guerre [Commander of War], and in whatever place I shall find your people in France, I will make them flee whether they want to or not; and if they will not obey I will have them all killed. I am sent here by God, the King of Heaven, to drive you, body for body, out of all France. If you don’t leave, we will make so great a war cry that none like it has been heard in France in a thousand years.” — Joan of Arc

“You, Duke of Bedford, the Maid begs you not to make her destroy you.” — Joan of Arc

By 1429, the heir to the French throne was about to give up and flee in exile. The English and their Burgundian allies controlled huge parts of the country. With Orleans likely to fall in a not too distant future, the path was open for the English to conquer the rest of France. It looked like the game was up for him. As much as he tried, he couldn’t see any logical path to victory. But little did he know that help was on its way—a kind of help that didn’t seem to be logical, reasonable or likely. Help was coming in the form of an illiterate teenage peasant—a female at that—who was going to change his fortunes; a young woman who through sheer willpower would radically change the course of the war. She arrived at the royal court during France’s darkest hour with news that God had sent her to lift the siege of Orleans, and make sure the heir to the throne would be crowned King of France.

The young woman was Joan of Arc, and she was one of the most unusual individuals in history.

At 13 years old, her life was turned upside down when she began hearing voices and having visions of angelic figures delivering her messages. The voices told her that no one on earth—neither knight nor king—could restore the kingdom of France. No one could—no one that is… except for her.

Ok, so we have a possibly insane girl hearing voices, This is hardly the stuff that makes the history books. At best, this would be an interesting case study for the history of mental illness. But that’s not what happened here—because the girl and her voices did change the course of the Hundred Years War between France and England. The voices propelled this young woman away from the typical existence of farm girls in the 1400s, and transformed her into a force of nature who embraced a heroic and tragic destiny that was entirely beyond what anyone from her gender, social class, and age could legitimately expect.

According to logic and common sense, none of the things that happened in our story should have been able to happen. A untrained peasant leading an army of knights? A young woman succeeding where the entire French nobility had failed? What she accomplished would have been exceptional if done by an aristocratic, seasoned male leader. But it seems downright impossible for someone like her. The world she lived in was hyper patriarchal and very class conscious, so on the surface there should have been no chance whatsoever that a young peasant girl could pull it off. She belonged to the wrong gender, wrong social class, and wrong age to achieve what she dreamed of. And yet she did.

In this second episode of this four-part series, we see guest appearances by Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, Miracle Max from The Princess Bride, Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones, Eomer from The Lord of the Rings. Among the key topics, Joan and her voices; Joan’s father planning on drowning his daughter and winning the Taliban father of the year award; Joan’s meeting with the Dauphin; Taoism and victory in battle; the letter to the King of England; the disturbing tale of Gilles de Rais; Joan takes an arrow to the chest, and gets back into battle; the miracle at Orleans.

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This episode is also brought to you by https://www.greats.com/ GREATS is a wonderful sneaker company offering men's and women's styles. Save 15% on your first purchase with our code, HISTORY.

Please, also show some love to my regular sponsors by shopping for supplements, special foods, clothing, and exercise equipment at http://www.onnit.com/history and receive a 10% discount.

Big thank you to the “Context” Podcast by Brad Harris: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/context-with-brad-harris/id1395459106

And to “The Strenuous Life” Podcast by Stephan Kesting https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/strenuous-life-podcast-stephan-kesting-grapplearts/id320705565

And thank you also to https://www.snowroast.com/ for their delicious coffee. Use the code TAO18 for a 15 % discount.

History on Fire is brought to you by Kannaway. All CBD products are from organic, non-GMO European HEMP grown on generational family farms. The products all have a triple authenticated process guaranteeing you’re getting exactly what you are paying for. Because all of the CBD is from hemp and NOT cannabis, it is legal to use and possess in all 50 states AND Europe! Now you can get 100% THC-free CBD oil from hemp, delivered to your door in all 50 of the Unites States and the whole of Europe. Please check them out at: https://kannaway.com/2496006

A huge thank you to https://www.dynastyforge.com/ for sharing with me their amazing swords.

If you train in Jiujitsu (or any other sport for that matter), check out the knee braces at https://nevertapgear.com/ and check out the TOMOE GOZEN RASH GUARD! https://nevertapgear.com/new-products/tomeo

PATREON NEWS: I have just started a Patreon account!!!! If you feel in a generous mood, please, check it out at www.patreon.com/historyonfire

My lady (and author of History on Fire logo, plus producer and editor of History on Fire) has a FB public page about her art & fighting: https://www.facebook.com/NahryEm/. Thank you to Onnit, Float Clinic, Shaman’s Simple Solutions, War Fuel, Proven Nutrition, and Fight Chix for sponsoring her for her first MMA fight. If you’d like to check out Fight Chix merchandise, you can get a 20% discount by going to http://www.fightchix.com/ and entering the code Fire20 upon checkout.

This is my public FB page: https://www.facebook.com/danielebolelli1/

Here is a link to the audiobook of my “Not Afraid”: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/not-afraid-audiobook/

For those of you who may be interested, here is a lecture series I created about Taoist philosophy: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/taoist-lectures/

EPISODE 39: Joan of Arc (Part 1)

September 18, 2018 Daniele Bolelli

“No person in the Middle Ages, male or female, has been the subject of more historical studies than Joan of Arc.” — Kelly Devries

“The life of Joan is such a flagrant beating of the odds that no facts sufficiently explain the course of it. She was born during one of the most corrupt, demoralized periods of French history; she is considered a religious and military hero, but she had neither religious nor military training.” —Mary Gordon

By 1429, the heir to the French throne was about to give up and flee in exile. The English and their Burgundian allies controlled huge parts of the country. With Orleans likely to fall in a not too distant future, the path was open for the English to conquer the rest of France. It looked like the game was up for him. As much as he tried, he couldn’t see any logical path to victory. But little did he know that help was on its way—a kind of help that didn’t seem to be logical, reasonable or likely. Help was coming in the form of an illiterate teenage peasant—a female at that—who was going to change his fortunes; a young woman who through sheer willpower would radically change the course of the war. She arrived at the royal court during France’s darkest hour with news that God had sent her to lift the siege of Orleans, and make sure the heir to the throne would be crowned King of France.

The young woman was Joan of Arc, and she was one of the most unusual individuals in history.

In this first episode of this four-part series, we tackle:

Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey
The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer
How a baby’s gender caused the Hundred Years War
Black Death & pillaging mercenaries
The Mad King
John the Fearless and his political murders
Agincourt, 1415
The Dauphin and the bridge = Michael Corleone and the restaurant
Civil wars and English invasions
The siege at Orleans begins

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This episode is also brought to you by https://www.greats.com/ GREATS is a wonderful sneaker company offering men's and women's styles. Save 15% on your first purchase with our code, HISTORY.

Please, also show some love to my regular sponsors by shopping for supplements, special foods, clothing, and exercise equipment at http://www.onnit.com/history and receive a 10% discount.

A huge thank you to https://www.dynastyforge.com/ for sharing with me their amazing swords.

If you train in Jiujitsu (or any other sport for that matter), check out the knee braces at https://nevertapgear.com/

PATREON NEWS: I have just started a Patreon account!!!! If you feel in a generous mood, please, check it out at www.patreon.com/historyonfire

My lady (and author of History on Fire logo, plus producer and editor of History on Fire) has a FB public page about her art & fighting: https://www.facebook.com/NahryEm/. Thank you to Onnit, Datsusara, Float Clinic, Shaman’s Simple Solutions, War Fuel, Proven Nutrition, and Fight Chix for sponsoring her for her first MMA fight. If you’d like to check out Fight Chix merchandise, you can get a 20% discount by going to http://www.fightchix.com/ and entering the code Fire20 upon checkout.

This is my public FB page: https://www.facebook.com/danielebolelli1/

Here is a link to the audiobook of my “Not Afraid”: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/not-afraid-audiobook/

For those of you who may be interested, here is a lecture series I created about Taoist philosophy: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/taoist-lectures/

EPISODE 38 Monster in the Darkness

August 23, 2018 Daniele Bolelli

“Not since the panic-ridden days in 1888, when Jack the Ripper was abroad in the East End, had London known such a reign of terror as that which existed in this wartime February...” — Scotland Yard Chief Superintendent Fred Cherrill

What I am going to tell you is one of the craziest serial killer stories that you have never heard of. And there are very good reason why most people have never heard of this. In 1942, Death stalked London. Death came from the sky in the form of German bombs. And on the ground it came in the form of the blackout ripper—this is the name by which the monster came to be known. But publicising the infamous activities of the Blackout Ripper is not something that was in the best interest of the nation at that time. The reaction of the citizens of London in the face of the German Blitz, the bombing campaign unleashed by the German Luftwaffe, has always been portrayed in heroic terms. The traditional version tells us that tough British people took the bombing in strides. They’d get bombed all night only to emerge with a smile in the morning ready to go to work as if nothing had happened. In part this was certainly true, many British people displayed incredible courage and resilience in the face of the German attacks. And this was a great propaganda weapon for the British government. It allowed them to tell Germany ‘your bombs can’t shake our resolve. They are having no effect on us, so feel free to stop any time you want and spare yourself further embarrassment.’ There clearly is something powerful in the ability to take your enemy’s best shot and smile back at them. It discourages them, and forces them to reconsider their strategy. So, of course, the last thing you want is to let them know that their strikes are hurting you. If you were to admit that the blackout is giving rise to a huge black market, if you were to talk too loudly about the doubling of the murder rate in your city, if you were to discuss how the bombing campaign indirectly gave a perfect cover for an incredibly brutal serial killer, then it’d be like admitting that bombs were working in opening fissures in British society. And if you were to admit that, then you could be sure that the bombs would keep on falling. And thousands would keep on dying. So, the Blackout Ripper was not just any other serial killer. He was a potential propaganda weapon in the hands of the enemy. For this reason, he had to be stopped, and stopped quickly. And better yet, he should be talked about as little as humanly possible. So, if you are wondering why his Ripper-colleague, Jack the Ripper, is pretty much a household name, whereas few have heard of the Blackout Ripper, you don’t have to wonder no more. The context of WWII made burying this tale a wartime necessity. This is simply not a story that anyone in Britain at the time had any interest in publicising.

This episode is also brought to you by Simple Contacts. Simple Contacts is the most convenient way to renew your contact lens prescription and reorder your brand of contacts from anywhere, in minutes. It’s vision care for the 21st century. Check out Simple Contacts and get $20 off by going to https://www.simplecontacts.com/hof or just enter code HOF at checkout.

Please, also show some love to my regular sponsors by shopping for supplements, special foods, clothing, and exercise equipment at http://www.onnit.com/history and receive a 10% discount.

A huge thank you to https://www.dynastyforge.com/ for sharing with me their amazing swords.

If you train in Jiujitsu (or any other sport for that matter), check out the knee braces at https://nevertapgear.com/

PATREON NEWS: I have just started a Patreon account!!!! If you feel in a generous mood, please, check it out at www.patreon.com/historyonfire

My lady (and author of History on Fire logo, plus producer and editor of History on Fire) has a FB public page about her art & fighting: https://www.facebook.com/NahryEm/. Thank you to Onnit,Float Clinic, Shaman’s Simple Solutions, War Fuel, Proven Nutrition, and Fight Chix for sponsoring her for her first MMA fight. If you’d like to check out Fight Chix merchandise, you can get a 20% discount by going to http://www.fightchix.com/ and entering the code Fire20 upon checkout.

This is my public FB page: https://www.facebook.com/danielebolelli1/

Here is a link to the audiobook of my “Not Afraid”: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/not-afraid-audiobook/

For those of you who may be interested, here is a lecture series I created about Taoist philosophy: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/taoist-lectures/

EPISODE 37 The 47 Ronin (Part 2)

July 26, 2018 Daniele Bolelli

“Among other things, the Way of the Samurai requires that he realize that something may occur at any moment to test the depth of his resolution, and day and night he must sort out his thought and prepare a line of action. Depending on the circumstances, he may win or lose. But avoiding dishonor is quite a separate consideration from winning or losing.” — Hagakure

“It would not befit a samurai wife to shed sorrowful tears, so please be strong. Of course I will miss you, but this is what a warrior must do.” — Kamisaki Norisuke

The tale of the 47 Ronin is one of the most renowned revenge tales to ever come out of Japan. It is the subject of countless books, plays, and movies. It is also a story that has ignited never-ending debates. Some people argue that the 47 Ronin were paragons of virtue—perfect embodiments of the loyalty and honor that should be expected from the samurai. They offered the answer to the riddle that was plaguing the samurai at the beginning of the 1700s: what does being a member of a warrior class at a time of enduring peace? Other people instead look at the same story and walk away feeling like the 47 Ronin were violent thugs animated by questionable motives. In this two-part series of History on Fire, we dive deep into legend & history to find answers.

In this episode:

The conflict between the author of the Hagakure and the 47 Ronin
Oishi’s long con
Zen master Hakuin and social reputation
Cutting family ties and getting ready to die
The raid in the snow
Giving a pep talk to a guy trying to cut your head off

Today’s episode is supported by “Human Circus Podcast”—a great historical podcast by Devon Field. The Human Circus Podcast tells the tales of medieval travelers leaving their homelands for adventure in distant lands. You can listen and subscribe at https://humancircuspodcast.com/ or on any podcast platform. Please, also add it on twitter at https://twitter.com/circus_human

Please, also show some love to my regular sponsors by shopping for supplements, special foods, clothing, and exercise equipment at http://www.onnit.com/history and receive a 10% discount.

A huge thank you to https://www.dynastyforge.com/ for sharing with me their amazing swords.

If you train in Jiujitsu (or any other sport for that matter), check out the knee braces at https://nevertapgear.com/

PATREON NEWS: I have just started a Patreon account!!!! If you feel in a generous mood, please, check it out at www.patreon.com/historyonfire

This is my public FB page: https://www.facebook.com/danielebolelli1/

Here is a link to the audiobook of my “Not Afraid”: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/not-afraid-audiobook/

For those of you who may be interested, here is a lecture series I created about Taoist philosophy: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/taoist-lectures/

EPISODE 36 The 47 Ronin (Part 1)

June 28, 2018 Daniele Bolelli

“Death poems
Are a delusion.
You just die.”
— Zen monk Kanzawa Toko

In this episode:

A crash course in Japanese history
The transformation of the status of the samurai
The curious institution of seppuku
Ritual disembowelment as a way to say ‘sorry’
Death poems
The ‘Kaishakunin’—a pal who would cut your head off to spare you the prolonged agonies of ritual disembowelment
The “Dog Shogun”
Asano Naganori: “Given to pleasure in preference of the sober business of government.”
The consequences of pulling a blade inside the Shogun’s palace
Bonus revenge story: two angry sisters against a samurai

This episode is brought to you by https://www.bluechew.com/, the first chewable with the same FDA-approved active ingredients as Viagra and Cialis. Visit bluechew.com and get your first shipment FREE (only $ 5 for shipping) when you use the promo code HISTORY.

Today’s episode is supported by “Must Triumph Podcast”—a brilliant podcast by Sam Yang on the theme of self-improvement and forging a philosophy aimed at elevating the quality of life. You can listen and subscribe at https://www.musttriumph.com/ or on any podcast platform.

Please, also show some love to my regular sponsors by shopping for supplements, special foods, clothing, and exercise equipment at http://www.onnit.com/history and receive a 10% discount.

A huge thank you to https://www.dynastyforge.com/ for sharing with me their amazing swords.

If you train in Jiujitsu (or any other sport for that matter), check out the knee braces at https://nevertapgear.com/

PATREON NEWS: I have just started a Patreon account!!!! If you feel in a generous mood, please, check it out at www.patreon.com/historyonfire

My lady (and author of History on Fire logo, plus producer and editor of History on Fire) has a FB public page about her art & fighting: https://www.facebook.com/NahryEm/. Thank you to Onnit, Float Clinic, Shaman’s Simple Solutions, War Fuel, Proven Nutrition, and Fight Chix for sponsoring her for her first MMA fight. If you’d like to check out Fight Chix merchandise, you can get a 20% discount by going to http://www.fightchix.com/ and entering the code Fire20 upon checkout.

This is my public FB page: https://www.facebook.com/danielebolelli1/

Here is a link to the audiobook of my “Not Afraid”: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/not-afraid-audiobook/

For those of you who may be interested, here is a lecture series I created about Taoist philosophy: http://www.danielebolelli.com/downloads/taoist-lectures/