The podcast where we talk about messy people and events throughout history.
https://linktr.ee/hotmesshistorypod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The podcast where we talk about messy people and events throughout history.
https://linktr.ee/hotmesshistorypod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, Sarah and Alora dive into the wild, magical, and heartbreakingly messy story of Medea: a sorceress, healer, and priestess of Hecate whose reputation has been dragged for centuries.
She helped a so-called hero rise to fame, got betrayed in return, and made sure no one forgot her name. Was she truly a monster… or just a woman who was pushed past her breaking point?
Join us as we dig into the magic, the myths, and the messy truth behind one of history’s most misunderstood women.
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The day that this episode comes out is Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, which is election day for (some) places in the U.S. If you haven't voted yet...go vote! Happy Voting!
***THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES VERY VERY HORRIFIC AND GRUESOME EVENTS. You have been warned.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN HOT MESSES! This is your official Halloween episode!
We are taking a break from our series on women who have been wrongly villainized by history to bring you the incredibly gruesome tale of the Guernsey Martyrs.
In 1556, on a quiet island in the English Channel, three women were accused of heresy. Not for murder, not for treason, but for believing differently than those in power. What followed was one of the most horrifying executions of the Tudor era. This week, the Hot Mess History Podcast dives into the true story behind one of the darkest chapters in England’s religious turmoil: a moment when “justice” was drenched in fear and politics.
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This week on the Hot Mess History Podcast, Sarah tells Alora the chaotic, unbelievable, and ultimately tragic story of Joan of Arc: the teenage peasant who said “God told me to do it,” led France’s army to victory, and scared men so badly they burned her for cross-dressing.
We are unpacking the myths, the misogyny, and the messy politics that turned a teenage girl with a vision into one of history’s most misunderstood icons.
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She’s been called vain, spoiled, and out of touch — but was Marie Antoinette really the villain of the French Revolution, or just a convenient scapegoat?
In this episode, we uncover how sexism, propaganda, and political chaos turned a teenage girl into the most hated woman in France. From the “Let them eat cake” myth to the smear campaigns that destroyed her image, we’re separating fact from fiction — and asking why powerful women always seem to get the worst PR.
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When her husband was killed in one of history’s most brutal ways, Olga of Kyiv didn’t just avenge him, she built an empire. In this episode, Sarah and Alora unpack the legend of the widow who burned cities, rewrote the laws, converted an empire, and somehow became a saint. Was she really cruel? Or just a woman history couldn’t handle? Listen and find out!
In solidarity with the Ukrainian people, we intentionally use the Ukrainian pronunciation and spelling of Kyiv.
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For nearly 3,000 years, Jezebel has been remembered as the Bible’s ultimate “bad girl.” But was she really the wicked queen we’ve been told about—or just the victim of some very effective ancient propaganda?
In this episode, Sarah and Alora dig into Jezebel’s life, the legendary Mount Carmel showdown, her infamous feud with Elijah, and the brutal way she met her end. Along the way, they uncover the double standards and political spin that gave Jezebel her lasting bad reputation.
If you’ve ever wondered whether Jezebel was truly evil or just unfairly villainized, this episode gives her story a fresh look.
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She’s been called a prostitute, a saint, a feminist icon, and even the secret wife of Jesus. But who was Mary Magdalene really?
In this episode of the Hot Mess History Podcast, Sarah and Alora dive into the story of one of the most misunderstood women in history. From her appearances in the Gospels as the #1 fan and follower of Jesus, to the centuries-long smear campaign that branded her a “fallen woman,” Mary Magdalene’s reputation has been rewritten more times than almost anyone in the Bible.
🎙️ Join us as we reclaim her story and give this unfairly villainized woman her moment in the spotlight.
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This episode goes out to the customer service agent who got my internet back up and working. Sorry the survey didn't work at the end. You're the real MVP. This one is for you. ✌️
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She’s been called a scheming wife, a cold-blooded murderer, and the very embodiment of vengeance itself. But who was Clytemnestra really? Was she the villain of Greek tragedy—or the tragic heroine of her own story?
In this episode of the Hot Mess History Podcast, Sarah and Alora dive into the life and legend of Clytemnestra—one of the most complex figures to emerge from ancient myth. Born into a cursed dynasty and surrounded by betrayal at every turn, her story is one marked by deception, vengeance, survival, and power.
We’ll explore her place in the infamous House of Atreus, the choices that defined her, and how her reputation has shifted across time. Clytemnestra’s legacy forces us to question where villainy ends and justice begins.
By the end, you may find yourself seeing this infamous queen of Mycenae in an entirely new light.
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In this week’s episode of the Hot Mess History Podcast, Sarah and Alora take you back to the height of the French Revolution, where a group of women chose faith and solidarity over survival. Known today as the Martyrs of Compiègne, these Carmelite nuns faced the guillotine with courage, walking together to their deaths while singing hymns.
Their story isn’t just about martyrdom — it’s about defiance, unity, and the power of conviction in a time when chaos ruled France. We’ll explore who these women were, the events that led to their arrest, and why their final act became a powerful symbol that has echoed for centuries.
Join us as we uncover the haunting and inspiring tale of the women who sang on their way to the blade.
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Cleopatra might be one of the most famous women in history, but most of what we think we know about her was written by her enemies. In this episode of the Hot Mess History Podcast, we cut through the Roman gossip and Hollywood glam to get to the truth about Egypt’s last pharaoh.
Was Cleopatra really a seductress who bewitched Caesar and Mark Antony—or a brilliant ruler fighting to keep her kingdom alive in a world run by men who wanted her gone? We’ll talk power, politics, propaganda, and why her story still matters today.
Join us as we untangle the legend from the reality—and spill the tea on the ultimate queen of reinvention.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Part 1 of our deep dive into the infamous Salem Witch Trials, we’re setting the stage for one of the wildest moral panics in American history. What started with a group of young girls and some suspicious fits turned into a community-wide witch hunt that cost innocent people their lives.
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This week on the Hot Mess History Podcast, we travel to Elizabethan England to meet Margaret Clitherow—wife, mother, rebel… and saint. When Catholicism was outlawed under Queen Elizabeth I, Margaret didn't just quietly resist—she turned her home into a secret base for underground Masses and fugitive priests.
In a brutal twist of fate, Margaret refused to plead at her trial to protect her family, and the state executed her in one of the most horrific ways imaginable: by pressing. Listen as Sarah guides Alora through this gripping, heart-wrenching story of conviction, courage, and the dark side of religious persecution.
Love the episode? Drop us a rating or review and share with your history-loving friends. It helps new listeners find the show!
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In this episode of the Hot Mess History Podcast, we dive into the radical, rebellious, and deeply spiritual life of Marguerite Porete — a 13th-century mystic who dared to challenge the Church with her book, The Mirror of Simple Souls. She believed the soul could become so united with God that it no longer needed the Church, the sacraments, or even moral rules. Marguerite wasn’t a nun. She was part of the Beguines, a group of laywomen who lived spiritually independent lives outside traditional Church structures. But when her mystical writings started to spread, the Church saw her as a threat. What followed was book burnings, Inquisition trials, and eventually, her execution in 1310. The church tried to silence her, but they failed.
Love the episode? Drop us a rating or review and share with your history-loving friends. It helps new listeners find the show!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
She was brilliant, devout, and politically convenient—and she paid the price. In this episode of the Hot Mess History Podcast, we unravel the heartbreaking story of Lady Jane Grey, the teenage girl forced onto the throne of England for just nine days before being imprisoned and executed.
You’ll hear how a network of power-hungry men used Jane as a pawn, how she tried to resist, and how the brutal politics of Tudor succession ultimately sealed her fate.
Was she a queen? A victim? A martyr?
Yes—she was all three.
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In this episode of Hot Mess History, we dive into the brilliant and brutal life of Hypatia of Alexandria—mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and the last great light of classical learning before the dark tides of religious and political upheaval swept through the Roman world.
We talk philosophy, power struggles, Neoplatonism, the menstrual rag story (yes, really), and the violent intersection of politics, religion, and gender. Hypatia was brilliant. The world wasn’t ready.
Because history?
It’s messy.
Sources:
Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life by Gabrielle Birchak
Hypatia: Her Life and Times by Faith L. Justice
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In this episode, we dive into the fiery rebellion of Boudica, queen of the Iceni, who led a brutal uprising against Roman rule in Britain. After personal and political betrayal, Boudica sparked a campaign of vengeance that left Roman cities in ruins.
Sources:
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