Irving Finkel speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his book The First Ghosts, which looks at what we can learn from the first written evidence of ghost beliefs. He reveals what ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets can tell us about everything from necromancy and getting rid of troublesome spirits to demons and the underworld.
(Ad) Irving Finkel is the author ... Show More
Sep 14
What is ‘Europe’, anyway?
What defines Europe – is it geography, politics, a shared culture, or perhaps a mix of all three? In this episode, historian Roderick Beaton tells Emily Briffett about the ways in which it has been defined, and redefined, as an idea by its people over the centuries. ----- GO BEYO ... Show More
36m 59s
Nov 2024
Ghosts, death and ecstatic states
With Day of the Dead, Halloween and All Souls Day being marked in different countries around the world - Shahidha Bari's guests discuss the belief in ghosts and the search for meaning in mysticism. They are:Dr Chris Harding is a cultural historian of Japan, India and East-West co ... Show More
57m 10s
Oct 2025
From the Vault: The Demons of Ancient Mesopotamia, Part 1
In this classic series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the more noteworthy, fascinating and potentially terrifying gods and demons from the religions and myths of the ancient Mesopotamian world. It’s a who’s who of Pazuzu-adjacent entities. (originall ... Show More
52m 1s
Oct 2024
The Demons of Ancient Mesopotamia, Part 1
In this series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss some of the more noteworthy, fascinating and potentially terrifying gods and demons from the religions and myths of the ancient Mesopotamian world. It’s a who’s who of Pazuzu-adjacent entities. See omnystudio.com ... Show More
51m 29s