PODCAST · history
Mortals
by CMJ
From embalming and epitaphs, to mourning and morgues, each episode we explore how humans have dealt with death throughout history. Mortals is created, hosted, and edited by three morbidly curious individuals.
Episodes
-
Season 2 Wrap-Up
Can you believe we've reached the end of Season 2 already? Join us as we answer listener questions and celebrate the successes of this past year. Thanks for listening!
-
Roman Funerals
We travel back to ancient Rome and discuss architecture, mourners for hire, and funeral mimes.
-
First World War Cemeteries
Burying millions of war dead was a logistical nightmare that followed the chaos and calamity of the First World War. Your hosts discuss action on the Western and Eastern Fronts (map links included below), the many governmental bodies created to care for the dead, and ponder how long humanity may...
-
New England Vampire Panic
For this spooky season episode, your hosts learn about and discuss 19th century vampires, tuberculosis, Dracula, and human decay.
-
Mortals Recommends!
This week the Mortals hosts recommend some media to their dear listeners! Are you interested in death-related academic textbooks? Podcasts about history? Weird YouTube channels? Then this is the episode for you!
-
Suicide Barriers
In this episode, we examine two bridges in North America, what makes them such attractive places to die, and how a barrier can save lives.
-
Memento Mori: Victorian Mourning Material Culture
This week, we examine the various "memento mori" or mourning objects, of the Victorian era.
-
Taphophobia: The Fear of Premature Burial
Imagine awakening alone in a dank, cramped box underground... but you're still alive! Your hosts explore the deep-rooted fear of premature burial and discuss the incredible human ingenuity that resulted from attempts to evade such a terrifying fate. Check out this book: Jan Bondeson, Buried…
more -
Human Composting
In this episode, we discuss the rise of natural organic reduction, how to compost a cow, and mortuary utilitarianism.
-
What Remains of Edith Finch
We are joined by a guest to talk about the magically morbid game “What Remains of Edith Finch.” Join as we explore the Finch family legacy, their monumental home, and the things that remained with us after the game's end.
-
Anatomy of a Eulogy
We explore the history, form, and function of eulogies—speeches which serve to memorialize and praise the dead.
-
The Alnwick Poison Garden
We learn about the deadliest garden in the world, the Alnwick Poison Garden.
-
Talk to Your Friends About Death!
We are joined by two special guests to discuss Ten Candles, haunted tattoos, last birthdays, and, of course, death.
-
What Even is Green Burial?
We investigate "green burial" which is apparently just a new term for a modern twist on a very long standing tradition most humans pre-19th century would simply call "burial." Links: https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/ http://www.greenburialcanada.ca CBC Article:...
-
Two Death Nerds Cry About Futurama
We revisit two choice episodes of Futurama and cry about the tragedy of Philip J. Fry, the repercussions of jumping from one millennia to another, and leaving all your loved ones behind.
-
Part 2: The Lost Tomb and Afterlife of Alexander the Great
Join us in part two as we discuss the Lost Tomb of Alexander the Great. How do you lose a whole tomb and the "god" preserved inside? And how do we go about trying to find them again?
-
Part 1: The Life and Death of Alexander the Great
We begin the first of our two-part episode on Alexander the Great. In part one, We discuss the life and death of the Macedonian king.
-
Death and Pets: Animals in War
We discuss animals in war and the pet cull of 1939.
-
I Am Dead
To welcome us into Season 2, one of our hosts shares her experience playing the wonderfully colourful, charming, and only mildly morbid game "I Am Dead". Make yourself some toast and give it a listen!
-
Season 1 Wrap-Up
We have officially come to the end of the first season of Mortals! Come along with us as we reminisce about our past episodes, tease a few topics in season 2, and have a good laugh.
-
Morbid Medley: Songs About Death
Our three hosts chat about music, and songs about death!
-
First World War Memorials
To accompany the ceremonies of Remembrance being held around the world this week, we explore the countless memorials erected worldwide to commemorate those lost during "The War to End All Wars."
-
The AIDS Memorial Quilt
We take a more somber tour of history than usual by examining the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic that killed those represented within it. We discuss the tragedy of a negligent government, the power of a warm place to rest, and the enduring love and care we need for our communities.
-
Mount Everest
We ponder Everest's famous 'death zone', and are introduced to some of the fallen mountaineers who guide the way.
-
Morbid Medley: Mourning in the Animal Kindgom
Join us for another Morbid Medley! Your hosts explore land, sky, and sea as we discuss the unique mourning behaviours of elephants, crows and whales.
-
The Many Uses of Mummies
What do brown paint, medicine, and 19th-century parties all have in common? Why, Egyptian mummies of course! We walk through the many different ways people have found uses for mummies over the centuries.
-
Death in the Tr'ondëk
We explore to the goldfields of the Tr'ondëk (Klondike) River and relays the disasters and downfalls of those who sought gold in the late-19th century.
-
A Brief History of the Guillotine
In this whirlwind tour of the guillotine's greatest hits, We are introduced to two famous precursors, the good doctor whose name the machine took, its tremendous European head count, and to its last legal victim in 1977.
-
Morbid Medley: Death Gods in Fiction
What do League of Legends, Princess Mononoke, and Watership Down all have in common? Why death gods of course! During this Morbid Medley we each bring a fictional death god and discuss what a deity of death means for its world and its inhabitants.
-
Tibetan Sky Burials
We go on a journey up to the high plateau in the Himalayas to learn about the Tibetan practice of jhator, or Sky Burial.
-
19th-Century Body Snatchers
We go back to 19th-century United Kingdom to look at the corpse supply problem and the sordid solution: Resurrectionists, i.e. professional body snatchers. There's a brief true crime interlude, surprise explosives, and angry mobs.
-
Death and Pets: Pet Cemeteries
We walk through historical burial sites for beloved pets, from the earliest domestication of dogs to ancient Egyptian cats to modern day.
-
Post-mortem Photography
We discuss a phenomenon which emerged in the mid-1800s: Post-mortem Photography, the practice of photographing the recently deceased. Includes a bonus crash course on the history of photography!
-
Death in Space
We travel through the past, present and hypothetical future of death and body disposition in the pursuit of space travel beyond the Earth's atmosphere.
-
Scythian Kurgans
Let's dive into the ancient world of the Scythians and their unique burial rites. Scythian Kings found their final resting places in burial mounds known as "kurgans" but only after a series of rituals and sacrifices.
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Mortals have?
Mortals currently has 35 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Mortals about?
From embalming and epitaphs, to mourning and morgues, each episode we explore how humans have dealt with death throughout history. Mortals is created, hosted, and edited by three morbidly curious individuals.
How often does Mortals release new episodes?
Mortals has 35 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Mortals?
You can listen to Mortals on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Mortals?
Mortals is created and hosted by CMJ.
URL copied to clipboard!