The Endless Knot
We discuss etymology, history, literature, science, and language, and the connections between them.
As we get ready to mark the new year, it seems a good time to talk about a classic cocktail made with sparkling wine: the Bellini. Our conversation takes us to Italy, in the 20th century, the 15th century, and the 1st century BCE, to Renaissance art and the Roman practice of patronage, and more. Happy New Year!
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“The Beautiful Ugly” cocktail, from Nectar of the Gods
It’s Halloween, and the monsters are out! In this episode we tackle Monster Theory (as formulated by J.J. Cohen) , examine the linguistic and cultural origins of a range of Classical and classic movie monsters, look at how they connect to the history of currency and money, and explore the intersections of monsters and the New Woman. We also sample a beautiful cocktail from the upcoming cocktail book Nectar of the Gods by Liv Albert from “Let’s Talk about Myths, Baby”. Thank you, Liv!
Monster Theory by J.J. Cohen
Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture by Liz Gloyn
Our podcast episode interviewing Dr. Gloyn
Hesiod passage about Medusa is Theogony 270ff; more info about Medusa here
Ovid passage about Medusa is Metamorphoses 4.753ff
General sources for this episode
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A day after Independence Day in the US, we investigate the history of the name “America” and two related cocktails, with some side trips into the sack of Rome in 410 CE and the use of the Fall of Rome as a historical parallel for the United States. This episode completes our mini series on country names, in the season of national holidays in north America.
Cocktails: Americano & Negroni
Rutilius Namatianus, De Reditu Suo
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Happy (?) April Fool’s Day! We talk about the origins of the holiday, its connections to the Tom Collins cocktail, and hoaxes throughout history, from Athenian tyrants to the ‘Scratching Fanny’ ghost to the Da Vinci Code.
Zoo Hoax newspaper image
Hogarth’s Cunicularii or The Wise Men of Godliman in Consultation
We head back to the Endless Knot Cocktail Bar to talk about the history of the Mai Tai, the Tiki craze, Polynesian mythology, cultural appropriation, and World's Fairs. And then we turn to Rome's relationship to Greece, and discuss whether Horace wrote the Exotica music of the ancient world!
@AllEndlessKnot on Twitter
Polynesian Lexicon Project Online
This podcast episode on YouTube
This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
We discuss the origins of the Gimlet cocktail, the stories about its name, and its connection to the treatment of scurvy; then we talk about some of the other diseases tied to the early era of European expansion and colonialism, including the classical history of malaria in Greece and Rome. Also featuring conversation about gin, the pronunciation of quinine, and a cameo appearance by Alexander the Great!
Gin, Glorious Gin: How Mother's Ruin Became the Spirit of London by Olivia Williams
"The Dead Do Tell Tales", Ethan Barnes, Corinth, Vol. 20, Corinth, The Centenary: 1896-1996 (2003), pp. 435-443. JSTOR
Malaria and Rome: A History of Malaria in Ancient Italy, Robert Sallares, OUP 2002.
"A Note on Alexander's Death", Donald Engels, Classical Philology, Vol. 73, No. 3 (Jul., 1978), pp. 224-228. JSTOR
"The Rhodes Colossus" – cartoon by Edward Linley Sambourne, published in Punch after Rhodes announced plans for a telegraph line from Cape Town to Cairo in 1892.
St. George Terroir Gin (from California)
We chat about possible origins for the cocktail, and the crazy stories about the word's origin. We also tell the tale of our first cocktail party, that sparked our interest in them and led to the cocktail video series. Do you enjoy drinking or mixing cocktails? Where did your interest in them start? Do you have a favourite? Let us know in the comments, or tweet us: @alliterative or @avensarah.
The Cocktail video Part One & Part Two
And thank you to our Patreon supporters: Valerie Polichar, Lukas Hägele, Evermore Anon, Ian & Susan McMaster, Carlos Solis, and Chantal Sundaram.
Our other podcast: As We Like It
Pictures from our Cocktail Party over the years:
We discuss Plato's views on writing, the effects of technology and relationships on memory, and the naming, origin, and mythology of Pluto.
