[RERUN] EPISODE 88: The Red Wedding

“I ask you why we must tear ourselves apart for this small question of religion?” from the movie Elizabeth Once upon a time Game of Thrones was the most watched show on earth, and I could freely make references to it knowing my listeners would get them. Then came the last season that was so universally reviled that I’m thinking I may get rotten tomatoes thrown at me for even bringing it up. But A. this is a podcast, not a live event, so I hope to stay safe from the spoiled tomatoes. And B. I’d hope you’d be so kind as to let me slide one Game of Thrones reference—at least in a case like this when it’s very pertinent. One of the most shocking episodes in a series that was built on shocking viewers was the Red Wedding. What begins as a joyful celebration for a wedding quickly turns into a bloody massacre. Well… what we are going to play with today in this episode makes Game of Thrones look tame. This is the Red Wedding to the 10th power. The year was 1572, and a royal wedding between the Catholic sister of the King of France and a Protestant prince was supposed to bring an end to the French Wars of Religion. So, thousands of sworn enemies converged on Paris for the wedding. What could possibly go wrong…   Lots of people have weddings where things don’t work out perfectly. Some have truly unlucky, bad weddings. But unless your wedding led to the massacre of thousands of people, you probably had a better one than Margaret of Valois and Henry of Navarre. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to access plenty of bonus content.  All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, including: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HOF YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ JAPAN TOUR! Let’s head out to Japan in Oct 2026. All the details at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Geek Nation Tours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please check out this month’s sponsor, Rula,⁠ for affordable, accessible therapy and mental health care. Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Purest Mushrooms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount. Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dakota Pure Bison⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout. This episode is supported by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arizona State University⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life. My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wild Hunt Conditioning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices