Seven Heads, Ten Horns: The History of the Devil
A history podcast that explores the origins, development, and continuing influence of the Devil in Western cultures.
Latest episodes
Apr 22, 2023 • 47min
S 3 Faust Cycle 7: A Faustian Age?
Back to discuss the historical Faust, "Faustian science," Sylvia Federici, Sycorax and Prospero in Shakespeare's The Tempest, Martin Heidegger's anti-Semitism, The Devil's Miner, and the future of the podcast.
Feb 28, 2023 • 1h 17min
S 3 Faust Cycle 6: Goethe's Faust Pt. II--The Revenge
Klaus and Travis go the distance to close out Goethe's Faust cycle.One video playlist for the Peter Stein 2001 production of Goethe's Faust II.
Jan 15, 2023 • 1h 14min
S 3 Film Desk: "First Reformed"
In this first episode of 2023 we discuss the 2017 film "First Reformed," written and directed by Paul Schrader, starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried. A Protestant minister experiences personal and planetary crisis, making sense of his rage and despair with apocalyptic scripture and radical environmentalism.As is always the case when we do a film episode, there are spoilers. So go check out the film first if you want the best listening experience.
Dec 23, 2022 • 42min
S 3 Dante's Inferno pt. 2 with Akash Kumar
This episode is the second installment in our series of conversations on Dante's Inferno with Dr. Akash Kumar.
Dec 17, 2022 • 1h 2min
S 3 Dante's Inferno pt. 1 with Akash Kumar
This week we are blessed to be joined by Dr. Akash Kumar for a lively discussion of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century Divine Comedy, and, of course, the Inferno in particular, with all its demons, mythological monsters, personal enemies of Dante, and other tragic figures.Digital DanteAkash Kumar, "Teddy Roosevelt, Dante, and the Man in the Arena"Interactive (hilarious) map of Dante's hell
Dec 9, 2022 • 56min
S 3 Faust Cycle 6: Goethe pt. 3
This episode we finish up Faust 1!Faust 1 (German text)Faust 1 (English translation)Faust 1 (video of performance dir. by Peter Stein, 2000 with English subtitles)
Nov 22, 2022 • 37min
S 3 Faust Cycle 5: Goethe pt. 2
Scenes discussed from Faust 1: Studierzimmer (study) - Hexenküche (witches' kitchen.)------------------Faust 1 (German text)Faust 1 (English translation)Faust 1 on the stage (Peter Stein, 2000) (no subtitles but better video quality)Faust 1 (same version, with English subtitles)
Nov 13, 2022 • 40min
S 3 Faust Cycle 4: Goethe pt. 1
Part 4 of our Faust series brings us to Goethe (1749-1832) and the way he reinvented the legend for his own time, or, in as he has Faust say, “take what you have inherited from your forefathers and make it your own.” In this episode, Klaus introduces the work, the author, and the first few scenes. Faust 1 (German text)Faust 1 (English translation)Faust 1 on the stage (Peter Stein, 2000) (no subtitles but better video quality)Faust 1 (same version, with English subtitles)
Oct 28, 2022 • 1h 9min
S 3 Halloween! City of the Dead
Celebrating Halloween this year with the seasonally atmospheric 1960 film City of the Dead (released as Horror Hotel in the USA) starring Christopher Lee and Venetia Stevenson, directed by John Llewellyn Moxey.
Oct 22, 2022 • 1h
S 3 Faust Cycle 3 with Katherine Walker
Amazing special guest Dr. Katherine Walker takes us through Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (ca. 1592) in part 3 of our Faust-cycle-series. Check out her book Instinct, Knowledge and Science on the Early Modern Stage out soon!Note: we were being attacked by aliens and ghosts during the recording of this episode and this impacted the audio quality but we carried on heroically nevertheless.Along the way we discuss the lush 1968 Richard Burton / Elizabeth Taylor film version of Dr. Faustus.Reach out to us on Twitter @heads_ten & Dr. Walker @KatieNWalker
