Are You Still Listening?

For grown-ups

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We read these sources on 9 November 2026.

The words from history

Each passage shows the words said in the episode, then the original. Words with a line through them are in the original. We cut them from the episode.

Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain, Book 8, chapter 11

Translated by Aaron Thompson, revised by J. A. Giles, Six Old English Chronicles (London: Bohn, 1848).

Also cited

Wikipedia’s sources for these lines

In the episode

Merlin The giants of old brought them from the farthest coast of Africa, and placed them in Ireland. Their design in this was to make baths in them.

In the source

The giants of old brought them from the farthest coast of Africa, and placed them in Ireland, while they inhabited that country. Their design in this was to make baths in them, when they should be taken with any illness.

The tomb robbers' confession, Papyrus Amherst

In James Henry Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, vol. 4 (Chicago, 1906).

In the episode

Robbers We stripped off the gold.

In the source

We stripped off the gold, which we found on the august mummy of this god …

Herodotus, Histories 2.86

Translated by A. D. Godley (1920), Perseus.

In the episode

Herodotus They first draw out part of the brain through the nostrils with an iron hook.

In the source

… they first draw out part of the brain through the nostrils with an iron hook …

Samuel Pepys, Diary, 4 September 1666

Ed. Henry B. Wheatley (1893), Project Gutenberg.

In the episode

Pepys And I my Parmesan cheese.

In the source

… and I my Parmazan cheese, as well as my wine and some other things.

“Parmazan” is said as “Parmesan”.

Howard Carter's journal for 1922, page 33

Griffith Institute, Oxford.

Also cited

In the episode

Carnarvon Can you see anything?

In the source

when Lord Carnarvon said to me 'Can you see anything'.

Where the hosts’ facts come from

Kate, Helen and Will’s facts come from these pages. Open “What it says” to see the lines we used.