{"podcast":{"title":"Understand All","slug":"understand-all-6956841","podcast_index_feed_id":6956841,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/6154581/episodes/feed","website_url":"http://aaronbarlow.dev","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/194e455f7a8fa45b311bf8c5bf542df6.jpg","author":"Aaron Barlow","episode_count":221,"summary":"Welcome to Understand All, the podcast where curiosity leads and learning follows! I dive into everything from the secrets of the universe to untold stories from the past. Whether you’re a trivia buff, a history enthusiast, or just looking to spark some intellectual excitement, my episodes are crafted just for you. I aim to make every topic relatable and fascinating, perfect for anyone who loves to think and learn. Join our community of curious minds! I hope to drop new episodes twice a day to keep you curious and excited! Start and end your day with a burst of knowledge by subscribing to Understand All . Let's explore the world together—one episode at a time!","last_synced_at":"2026-07-31T14:17:05.142998+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/understand-all-6956841"},"episode":{"title":"Bal des Ardents: The Masked Ball That Nearly Burned the King","slug":"bal-des-ardents-the-masked-ball-that-nearly-burned-the-king","published_at":"2026-07-24T05:10:02+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/understand-all-6956841/bal-des-ardents-the-masked-ball-that-nearly-burned-the-king","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/understand-all-6956841","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/bal-des-ardents-the-masked-ball-that-nearly-burned-the-king--72931767","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72931767/bal_des_ardents_the_masked_ball_that_nearly_burned_the_king.mp3","summary":"One torch, one masked costume, and a royal ball in 1393 nearly ended with the King of France burning alive. In this episode, we unpack the Bal des Ardents, Charles VI, medieval Paris, and the fire that turned a court celebration into a political nightmare—listen now to find out how it happened and why it still matters. In this episode, we unpack the Bal des Ardents, the 1393 masked ball in Paris where a royal celebration turned into a fire disaster that nearly killed King Charles VI of France. We trace how a courtly entertainment, a flammable costume, and one careless torch exposed the danger, politics, and fragility inside the French court. • The Bal des Ardents took place on 28 January 1393 at the Hôtel Saint-Pol in Paris. • Charles VI was already coping with mental illness, which made the event politically explosive. • Four nobles died when their wild men costumes caught fire. • The Duchess of Berry helped save the king, while one dancer escaped by jumping into wine. • The fire became a symbol of courtly excess and instability in medieval France. Chapter Labels: The Royal Ball Charles VI’s Fragile Court The Torch That Changed Everything Fire, Panic, and Survival Why the Ball Became a Political Scandal Related resources and links: • Internal: [More episodes on medieval history](/topics/medieval-history) • External: [BnF: Jean Froissart’s Chronicles]( https://essentiels.bnf.fr/fr/livre-feuilleter/03e271f1-c313-4130-bb2f-f65edb3fde9d-jean-froissart-chroniques) • External: [HistoryExtra on the Ball of the Burning Men]( https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/ball-of-burning-men-history-facts-what-happened/) If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who loves strange history, and follow the show for more stories from the past that still feel uncomfortably…","meta_description":"One torch, one masked costume, and a royal ball in 1393 nearly ended with the King of France burning alive. In this episode, we unpack the Bal des Ardents…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":222,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/understand-all-6956841/episodes/bal-des-ardents-the-masked-ball-that-nearly-burned-the-king/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/understand-all-6956841/bal-des-ardents-the-masked-ball-that-nearly-burned-the-king.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}