The Medieval Podcast

Last week, we took a look at the first hundred years of crusading, and the tactics involved in fighting in and around the crusader kingdoms of the Middle East. In this episode, we follow the crusaders as they shift their lens southward to Egypt, and make a bold attempt to capture one of the biggest prizes of the day. This week, Danièle speaks with Thomas Smith about why the Fifth Crusade targeted...

If there’s one topic that continually draws people to the Middle Ages, it’s the Crusades. Templars, assassins, nomadic horse archers, in what is at times a very hostile environment makes for a history that regularly turns on a knife edge. But the story of the Crusades is much bigger, geographically, culturally, and politically than the same old stories would suggest. This week, Danièle speaks with...

In this episode, we’re looking at a legendary figure who thought ruling England would be one more step in his quest to be the dominant power in the North Sea. His legendary prowess in battle was known from Sicily to Orkney, and his name was Harald Hardrada. This week, Danièle speaks with James Turner about Harald’s travels, his conquests, and his place in the wide world of the eleventh century. Th...

Early medieval kings come to us in glimpses, with legends, a few chronicles, and some archaeological finds sketching faint portraits of figures who were larger than life in their own time. One of these kings left a literal impression on Britain that speaks to the power he had in the eighth century: Offa, King of the Mercians. This week, Danièle speaks with Rory Naismith about Offa’s life, his rule...

While there was more violence in the medieval world than there is today on the whole, much of that was in the context of warfare. And even in medieval warfare, there were many people who felt the need for limits. This week, Danièle speaks with James Houlihan about medieval perspectives on warfare, attitudes towards noncombatants, and the steps one Abbot of Iona took to protect the innocent. This p...

In the fifteenth-century, a woman named Jehanne reported a sexual assault to the city authorities of Dijon, setting in motion a detailed criminal investigation that has survived in the records. This week, Danièle speaks with Sara McDougall about what Jehanne's story can tell us about truth and lies, investigative procedures in fifteenth-century France, and contemporary attitudes towards survivors....

From gruesome visions of torment, to Sunday holidays from the flames, to absolutely epic images of Jesus freeing lost souls at the point of a sword, medieval people couldn’t get enough of their fire and brimstone. The question is: why? This week, Danièle speaks with Stephen C.E. Hopkins about where medieval people got their ideas about the afterlife, how they adapted these ideas across cultures, a...

One of the more popular clichéd images of the medieval world is an angry mob with torches and pitchforks, ready to cause wanton destruction. And while there were rebellions on occasion, the truth is much more complex. This week, Danièle speaks with Shane Bobrycki about how the nature of crowds – and how people spoke about them – changed, and how crowds, themselves, point to the uniqueness of the E...

When it comes to powerful and impressive dynasties of the Middle Ages, it’s hard to compete with China’s Ming Dynasty. And yet, a lot of us didn’t learn much about the Ming in school. If you’re looking to start your journey on all things Ming, this is the episode for you. This week, Danièle speaks with Craig Clunas about how the Ming Dynasty began, how it functioned, and how it lasted for centurie...

Motherhood is different for each person who experiences it, and yet one thing is for certain: everyone has an opinion about it. This week, Danièle speaks with Kirsty Bolton about the places mothers appeared in medieval romance, from birthing rooms to otherworldly forests, and what this can tell us about the lives of real medieval mothers. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of li...

There’s a beautiful country that every once in a while comes to the forefront of our collective consciousness to steal our hearts. But Scotland isn’t a country that just appears out of the mist from time-to-time. It’s always been an integral part of European politics, especially during the late Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Michael Brown about Scotland’s involvement in European polit...

Pretty much everyone has heard about Marco Polo and his thirteenth-century journey from Italy to China. But just as the Polos were making their way east, two other intrepid travellers were making the journey in reverse. This week, Danièle speaks with Thomas A. Carlson about two Eastern Christian monks who made their way from China all the way to Western Europe, and this unique account of what medi...

In honour of 350 episodes of The Medieval Podcast, Danièle celebrates the amazing progress that's been made in Medieval Studies since 2019. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval history, please visit patreon.com/themedievalpodcast

It’s summertime and your friendly neighbourhood medievalist is taking a much-needed week off, so here's a blast from the not-so-distant past. This episode was recorded live at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds in 2023 with everyone’s  other favourite medievalist: Eleanor Janega. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out ho...

Although death is just a natural and expected part of life – especially in the Middle Ages – it’s also an event that forever alters the lives of those left behind. For medieval women, widowhood changed everything. This week, Danièle speaks with Anna Wainwright about what it was like to be an Italian widow in the fifteenth century, how widowhood and politics went together, and the rise of widows as...

To picture the Middle Ages is to picture knights in shining armour. Custom-made, fashionable, and often beautiful, medieval armour was more than just practical: it was art. And in the late Middle Ages, a collection of talented artists captured the functional elegance of armour on paper. This week, Danièle speaks with Chassica Kirchhoff about armour as protection, art, and memorial in the Thun-Hohe...

So often, we see the homes – and lives – of peasants represented as drab and empty. But the reality is bright, busy, fashionable, and colourful. This week, Danièle speaks with Luis Almenar Fernández about how peasants stored and cooked their food, how they used food culture to build relationships, and the beautiful, fashionable objects to be found in a medieval home. This podcast is made possible...

You can tell a lot about people by their spending habits. What do they buy for themselves? And what do they buy for other people? This week, Danièle speaks with Abigail S. Armstrong about royal financial records, what they can tell us about Margaret of France during Edward I’s last days, and what one incredible inventory reveals about royal relationships in England’s turbulent thirteenth century....

It’s the local watering hole. The place where business is done, and moments are celebrated. And it’s the place where you can literally see a man about a horse. It’s the medieval pub. This week, Danièle speaks with Peter Dobek about the public houses of medieval Krakow, what they looked like inside and out, and what they actually had on tap. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of...

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the practices of ancient and medieval Celts, and how those practices were transformed and integrated into Christianity over time. Today, we’re shifting the lens eastward to investigate some of the last Europeans to accept Christianity. What did these people believe before the missionaries arrived? And how did their pre-Christian beliefs shape their eventual prac...

The medieval period is well known for several large-scale and horrific persecutions, especially ones based on religious grounds. One of these is a succession of expulsions of the Jews from one kingdom after another. Persecutions like these don’t just come out the blue. So, if we’re going to understand them – and hopefully prevent them – we have to dig deep into the cultural ideas and purported jus...

Have you ever wanted to put a curse on someone? How about ask a river goddess for some healing? Or maybe speak a charm that’ll make your life better? If so, today’s episode is for you. This week, Danièle speaks with Brigid Ehrmantraut about Celtic magic, druidic haircuts, and what Celtic curses have to do with The Lord of the Rings . This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listene...

Just in time for his feast day on May 16, we’re looking at St. Brendan, an Irish saint whose holy encounters included island-sized whales, lava-slinging smiths, and rodents of unusual size. This week, Danièle speaks with Gordon Barthos about St. Brendan’s epic odyssey, his long-standing popularity, and just some of his incredible adventures. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of...

In the medieval world, people interacted with Biblical history and the adventures of their favourite saints in all sorts of ways – including through plays. One of the most beloved saints – Mary Magdalene – is the main character in an English play that has it all: raging tyrants, perilous sea voyages, angelic interventions, at least three resurrections, and perhaps most thrilling of all, a woman pr...

The English queens of the fifteenth century have had a serious popularity boost in the last twenty years, thanks to novels and TV series showing the glamour and drama of their lives. Queenship could have serious advantages – fame and fortune included. But eventually, you do have to pay the piper. This week, Danièle speaks with Michele Seah about where these powerful ladies got their cash, what the...