Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast

Media-eval this week is transported back to (sort of) Ancien Regime France. Join Sarah and returning guest Peter Konieczny for a discussion of anime series I’m in Love with the Villainess! We get into how we distinguish medieval from early modern (and whether we should), food history (ever wondered when they first invented crème brûlée?), and class dynamics in the late medieval and early modern wo...

Ollie returns to talk about a season of a tv show he enjoyed and simultaneously got really annoyed at. Sarah is very patient with him and they also have a really interesting discussion on what makes an adaptation good and what mistakes adaptations often make.

Sarah and returning Media-eval Doctor Who correspondent Lily Bonnemann return for New Series season 5 episode, The Vampires of Venice! Join us as we explore vampire lore, the history of Venice, and the real lives of powerful wealthy women (most of whom are NOT fish-aliens) in early modern Venice. Social Media:
Twitter: twitter.com/mediaevalpod E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com Find Lily on Tumblr: w...

Media-eval this week goes from 1500 to 2000 to 2500 in Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain. Join Sarah and guest Marisa Macias as we attempt (with moderate success) to make sense of this movie. Are all the Hugh Jackman’s and Rachel Weiszes the same person? What was Isabella I of Castile really like? And why on earth are filmmakers so dedicated to not knowing what the Spanish Inquisition is? Social Med...

This week, Media-eval ventures a bit outside its usual chronology … as after all, Sarah can’t resist an opportunity to dunk on Ridley Scott. Join Sarah and guest Miranda Sachs, a historian of modern France, as we discuss Ridley Scott’s 2023 film Napoleon. What about Napoleon got left out of the film, and why does it matter? Was the French Revolution quite as bad as the film implies? (Hint: No). An...

This week we have something a little different, as medievalists Lucy Barnhouse and Winston Black join Sarah to talk about how medieval medicine is represented in popular culture. Lucy and Winston are the editors of the new volume Beyond Cadfael: Medieval Medicine and Medical Medievalism. Join us as we explore the most common tropes of medical medievalism, from leeches to orientalism. Social Media:...

Sarah and Media-eval’s Netflix Christmas Correspondent Meghan Griffin return to the Netflix Extended Christmas Universe to talk about medievalism in A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby. Yes, the film features a medieval treaty - and a medieval curse! - but more importantly, it raises all sorts of questions about the medieval past of these fake kingdoms whose entire personality is Christmas and that...

He may be in decline but he still knows a good movie when he sees it so Ollie returns to argue with Sarah on the merits or lack thereof in the movie Apocalypto(2006). Is it hi-octane action? Yes! Does it have a paper thin plot? Absolutely! Does the politics it represents leave a bad taste in your mouth? Possibly! Sit back and enjoy as two friends discuss a movie one loves and the other doesn't whi...

Sarah and returning Media-eval Doctor Who correspondent Lily Bonnemann are back to tackle their first episode of the New Series, in honor of the 60th Anniversary! Join us for our discussion of The Shakespeare Code, where we explore race, medical practices, and architecture in Elizabethan England. Further Reading: April Fool’s! Love’s Labour’s Won at the Globe: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/dis...

Sarah and returning guest Peter Konieczny return to the world of the Three Kingdoms with 2022 anime series Ya Boy Kongming! Join us as we discuss the life story of Zhuge Liang Kongming, premodern Chinese concepts of hell, and the challenges of time travel narratives.

 CW for reference to suicide attempt Social Media:
Twitter: twitter.com/mediaevalpod E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com Find Peter at...

It's the spookiest time of the year and I'm not talking about Tax Season. Sarah want's to talk about a modern "Horror" movie that on the surface doesn't seem to be from the medieval period but when one of the major plot points is about the Spanish Inquisition and the movie seems to absolve certain people of guilt, you can bet they are going to have thoughts!

Sarah and returning guest Tracy Tanoff delve into the everyday lives of nuns in our conversation on Lauren Groff’s novel Matrix. Join us as we explore the work of Marie de France, illness and disability in monasteries, faith and mysticism, and the real stories of queer nuns through a discussion of Groff’s 2021 novel. 

 CW for reference to sexual assault (not graphic) Read the novel Matrix by Laur...

Sarah and fellow medievalist Ryan Szpiech take the podcast to Spain with 2012 Spanish-language miniseries Toledo, Cruce de Destinos. Join us as we explore the life of Alfonso X and his sons, the lived experience of Jews, Christians, and Muslims living in medieval Castile, and the popular understanding of the idea of convivencia in this soap opera-style take on the 13th century. CW for sexual assau...

Media-eval is back and this time we are tackling one of the most famous movies that can come under our remit- Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott. This movie won all the oscars and is a beloved fan favourite BUT did Sarah like it? She has brought Ollie back to argue the merits or lack thereof for this popular movie. Is Russel Crowe any good? Does Joaquin Phoenix eat enough ham? Is Kingdom of Heaven...

The podcast will be going on hiatus til September so Sarah can spend the summer focusing on research for her new book project! See you in a few months!

Sarah brings Ollie back to the pod to talk about the second season of The Legend of Vox Machina. At the end of the first season our heroes seemed to be in a lot of peril so join us as we see if they can escape and defy the odds yet again to win the day and save the realm. One thing we do know is that if they do they'll have a great sweary time doing it!

Sarah and fellow medievalist Dr. Raissa von Doetinchem de Rande explore medieval al-Andalus and the life of philosopher ibn Rushd in 1997 film Destiny! Join us as we discuss medieval philosophy, translation, and why this film is inexplicably about how the caliph’s son just wants to dance.
 Social Media:
 Twitter: twitter.com/mediaevalpod E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com Find Dr. Raissa von Doetinch...

Sarah and returning guest Lily Bonnemann are back at Doctor Who with 2002 audio drama - and loose Three Musketeers adaptation - The Church and the Crown. Join us as we explore the Paris sewage system and do a deep dive into George Villiers, the First Duke of Buckingham!
 Social Media:
 Twitter: twitter.com/mediaevalpod E-mail: media.evalpod@gmail.com Find Lily on Twitter: twitter.com/LizzieStrider...

Chris Pine has a new movie out that is inside our wheelhouse so that means our special Pine Correspondent, Tracy Tanoff, is back to talk about her favourite guy. And she brought Ollie with her! Join us as we discuss this new movie that is currently in cinemas. Is it good? Yes. Does it make us happy? YES!

Sarah and guest Erika Harlitz-Kern turn to Bohemia and the life of Jan Žižka as we tackle the 2022 film that is, generically, just called Medieval. Join us as we explore the doctrine of Jan Hus, the complex politics of the Holy Roman Empire, and how modern Czech nationalism uses the medieval past - and as Sarah literally splutters with rage over the portrayal of women in this film. CW for suicide...

Sarah and returning guest Peter Koniezcny of Medievalists.net explore medievalism in the anime Naruto! Join us as we discuss how Masashi Kishimoto blends medieval and modern elements in his world-building. We get into the history and legend surrounding ninja, the folkloric history of the nine-tailed fox, the use of technology, and whether ramen would have been available in pre-modern Japan. Just a...

Sarah and returning guest Morgan Morales delve into 2021 film The Tragedy of Macbeth - and award Ralph Ineson the official Media-eval MVP. Join us as we explore magic, gender, why Shakespeare is bad at history, and the historical Macbeth and Gruoch, aka Lady Macbeth. By the way, Macbeth does NOT pass the Ifft Decker. CW: we make several mentions of suicide in the context of the film. We also discu...

Media-eval tackles another book this week! Join Sarah and guest Ben Paul as we discuss Lapvona, a 2022 novel by Ottessa Moshfegh. This intense and wide-ranging novel allows us to explore medieval disability studies, miraculous lactation, and why everyone is so insistent on making medieval people eat potatoes. CW: the novel includes depictions of sexual assault, child abuse, and cannibalism, which...

Media-eval is back this week with another new (ish) release as Sarah and returning guest Lily Bonnemann tackle the first season of the Willow TV series. We’ve definitely got a difference of opinion on this one, so whether you loved the show, hated it, or haven’t watched it (but don’t mind being spoiled!) come and check out our conversation. Join us as we get into books bound in human (or satyr) sk...

Join Sarah and fellow medieval historian Abbey Agresta as we tackle 2022 release Catherine Called Birdy! We talk about our own history with the book as young wannabe medievalists, menageries for exotic animals, the 1290 expulsion of the Jews from England, and medieval European marriage practices. Spoiler alert: we're ... not that into Lena Dunham's take on this. Social Media:
Twitter: twitter.com/...