Medieval Archives

England is gripped by war, political stirfe and treachery. And in the midst of it all a towering cathedral, a beacon of love and hope is erected. Will Philip raise again after being removed as prior? Will Aliena be able to find Jack in France? And will work continue on the cathedral after the collapse? Join us as we continuing our trip through The Pillars of the Earth . This week we recap/review e...

It’s 2012! I hope you all had a safe and happy new year. We are kicking off the new year with an interview with Historical Fiction author Christy English. Christy is a writer of historical fiction centering on Eleanor of Aquitaine, Alais of France, and the Plantagenets of the 12th Century. Her latest book is To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine . During the intervie...

Medieval Christmas Banquet Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from the Medieval Archives! It’s the holiday season and the Medieval Archives Podcast is bringing you an episode jam packed with holiday music! The intro is short, but if you want to skip right to the music go to minute 1:30. Thanks for subscribnig to the podcast this year! There are lots of exciting things coming up in the new ye...

Love, marriage and lose during the Anarchy. Waleran continues his quest to become the Archbishop of Canterbury and William Hamliegh tries to become the Earl of Shiring. Aliena faces a tough decision that involves the future of Richard and the promise she made to her father. Jack and Alfred are at odds and Ellen uses her powers to help Jack. Join us as we continuing our trip through The Pillars of...

This year’s Halloween Special we present the radio drama Dracula , by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater, originally broadcast on 11 July 1938. The inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula is Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler. Vlad is best known for fighting the Ottoman invasion and for impaling his enemies alive. If you want more Halloween podcasts check out last year’s Haunted Cast...

Today we have a review of the debut CD by Moat Jumper, Christmas At The Renaissance Fair . Moat Jumper is a group of World Class musicians that came together for a new collaboration of Medieval and Renaissance Christmas songs. We also talk to musician and producer Joe Matzzie about his background, the forming of the group and the recording process. Visit the Moat Jumper official website to find ou...

Today is the 945th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. We look at the year 1066, the death of King Edward the Confessor and the dispute over the throne of England. Harold Godwinson was crowned the new king of England. However, Harold Hardrada, Viking King of Norway and William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy both made claims for the throne. We will look at the pivotal battles fought during 1066 a...

Tragedy strikes during The Anarchy! (Which is probably why it’s called Anarchy) Maud and Stephen are still battling for power. As Prior Philip and Tom Builder try to build the cathedral at Kingsbridge. All the while Waleran and the Hamleigh’s are trying to stop them at every opportunity. Join us as we continuing our trip through The Pillars of the Earth . This week we recap/review epis...

Today is the 796th anniversary of the “signing” of the Magna Carta by King John. King John’s reign can be summed up thus: high taxes, unsuccessful wars, and conflicts with the Pope, making him an unpopular King with the Barons. The barons forced King John to agree to a document later known as the ‘Articles of the Barons’, his Great Seal was attached in the meadow at R...

The Anarchy heats up this week! There are beseiged castles, fierce battles and of course, double dealings! Join us as we continuing our trip through The Pillars of the Earth . This week we recap/review episode four “ Battlefields ” of the Starz Original series The Pillars of the Earth . Set in the the 12th century The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of King Stephen’s reign o...

We are continuing the trip through Pillars of the Earth . This week we recap/review episode three “ Redemption ” of the Starz Original series The Pillars of the Earth . Set in the the 12th century The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of King Stephen’s reign over England and the 19 year period of Anarchy. Pillars of the Earth Synopsis This epic tale of passion and greed begins...

We are back an ready for 2011! Our first podcast of the year is a recap/review of the Starz Original series The Pillars of the Earth . Set in the the 12th century The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of King Stephen’s reign over England and the 19 year period of Anarchy. This epic tale of passion and greed begins when a mysterious secret disrupts the succession to the English crown and a...

Love is in the air today and lovers everywhere are affirming their love for each other. When it comes to great lovers of the Middle Ages their is none better than Henry VIII. After all he had six wives!!! Here is a collection of the love letters that Henry wrote to his first mistress Anne Boleyn. Can she be proud that she was the first mistress? And the first to lose her head, well I guess it was...

A short history of St. Valentine’s Day. Who is the real St Valentine? Why is the day linked to love and romance? Which medieval author can we thank for transforming Valentin’s Day into a day of love and romance? Find out how it all began and how it relates to the Middle Ages in this episode of the Medieval Archives Podcast. Audio clips from: Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Sonnet 18 by...

Warfare Wednesday Agnes Randolph , Countess of Dunbar and March, also known as Black Agnes of Dunbar, was the wife of Patrick, 9th Earl of Dunbar and March. Black Agnes became renowned for her heroic defense of Dunbar Castle against an English attack by the William Montague, 1st Earl of Salisbury, which began on 13 January 1338. Lady Agnes died in 1369 of natural causes. Her husband, Patrick Dunba...

We are back an ready for 2011! Our first podcast of the year is a recap/review of the Starz Original series The Pillars of the Earth . Set in the the 12th century The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of King Stephen’s reign over England and the 19 year period of Anarchy. This epic tale of passion and greed begins when a mysterious secret disrupts the succession to the English crown and a...

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Fortress Friday – Halloween Special During the month of October Fortress Friday will be exploring the paranormal. Throughout Europe there are stories of ghost sightings and strange occurrences. In a 6-part series we will look at some of the most haunted Castles in Europe. The final castle in our series is The Tower of London. William the Conqueror built the original White tower in 1078. The...

Fortress Friday During the month of October Fortress Friday will be exploring the paranormal. Throughout Europe there are stories of ghost sightings and strange occurrences. In a 6-part series we will look at some of the most haunted Castles in Europe. The fifth castle in our series is Chillingham Castle. Situated on the northern border of England. Chillingham was the staging area for King Edward...

Fortress Friday During the month of October Fortress Friday will be exploring the paranormal. Throughout Europe there are stories of ghost sightings and strange occurrences. In a 6-part series we will look at some of the most haunted Castles in Europe. The fourth castle in our series is Edinburgh Castle. Sitting high atop castle rock Edinburgh Castle is the main attraction in the city. Below the c...

Fortress Friday During the month of October Fortress Friday will be exploring the paranormal. Throughout Europe there are stories of ghost sightings and strange occurrences. In a 6-part series we will look at some of the most haunted Castles in Europe. The third castle in our series is Dover Castle. Dover was started as an earthwork castle by William the Conqueror in 1066. It was completely remold...

Fortress Friday During the month of October Fortress Friday will be exploring the paranormal. Throughout Europe there are stories of ghost sightings and strange occurrences. In a 6-part series we will look at some of the most haunted Castles in Europe. The second castle in our series is Malahide Castle, located North of Dublin, Ireland. Roger Talbot was given the land by King Henry II and began bu...

Fortress Friday During the month of October Fortress Friday will be exploring the paranormal. Throughout Europe there are stories of ghost sightings and strange occurrences. In a 6-part series we will look at some of the most haunted Castles in Europe. The first castle in our series is Dragsholm Castle. It is arguably one of the most haunted in all of Europe. Located in Denmark it is now a luxurio...

Listen now! In this episode of the Medieval Archives Podcast we discuss “The Anarchy” a nineteen year period of civil war and chaos. The death of King Henry I set off a chain reaction of events that set England on a path of destruction. The Scots in the North, the Welsh in the West and the English nobleman all struggled to gain back or acquire land and wealth. Stephen of Blois becomes...

In this episode of the Medieval Archives we discuss Eustace the Monk, the most feared pirate of the 13th Century. Eustace the Monk left the monastery and became an outlaw, a magician and a pirate. We discuss his early life, why he left the monastery and how he turned to piracy. We also look at his role in the First Baron’s War and his death. You can listen to the episode below. Or download the MP3...