Medieval Archives

When Adam delved and Eve span, Who then was the gentleman? The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Led by Wat Tyler the peasant's rose up against the ruling class. Were they successful? Or did they fail and meet the executioners axe? Find out in the latest episode of the Medieval Archives Podcast Ge...

The mini series comes to an end. Will they finish the cathedral or will Waleran block all attempts? Will Jack find out the truth about his father? Everything gets answered in the final episode! Join us as we finish our trip through The Pillars of the Earth. This week we recap/review episode eight "The Work of Angels" of the Starz Original series The Pillars of the Earth. Set in the the 12th centur...

Dan Snow, historian and award winning TV presenter takes a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk to the Medieval Archives. Trained in the hallowed halls of Oxford University, Dan ventured into TV for a WWII Documentary and hasn't looked back. His past medieval documentaries explored 1066 and The Battle of Hastings, Norman Walks through Norman castles of Britain and the filthy streets of med...

Battle Castle, the outstanding castle documentary series, explores the medieval history of six castles. Today we have an interview with Sean F. White, the Director of Photography for Battle Castle. I talk with Sean about filming the castles and the siege engines in action. We also cover how the re-enactments were filmed. In this episode you will discover: The role of the Director of Photogrpahy Hi...

Battle Castle, the outstanding castle documentary series, explores the medieval history of six castles. Today we have an interview with Nicole Tomlinson, writer for Battle Castle. I talk to Nicole about writing for the series and how she approached the research process. We also cover how the castles were picked, castles that were left out, and their use of social media. In this episode you will di...

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 ep...

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 interview we di...

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... MAP#23 - Christmas Special is a post from: Medieval Archives The post MAP#23 - Ch...

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 Castle series. Enjoy th...

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 out...

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 episode five "Leg...

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 over England and the 19...

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 when a mysterious sec...

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 an unlik...

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 David Gilmour You...

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 Dunbar...

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 an unlik...

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 tower...

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...