The Medieval Podcast

It’s medieval storytime! This week, Danièle reads from Caesarius of Heisterbach’s Dialogue on Miracles, including the story of a sinful student, and the woman who took the baby Jesus hostage, as well as a few other fun tales from this thirteenth-century book for monastic novices. To sign up for Danièle's Medieval Masterclass, go to https://medievalmasterclass.com /  This podcast is made possible b...

Over the past few years, the world has regularly been abuzz with claims of forgery and fake news. At some points in the Middle Ages, forgery was disturbingly common, often committed by the people we might least expect. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Levi Roach about medieval forgery, and how to spot it. You can help support the podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists Th...

Knights in the Middle Ages were expert horsemen, pious defenders of the church, property managers, courteous entertainers, reciters of poetry, military leaders, and stone-cold killers. This week, Danièle speaks with Christopher Gravett on what was knighthood, how one became a knight, and knights in the modern media. You can join Danièle’s Medieval Masterclass at www.medievalmasterclass.com This po...

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, people all over the world are having to come up with new ways to teach and to learn in virtual environments, but it can be hard to find resources while still trying to run your own circus at home. This week, Danièle speaks with the creators of Middle Ages for Educators, a website that makes learning and teaching medieval history a whole lot easier. This podca...

Love him or hate him, Richard III is a king that has captured people’s imaginations ever since his death on the battlefield at Bosworth. This week, Danièle speaks with Chris Skidmore about the man he calls England’s most controversial king. If you like the podcast and Medievalists.net, you can support us on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the g...

One of the most persistent myths about the Middle Ages is that this was a time when science slept, deliberately suppressed by the medieval church. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. This week, Danièle speaks with Seb Falk about the amazing story of medieval science. You can help support this podcast and Medievalists.net through Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists to l...

One of the most influential animals of the medieval world, both in the barnyard and on the table, was also one of the most troublesome: the pig. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Jamie Kreiner about how the humble pig influenced everything from culture to theology. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval histo...

Clothing is a vital part of both our identities and our economies. So, how was cloth made and distributed in the Middle Ages? This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. John S. Lee about medieval cloth-making, and the role of the medieval clothier. To learn more about Danièle’s Medieval Masterclass for Creators go to https://medievalmasterclass.thinkific.com/courses/medieval-masterclass-for-creators This...

January 1st is the Feast of Fools, notoriously a time of drunkenness and debauchery in the medieval church. But was it really? This week, Dr. Max Harris debunks the myths behind the madness of one of history’s most misunderstood celebrations. To learn more about Danièle Cybulskie’s Medieval Masterclass for Creators, please go to https://medievalmasterclass.thinkific.com/courses/medieval-masterclas...

Maybe unlike other years, 2020 is not one that we want to reflect on, particularly, and yet there were a few good things to come out of this year – namely books. This week, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny about some of the year’s best books. 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 patr...

How did the arrival of gunpowder in medieval Europe change warfare? This week, Danièle speaks with Dan Spencer about this technology, and the changes it brought not only on to battlefield but in other aspects of medieval society. To learn more about Danièle Cybulskie’s Medieval Masterclass for Creators, go to https://medievalmasterclass.thinkific.com/courses/medieval-masterclass-for-creators This...

It can be startling sometimes to look back at history and realize that some of the most monumental shifts occurred as a result of a single moment or event. This week, Danièle speaks with Charles Spencer about the 900th anniversary of one of those pivotal moments that sent shockwaves through history: the White Ship disaster. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like yo...

This week, Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to discuss The Merchant of Prato and the lives of Francesco and Margherita Datini. Their story from 14th century Italy comes from one of the richest document finds ever made!   You can help support this podcast and Medievalists.net on our Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous support of lis...

This week, Danièle tells the medieval story of The Three Caskets from the Gesta Romanorum, a tale more familiar to theatre and literature fans all over the world as a central plot device in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. You can also help support the podcast and Medievalists.net through our Patreon – go to  https://www.patreon.com /medievalists to learn more. This podcast is made possible b...

The Fourth Crusade is best known for being the campaign that attacked the Byzantine Empire in 1204. In this episode, Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to talk about Robert de Clari, who wrote one of the accounts of this unusual crusade. What did this French knight say about how the crusaders went from wanting to attack the Holy Land to conquering Constantinople? You can find Danièle's Medieval...

Medieval historians can sometimes study quirky things. For John Wyatt Greenlee it is researching eels in the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Surprised Eel Historian about the impact of this fish on the medieval world - who was eating them, how they were eating them, and why they were sometimes a great way to pay the rent. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listene...

There’s talk in the news from time to time about the surprising efficacy of medieval medicine. Does it actually work? This week, Danièle speaks with emergency physician and wilderness medicine expert Dr. Joe Alcock about which medieval remedies really could work in a pinch, and why. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy...

Marriage was an important part of many medieval women’s lives, but not all marriages followed the neat path that the church had laid out for them. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Bridget Wells-Furby about fourteenth-century heiress Lucy de Thweng and what her story can tell us about medieval marriage, adultery, and even annulment. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listene...

What happens when someone was murdered in the Middle Ages? This week, Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to take a look at the Coroner's Rolls from 14th century London. These records offer many insights into violent deaths, detailing the who, what, where, when and sometimes why of murders that took place within the city. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you...

Did medieval princesses live that typical fairy-tale role? This week, Danièle talks with Kelcey Wilson-Lee, author of Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of Edward I, to learn about how these English princesses actually lived during the Middle Ages. 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, ple...

From manuscripts to wash basins, medieval objects can tell us a lot about how people conceived of the world. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Jack Hartnell about what objects can tell us about the Middle Ages, medicine, and especially medieval bodies. 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 vi...

There are those who abuse the medieval past in order to promote ideas of racism, white supremacism, and other toxic ideologies. To counter these views, Amy S. Kaufman and Paul B. Sturtevant have written The Devil’s Historians: How Modern Extremists Abuse the Medieval Past. They join Danièle to talk about their work and how the Middle Ages was more diverse, compelling, and complex than is often por...

What was life really like within a medieval monastery? This week we take a look at the Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, by Jocelin of Brakelond, which tells the tale of an English abbey at the turn of the thirteenth century. It's a surprising story of money, power and gossip.  This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the...

This week, Danièle recommends her favourite series of primary sources for those people who want to read the voices of the Middle Ages in friendly editions. From Latin sources, to Middle English, to modern English translations, these recommended series bring medieval writers to modern readers. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help sprea...

Many people seem to have the misguided idea that the medieval era was a time in which science and technology were all but forgotten. For the 75th episode of the podcast, Danièle talks with Peter Konieczny about ten medieval inventions that changed the world. 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, plea...