The Medieval Podcast

We’re going back to the Lais of Marie de France, as Danièle tells the story of Yonec. It has all the hallmarks of a classic medieval romance: adultery, magic, spying, revenge, and women being blamed for wrecking everything. 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/themedievalpod...

In the Middle Ages, a person could claim sanctuary to delay or avoid punishment for a serious crime. But what were the rules? This week, Danièle interviews Dr. Shannon McSheffrey to find out how and why medieval people sought sanctuary, and whether or not a convicted heretic could expect the church to save his life. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To fi...

This week, Danièle reaches out to romance writers, giving both information and resources for those who want to write their very own medieval novels. 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

In this first episode of 2020, Danièle connects with Anne Thériault, author of Longreads’ Queens of Infamy series, to talk about some of her favourite queens, saints, and foxes, and what it’s like to write infamous history on the internet in 2020. 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 pa...

For the final episode of 2019, Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to talk about the some of the top medieval-related news stories and their personal highlights from the last year.  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

This week, Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to talk about their favourite books on the Middle Ages that were published in 2019. It take us from Viking Greenland to manuscripts to the Crusades, with books for all types of readers.  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/the...

She’s said to be the first professional female author, a champion of women, and the builder of The City of Ladies. She was also one of the most popular writers of the fifteenth century, despite virtually disappearing until the twentieth. This week, Danièle explores the life and writings of one of the most outspoken women of the Middle Ages: Christine de Pizan.  This podcast is made possible by the...

This week, Danièle invites you to get cozy and listen to the story of Lanval, a knight of the Round Table who is loved by a mysterious lady of the Otherworld - for better and for worse. The story is one of the lais of another mysterious woman: 12th-century author Marie de France. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of...

What happened when someone got sick in the Middle Ages? Medieval medicine and healthcare might be two of the most misunderstood aspects of the whole era. This week Danièle speaks with Winston E. Black about some of the myths we have about medicine in 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 hist...

This week, Danièle answers questions sent to The Medieval Podcast by our listeners, including how did people get rid of human waste in the Middle Ages? How were medieval cities planned? What was it like to be a seamstress? And who is Danièle’s favourite knight? 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, p...

Who were the men and women who took up the cross and journeyed to Holy Lands? Danièle speaks with Dan Jones about his latest book on crusaders and on why it’s important for historians to talk about the crusades today. 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 the spookiest season, which means it’s the perfect time to investigate medieval witches. This week, Danièle speaks with Gemma Hollman, author of Royal Witches, about some of the fifteenth century’s most high profile accusations of witchcraft. 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 pa...

When it comes to stories of reinvention and forging new paths, there’s one historian whose body of work stands out. This week, Danièle sat down with Dr. Natalie Zemon Davis over a cup of tea and talked about some of her favourite trailblazers, how she sees Medieval Studies today, and how historians can use their work to bring people together across cultures This podcast is made possible by the gen...

This week, Sandra Alvarez, cofounder of Medievalists.net was back in Toronto, so Danièle sat down with Sandra and Peter Konieczny to talk about how the website got started, and how the field has changed in the decade since. 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/themedievalpod...

It often seems it’s the things that we take for granted that have the biggest impact. One of these things is the way we measure. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Emanuele Lugli about the way people used measurement for business, for justice, and for devotion. 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, p...

The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada has unveiled a new exhibition: Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa. Danièle took in the exhibition and spoke with Michael Chagnon, the Curator of the museum. They talk about medieval Africa, its connections with the wider world, and what you can see at the Aga Khan Museum. This podcast is made possibl...

This week, Danièle speaks with Boydell and Brewer’s Richard Barber about how the field has changed over the last fifty years, current trends in medieval publishing, and what Richard’s best tips are for up-and-coming authors. 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/themedievalpo...

It may be the most famous medieval movie of all time. This week, Danièle talks with Peter Konieczny about Monty Python and the Holy Grail, its legacy, and some of their favourite moments. 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 the most wonderful time of the year - time to go back to school! This week, Danièle takes a quick look at medieval education. 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

Beowulf may be one of the world’s most famous poems, but there’s a lot more to its manuscript than this poem alone. This week, Danièle looks into the other content of the Beowulf manuscript, its history, and what makes it both unique and special. 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 pat...

The English language is notoriously difficult to learn and to spell. In this episode, Danièle talks about the medieval roots of English and how it got to be so weird. 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 vacation time and people are looking for places to visit. Danièle is joined by Peter to offer their picks for travel destinations to experience the Middle Ages. We have places in Denmark, England, France, Iceland, Poland and Scotland to tell you about.  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...

International bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay is well known for creating literary worlds that often look like the medieval world. It's been called history with a quarter turn to the fantastic. In this episode he talks with Danièle about his latest novel, A Brightness Long Ago. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of...

This week, Danièle shows how useful medieval history can be in helping us survive the imminent zombie apocalypse. 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

The Middle Ages are full of amazing tales, both fictional and true. This week, Peter Konieczny joins Danièle to talk about three of their favourite medieval stories. 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