The Medieval Podcast

If you asked the average person how Vikings solved their problems, they probably wouldn’t say through lawyers. And yet, early Scandinavian people were sticklers for due process. This week, Danièle speaks with Robert Lively about how a person became a Viking lawyer, what the process was for solving disputes, and how fixing bad behaviour worked in this shame-based culture. Listen to this podcast ad-...

Elephants were known throughout most of the medieval world, even if most people had never encountered one, themselves. In bestiaries, elephants are praised for their long memories, intelligence, and monogamy. And, of course, their ivory. This week, Danièle speaks with John Beusterien about elephants and ivory in medieval China and Spain, including how elephants were put into service, and how ivory...

For three medieval Iberian queens, grief - and the way they expressed it - had immense and far-reaching consequences. This week, Danièle speaks with Núria Silleras-Fernández about what grief and widowhood were "supposed" to look like, how grief and madness were thought to be intertwined with love, and how the grieving women in the famous Isabella the Catholic’s family shaped the history of Spain a...

There are several famous examples of mysterious medieval writing, including the so-far unbreakable Voynich Manuscript. So, what secrets were medieval people trying to hide? And why? This week, Danièle speaks with Garry Shaw about who was encrypting their manuscripts, the codes they used, and the centuries of attempts to crack the Voynich Manuscript. You can support this podcast on Patreon at https...

There are a lot of gamechanging inventions that shifted the trajectory of the Middle Ages, but one machine managed to hit at just the right time and place to create a massive enterprise in medieval Europe, with consequences that touched the entire globe: Gutenberg's printing press. This week, Danièle speaks with Eric White about Johannes Gutenberg’s life, his early entrepreneurship, and the invent...

Given that the term literally means “rebirth”, the Renaissance throws some not-so-subtle shade on the period that comes before it. So, where did the idea of the Renaissance actually come from? And was it truly a golden age? This week, Danièle speaks with Ada Palmer about Petrarch, Machiavelli, atheism, and how we should look at the period formerly known as the Renaissance. This podcast is made pos...

It's one of the most notorious political assassinations in history: the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. The story of two friends who became bitter enemies in a struggle between church and state that drew in some of the most powerful people from all over medieval Europe. So, how did a pretty ordinary kid from London end up as England’s most famous saint?  This week, Danièle s...

One of the most celebrated moments in childhood is when a person utters their very first words, stepping over a brand new threshold of communication. And from that moment on, all bets are off. This week, Danièle speaks with Julie Singer about what medieval people thought about infancy in general, how literary children could be vehicles for truth and justice, and how even in the Middle Ages kids we...

A mysterious figure ruling at the fringes of the known world, Prester John might be the most famous person you've never heard of. Like a medieval Carmen Sandiego, Prester John was a man people searched the globe for, from Ethiopia, to Tibet, to the New World, never quite catching up to him in the end. So, who was Prester John and why were medieval people so keen to find him? This week, Danièle spe...

In the centuries since his death, the famous El Cid has been the star of plays, romances, feature films, and even propaganda campaigns. But how does history compare to the hype? This week, Danièle speaks with Nora Berend about the real Rodrigo Díaz, the astonishing way his legend grew and changed over time, and how El Cid is still being used as a political tool in the modern world. Support this po...

To get a fuller picture of medieval queenship, it's time to head to the heart of Scandinavia to learn about the lives of the lesser-known medieval women who found themselves - intentionally or unintentionally - ruling a kingdom. This week, Danièle speaks with Caroline Wilhelmsson about the royal women of Sweden, how they became queens, and how they exercised their power. Listen to this podcast ad-...

When we look back to medieval Europe, there are a handful legendary figures who stand out above the rest. Richard the Lionheart. Charlemagne. El Cid. And Frederick Barbarossa. A powerful emperor, focused crusader, and stubborn supporter in the middle of a papal schism, Barbarossa certainly made waves in the twelfth century, and left a lasting impression. This week, Danièle speaks with Graham Loud...

Though he’s remembered as the man who united the two royal houses of England, Henry Tudor was more than just the red rose of Lancaster: he was also the red dragon of Wales. This week, Danièle speaks with Nathen Amin about Henry Tudor's Welsh ancestry, how generations of royals and rebels shaped him, and how he managed to claim the English throne despite desperately long odds. This podcast is made...

When we think about the joys of modernity, perhaps one of the images that comes to mind is hospitals. But, believe it or not, hospitals were also a fundamental part of the medieval world. Catering to the sick, the poor, and the needy, hospitals were institutions many medieval people could rely on in their most desperate moments. This week, Danièle speaks with Sarah Loose Guerrero about what to exp...

When it comes to influential writers of the Middle Ages, there are big names that are probably familiar to a lot of us. But who was it who influenced them? It’s time to get to the deep cut of medieval literature, and look at a writer whose worked crossed genres from epic, to drama, to heartfelt notes, to raunchy humour. This week, Danièle speaks with Lynn Ramey about the incredible Jean Bodel, his...

Although it’s the cradle of our species, and a land as rich in culture as it is legendarily rich in resources, retellings of African history often place their focus heavily on the transatlantic slave trade. While this is valuable, too narrow a focus can make it easy to lose sight of how incredibly powerful, interconnected, and respected African people have been within the fabric of global history....

Although they’re often presented as a sort of living, breathing set decoration, the women at aristocratic courts in the Middle Ages served many different functions, from the practical to the ceremonial. Educated and influential, these women served as ambassadors not only of their gender, but often of their families, and places of origin, as well. So, what was it like to be a daily companion to the...

When it comes to intercontinental trade in the Middle Ages, the Silk Road seems to get all the love. But the movement of people and goods between kingdoms and continents was made possible in large part by water. This week, Danièle speaks with Amanda Respess about ships and shipbuilding in the medieval world, what we know about early global trade routes, and the fascinating bits of archaeology we’r...

Last week was all about Christian monks, but naturally, there were a whole lot of monks in different traditions across the medieval world. And some of them were even poets. This week, Danièle speaks with Thomas J. Mazanec about the Buddhist poet-monks of medieval China, why they chose to write poetry, and why their art was so controversial. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://w...

It's safe to say that this moment in history is proving to be a stressful one, leaving many of us feeling anxious and unsettled. This week, Danièle revisits some of the science-backed tools and strategies medieval monks used to help them stay mentally healthy in tough times. Check out Danièle's book How to Live Like a Monk: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Life at https://www.danielecybulskie.com/monk T...

Although he’s one of the longest-reigning monarchs in English history, he tends to be largely forgotten when it comes to top ten lists. He’s not even in the top three most popular Henrys. Sandwiched between his father, Bad King John, and his son, the “great and terrible” Edward I, Henry III was a pious, peaceful, family man – for better and for worse. This week, Danièle speaks with David Carpenter...

It's almost Valentine's Day, which means that sexy playlists are being created all over the world to help people communicate their steamiest and most heartfelt emotions - just like they did in the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Eva Leach about sexy medieval songs, who was singing them, and how they served as inspiration in the bedroom. You can support this podcast on Patreon...

After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099, scholarship tends to focus on the Muslim populations outside of the newly established crusader kingdoms. But what happened to the Muslim people who remained within? How did they interact with the new culture and laws imposed upon them? And how much of a dealbreaker was a person’s religion in real life, anyway? This week, Danièle speaks with Ann Zi...

It’s a storied island with a rich saga tradition. A land of ice and fire. But rarely do we hear of how Iceland went from being a stouthearted farming settlement to one of the most respected nations on Earth. This week, Danièle speaks with Sverrir Jakobsson about what life in Iceland was like in the early Middle Ages, how it became linked to the kingdom of Norway, and how Iceland’s interactions wit...

Though they're often overlooked, the dowager queens of Korea were the one of the most powerful legitimizing forces behind the throne. This week, Danièle speaks with Alban Schmid about how Korea was ruled in the late Middle Ages, its relationship to Ming China, and the power wielded by the women at the top. You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This p...