The Medieval Podcast

Not knowing the future is an intensely uncomfortable experience, which is why humans invented a clever system to predict the future through numbers, called onomancy. This week, Danièle speaks with Jo Edge about how onomancy works, who used it, and how it fit in with medieval theology. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible...

Medieval citizens took steps to actively avoid living in filth. But how did they accomplish it? What were some of the ground rules? And how did this change when your city was also surrounded by water? This week, Danièle speaks with Jane Stevens Crawshaw about environmental policies in fourteenth and fifteenth-century Genoa and Venice. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.pat...

Medieval writers were enthusiastic about sharing everything they knew about the world and how they made sense of it. One writer who was both a superstar in his day and hugely influential in our understanding of the past is the Venerable Bede. This week, Danièle speaks with Michelle Brown about Bede’s life, his contribution to a medieval understanding of everything, and how he shaped the way we thi...

How did the people of the past think about the calendar year? And what were some of the events they looked forward to? This week, Danièle speaks with Eleanor Parker about some of the big feasts and festivals of early medieval England, how they were celebrated, and the exact date the universe was created. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podc...

As far as ruling houses go, France's Capetian dynasty easily gives the Plantagenets a run for their money in power, prestige, and scandal. This week, Danièle speaks with Justine Firnhaber-Baker about the fierce and fascinating Capetian dynasty, how they made medieval France, and how they changed the world. You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists...

Sometimes the very people we trust to help us keep law and order are wolves in sheep’s clothing. This week, Danièle speaks with Jonathan Lyon about a powerful medieval position which could easily lend itself to violence and corruption: church advocate.  To learn more about Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the 14th Century , go to https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-ch...

Medieval historians are faced with the daunting task of having to piece together around a thousand years of history without all that many written sources to speak of. But what happens if it turns out that some of the most important sources we’ve been using have been - let’s say - touched up a little? This week, Danièle speaks with Thomas Smith about letters from the First Crusade, which ones are e...

Bestseller and broadcaster Dan Jones has been busy with a whole bunch of new projects since he was last on The Medieval Podcast. This week, Danièle catches up with Dan about his latest documentaries, novels, and hit podcast - and together they share some exciting news for medieval fans.  To listen to Danièle and Dan introduce The Iron King, go to https://listen.sonymusic-podcasts.link/i_QB7rbc  Th...

For over a thousand years, people have been captivated by the tales of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. And each generation and culture has shaped the story of Arthur to meet their own aesthetic and political needs. This week, Danièle speaks with Kathy Cawsey and Elizabeth Edwards about the changing face of Arthur, the way his legend spread across the medieval world, and the ways in...

Because they’re so familiar, coins can sometimes seem to be a part of the natural order. But in the Early Middle Ages, just about everything to do with coins was in flux, from where they were sourced, to who was using them. This week, Danièle speaks with Rory Naismith about the complex world of medieval coins. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists Thi...

Part of both faith and fashion, fish was an important ingredient in the medieval diet. And because of this, medieval fishing was much more sophisticated than just a rod, a line, and a worm. This week, Danièle speaks with Richard Hoffmann about what people were eating, how they caught it, and how fish farming evolved over time. You can support this Podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com...

These days, most of us have a good working knowledge of what’s going on with our internal organs. But in the Middle Ages, most people – even doctors – never got to see much of the inside of a human body. So, how did people conceive of our internal world? This week, Danièle speaks with Taylor McCall about what medieval people knew about internal medicine, where they learned it, and how they illustr...

Medieval people spent a lot of time thinking about saints. But what they thought about saints wasn’t always what we might expect. Women saints with promiscuous backstories were fan favourites in the Middle Ages, and one of the most popular was St. Mary of Egypt. This week, Danièle speaks with Sonia Velázquez about St. Mary of Egypt, why she caught the medieval imagination, and how her beauty, age,...

We live in a world full of constant notifications, interruptions, and complications. If only we could get away from it all, the peace and quiet would allow us to concentrate. Or would it? This week, Danièle speaks with Jamie Kreiner about some new old strategies for concentration, courtesy of ancient and medieval monks. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/mediev...

It may be an ordinary body part, but medieval people definitely had strong opinions about hair and what it said about you. This week, Emanuele Lugli returns to talk about hair, how it was used as a form of control, how it spilled out onto artists’ canvasses, and what this all has to do with bodily excrement. You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalis...

Through grime, stains, and wax droplets, the filthiest, most well-loved manuscripts tell us the story of how medieval people used - and abused - their books. This week, Danièle speaks with Kate Rudy about what we can learn from the smudges the people of the Middle Ages left behind, how modern technology helps us figure it out, and why we should all appreciate a really dirty book. You can support t...

Foxes were everywhere in the medieval world and the medieval imagination. But where do the ideas we have about foxes come from? This week, Danièle speaks with Paul Wackers about why foxes were loved and hated in the real world, in fables, and in the Christian imagination of the Middle Ages. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made po...

He’s one of the most powerful figures in all of Western history, with influence not only over life and death, but over the immortal souls of billions of people over thousands of years. This week, Danièle speaks with Jessica Wärnberg about the role of the pope, his influence on Rome, and what happens when the holiest of men isn’t quite so holy. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https:...

Like many people today, medieval people used charms, personal talismans, and amulets to help smooth their way through life. But just who used them? How did they use them? And what did the church think about such things? This week, Danièle speaks with Katherine Storm Hindley about charms in the Middle Ages. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This po...

With a team of dedicated monks and lay brothers to help him, fifteenth-century Venetian Fra Mauro attempted to create the most accurate map of the world. This week, Danièle speaks with Meredith Small about this incredible mappamundi, what it contained, and how this landed Fra Mauro on the moon. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is mad...

They’re the things that go bump in the night, the creatures that storm your mead hall and eat your friends, the beings that wander restlessly from their graves. This week, Danièle speaks with Charity Urbanski about monsters in the medieval world. You can support the podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners li...

Some of the most important and influential figures of the Middle Ages were the big city bishops who ministered to rich and poor alike. But how did they tend to such a large and diverse flock? This week, Danièle speaks with Lesley Smith about William of Auvergne, the thirteenth-century upstart bishop of Paris who shaped a royal saint, changed the university forever, and gently guided the lives of o...

In a time and place with a serious lack of pockets and built-in shelving, how and where did people carry and store their everyday stuff? This week, Danièle takes a look at carrying, packing, and moving in the Middle Ages. You can support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread th...

She’s one of the most well-known figures in history: married to two kings, mother to three, and a powerful duchess in her own right. This week, Danièle speaks with Karen Sullivan about the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine, her famous - and infamous - relationships, and what makes her such a fascinating subject for historians and fiction writers alike. Karen Sullivan's book, Eleanor of Aquitaine, as...

Often, the stories we tell about colonization focus on the takeovers themselves, and the circumstances that led up to them. But what happens to the people when the dust settles? How do they manage the clash of two cultures and often two law codes? And how do the stories they tell about themselves and each other help them navigate society? This week, Danièle speaks with Joanna MacGugan about how th...