The Medieval Podcast

For the better part of a millennium, people have been applying the tenets of chivalry to their personal lives in order to give themselves moral and ethical targets to tilt at. But what does it look like to apply medieval ideals to the twenty-first century? And what does it mean to walk the walk of knighthood in a high-tech society? This week, Danièle speaks with CEO and YouTube sensation Jason Kin...

One of the favourite activities of medieval scholars was to write massive encyclopedias, distilling every last detail of the known world into book form to share with an insatiably curious public. This week, Danièle speaks with Travis Zadeh about a thirteenth-century bestseller written by a scholar named Qazwini, who brought together natural philosophy and what we might now call supernatural philos...

We know that trees were a fundamental part of early medieval society, technology, and culture, but how did pagan communities preserve and adapt their thinking about trees in the face of increasing Christian missionary activity? This week, Danièle speaks with Michael D.J. Bintley about the evolving role of trees in early medieval England. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www....

This week, Danièle speaks with Kenneth Duggan about capital crime in medieval England, how the community was involved in the justice system, and some of the unexpected events that might happen at a gallows. You can support this podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find ou...

Myths and conspiracies aside, the real medieval Templars were indeed a formidable fighting force, as well as being financially savvy diplomats at many of the major courts of the time. This week, Danièle speaks with Steve Tibble about the Templars' role in Britain and Ireland, their activities on and off the battlefield, and some of the major political events they were involved with. Support this p...

This week, Danièle catches us up on what's been happening lately, and reads some advice written by Dhuoda, a Carolingian woman, for her teenaged son. You can learn more about the Patreon for Medievalists.net and The Medieval 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 the joy of medieval...

In honour of the new Barbie movie, Danièle talks about the games medieval children played, and the toys they played with. You can support this podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - go to 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 the joy of medieval history, please visit patreon.com/themedieva...

This week, Danièle catches up with Peter Konieczny to discuss the new research they came across at the International Medieval Congress at Leeds, as well as some of the amazing historical sites they each visited this summer. 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...

This week, Danièle takes a quick moment out of summer vacation to bring you a (mildly) spicy story from medieval Italy about a jealous husband and his quick-witted wife. You can support this podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - go to 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 the joy of medie...

This week, Danièle travels to the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds for a chat about life, history, and everything in between with podcast favourite Eleanor Janega in front of a live studio audience. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out h...

Everyone knows that the fruit Eve was tempted to eat in the Garden of Eden was an apple - or was it? This week, Danièle speaks with Azzan Yadin-Israel about the original fruit of original sin, how written culture and art worked together to transform it, and why it took centuries to settle on the apple. You can help support this podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.co...

Everyone’s heard of Geoffrey Chaucer, but he wasn’t the only poet writing powerful and political verse in fourteenth-century London. This week, Danièle speaks with Eve Salisbury and Georgiana Donavin about John Gower, his poetry, and why we should all get to know him. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous...

He’s a comic book hero. He’s a movie star. He’s Earth’s mightiest Avenger, and a day of the week. He’s the god of thunder… or is he? This week, Danièle speaks with Declan Taggart about Thor. To listen to ExtraMedieval, please sign up on Medievalists.net's Patreon or through Danièle's website . This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spre...

This week, Danièle celebrates 200 episodes of The Medieval Podcast. Find out whose episodes listeners voted the most surprising, most entertaining, and most uplifting, as well as who had the best voice and best chemistry with Danièle. Which episode will reign supreme? Want to get ExtraMedieval? Sign up on the Medievalists.net Patreon at the $3.99 US tier. Visit the Patreon page at https://www.patr...

During the Late Middle Ages, warfare began to change with the rise of gunpowder weapons. But is every medieval gunpowder recipe actually effective? This week, Danièle speaks with Clifford J. Rogers about his gunpowder experiments at West Point Military Academy, how small variations might affect each recipe, and why a modern military academy needs a medievalist. It would be great to have you vote a...

This week, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny from Medievalists.net about the new research they learned about at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo. Danièle's course, Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century, begins on May 19th - sign up at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change This podcast is made possible by the generous...

This week, Danièle introduces Chrétien de Troyes, a thirteenth-century master of Arthurian literature and one of the most influential writers of all time. Sign up for Danièle's course at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change 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 vis...

In anticipation of the coronation of King Charles III, this week, Danièle goes through all of the medieval English kings in sequence from 1066 to 1509, highlighting some of their best and worst moments. Sign up for Danièle's course, Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century , at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change This podcast is made possible by...

This week, Danièle discusses the medieval stories that informed some of the world's most famous plays, as well as the influence William Shakespeare has had on our collective memory of the Middle Ages. Danièle's class on 'Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century' begins May 19th - please visit https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change to sign up. This p...

Not every saint gets a contemporary biography, let alone two, but fifteenth-century French saint Colette is among them. This week, Danièle speaks with Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski about Saint Colette, her two very different biographies, and her remarkable life as a reformer on the road. You can sign up for ExtraMedieal with Danièle Cybulskie at https://www.danielecybulskie.com/extramedieval This pod...

During the Middle Ages, one figure began to consistently symbolize the renowned wealth and wisdom of African kingdoms in European art: Balthazar. This week, Danièle speaks with Bryan Keene about this wise king, his evolution in medieval art, and his continuing impact in modern culture. You can support this Podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possibl...

They've been our helpers, protectors, and best friends for thousands of years, but what did people in the Middle Ages think about our canine companions? This week, Danièle shares some medieval writers' thoughts about dogs. You can support this podcast and sign up for ExtraMedieval on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous support of liste...

This week, Danièle shares letters written by some of the most iconic women of the Middle Ages, including Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Christine de Pizan. To subscribe and listen to ExtraMedieval, please visit https://www.danielecybulskie.com/extramedieval This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the joy of medieval hi...

This week, Danièle speaks with Eleanor Janega about medieval womanhood, the ideal feminine body in the Middle Ages, and how past perceptions of women’s roles are still affecting society today. You can learn more about the conference Easter in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages at https://www.afterconstantine.com/post/easter-in-late-antiquity-and-the-middle-ages-conference-program This podcast is m...

This week, Danièle previews her new podcast ExtraMedieval in a crossover episode covering The Feast of the Swan, medieval guide dogs, and how modern research on animals can help us think more deeply about the Middle Ages. You can sign up to get ExtraMedieval on the Medievalists.net Patreon at the $3.99 tier - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous...