The Medieval Podcast

This week, Danièle speaks with Barbara Newman about the self in the Middle Ages, how others could shape and transform a person inside and out, and how a medieval person's idea of self reflected their relationship to other people and the world around them, both physical and spiritual. (TW: infant death) This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to...

This week, Danièle recommends some newly-released books on the Middle Ages, covering essay collections, a standout new sourcebook, some primary sources, and a biography of one of her favourite medieval writers. 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

For this week's medieval storytime, Danièle reads a collection of descriptions, fables, and poems all featuring animals. From venomous toads to proud peacocks and malicious whales, the Middle Ages shares its moral worldview through the animal kingdom. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listen...

This week, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny about one of her favourite medieval books: The Distaff Gospels. Full to the brim with wit and wild advice for timeless problems, this is a book that reminds us of the full picture of life in the Middle Ages. You can support this podcast and Medievalists.net on our Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by th...

In the Middle Ages, demons were a well-known threat to even the most devout Christians. This week, Danièle speaks with Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski about the strange case of Ermine de Reims, a late medieval woman plagued by demonic visitations. 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...

This week, Danièle dishes on some of the ways medieval monks could be silly, petty, clever and compassionate. Here are some of the fun facts that made it - and didn't make it - into her new book, How to Live Like a Monk. 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/themedievalpodcas...

Just how dirty was medieval Paris? And what did people do with their waste? This week, Danièle speaks with Emily Hutchison about sanitation in the Middle Ages. You can visit Emily's story map at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7abaf1f956d541cd8834a292efd6edb5 You can find Danièle's Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzW-ZEw6ByC25m3nD6vko1Q And you can support the podcast on P...

There’s one thing that seems common to humankind across time and space: we love a good origin story. This week, Danièle speaks with Amy Jeffs about some of the medieval origin myths and legends surrounding the British Isles and its peoples, and how she's retold them for a modern audience. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread th...

Although you'd find them in cities and on farms, serving in wars and taking part in religious services, we're not talking about people (or bottoms). This week, Danièle speaks with Kathryn L. Smithies about one of the medieval world's most hardworking creatures and symbols: the donkey. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To find out how to help spread the jo...

A decade after The Black Death, French peasants rose up suddenly against the nobility in an unprecedented and remarkably coordinated revolt. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Justine Firnhäber-Baker about the rebellion that shocked the elites of Europe: the Jacquerie. You can support this podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made pos...

Although it tends to be thought of as a time when people rejected technology, there were many new inventions met with enthusiasm in the Middle Ages, including one we might not be able to imagine living without: paper. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Orietta Da Rold about the many uses of medieval paper. You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists...

This week, Danièle starts the new year with a fun episode exploring how real history can be used to add challenges to your Dungeons & Dragons games. (If you’re not into D&D, don’t worry - there’s lots of quirky information for history lovers of all stripes!) You can support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com /medievalists  This podcast is made possible by the generous support of li...

As the new year approaches, it’s time to take a look back at the best parts of 2021: the medieval stuff. This week, Peter Konieczny returns for the third annual Medieval Podcast Year in Review, covering everything from new discoveries to movies to video games to our own adventures in 2021. You can support the podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists You can get a 20% discoun...

One of the great things about 2021 drawing to a close is that we can take a moment to think about all of the really amazing books we’ve read over the past twelve months. This week, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny about ten of our favourite books of the last year. You can find these books on the Medievalists.net Amazon shop at https://www.amazon.com/shop/medievalists This podcast is made possib...

For medieval historians, a large part of the job tends to be working against common myths, using research to push back especially against narratives that erase people or that oversimplify complex issues. This week, Danièle speaks with Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry, who have teamed up to write a new history of the Middle Ages in counterpoint to these old ideas: The Bright Ages. You can suppor...

Many medieval people were hugely invested in finding ways to organize and share what they knew about the world, including one influential translator from England. This week, Danièle speaks with Dr. Emily Steiner about John Trevisa and how his work on medieval compendia influenced history. You can get Danièle's book How to Live Like a Monk with a 20% discount - use the code BENEDICT at checkout at ...

In the last decade or so, there’s been a rising tide of history books and articles that are written to meet the people where they are; public histories of the Middle Ages full of life and energy, that hook even more people and bring them into our world. This week, Danièle speaks with a writer who does it better than maybe anyone else in the world today: Dan Jones. You can get Danièle's book How to...

Can medieval monastic practices, with their emphasis on a healthy soul, mind, and body, inspire us to live fuller lives today? This week, Danièle is the guest as she talks about her new book How to Live Like a Monk: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Life. You can find Danièle's new book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nrUGHH   This podcast is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you! To fi...

If you were suddenly transported back into Northern Europe in the latter part of the Middle Ages, a lot of the people you came across would be sporting something shiny on their clothes or hats. This week, Danièle speaks with Ann Marie Rasmussen about medieval badges, how they were made and used, and who was wearing them. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medie...

The Tudors are a fascinating and turbulent dynasty, but how were they shaped by medieval culture? In this episode, Danièle speaks with Sarah Gristwood about the courtly love traditions that heavily influenced the Tudors. To learn more about Danièle's Medieval Masterclass, please visit http://medievalmasterclass.com/ You can support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com /medievalists ...

Traitors were the ones who suffered the most grisly executions in medieval Europe, but treason is in the eye of the beholder, changing over time along with culture, language, and ideas of nation. This week, Danièle speaks with Amanda McVitty about the changing face of treason in medieval England. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists Learn about Daniè...

The latest medieval movie has just dropped into theatres, and that means that Danièle was first in line with Peter Konieczny to bring you the goods. This week, they discuss Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, starring Jodie Comer, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Adam Driver. You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon - go to www.patreon.com/medievalists to learn more. This podcast is made possible by...

Trial by combat has captured people’s imaginations for centuries, which is exactly why it’s the focus Hollywood’s latest medieval film: The Last Duel. This week, Danièle speaks with Eric Jager, author of the non-fiction book that inspired the film. You can support this podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - check it out at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists This podcast is made possible by th...

Want to party like it's 1399? This week, Peter Konieczny joins Danièle to walk back through the centuries to the medieval world of parties, from crashing a celebration in early medieval Baghdad to trying to impress your dining partner in late medieval England. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com /medievalists  This podcast is made possible by the generous suppor...

One of the things that’s unfortunately true about the Middle Ages is that there was a mistrust of difference, especially when it came to religion. But what caused a lot of anxiety, mistrust, and tension wasn’t always the differences: it was the similarities. This week, Danièle speaks with Adrienne Williams Boyarin about the ways in which Christians and Jews dealt with similarity and difference in...