The Medieval Podcast

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...

This week, Danièle explores the big medieval news stories of 2023 in conversation with Peter Koniezcny, editor of Medievalists.net. 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 how to help spread the joy of medieval history, please visit patreon.com/themedievalpodcast

In the Middle Ages, December meant a celebration of jolly old St. Nicholas along with a host of other sainted figures and important moments in the Christian story. This week, Danièle presents a quick guide to medieval holiday saints and feasts. 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 lik...

In the past few years, trans and genderqueer issues have come to the forefront both in society and in the way scholars are approaching medieval studies. But what do these terms mean? And how do we apply them responsibly to the past? This week, Danièle speaks with Alicia Spencer-Hall and Blake Gutt about trans and genderqueer scholarship in medieval studies. You can read the open-access book, Trans...

This week, Danièle continues the annual tradition of sharing some of her favourite books of the year, along with the top picks of Peter Konieczny, editor and co-founder of Medievalists.net. Danièle's list: Temptation Transformed: The Story of How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple , by Azzan Yadin-Israel Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art , edited by Kristen Collins a...

In honour of the new discoveries around the Princes in the Tower, Danièle delves into some other mysterious deaths and disappearances in English royal history. You can support The Medieval 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 medieva...

Humans have always been fascinated by the birds and beasts of planet Earth, collecting and compiling information on their habits, habitats, and where they got their names. This week, Danièle speaks with Hana Videen about her contribution to the field: a brand new Old English bestiary. The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary , by Hana Videen is published by Princeton University Press - https://press....

This week, Danièle and Peter Konieczny share profound - and profoundly odd - medieval proverbs from one of their favourite books of the Middle Ages: The Well-Laden Ship . The Well-Laden Ship, by Egbert of Liège, was translated by Robert Gary Babcock as part of the Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library. You can get details about the book at https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674051270 You c...

For a thousand years – and especially the last two hundred or so – people have had a love affair with Vikings. But what do we know about the Norse voyages to the Americas? Why are Vikings so fascinating at this historical distance? And how do they fit into modern people’s ideas of identity? This week, Danièle speaks with Martyn Whittock about Vikings and their influence on American culture. You ca...

This week, guest host Peter Konieczny interviews Danièle about her new book Chivalry and Courtesy: Medieval Manners for a Modern World. 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....

This week, in celebration of her first two books becoming available on Patreon, Danièle discusses five ways to become a better medievalist, five minutes at a time. You can now buy two of Danièle's books on our Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists/shop 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...

In light of the TikTok trend asking, "How often do you think about the Roman Empire?" Danièle discusses how to gently correct misguided assumptions about history in the people we love. 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 t...