🌾Hunger Games: The Great Famine of 1315🌾 Executive Producers wanted: ⭐YOUR NAME HERE; Thank you to all the listeners! 💰Become a Producer! DONATE to the show via PayPal , or use Venmo You can also donate with Stripe 📜 Sign Up for our newsletter The 14th century opened with a nightmare beginning a period called the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages, which lasted almost 200 years and was filled with famine, plague, religious schisms and wars, lots of wars. Sadly, it’s the beginning of the end for ...
Nov 10, 2025•29 min•Ep. 97
🎃 Trick or Terror: The Halloween Candy Scare of the 1980s🍬 ⭐This is a Bonus episode from Dragon Moon Media. We have launched another 'Archives' podcast, this one focusing on the late 20th century. If you have no interest in 20th century history you could skip this episode. However, I say give it a chance. You never know what new knowledge you may gain from listening. After all we're talking about poison candy, apples with razor blades and canceling Halloween. I hope you listen and enjoy the ep...
Oct 30, 2025•22 min
🎃Tales of Medieval Revenge by Edgar Allan Poe🎃 Executive Producer: ⭐Lilac Square Antiques & Books 💰Become a Producer! DONATE to the show via PayPal , or use Venmo You can also donate with Stripe On this Medieval Archives Halloween Special we're listening to two tales of revenge by the the master of gothic horror, Edgar Allan Poe. This isn't the first time Poe has made an appearance on Medieval Archive. I love Poe's work, one of my favorite stories is "The Tell-Tale Heart." It's not mediev...
Oct 27, 2025•44 min•Ep. 96
🇫🇷 John the Fearless and the Bloody Fight for France 🇫🇷 Executive Producer: ⭐Two Anonymous Producers (Thank you! you know who you are) 💰Become a Producer! DONATE to the show via PayPal , or use Venmo You can also donate with Stripe John the Fearless ( 1371-1419) 14th century France was in utter turmoil, torn apart by an insane king, multiple assassinations, a failed Crusade, a brutal civil war, and a new, devastating phase of the Hundred Years' War. The country was on the brink of collapse....
Oct 13, 2025•30 min•Ep. 95
🇻🇦 The Papal Conclave🇻🇦 💰Become a Producer! DONATE to the show via PayPal , or use Venmo You can also donate with Stripe Pope Francis died on 21 Apr 2025 starting a process established in the Middle Ages. Learn all about the Medieval origins of the Papal Conclave and watch as it unfolds in modern Italy during the Papal Conclave of 2025. Once a Pope dies the Vatican enters a period called Sede Vacante , (Vacant Seat). Then the process of the Papal Conclave is started. Pope Gregory X issued t...
Apr 29, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Executive Producer: ⭐ Helle Hagenau 🏹 Robin Hood 🏹 in the Movies The story of Robin Hood is over 600 years old. An Outlaw from English folklore and a hero to the people, Robin Hood has inspired countless poems, books and movies. Robin Hood first appeared in the poem Piers Plowman, written around 1377. His band of Merry Men, Will Scarlett, Little John and Much the Miller’s son, began to appear in the 15th century. Friar Tuck first appeared in the 1450 story titled Robin Hood and the Sheriff of ...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Executive Producer: ⭐ Helle Hagenau A day trip to Canterbury is a a popular choice for tourists visiting England and London and for good reason, it's a great city! During our European vacation in the Summer of 2024 we had a free day and decided to take a modern day pilgrimage to Canterbury and Canterbury Cathedral. We decided not to walk the Pilgrim's Way though, instead traveling by train to Canterbury. There were learning lessons for the kids (even on summer break), pubs for the adults and lot...
Mar 10, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 92
It's time for our 🎃Halloween🎃 episode! This year we are looking at... The Devil's Bible Codex Gigas "Giant book" lives up to it’s name measuring over 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, 9 inches thick, over 300 fully illuminated pages and weighing in at 170 pounds! Legend has it the book was written in one night, by a single monk condemned to death, who sold his soul to the Devil to complete the work. As a gift to the devil the monk put a two foot illustration of the devil in the book. The unknown origi...
Oct 28, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Have you ever seen an eclipse? I’ve seen numerous lunar eclipses and I’ve seen a few partial solar eclipse, but never a total solar eclipse. On 08 April 2024, Mexico, the United States and Canada will experience a total solar eclipse. It’s the first one in 7 years and the last one for 20 years. The next total solar eclipse in North America will be in 2044. Europe won’t be in the path of the 2024 eclipse but, if you live in Europe you won’t have to wait long for a total eclipse. There’s one on th...
Apr 08, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Medievalist and Art Historian Dr. Amy Jeffs joins the show to discuss her books Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain and Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain In Amy’s first book, Storyland she examines the origins of Britain from Noah’s flood to the Norman invasion. And there are some good stories to tell, including the incredible story of Albina, who ruled Britain, was seduced by demons and gave birth to a race of giants. In her second book titled Wild takes you on a journey from desolation...
Feb 28, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Professor and author Nicolas Morton joins the podcast to discuss his book, The Crusader States and their Neighbours . The Crusader States were founded during the First Crusade. The Crusaders conquered the land and claimed it as their own. There were four Crusader States established during the First Crusade; The County of Edessa, The County of Tripoli, the Principal of Antioch and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. For almost 200 years the Crusaders States grew and thrived…or did they? That’s why we have ...
Jan 29, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 88
We are embarking on a new podcasting adventure! Medieval Tales Podcast will be released every Tuesday and Thursday and feature medieval themed classic novels. The first book in the series is: The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson The Black Arrow: A Tale of Two Roses is the 1888 historical adventure novel. Set in fifteenth century England during the Wars of the Roses, the story revolves around Richard (Dick) Shelton as he becomes knighted, rescues his beloved Joanna Sedley, and finds justice ...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 302
Welcome to the Medieval Tales podcast, well, to the trailer at least. Do you love reading classic novels set in the Middle Ages. Stories of brave Knights and epic battles, royal intrigue and life in a castle? Is it getting harder to find time to sit down and read a good book? With all the cooking and cleaning and commuting. Maybe you have the time and aren’t sure what to read next. Whatever the situation, Medieval Tales Podcast has you covered. We’ve curated some of the best Medieval themed clas...
Jan 11, 2024•1 min•Season 1Ep. 302
Professor and author Nicolas Morton joins the podcast to discuss his book, The Mongol Storm . The Mongol Empire rose to power in the early 1200s, founded by Genghis Khan. At it’s peak the Empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea, encompassing Korea, Mongolia, China, Russia and portions of Eastern Europe and the Near East. Nic’s new book The Mongol Storm covers the Mongol Empire and their influence in the near east. We discuss the rise of the Mongol Empire, what their society look...
Jul 17, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 87
It’s Halloween again, the air turns colder, the nights grow darker and spirits roam in the shadows. On this year’s Halloween episode we are traveling to the Emerald Isle. In 1324 Kilkenny, Ireland witnessed it’s first witchcraft trial and the first execution carried out by burning at the stake. Alice Kyteler was a popular, beautiful inn keeper who's husbands had a bad habit of dying mysterious deaths. Her fourth and final husband, certain Alice was poisoning him, told his children and the church...
Oct 25, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Mudlarks A mudlark is defined as someone who digs or searches in in river or harbor mud for items of value. The term was widely used in 18th and 19th century London. Mudlarks would search the shores of the River Thames during low tide to find valuable items and sell them for a profit. Being a mudlark back then was usually a job for those in extreme poverty. Today things are different. Mudlarks in the 21st century aren't finding and selling items to survive, they are helping document and preserve...
Mar 01, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 85
When people think of the Middle Ages one of the first images that pops into their head is a knight in shining armor. Knights are synonymous with the Middle Ages. Slaying dragons, saving damsels in distress, but beyond the fairy tales are the real life knights. Men who sacrificed and endlessly trained to earn the title of Knight. On this episode of the Medieval Archives podcast I’m joined by historian and author Christopher Gravett to discuss The Medieval Knight. Chris is a former curator at the ...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 84
The witching season is upon us once again. Past Halloweens we’ve covered a Medieval Serial Killer , Medieval Zombies and more. All the Halloween episodes are available on the Halloween Podcast page . This Halloween we are looking at haunted castles from the Middle Ages. Castles We’ll visit a handful of castles around England and one in Ireland. Most of the castles today are in Northern England and one isn’t a castle. We’ll start out at Whitby Abbey and make our way north to Alnwick Castle and th...
Oct 27, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 83
The Viking Age VIKINGS! The scourge of the early middle ages. Vikings raided England, Ireland and Europe with a ferocity never seen before. On this episode we’re going to look at a few Vikings that you may not have heard of, or know much about. One of them should be taught in every school in America and Europe. They are portrayed as blood thirsty killers who pillage and plunder, but they were also adventuring explorers who discovered new lands and some even set aside their Viking ways to adapt ...
Sep 03, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 82
John II: King of France 1350-1364 King John II of France, called The Good. John ruled during a tumultuous time, the Plague was in full force killing large parts of France’s population, the Hundred Years’ War was raging and France was in financial trouble. With all that going on how did John get dubbed, The Good? We’ll take a look at his rise to the throne, his exploits in battle and on the home front to see if he was truly a good king. John II: Prisoner of War King John II and his son Philip The...
Jul 29, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Fight For Profit Soldiers in the Middle Ages fought for King and Country. But what did they do when the wars ended? Not all soldiers retired back to a life of farming or trade. Some men wanted to continue fighting and they fought for profit Medieval Mercenaries rose to prominence in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Mercenary Companies were made up of men from every corner of Europe; Germany, France, England, Spain, Scandinavia, Italy. Mercenary Companies The Mercenaries formed companies, small (...
Jul 14, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 80
We hit a milestone this month for the Medieval Archives Podcast. Ten years of podcasting! Unfortunately the podcast hit an unexpected and lengthy hiatus. But we are coming back this summer! Along with the 10 year anniversary is a fresh new website. And we're removing all the ads from the website as well! The new website and renewed podcast will remain ad-free! There are great lessons ready and planned, looking at the history and tragedy of Notre Dame cathedral, Medieval Mercenaries, Vikings, the...
Jun 30, 2020•5 min•Season 1Ep. 302
In today's lesson we are joined by author Wayne Bartlett to discuss Richard the Lionheart! Wayne's new book Richard the Lionheart: The Crusader King of England is available through Amberley Publishing. It's an excellent biography and the first biography of Richard the Lionheart in over 40 years! Wayne and I discuss Richard's upbringing, the Crusades and his war in France. We also cover the women in his life; his powerful mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, the rejected Alice of France and his wife Ber...
May 03, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Today's lesson features a talk with historian and author Stephen Spinks. Stephen's new book Edward II The Man: A Doomed Inheritance was recently published by Amberley Publishing. Edward II The Man is an in-depth biography of an often overlooked medieval king. Stephen and I talk about his work with the National Trust, his writing and his new book. It's a fantastic talk and I have a whole new outlook on Edward II, his reign and his fate. You can also read a Q&A post with Stephen about his book...
Jan 30, 2018•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 78
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! The Great Plague or Black Death ravaged Europe in the 14th century, killing around 200 million people. No one was immune to the Plague! But as we'll find out in today's episode one man thought his wealth could keep him safe. Today on the Halloween inspired episode we are going to listen to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. It's a story of the lower class suffering while the Nobles stay safe in their castle…but with Poe there is always a twist… The creepy cool backgr...
Oct 30, 2017•20 min•Season 1Ep. 77
We have a special episode today of medieval inspired music! Ian Churchward and his band The Legendary 10 Seconds write music about Richard III and the Wars of the Roses. Today we are showcasing one of their albums Tant le Desiree, the second album in the Richard III saga. You can find all their music at thelegendary10seconds.co.uk Ian and his band have a new album out called Sunnes and Roses, which focuses on the Wars of the Roses. Head over to their website and check out all their great music! ...
Aug 30, 2017•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Ever wonder how medieval people dealt with natural disasters? No Red Cross or FEMA to come in and help clean up. Earthquakes and Tsunamis are some of the most destructive forces in nature. It's estimated there are over 500,000 earthquakes each year and over 100,000 of them can be felt. Earthquakes in the Middle Ages are some of the most destructive in history. Today on the Medieval Archives Podcast we'll discuss Medieval Earthquakes! We'll see where they hit, the devastation they caused and how ...
Apr 20, 2017•19 min•Season 1Ep. 75
In 1242 the Teutonic Knights were conquering lands to the east into Novgorod. Pope Gregory IX blessed the Knights in their Crusade to rid Novgorod of the orthodox pagans. Alexander Nevsky and his army had other plans. They intended to defend their country from all invaders. The conflict ended with a fierce battle, called the Battle on the Ice. On a frigid day in April the two armies met on the frozen ice of Lake Peipus. If the Teutonic Knights were victorious they would stamp out the Orthodox re...
Mar 27, 2017•18 min•Season 1Ep. 74
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories written Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387–1400. The tales are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The Miller's Tale is about a carpenter, John, his beautiful wife Alison and two clerks who fall in love with Alison. Today on the Medieval Archives Podcast we'll listen to the Miller's Tale fr...
Mar 13, 2017•58 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Jack Cade's RebellionThe summer of 1450 was full of unrest in England. A failing war in France, political corruption and out of control crime left the citizens of England on edge. One man, Jack Cade, gathered together a band of followers from all classes of life and marched on London. The group presented King Henry VI a list of grievances called 'The Complaint of the Poor Commons of Kent' and demanded the King clean up the corruption and crime. What followed was a summer of battles, looting, dea...
Dec 05, 2016•17 min•Season 1Ep. 72
