One of the clearest and most enduring legacies of the Middle Ages is the beautiful buildings left behind. Many of these buildings were devoted to God, using blueprints that no longer exist. But one of the most famous – and famously confusing – sets of architectural instructions was set out in the Bible, itself. This week, Danièle speaks with Karl Kinsella about the great twelfth-century scholar Richard of St. Victor, his efforts to make the vision of Ezekiel clear, and why this set of biblical b...
Nov 28, 2024•44 min•Ep. 267
Experimenting, translating, and philosophizing about physics and metaphysics, biology and geology, two great thinkers from Central Asia stand out both for their achievements, and their completely opposite points of view. This week, Danièle speaks with S. Frederick Starr about the work and the lives of Ibn Sina (aka Avicenna) and Biruni, their contributions to science and culture, and the reason they outright despised each other. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon...
Nov 21, 2024•48 min•Ep. 266
A place of supernatural encounters both incredibly good and spectacularly bad, the Otherworld featured in stories and songs throughout the Middle Ages, especially on the storied isle of Ireland. This week, Danièle speaks with Lisa Bitel about what the Otherworld was like, why Otherworldly beings were interested in humankind, and where we find these enchanting stories. Sign up for the online course on The First Crusade at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/first-crusade...
Nov 14, 2024•47 min•Ep. 265
When it comes to classics of literature , it can feel like there’s a lot of pressure to nod along with the crowd and say that some authors are just brilliant, full stop. But sometimes even great literature isn’t so great. This week, Danièle speaks with Tison Pugh about the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. You can support this podcast on Patreon. Go to www.patreon.com/medievalists...
Oct 31, 2024•48 min•Ep. 264
Across the world, there’s no shortage of contested sites where local identities, national identities, and international politics clash, often with high stakes for the people who live there. One of these places is the storied capital of Latvia: Riga. This week, Danièle speaks with Kevin O’Connor about medieval Riga, its tumultuous place as a trading post between West and East – as well as war between bishops and crusaders – and how its medieval history plays out in today’s politics. You can suppo...
Oct 24, 2024•52 min•Ep. 263
New and high-tech solutions for a sustainable future are being proposed on the daily, but what if some of the best ideas actually reside in the past? This week, Danièle speaks with Annette Kehnel about the way medieval communities shared, recycled, and even upcycled. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
Oct 17, 2024•46 min•Ep. 262
Last week, we looked at the story of Richard II and Henry IV, and the way these two cousins wielded the power of the English crown. This week, we round out the cycle that makes up the Hollow Crown by looking at Henry V, a man who many - including this week's guest, Dan Jones - have called England’s greatest warrior king. Check out online courses in medieval studies at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/
Oct 10, 2024•54 min•Ep. 261
Richard II came to the throne as a young child, only to lose it to his cousin Henry IV in 1399. But why did Henry take such drastic action? And what became of the teenage boy who stood up to a crowd of angry peasants and held his own? This week, Danièle speaks with Helen Castor about these rival cousins, the events that shaped them, and how an anointed king could lose his hollow crown. You can listen to this episode ad-free at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists...
Oct 03, 2024•56 min•Ep. 260
What’s so great about Charlemagne? We’re about to find out. This week, Danièle speaks with Cullen Chandler about the reign of Charlemagne, how he ruled such a massive empire, and how he still took the time to care about font. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
Sep 26, 2024•47 min•Ep. 259
What's new and beautiful and hitting the medieval history section of the bookshop? This week, Danièle shares six new books spanning art, gunpowder, translation, and medicine in the Middle Ages. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
Sep 19, 2024•21 min•Ep. 258
In the Middle Ages, falconry was one of the most popular pastimes across the known world. More than just a pleasant diversion in the countryside, it was a way to show status, education, sophistication, and leadership. This week, Danièle speaks with Yannis Hadjinicolaou about why falconry was so widely beloved, and such a popular metaphor for both love and power. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists...
Sep 12, 2024•44 min•Ep. 257
In the eleventh-century, Iberia was in the process of evolving networks of tiny villages into the powerful kingdoms we recognize from the end of the medieval period – sometimes by any means necessary. This week, Danièle speaks with Simon Doubleday about the ways in which Queen Sancha and King Fernando I shaped northern Spain and Portugal. Danièle's online course - Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century - begins on September 6th. Sign up at https://medievalstudies.thinkifi...
Sep 05, 2024•42 min•Ep. 256
When someone evokes the medieval – in conversation or in media – they’re looking for you to feel something. So, the question becomes what are they trying to get you to feel? And how are they accomplishing it? This week, Danièle speaks with Usha Vishnuvajjala about some of the surprising places the medieval world pops up in the modern world, and how it’s perfectly okay to love medieval fiction. Sign up for Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century at https://medievalstudies.t...
Aug 29, 2024•57 min•Ep. 255
As we wrap up another summer vacation season, it's a good time to take a look at the way medieval people travelled for business, pleasure, and their immortal souls. This week, Danièle speaks with Anthony Bale about the ins and outs of medieval travel, and some of the wild stories of journeys gone wrong. Danièle's online course, Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century, starts Friday, September 6th. Sign up at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change...
Aug 22, 2024•46 min•Ep. 254
Ever come across a really amazing historical fact on the internet or in school, and tell it to all your friends, only to find out that it actually isn’t true? This week, Danièle speaks with Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse (aka the Fake History Hunter) about things that never happened, what it’s like to hunt fake history, and what really grinds her gears. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
Aug 08, 2024•53 min•Ep. 253
If we need proof of how wonderful both baldness and beards are, we need only to cast our eyes back to the Middle Ages, where people were writing rhetorical arguments, alliterative poetry, and even learned sermons on the virtues of masculine hair. This week, Danièle speaks with Joseph McAlhany about these hilarious medieval texts, why people wrote them, and how seriously we're supposed to take them. Learn more about Danièle's online course at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity...
Aug 01, 2024•45 min•Ep. 252
People have lots of different words they use to describe crusaders, but for those living in the Holy Land during the crusades, "criminals" might just be the first word that came to mind. This week, Daniele speaks with Steve Tibble about why there was so much crime committed by men who were supposed to be holy warriors, and what people did about it. You can enroll in online medieval studies courses, including one by Daniele, at Thinkific - go to https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/...
Jul 18, 2024•51 min•Ep. 251
In honour of the 250th episode of The Medieval Podcast, Danièle shares some fun and favourite trivia about the Middle Ages collected over five years of podcasting. You can sign up for Danièle's course, Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change
Jul 11, 2024•47 min•Ep. 250
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
Jul 04, 2024•43 min•Ep. 249
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.patreon.com/medievalists
Jun 27, 2024•45 min•Ep. 248
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 think about the early Middle Ages. You can support this podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - go to...
Jun 20, 2024•44 min•Ep. 247
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
Jun 13, 2024•46 min•Ep. 246
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
Jun 06, 2024•54 min•Ep. 245
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-change...
May 30, 2024•49 min•Ep. 244
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 either partially or completely invented, and what this discovery means to our understanding of the Cr...
May 23, 2024•54 min•Ep. 243
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
May 16, 2024•59 min•Ep. 242
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 which storytellers adopted - and adapted - his myth. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go t...
May 02, 2024•49 min•Ep. 241
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
Apr 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 240
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/medievalists
Apr 18, 2024•42 min•Ep. 239
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 illustrated it. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists...
Apr 11, 2024•39 min•Ep. 238
