Harald Hardrada: Apprentice Warlord
We now turn to explore the events, as well as the political and cultural contexts of Harald’s burgeoning military career.
Carolingian and Byzantine practices of empire compared, with Jennifer Davis
A conversation with Jennifer Davis on the study of empire in a medieval context, contrasting the different ways in which Charlemagne and the Byzantine emperors ran theirs. What do we mean by empire after all?
Byzantine soft power in an age of decline, with Cecily Hilsdale
A conversation with Cecily Hilsdale about the coping strategies that late Byzantium used to counter, ameliorate, and reverse its imperial decline.
The man who should have lost the Battle of Hastings: The Saga of Swegen Godwinson
Shouldn’t Swegen have arisen to the English kingship in 1066 and been defending the throne at Stamford Bridge and Hastings?
‘The Worthiest Man’: The story of Count Philip I of Flanders
Philip I Count of Flanders was one of the most controversial nobles in twelfth-century France. His choleric temperament was equaled only by his reputation in many historical and literary works. Where he went, trouble and greatness followed.
The peoples of the Caucasus between Rome, Iran, and the steppe, with Garth Fowden
A conversation with Garth Fowden about how the peoples of the Caucasus – Armenians, Georgians, and Albanians – coped with living between two empires, how those empires sought to intervene in their region, and the cultural and religious changes that took place there during the first half of the first millennium. This episode demonstrates the illuminating ways in which global and regional history can be combined.
Edward I and the Tale of Two Audiences
Edward I and the Tale of Two Audiences Paper by Kathleen Neal Given at Mortimer History Society online conference on May 15, 2021…
Christian-Muslim Diplomacy – Gestures and Words: European Ambassadors and the Mamluk Sultanate
I would like to deal with the instructions given by Christian powers to their ambassadors sent to the Mamluk sultanate.
Canossa, 1077: Emperor vs Pope, with Blair Apgar
When it came to power in medieval Europe, much of it rested in the hands of kings and popes. But what happened when they decided not to share it? This week on The Medieval Podcast Danièle speaks with Blair Apgar about the dramatic clash of emperor versus pope at Canossa in 1077.
John of Gaunt with Helen Carr
Diplomat, soldier, prince, adulterer. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Helen Carr about one of the most colourful and powerful figures of the late Middle Ages: John of Gaunt.
Witch Hunts in Medieval England: The Trial of Walter Langton
In 1301 Walter Langton, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, was accused of using sorcery to acquire a large fortune and gain the favour of the king. His lengthy and inconclusive trial shows that accusations of witchcraft made at this time were often motivated by politics rather than fear
Revolting Scots: Rebels or National Enemy? Crown Communications and Public Perceptions in Early Fourteenth-Century England
Andy King talks about the views of the Scots within England during the early 14th century.
New study strengthens claims Richard III murdered ‘the Princes in the Tower’
King Richard III’s involvement in one of the most notorious and emotive mysteries in English history may be a step closer to being confirmed following a new study by Professor Tim Thornton of the University of Huddersfield.
Medieval Scandinavia: The Downfall of the Kalmar Union
For the ninth and last article in the series, Beñat Elortza Larrea explores the internal tensions and conflicts that caused the dissolution of the Kalmar Union.
King Richard III with Chris Skidmore
Love him or hate him, Richard III is a king that has captured people’s imaginations ever since his death on the battlefield at Bosworth. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Chris Skidmore about the man he calls England’s most controversial king.
Medieval Scandinavia: War, Plague, and the Beginning of the Kalmar Union
Beñat Elortza Larrea discusses the ravages of famine, warfare and disease in fourteenth-century Scandinavia, culminating with the formation of the Kalmar Union in 1397.
From Macbeth to Malcolm III and the Right to be King, with Marian Toledo
The eleventh-century would see the reigns of the two well-known Scottish kings – Macbeth and Malcolm III. Their story would be immortalized by Shakespeare, but what can we learn about their history? Marian Toledo joins Kate Buchanan to discuss Marian’s journey to studying medieval Scottish history and her work on Malcolm III”s right to rule Scotland.
The White Ship Disaster, with Charles Spencer
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Charles Spencer about the 900th anniversary of one of those pivotal moments that sent shockwaves through history: the White Ship disaster.
Child Emperor vs Empress Dowager: Regency in the Western Xia
Court intrigue and poison plots were rife, policy swung from one direction to the other, and geopolitical relations were put under severe strain.
The Political Opposition to Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118)
Byzantium in the 11th century was marked by the struggle between the bureaucracy and the military landed aristocracy. The seizure of power by Alexios I was, therefore, the final victory of the latter.
The Upstart King: Jingzong of Xia
The headstrong and ambitious ruler of an underdog state, Jingzong’s bold military and civil policies reached into almost every aspect of Xia life.
Dreaming of Constantinople after the Failed Ottoman Siege of Vienna
The failure of the Ottoman campaign against Vienna in 1529 had further consequences beyond the center of the conflict. This event seems to have given new hope to traumatized Christian rulers and their subjects that perhaps the Ottoman armies could be halted from their steady advances into Europe.
What was a (royal) bastard good for, anyways?
As we have explored throughout this series that family was of paramount importance to the twelfth century English aristocracy.
The Hundred Years War Revisited: The End of the Beginning
The end of the Hundred Years’ War came about due to successful political and military reforms effectively implemented by Charles VII, and a series of devastating blunders and mismanagement by his counterpart Henry V.
The Struggle for Power within the Mamluk Sultanate
The Mamluks had a long tradition of deposing and/or killing their own rulers. Only a few sultans could meet the challenges posed by revolts, civil wars, and internal struggles.