In the dark forests of the Middle Ages – and the modern stories we tell about it – lurks a powerful, beautiful predator. Sometimes big and bad, sometimes a figure of admiration, the medieval wolf was such a big part of English culture, that it found its way not just into stories, but into the language itself. This week, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Marshall about where we find wolves in medieval sources, how early English writers saw them, and how wolves both add to – and steal – language.
Elizabeth Marshall, who did her PhD at the University of St Andrews, is a leading expert on wolves in the Middle Ages. Check out her website, Words on Wolves
In the dark forests of the Middle Ages – and the modern stories we tell about it – lurks a powerful, beautiful predator. Sometimes big and bad, sometimes a figure of admiration, the medieval wolf was such a big part of English culture, that it found its way not just into stories, but into the language itself. This week, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Marshall about where we find wolves in medieval sources, how early English writers saw them, and how wolves both add to – and steal – language.
Elizabeth Marshall, who did her PhD at the University of St Andrews, is a leading expert on wolves in the Middle Ages. Check out her website, Words on Wolves
Elizabeth’s new book is Wolves in Beowulf and Other Old English Texts
The creator and host of The Medieval Podcast is Danièle Cybulskie. Click here to visit her website or follow her on BlueSky @5minmedievalist.bsky.social
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