Diabolus in Musica: Did the Medieval Church Believe that the Tritone Could Summon the Devil?
From terrifying medieval depictions of Satan to the enduring myth of the “Devil’s interval,” this article uncovers what people really believed about the tritone and its place in medieval music.
The Medieval Folktale of St. Prokop of Sázava
Discover the extraordinary folk traditions surrounding St. Prokop of Sázava, a medieval Czech saint whose legend includes demon expulsions, devotion to the Slavonic rite, and a ghostly return to defend his monastery.
Work, Prayer and Service: The Beguines of Medieval Paris
A detailed look at the beguines of medieval Paris, examining their origins, royal support, daily life, and the debates their unconventional religious vocation sparked.
Le Boucicaut: A Medieval French Marshal in Byzantium
Explore the remarkable journey of Boucicaut, the medieval French marshal whose 1399–1400 expedition to Byzantium placed him at the centre of crusading politics and Ottoman-Byzantine conflict
Medieval Metamorphosis: Bera and Her Magical Meal
A look at the cannibalistic enchantment in Hrólfs saga kraka and what it reveals about magic, sympathetic rites, and late medieval Icelandic culture.
The Best Medieval Insults
Explore authentic medieval insults—witty, crude, and revealing—from chronicles, court records, and literary texts across the Middle Ages.
Best Medieval Books of 2025
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: time to celebrate the best medieval books of 2025. This week, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny, editor of Medievalists.net, about their favourite reads this year – and she announces some exciting news about the future of The Medieval Podcast.
New Medieval Books: The Très Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry
The Très Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry: The Masterpiece of Medieval Illumination Edited by Mathieu Deldicque Rizzoli Electa ISBN: 978-0-8478-7597-9 The…
Medieval Time: Candles, Sundials, Clocks, and Stars
How did medieval people tell time? What devices did they use to mark its passage?
New Medieval Books: The Labyrinth of Fortune
This fifteenth-century epic, presented with both its text and translation, offers a journey akin to Dante’s Divine Comedy—yet beneath its allegory lies a pointed commentary on the turmoil gripping Castile during this period.
Online Medieval Courses: Black Friday Sale
Interested in taking an online course about the Middle Ages? Now is the time, as we are having our Black Friday sale.
Musical Retribution: The Medieval Tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin
A look into the medieval folk tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin and what occurred in the thirteenth-century German town of Hamelin.
Why the Death Penalty Was Rare in Medieval Europe
Discover why the death penalty was rare in medieval Europe, as courts relied on fines, banishment, and royal pardons instead of routine execution.
New Medieval Books: Behold the Bird in Flight
A coming-of-age story and a royal love triangle marked by danger and longing, based on real events in medieval France and England.
The Medieval Moon with Ayoush Lazikani
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Ayoush Lazikani about what – and who – medieval people across the world believed the moon to be.
All for the Want of a Warhorse: Horse Breeding and Royal Warfare in Thirteenth-Century England
Edward I responded to England’s medieval warhorse shortage with export bans, foreign purchases, and an expanded royal stud system. His policies show how crucial trained warhorses were to military campaigns in Wales, Scotland, and on the Continent.
Online Course: The Art of the Middle Ages in Europe
Beginning Tuesday, November 18th, this four-week online course explores the architecture, paintings, and decorative arts from different nations during the medieval period using a multicultural and intersectional approach.
The Most Unusual Names in Medieval London
Looking for a medieval name for your child? Discover twenty of the most unusual names recorded in medieval London — rare, beautiful choices that once graced the city’s streets.
Medieval England’s Coin-Clipping Scandal: The 1279 Mass Execution of Jews
Discover how a medieval panic over coin-clipping in 1278–79 sparked mass arrests, harsh trials, and the execution of hundreds of Jews in Edward I’s England. The article traces the commissions, procedures, and consequences that followed.
What Do Economists and Assassins Have in Common?
An examination of the economic pressures behind the medieval Assassins, from costly fortresses to the financial realities that influenced their role as hired killers.
How Carpenters Built Medieval England
New research on medieval carpenters shows how they lived, worked, travelled, and transformed building practices in later medieval England.
The Language of Heresy with Erin Wagner
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Erin Wagner about what late medieval people meant when they used the word heresy, how the usage evolved, and how medieval people applied ideas of heresy beyond the borders of Christianity.
The Unusual Status of the Unborn Child in Medieval Valais
Medieval Valais developed distinctive laws on the unborn child, combining Roman legal traditions and Christian beliefs to shape inheritance rights, baptismal requirements, and ideas of life before birth.
Music and Musicians in the Medieval Persianate World
Explore how medieval Persian musicians blended art, theory, and performance through two remarkable texts that reveal the sounds and social world of music.
