The House of Condulmer with Alan Stahl – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 268
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Alan Stahl about life in one of the richest cities in the medieval world, and the fate and fortunes a family who climbed the social ladder to the very top.
Shadow Empires, with Thomas Barfield – Byzantium & Friends, Episode 124
A conversation with Thomas Barfield about a distinctive category of empires that he has proposed in a new book, Shadow Empires: An Alternative Imperial History.
A Holy Blueprint with Karl Kinsella – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 267
This week on The Medieval Podcast, 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 blueprints is such an important contribution to the history of architecture.
The Battle of Lewes (1264) – Bow & Blade, Episode 56
King Henry III faces Simon de Montfort as England falls into civil war. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly talk about the Second Barons’ War, and why Henry and his son Edward lost a battle they should have won.
Ibn Sina and Biruni with S. Frederick Starr – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 266
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 on The Medieval Podcast, 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.
The Fall of Constantinople, Pope Pius II, and the Birth of Europe, with Nancy Bisaha
A conversation with Nancy Bisaha about the origins of the idea of “Europe” as a place of identity and not just geography. One of its first theorists was the Italian humanist Aeneas Piccolomini (later Pope Pius II), who was in part reacting to the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. The problem of whom to include and exclude as Europeans was there from the start. We talk about Aeneas himself and the siege of the City.
The Otherworld with Lisa Bitel – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 265
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 on The Medieval Podcast, 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.
Latin Words in Ancient and Byzantine Greek, with Eleanor Dickey
Byzantium & Friends, Episode 122: A conversation with Eleanor Dickey on Latin words in ancient and Byzantine Greek. Eleanor has tracked them down and compiled them in a specialized dictionary, where she also offers new arguments about when, how, and why they were borrowed by Greek-speakers. It reaches down to 600 AD, but many of them survived later too, even into modern spoken Greek.
Bad Chaucer with Tison Pugh – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 264
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 on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Tison Pugh about the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
Medieval Riga with Kevin O’Connor – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 263
This week on The Medieval Podcast, 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.
The Green Ages with Annette Kehnel – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 262
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 on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Annette Kehnel about the way medieval communities shared, recycled, and even upcycled.
Henry V with Dan Jones – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 261
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 on The Medieval Podcast, 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.
The Eagle and the Hart with Helen Castor – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 260
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 on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Helen Castor about these rival cousins, the events that shaped them, and how an anointed king could lose his hollow crown.
Charlemagne with Cullen Chandler – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 259
What’s so great about Charlemagne? We’re about to find out. This week on The Medieval Podcast, 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.
When Did Jousting Become Obsolete? Bow & Blade, Episode 55
In this episode, Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries answer your questions about medieval warfare.
September Book Roundup – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 258
What’s new and beautiful and hitting the medieval history section of the bookshop? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle shares six new books spanning art, gunpowder, translation, and medicine in the Middle Ages.
Medieval Falconry with Yannis Hadjinicolaou
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 on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Yannis Hadjinicolaou about why falconry was so widely beloved, and such a popular metaphor for both love and power.
Forging a Kingdom in the 11th century with Simon Doubleday – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 256
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 on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Simon Doubleday about the ways in which Queen Sancha and King Fernando I shaped northern Spain and Portugal.
Feminist Medievalisms with Usha Vishnuvajjala – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 255
This week on The Medieval Podcast, 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.
The Battle of Bryn Glas (1402) – Bow & Blade, Episode 54
At the beginning of the 15th century, Owain Glyndŵr would lead a Welsh rebellion against King Henry IV of England. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly examine one of the key battles of that war.
Travel Through Medieval Eyes with Anthony Bale – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 254
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 on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Anthony Bale about the ins and outs of medieval travel, and some of the wild stories of journeys gone wrong.
Hunting Fake History with Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 253
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 on The Medieval Podcast, 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.
Medieval Beards and Baldness with Joseph McAlhany
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.
Crusader Criminals with Steve Tibble
This week on The Medieval Podcast, 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.