The Feast of Fools, with Max Harris
January 1st is the Feast of Fools, notoriously a time of drunkenness and debauchery in the medieval church. But was it really? This…
The monastic experience, with Alice-Mary Talbot
A conversation with Alice-Mary Talbot on the experience of communal monastic life in Byzantium, ranging from its organization and rules to its religious goals, engagement with society, and differences between monasteries for men and women.
The Best Books about the Middle Ages from 2020
Maybe unlike other years, 2020 is not one that we want to reflect on, particularly, and yet there were a few good things to come out of this year – namely books. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny about some of the year’s best books.
Gunpowder in Medieval Europe with Dan Spencer
How did the arrival of gunpowder in medieval Europe change warfare? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Dan Spencer about this technology, and the changes it brought not only to the battlefield but in other aspects of medieval society.
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.
Hagia Sophia rediscovered, with Bissera Pentcheva
A conversation with Bissera Pentcheva about the sensory and spiritual experience of Hagia Sophia, where architecture, sound, and light met theology and prayer, based on her book Hagia Sophia: Sound, Space, and Spirit in Byzantium.
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.
Manuscripts, databases, and the joys of Byzantine literature, with Dave Jenkins
A conversation with Dave Jenkins about how we read (and how to enjoy) Byzantine literature, from digitized manuscripts and online databases to the pleasures of Byzantine prose.
Margaret Tudor, Paleography, and the Scots Language, with Helen Newsome
Kate Buchanan is joined by Helen Newsome to discuss Helen’s journey to studying medieval Scottish history, her work on Margaret Tudor’s letters, and…
The kingdom of Rus’ and medieval Europe, with Christian Raffensperger
A conversation with Christian Raffensperger about the kingdom of Rus’ and our concept of “medieval Europe,” its potential and current limitations, based on his book The Kingdom of Rus’.
The Merchant of Prato
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to discuss The Merchant of Prato and the lives of Francesco and Margherita Datini. Their story from 14th century Italy comes from one of the richest document finds ever made!
The study of Byzantine skeletons, with Chryssa Bourbou
A conversation with Chryssa Bourbou on what we learn from health and society in Byzantium from the study of skeletal remains.
Medieval Scottish Deer Parks and Beyond, with Kevin Malloy
Kate Buchanan is joined by Kevin Malloy to discuss Kevin’s journey to studying medieval Scottish history, his work on medieval deer parks, and how researching medieval Scottish history can lead to other work.
The Three Caskets
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle tells the medieval story of The Three Caskets from the Gesta Romanorum, a tale more familiar to theatre and literature fans all over the world as a central plot device in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.
Slavery in Late Antiquity and Byzantium, with Noel Lenski
A conversation with Noel Lenski on “slave societies” and how the institution of slavery changed in Late Antiquity and Byzantium. Were tasks performed by slaves in antiquity carried out by free people in Late Antiquity? What were the experiences of Byzantines who were themselves captured in raids and taken outside the empire?
The Fourth Crusade, as told by Robert de Clari
The Fourth Crusade is best known for being the campaign that attacked the Byzantine Empire in 1204. In this episode of The Medieval Podcast, Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to talk about Robert de Clari, who wrote one of the accounts of this unusual crusade. What did this French knight say about how the crusaders went from wanting to attack the Holy Land to conquering Constantinople?
Armenian Art, with Christina Maranci
A conversation about Armenian art – ancient and Christian – with Christina Maranci, based on her book The Art of Armenia: An Introduction.
Medieval Eels with John Wyatt Greenlee
Medieval historians can sometimes study quirky things. For John Wyatt Greenlee it is researching eels in the Middle Ages. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Surprised Eel Historian about the impact of this fish on the medieval world – who was eating them, how they were eating them, and why they were sometimes a great way to pay the rent.
The Scotichronicast Halloween Special
A donkey, a dragon, a headless ghost, and a spider walk into a podcast. Kate Buchanan is joined by Lizzie Swarbrick and Callum Watson for a lighthearted telling of some stories where the supernatural and medieval Scotland meet (if only slightly).
Theophano: A Byzantine Tale, with Spyros Theocharis and Chrysa Sakel
A conversation with Spyros Theocharis and Chrysa Sakel, artists and creators of a graphic novel about a tenth-century Byzantine empress, Theophano: A Byzantine Tale.
Medieval Medicine: Does it work? with Joe Alcock
There’s talk in the news from time to time about the surprising efficacy of medieval medicine. Does it actually work? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with emergency physician and wilderness medicine expert Dr. Joe Alcock about which medieval remedies really could work in a pinch, and why.
Medieval Women Who Built Things, with Rachel Delman
Rachel Delman researches medieval women who were involved in building projects. In this episode of Scotichronicast, she joins Kate Buchanan to talk about her work and her journey to studying medieval Scottish history.
Marriage, Adultery and Divorce in the Middle Ages with Bridget Wells-Furby
Marriage was an important part of many medieval women’s lives, but not all marriages followed the neat path that the church had laid out for them. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Dr. Bridget Wells-Furby about fourteenth-century heiress Lucy de Thweng and what her story can tell us about medieval marriage, adultery, and even annulment.
Murders in Medieval London
What happens when someone was murdered in the Middle Ages? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to take a look at the Coroner’s Rolls from 14th century London. These records offer many insights into violent deaths, detailing the who, what, where, when and sometimes why of murders that took place within the city.
An antidote to toxic medievalism, with Amy Kaufman and Paul Sturtevant
A conversation with Amy Kaufman and Paul Sturtevant about their book The Devil’s Historians: How Modern Extremists Abuse the Medieval Past.