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.
From Monsters to the Earldom of Mar, with Katy Jack
Katy Jack began her studies of Scottish history by wanting to research Mary, Queen of Scots or the Loch Ness Monster, but her journey as a historian took her to the politics of medieval Scotland and the Earldom of Mar. In this episode of Scotichronicast, she joins Kate Buchanan to talk about being a historian of medieval Scotland.
Western Fantasies about Byzantium, with Elena Boeck
A conversation about western fantasies, orientalism, and the making of Byzantium, with Elena Boeck
Bruce, Wallace and Scottish Chivalry with Callum Watson
Two of the most important works from medieval Scotland are The Bruce, by John Barbour and The Wallace, by Blind Hary. In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate Buchanan is joined by Callum Watson to discuss what these works have to say about Scottish chivalry, and also on Callum’s journey to studying the medieval history of Scotland.
Medieval Princesses, with Kelcey Wilson-Lee
Did medieval princesses live that typical fairy-tale role? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle talks with Kelcey Wilson-Lee, author of Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of Edward I, to learn about how these English princesses actually lived during the Middle Ages.
The study of ethnic identities in Byzantium and beyond, with Brian Swain
This episode tackles listeners’ questions about Byzantine ethnic identities. How do groups within the Byzantine Empire change their identities? How are new identities born and old ones lost? How did the ancient Greeks become Romans and when did that become an ethnic identity? Where does genealogy and biology fit into all this? What happened to the Romans of the west? What did the Byzantines call their state and language? What does modern Romania have to do with Byzantine Romanía?
Medieval Bodies with Jack Hartnell
From manuscripts to wash basins, medieval objects can tell us a lot about how people conceived of the world. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Dr. Jack Hartnell about what objects can tell us about the Middle Ages, medicine, and especially medieval bodies.
Environmental History and the Fall of Rome, with Kristina Sessa
Kristina Sessa discusses non-human causes of change – like climate and disease – that are being emphasized more than ever in the history of Late Antiquity and Early Byzantium.
Preventing the Misuse of the Medieval Past with Amy Kaufman and Paul Sturtevant
There are those who abuse the medieval past in order to promote ideas of racism, white supremacism, and other toxic ideologies. To counter these views, Amy S. Kaufman and Paul B. Sturtevant have written The Devil’s Historians: How Modern Extremists Abuse the Medieval Past. They join Danièle on The Medieval Podcast to talk about their work and how the Middle Ages was more diverse, compelling, and complex than is often portrayed in mass media.
Medieval Scottish Queens, with Amy Hayes
What can we learn about queens in medieval Scotland? In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate Buchanan is joined by Amy Hayes to talk about queens and becoming a medieval historian.
The Monks of Bury St Edmunds
What was life really like within a medieval monastery? This week on The Medieval Podcast Danièle is joined by Peter Konieczny to take a look at the Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds. Written by Jocelin of Brakelond at the turn of the thirteenth century, it’s a surprising story of money, power and gossip within the abbey.
Anastasius the Librarian, the greatest enemy of Byzantium you probably haven’t heard of, with Réka Forrai
Meet Anastasius the Librarian, one of the most fascinating controversialists of the ninth century. A native of Rome, scholar of Greek, and (probably) anti-pope for all of three days, he was no friend of Byzantium. He disliked and mistrusted “the Greeks” and argued that they were not Romans as they thought. His arguments have held sway in the west ever since.
The Colonial Fourth Crusade, with George Demacopoulos
Was the Fourth Crusade an act of colonialism? This episode of Byzantium & Friends features an interview with George Demacopoulos, author of Colonizing Christianity: Greek and Latin Religious Identity in the Era of the Fourth Crusade.
Books about the Middle Ages – Favourite Series
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle recommends her favourite series of primary sources for those people who want to read the voices of the Middle Ages in friendly editions. From Latin sources, to Middle English, to modern English translations, these recommended series bring medieval writers to modern readers.
Scottish Charters: A Window to Medieval Personal Lives
Kate Buchanan is joined by Linsey Hunter to discuss Linsey’s journey to studying medieval Scottish history her work on charters and some recent research focusing on the Mearns.
Ethnicity and empire in China and Byzantium, with Shao-yun Yang and Ying Zhang
How do imperial societies talk about barbarian or ethnic groups?
Medieval Inventions
Many people seem to have the misguided idea that the medieval era was a time in which science and technology were all but forgotten. For the 75th episode of the podcast, Danièle talks with Peter Konieczny about ten medieval inventions that changed the world.