The Battle of Sluys (1340)
In the early stages of the Hundred Years’ War, the English and French naval forces fight a battle just off the coast of…
Medieval Storytime: Dogs
They’ve been our helpers, protectors, and best friends for thousands of years, but what did people in the Middle Ages think about our canine companions? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle shares some medieval writers’ thoughts about dogs.
At the dawn of Byzantine Studies: Martin Crusius (1526-1607), with Richard Calis
A conversation with Richard Calis about Martin Crusius (aka Kraus: 1526-1607 AD), one of the first philologist-historians who tried to reconstruct Byzantine history from the sources. We talk about his interest in the Greek language and the Ottoman empire, in using Byzantine sources to understand antiquity, and his working methods — all in an era before there was much scholarship to guide him.
Medieval Women’s Letters
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle shares letters written by some of the most iconic women of the Middle Ages, including Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Christine de Pizan.
The Battle of Falkirk (1298)
William Wallace comes up against King Edward I in a fight for Scotland. Will the battle be like what you see in the movie Braveheart? This episode of Bow and Blade has Michael and Kelly looking at the English-Scottish wars of the late 13th century.
The Once and Future Sex with Eleanor Janega
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Eleanor Janega about medieval womanhood, the ideal feminine body in the Middle Ages, and how past perceptions of women’s roles are still affecting society today.
The resilience and agency of rural communities, with Fotini Kondyli
A conversation with Fotini Kondyli about our changing picture of rural communities in late Byzantium. We talk about resilience in times of crisis — the fourteenth century was not an easy one! — and about how we can reimagine and restore the power and agency of these rural non-elites. We also talk about survey archaeology, one of our main tools for accessing these communities.
An ExtraMedieval Crossover
This week, Danièle previews her new podcast ExtraMedieval in a crossover episode covering The Feast of the Swan, medieval guide dogs, and how modern research on animals can help us think more deeply about the Middle Ages.
Why was 11th-century England so conquerable?
The fifth Q&A episode of Bow and Blade. Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries answer your questions. Topics include: Kings on the battlefield, Brunanburh, Richard III, raids from Iberia, and who would be the medieval person to share a drink with.
Scotichronicast: The Finale
With Episode 51, Scotichronicast comes to an end. In this finale, Kate Buchanan and Lucy Dean review the success of the Scotichronicast and what they hope to see in future research on medieval Scotland.
Women’s labor, with Anna Kelley
A conversation with Anna Kelley about women’s labor and occupations in the Roman and later Roman Empire. It turns out that they may have engaged in more types of business and workshop production, especially in textile manufacture and marketing, than contemporary gender norms suggest.
Women in the Crusades with Helen Nicholson
From supplying food and medical treatment, to lending emotional and financial support, to occasionally engaging in combat, women were to be found in and around every major conflict of the Middle Ages. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Helen J. Nicholson about the role of women in the most famous clashes of the medieval period: the crusades.
The Decline of Serfdom with Mark Bailey
We know that many people were unfree serfs in the Middle Ages, but what does serfdom actually mean? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Mark Bailey about medieval serfs, their place in society, and the true catalyst for the decline and fall of serfdom in England.
Dragons! with Scott Bruce
A conversation with Scott Bruce about dragons, ancient, medieval, and early modern, from around the world. Where did our “canonical” image of the dragon come from? What other kinds of dragons existed? What did dragons mean in different cultures?
Women’s Work in Catalonia with Sarah Ifft Decker
We know that women in the Middle Ages worked and contributed in vital ways to their families and communities, but where do we find the evidence? And what can it tell us? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Sarah Ifft Decker about women’s work in medieval Catalonia, how we can trace it, and how it differed from city to city and faith to faith.
The Battle of Poitiers (1356)
England and France are again battling it out in this episode of Bow & Blade. Michael and Kelly focus on this battle from the Hundred Years’ War, where Edward the Black Prince would face off against King John II
The Medieval Swan with Natalie Goodison
In the Middle Ages, swans could be found everywhere from ponds, lakes, and moats, to shields, tombs, and stories. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Natalie Goodison about how these beautiful birds have made a lasting impact on Western culture in wide-ranging and unexpected ways.
Environmental History in Scotland with Bess Rhodes
Kate Buchanan is joined by Bess Rhodes as they talk about Scottish Environmental History, focusing on sustainability and regulations in Late Medieval Scotland.
Concluding the Medieval Grad Podcast
The final episode of the Medieval Grad Podcast. Lucie Laumonier talks with Peter Konieczny about the experience of doing a podcast, what their favourite episodes were, and what Lucie is doing now.
How to organize a museum exhibition – and bring the Holy Land home, with Amanda Luyster
A conversation with Amanda Luyster on how to organize a museum exhibition, from conception and design to securing the objects and planning events around it. We also talk about the famous tiles of Chertsey Abbey, a royal commission that evoked the Crusades with artistic allusions to Byzantium and the Islamic world.
A Beginner’s Guide to Medieval Saints
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle (with the help of her new puppy) introduces some of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages, along with their iconography, so you can spot them in medieval art.
The Wife of Bath with Marion Turner
Unfiltered, opinionated, and joyful, the Wife of Bath stands out from Chaucer’s Canterbury crowd, interjecting, interrupting, and endearing herself to readers for over six centuries. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Marion Turner about the literary life and legacy of this unforgettable character.
Lead mining and lead pollution in the Roman world, with Paul Stephenson
A conversation with Paul Stephenson about the impact of lead mining and smelting on the miners themselves, the communities around them, and on plants, animals, and human beings across the Roman Empire. This is part of a broader and ongoing project on metallurgy and environmental violence.
New Year’s Resolutions from the Middle Ages
On January 1, 1404, a Florentine named Gregorio Dati wrote down his good intentions in his “secret ledger” to keep himself accountable. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle revisits Dati’s New Year’s resolutions and the life of this colourful medieval silk merchant.