New Medieval Books: The Doctors’ Dinner Party by Ibn Butlan
One does not often see works of satire from the Middle Ages, so this will be of interest to those who want to know more about medieval humour.
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?
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.
New Medieval Books: A History of Chinese Literature
Although an overview of Chinese literature over the last few thousand years, much of it deals with writings and poetry from the medieval period, with the Tang and Song dynasties getting a lot of the focus.
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.
Angels in Medieval Literature
Angels played many roles in medieval literature: they were defenders of justice, bringers of dire warnings, givers of dark tasks, and bringers of good news.
Clothing as Humanity: Ghosts, Werewolves, and the Fashion of Redemption
Through a range of medieval sources, otherworldly and supernatural beings are described through dress, identified or questioned by it, and sometimes, it is pivotal to the story
Bai Juyi: The Tang dynasty’s baldest poet
The thinning and graying of the hair on one’s head has been a preoccupation of many writers throughout Chinese history, but none more so than the Tang dynasty’s Bai Juyi (772–846).
13 Pieces of Wisdom from the 13th century
If you are looking for some advice, perhaps it would be good to read the words of wisdom offered by Freidank.
Are Fairy Tales Medieval?
The answer is more complex than you might think.
Five Examples of Saga Men Being Terrible
Almost every saga has at least one terrible sentence uttered by a man towards or about a woman. Often these are stated at the climax of the sagas, and carry a lot of meaning within them.
King Arthur’s Lovers
Arthur himself is not quite so chaste and honourable as popular culture tends to imagine. He too takes several lovers, and he acts rather terribly in his affairs.
The Black Middle Ages with Matthew Vernon
Ever since the medieval period ended, people have been looking to the Middle Ages to find inspiration and a sense of cultural roots. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Matthew Vernon about the commonalities and kinship felt by African-American writers as they look back to the medieval past.
Did Medieval People Believe in Fairies?
Today fairies are typically relegated to the realm of children’s stories or superstitions, but in the Middle Ages, some individuals believed that fairies were real and that they had the power to impact human lives in material ways.
Persian Poetry with Shahzad Bashir
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Shahzad Bashir about the absolutely massive tradition of medieval Persian poetry, what it has in common with modern hip-hop, and its impact on Persian culture from the Middle Ages to today.
Advice from the 12th century
Are you looking for some medieval words of wisdom? Alain de Lille wrote a whole book of them, and here are some of our favourites.
From Monmouth to Malory: A Guide to Arthurian Literature
Here are ten important steps in the development of medieval Arthurian literature.
What do we mean by “Byzantine literature”?, with Stratis Papaioannou
A conversation with Stratis Papaioannou about the mismatch between modern ideas of literature (on the one hand) and the texts, conventions, and goals of Byzantine authors (on the other). In what sense are those texts “literature”? Should they be compared to classical texts, modern literature, neither, or both?
The ‘classical’ author imagined by medieval readers
How did medieval readers understand and imagine the classical authors?
Christine de Pizan: Women’s Most Famous Medieval Defender
Despite centuries of obscurity, one of the most popular authors of the medieval period is slowly finding her place in the literary canon restored. Said to have been the first professional woman writer, Christine de Pizan’s life and career rivalled that of any of her better-known male counterparts, and believe it or not, she used that popularity to highlight women’s strengths and struggles.
The Battle of Anesin: A Medieval Parody about War
By Peter Konieczny It might seem that medieval people loved the idea of war – many works offer praise for those who fought…
The Wicked Grandmas of Medieval Literature
Grandmothers today tend to be understood as kindly and caring, but in the Middle Ages, some of the evilest characters of the literary world were the grandmothers.
Whose Aristotle? Latinate Knowledge and Vernacular Translation in Medieval Italy
By staging the anxieties connected with the vulgarization of knowledge, the novella seizes upon a phenomenon—vernacular—whose significance to Medieval and Renaissance culture can hardly be overstated.
Fit for High Positions: The Life of Wallada bint al-Mustakfi
To succeed at court, a person had to be refined and well educated and skilled in the arts. The most important of those arts was poetry.
The Saga of the Faroe Islanders: A Perfect Story for Tarantino
Ever since reading The Saga of the Faroe Islanders I felt that it has the makings of a great Tarantino film.