How to Murder a Byzantine Emperor
An empire like Byzantium does not last for a thousand years without its own share of political intrigue. Here are three accounts of murder told by medieval chroniclers in vivid detail, in which the plot did not go as smoothly as the conspirators hoped but ultimately resulted in a new emperor on the throne.
Medieval Executions: The View from the Scaffold
Let’s take a brief look at what judicial execution was really like in the Middle Ages.
The Viking Blood Eagle: Horrific Ritual or Horrific Metaphor?
As described in a number of sagas, the “blood eagle” was a particularly gruesome form of ritual sacrifice of high-status captives to the god Odin. Historians have debated whether this ritual was an actual practice or an invention of thirteenth-century saga writers based on a misunderstanding of an eleventh-century skaldic poem.
Violence as Global Practice in the Early Medieval Western Mediterranean
I challenge the assumption that violence involving Muslims and Christians was necessarily religious. Moreover, I propose that normative texts concerning maritime violence impede rather than illuminate our understanding of that violence, particularly in cases adjacent to religious rhetoric.
The Invention of Homicide: Crime, Honor, and Spectacular Justice in Late Medieval Flanders
How people thought about homicide in fifteenth-century Flanders, and how changes in the perception of killing over time impacted judicial practice.
Project maps murder cases in medieval London, Oxford and York
A project mapping medieval England’s known murder cases has now added Oxford and York to its street plan of London’s 14th-century homicides, and found that Oxford’s student population was by far the most lethally violent of all social or professional groups in any of the three cities.
New Medieval Books: Crusades and Violence
A look at how violence was viewed and remembered by those involved in the crusades.
New Medieval Books: Social Memory, Reputation and the Politics of Death in the Medieval Irish Lordship
This book looks at what happened in Ireland when someone died an unusual death in Ireland between the years 1257 and 1344.
New Medieval Books: Bioarchaeology of Injuries and Violence in Early Medieval Europe
Bioarchaeology of Injuries and Violence in Early Medieval Europe Edited by Jorge Lopez Quiroga and Luis Rios Frutos BAR Publishing ISBN: 978 1…
People were decapitated in Anglo-Saxon England crudely, study finds
If just being executed in Anglo-Saxon England was not bad enough, it seems that those unlucky victims of beheading would also have to…
True Crusader Crime: Muslim Murder and Political Drama
The crusaders were tough – but they had no monopoly on political violence. Murders within Muslim hierarchies were relatively common too.
The Rhineland Massacres of the First Crusade
Around the mid-twelfth century, a Jewish chronicler named Solomon bar Simson penned an account of events that had happened 50 years earlier – events that were devastating for his fellow Jewish community in parts of Europe.
Crime and Punishment in the Reign of Vlad the Impaler
In the medieval stories, many made up by the Transylvanian Saxons at the end of the fifteenth century and sent to the Hungarian king, Vlad is presented as a vicious and bloody ruler who used to impale hundreds or thousands of people.
True Crusader Crime: What Bloody Man is That? Murder, Government and Power
Violence in the crusading period was endemic – and even at the top of society, tragic accidents were suspiciously commonplace.
Criminal Cases in Late Medieval Scotland, with Chelsea Larsson
Kate Buchanan is joined by Chelsea Larsson as they talk about crime and criminal cases in late medieval Scotland.
Getting a Fire Started: A Saga Guide to Dying with Style
The Icelandic sagas provide a step-by-step guide on how to die in a farmstead burning with style!
How a City Burned from Inter-Religious Violence: Cairo in 1321
The story of what took place in Cairo in the year 1321 is a sad example of what could happen when religious tensions spiralled out of control.
The Jacquerie Revolt with Justine Firnhaber-Baker
A decade after The Black Death, French peasants rose up suddenly against the nobility in an unprecedented and remarkably coordinated revolt. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Dr. Justine Firnhäber-Baker about the rebellion that shocked the elites of Europe: the Jacquerie.
The Last Duel with Eric Jager
Trial by combat has captured people’s imaginations for centuries, which is exactly why it’s the focus Hollywood’s latest medieval film: The Last Duel. This week, Danièle speaks with Eric Jager, author of the non-fiction book that inspired the film.
A Rotting Cat and a Damaged Penis
Do you know what is the best weapon to attack your drinking pal outside of a tavern? A rotting cat, of course! In today’s episode, Allison Bailey, a PhD candidate in history at the University of Toronto presents her research about the intersection of gender, violence and emotions in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century France.
Mutilation as Gendered Punishment: State Violence and Sexual Transgression in Medieval Europe
I want to talk today particularly about the use of mutilation as punishment for sexual offenses and particularly those involving same-sex activity in medieval Europe.
Trial by Combat: Medieval and Modern
The medieval idea of fighting a duel to determine who is right is one that has some appeal even in the modern-day.
Dangerous Times for Ordinary People: Violence from Above in Medieval Japan
Suzanne Gay discusses the medieval reality of violence and coercion of ordinary people by elites, focusing on several specific cases.
Murder by Poison: A Crime from 15th century Valencia
In medieval Europe, arsenic was stocked as a matter of course along with other medicines. As with other medicines, the poisonous nature of arsenic is a matter of dosage and administration.