The African Warrior Women of the 11th century
In the Marvel Universe, one of the most skillful groups of warriors is the Dora Milaje – an all-female unit of special forces from the African-kingdom of Wakanda. While these elite warriors are fictional, there is some evidence of a force of African female archers who existed in the Middle Ages and even fought a battle in Spain.
Women and Men of the Viking Age
Professor Sanmark’s lecture will discuss gender roles in the Viking Age, with particular attention to how women and men have been perceived in previous research.
Alice Chaucer with Michèle Schindler
Much ink has been spilled on Geoffrey Chaucer, but there’s another Chaucer that should be showing up on our radar, as well. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Michèle Schindler about the life and times of Alice Chaucer.
The Better Half: Women and Music in the Middle Ages
This talk will survey what we know about women’s lives in general in the Middle Ages, and examine the roles played by some key figures in the composition and patronage of music through image and sound.
Gender Revealing the Medieval Way
The Secrets of Women offers several strange ways to determine the gender of an unborn child.
Rose de Burford and English Embroidery
My new book, How to Survive in Medieval England, published by Pen & Sword, is a guide to travelling in history: what to expect, how to dress, how to stay safe and what to look for on the menu.
Medieval Contraception with Eleanor Janega
One of the things medieval and modern people definitely have in common is an interest in preventing unwanted pregnancies. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Eleanor Janega to get all the details on medieval contraception.
Maria Comnena: Byzantine Princess, Queen of Jerusalem, and Lady of Ibelin
Helena Schrader tells the story of Maria Comnena and the role she played in the Crusader States during the twelfth century.
Fiery Floripas: The Muslim Warrior Woman in Mediaeval French and English Literature
Eva Simmons discusses Muslim heroines in Medieval French and English Literature.
The Emperor in Politics and Love: The Four Wives of Charles IV
Here are the stories of these four wives and their marriages to the emperor.
The Trotula with Monica Green
In honour of the 20th anniversary of the publication of The Trotula, Danièle speaks with editor and translator Dr. Monica Green about this astonishing collection of medieval medical and cosmetic advice for women.
The Story of Hwang Jini
Modern Koreans remain captivated by the elusive, but compelling, Hwang Jini because of her individuality and the romantic intricacy of her poetry.
Biography of Medieval Egyptian Queen shows her influence on Cairo’s architecture
A woman born into slavery in 13th-century Egypt broke the glass ceiling of the time to become a sultan and changed the look of Cairo with her innovative architectural projects.
Lady Dervorgilla and her Collection of Books
Heiress, patron, founder, potential bookworm. Lady Dervorgilla’s achievements as a woman in thirteenth-century Scotland and England are fascinating, and often overlooked.
Medieval Working Women: Their role in the trades of Southern France in the 14th century
This article provides an overview of the roles and place of women in artisanal guilds in late medieval southern France
Medieval Women’s Rights: Setting the Stage for Today
Sara Butler speaks about women in the Middle Ages and learn how they faced many of the same challenges that we do today.
Charters and Female Agency and Power in Medieval Scotland, with Rachel Meredith Davis
Dr. Rachel Meredith Davis joins the podcast to discuss her journey to studying medieval Scottish history, finishing a PhD during a pandemic, and female agency and power in Medieval Scotland.
‘Remarkable women’: Female patronage of religious institutions, 1300-1550
This conference seeks to explore the ways in which women patronised and interacted with monasteries and religious houses during the late Middle Ages, how they commissioned devotional and commemorative art for monastic settings, and the ways in which these donations were received and understood by their intended audiences.
How women contributed to the medieval music scene
Could medieval women be musicians? Here are three examples of how they created music in the 13th and 14th centuries.
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.
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.
How the nuns of San Zaccaria succeeded in 12th century Venice
“These women find their fulfillment not individually, in the prayer and silence expected from those who have retreated to within the walls of a cloister, but in the project shared and collectively pursued to increase the prestige and influence of their monastic community.”
A comparative study of Urraca of León-Castilla (d. 1126), Melisende of Jerusalem (d. 1161), and Empress Matilda of England (d. 1167) as royal heiresses
This thesis explores aspects of rulership over five chapters, aimed at understanding how a royal heiress might succeed or fail to gain the throne, keep the throne, and preserve it for future generations.
Tang Dynasty noblewoman buried with her donkeys, for the love of polo
A noblewoman from Imperial China enjoyed playing polo on donkeys so much she had her steeds buried with her so she could keep doing it in the afterlife, archaeologists found.