Ibn Sina and Biruni with S. Frederick Starr – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 266
Experimenting, translating, and philosophizing about physics and metaphysics, biology and geology, two great thinkers from Central Asia stand out both for their achievements, and their completely opposite points of view. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with S. Frederick Starr about the work and the lives of Ibn Sina (aka Avicenna) and Biruni, their contributions to science and culture, and the reason they outright despised each other.
Bad Chaucer with Tison Pugh – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 264
When it comes to classics of literature, it can feel like there’s a lot of pressure to nod along with the crowd and say that some authors are just brilliant, full stop. But sometimes even great literature isn’t so great. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Tison Pugh about the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
Medieval Riga with Kevin O’Connor – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 263
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Kevin O’Connor about medieval Riga, its tumultuous place as a trading post between West and East – as well as war between bishops and crusaders – and how its medieval history plays out in today’s politics.
The Green Ages with Annette Kehnel – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 262
New and high-tech solutions for a sustainable future are being proposed on the daily, but what if some of the best ideas actually reside in the past? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Annette Kehnel about the way medieval communities shared, recycled, and even upcycled.
Henry V with Dan Jones – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 261
Last week, we looked at the story of Richard II and Henry IV, and the way these two cousins wielded the power of the English crown. This week on The Medieval Podcast, we round out the cycle that makes up the Hollow Crown by looking at Henry V, a man who many – including this week’s guest, Dan Jones – have called England’s greatest warrior king.
Charlemagne with Cullen Chandler – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 259
What’s so great about Charlemagne? We’re about to find out. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Cullen Chandler about the reign of Charlemagne, how he ruled such a massive empire, and how he still took the time to care about font.
September Book Roundup – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 258
What’s new and beautiful and hitting the medieval history section of the bookshop? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle shares six new books spanning art, gunpowder, translation, and medicine in the Middle Ages.
Medieval Falconry with Yannis Hadjinicolaou
In the Middle Ages, falconry was one of the most popular pastimes across the known world. More than just a pleasant diversion in the countryside, it was a way to show status, education, sophistication, and leadership. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Yannis Hadjinicolaou about why falconry was so widely beloved, and such a popular metaphor for both love and power.
Forging a Kingdom in the 11th century with Simon Doubleday – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 256
In the eleventh-century, Iberia was in the process of evolving networks of tiny villages into the powerful kingdoms we recognize from the end of the medieval period – sometimes by any means necessary. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Simon Doubleday about the ways in which Queen Sancha and King Fernando I shaped northern Spain and Portugal.
Feminist Medievalisms with Usha Vishnuvajjala – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 255
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Usha Vishnuvajjala about some of the surprising places the medieval world pops up in the modern world, and how it’s perfectly okay to love medieval fiction.
Travel Through Medieval Eyes with Anthony Bale – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 254
As we wrap up another summer vacation season, it’s a good time to take a look at the way medieval people travelled for business, pleasure, and their immortal souls. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Anthony Bale about the ins and outs of medieval travel, and some of the wild stories of journeys gone wrong.
Hunting Fake History with Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse – The Medieval Podcast, Episode 253
Ever come across a really amazing historical fact on the internet or in school, and tell it to all your friends, only to find out that it actually isn’t true? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse (aka the Fake History Hunter) about things that never happened, what it’s like to hunt fake history, and what really grinds her gears.
Medieval Beards and Baldness with Joseph McAlhany
If we need proof of how wonderful both baldness and beards are, we need only to cast our eyes back to the Middle Ages, where people were writing rhetorical arguments, alliterative poetry, and even learned sermons on the virtues of masculine hair. This week, Danièle speaks with Joseph McAlhany about these hilarious medieval texts, why people wrote them, and how seriously we’re supposed to take them.
Crusader Criminals with Steve Tibble
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Daniele speaks with Steve Tibble about why there was so much crime committed by men who were supposed to be holy warriors, and what people did about it.
Celebrating Episode 250: A Pot Pourri of Medieval Trivia
In honour of the 250th episode of The Medieval Podcast, Danièle shares some fun and favourite trivia about the Middle Ages collected over five years of podcasting.
Divining the Future with Jo Edge
Not knowing the future is an intensely uncomfortable experience, which is why humans invented a clever system to predict the future through numbers, called onomancy. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Jo Edge about how onomancy works, who used it, and how it fit in with medieval theology.
Bede and the Theory of Everything with Michelle Brown
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Michelle Brown about Bede’s life, his contribution to a medieval understanding of everything, and how he shaped the way we think about the early Middle Ages.
A Year in Early Medieval England with Eleanor Parker
How did the people of the past think about the calendar year? And what were some of the events they looked forward to? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Eleanor Parker about some of the big feasts and festivals of early medieval England, how they were celebrated, and the exact date the universe was created.
The Capetians with Justine Firnhaber-Baker
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Justine Firnhaber-Baker about the fierce and fascinating Capetian dynasty, how they made medieval France, and how they changed the world.
Medieval Corruption and Protection with Jonathan Lyon
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Jonathan Lyon about a powerful medieval position which could easily lend itself to violence and corruption: church advocate.
Rewriting the First Crusade with Thomas Smith
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Thomas Smith about letters from the First Crusade, which ones are either partially or completely invented, and what this discovery means to our understanding of the Crusades.
A Catch-Up (And a Big Reveal) with Dan Jones
Bestseller and broadcaster Dan Jones has been busy with a whole bunch of new projects since he was last on The Medieval Podcast. This week, Danièle catches up with Dan about his latest documentaries, novels, and hit podcast – and together they share some exciting news for medieval fans.
Medieval Arthurian Literature with Kathy Cawsey and Elizabeth Edwards
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Kathy Cawsey and Elizabeth Edwards about the changing face of Arthur, the way his legend spread across the medieval world, and the ways in which storytellers adopted – and adapted – his myth.
Medieval Coins with Rory Naismith
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Rory Naismith about the complex world of medieval coins.