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.
The Battle Of Ankara (1402)
Huge armies clash as the Ottoman sultan sultan Bayezid I faced off against the emir of the Timurid Empire, Timur. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly look at the battle and the account of the fighting by Johann Schiltberger.
Dioskouros of Alexandria, Or the Making of a Church Villain, with Volker Menze
A conversation with Volker Menze about the fifth-century patriarch Dioskouros of Alexandria, what we really know about him, and why he was demonized in the western traditions. A close reading of the Council Acts suggests a different picture: a bishop who thought he was doing right by the established creed and following the directives of the emperor suddenly found himself in the hot seat.
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.
Cleaning Up Renaissance Italy with Jane Stevens Crawshaw
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Jane Stevens Crawshaw about environmental policies in fourteenth and fifteenth-century Genoa and Venice.
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.
The Weardale Campaign (1327)
In 1327, Scottish forces invaded England, posing the first test for the newly crowned Edward III. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss how the English response turned out so badly.
Byzantium in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, with Przemysław Marciniak
A conversation with Przemysław Marciniak about books of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and alternative history that are either set in Byzantium or have a Byzantine ambiance. We talk about the features that signal a Byzantine setting and what the latter is good. Basically, we chat about books that we liked (or did not like).
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.
Pathogen Paleogenetics and Late Antique Disease: A cross-discipline discussion
A roundtable discussion of how the study of ancient pathogen DNA intersects with the study of disease in late antiquity. Can laboratory scientists and cultural historians find ways to interface given their different methods, data, concepts, and conclusions?
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.
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212)
A turning point in the history of Iberia, the year 1212 would see the combined armies of Castile, Aragon and Navarre facing off against the Almohads. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly talk about a key battle of the Reconquista.
Human paleogenetics and late antique migration: a cross-discipline discussion
A roundtable discussion of how the study of ancient human DNA intersects with the study of migration in late antiquity. Can laboratory scientists and primarily textual historians find ways to interface given their different methods, data, concepts, and conclusions?
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.
The Iron King – new podcast series from This is History
For the next few weeks, you can listen to the story of France’s notably beautiful and infamously cruel King, Philip the Fair.
How did weather impact medieval battles?
It is a Q&A episode of Bow & Blade, with Michael and Kelly answering listener questions. In this episode, they talk about the impact of weather on medieval battles, how often did soldiers train, and why are there more sources about the Battle of Crecy (1346) than the Battle of Poitiers (1356).
Africa and Byzantium, with Andrea Myers Achi
A conversation with Andrea Myers Achi (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) about the enduring connections between Byzantium and a number of African cultures, beginning in late antiquity (e.g., Aksum) and continuing into medieval and modern times (e.g., Nubia and Ethiopia).
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.
Imaginary Byzantiums in modern Russia, with Eugene Smelyansky
A conversation with Eugene Smelyansky on the invention of ideologically useful versions of Byzantium in modern Russia. We talk about the much more limited engagement with Byzantium in imperial Russia and the reasons behind some of the current obsessions with it.
Medieval Fish with Richard Hoffmann
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Richard Hoffmann about what people were eating, how they caught it, and how fish farming evolved over time.
The Siege of Constantinople (1453)
One of the key dates from the Middle Ages is the year 1453. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss how the Ottomans were able to conquer the city of Constantinople and bring an end to the Byzantine Empire.