One of the clearest and most enduring legacies of the Middle Ages is the beautiful buildings left behind. Many of these buildings were devoted to God, using blueprints that no longer exist. But one of the most famous – and famously confusing – sets of architectural instructions was set out in the Bible, itself. This week, Danièle speaks with Karl Kinsella about the great twelfth-century scholar Richard of St. Victor, his efforts to make the vision of Ezekiel clear, and why this set of biblical blueprints is such an important contribution to the history of architecture.Enrol in one of Medievalists.net's online courses at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/ - use the coupon code 'BlackFriday' to save 25%

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, 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.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

A place of supernatural encounters both incredibly good and spectacularly bad, the Otherworld featured in stories and songs throughout the Middle Ages, especially on the storied isle of Ireland.   This week, Danièle speaks with Lisa Bitel about what the Otherworld was like, why Otherworldly beings were interested in humankind, and where we find these enchanting stories.Sign up for the online course on The First Crusade at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/first-crusade

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, Danièle speaks with Tison Pugh about the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.You can support this podcast on Patreon. Go to www.patreon.com/medievalists

Across the world, there’s no shortage of contested sites where local identities, national identities, and international politics clash, often with high stakes for the people who live there. One of these places is the storied capital of Latvia: Riga. This week, 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.You can support this podcast on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/medievalists

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, Danièle speaks with Annette Kehnel about the way medieval communities shared, recycled, and even upcycled.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

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, 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.Check out online courses in medieval studies at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/

Richard II came to the throne as a young child, only to lose it to his cousin Henry IV in 1399. But why did Henry take such drastic action? And what became of the teenage boy who stood up to a crowd of angry peasants and held his own? This week, Danièle speaks with Helen Castor about these rival cousins, the events that shaped them, and how an anointed king could lose his hollow crown.You can listen to this episode ad-free at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

What’s so great about Charlemagne? We’re about to find out. This week, 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.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

What's new and beautiful and hitting the medieval history section of the bookshop? This week, Danièle shares six new books spanning art, gunpowder, translation, and medicine in the Middle Ages.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

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, Danièle speaks with Yannis Hadjinicolaou about why falconry was so widely beloved, and such a popular metaphor for both love and power.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

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, Danièle speaks with Simon Doubleday about the ways in which Queen Sancha and King Fernando I shaped northern Spain and Portugal.Danièle's online course - Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century - begins on September 6th. Sign up at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change

When someone evokes the medieval – in conversation or in media – they’re looking for you to feel something. So, the question becomes what are they trying to get you to feel? And how are they accomplishing it? This week, 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.Sign up for Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change

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, Danièle speaks with Anthony Bale about the ins and outs of medieval travel, and some of the wild stories of journeys gone wrong.Danièle's online course, Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century, starts Friday, September 6th. Sign up at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change

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, 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.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

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.Learn more about Danièle's online course at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change

People have lots of different words they use to describe crusaders, but for those living in the Holy Land during the crusades, "criminals" might just be the first word that came to mind. This week, 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.You can enroll in online medieval studies courses, including one by Daniele, at Thinkific - go to https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/

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.You can sign up for Danièle's course, Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change

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, Danièle speaks with Jo Edge about how onomancy works, who used it, and how it fit in with medieval theology.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Medieval citizens took steps to actively avoid living in filth. But how did they accomplish it? What were some of the ground rules? And how did this change when your city was also surrounded by water? This week, Danièle speaks with Jane Stevens Crawshaw about environmental policies in fourteenth and fifteenth-century Genoa and Venice.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Medieval writers were enthusiastic about sharing everything they knew about the world and how they made sense of it. One writer who was both a superstar in his day and hugely influential in our understanding of the past is the Venerable Bede. This week, 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.You can support this podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

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, 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.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

As far as ruling houses go, France's Capetian dynasty easily gives the Plantagenets a run for their money in power, prestige, and scandal. This week, Danièle speaks with Justine Firnhaber-Baker about the fierce and fascinating Capetian dynasty, how they made medieval France, and how they changed the world.You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Sometimes the very people we trust to help us keep law and order are wolves in sheep’s clothing. This week, Danièle speaks with Jonathan Lyon about a powerful medieval position which could easily lend itself to violence and corruption: church advocate. To learn more about Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the 14th Century, go to https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change

Medieval historians are faced with the daunting task of having to piece together around a thousand years of history without all that many written sources to speak of. But what happens if it turns out that some of the most important sources we’ve been using have been - let’s say - touched up a little? This week, 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.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

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. To listen to Danièle and Dan introduce The Iron King, go to https://listen.sonymusic-podcasts.link/i_QB7rbc 

For over a thousand years, people have been captivated by the tales of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. And each generation and culture has shaped the story of Arthur to meet their own aesthetic and political needs. This week, 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.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Because they’re so familiar, coins can sometimes seem to be a part of the natural order. But in the Early Middle Ages, just about everything to do with coins was in flux, from where they were sourced, to who was using them. This week, Danièle speaks with Rory Naismith about the complex world of medieval coins.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Part of both faith and fashion, fish was an important ingredient in the medieval diet. And because of this, medieval fishing was much more sophisticated than just a rod, a line, and a worm. This week, Danièle speaks with Richard Hoffmann about what people were eating, how they caught it, and how fish farming evolved over time.You can support this Podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

These days, most of us have a good working knowledge of what’s going on with our internal organs. But in the Middle Ages, most people – even doctors – never got to see much of the inside of a human body. So, how did people conceive of our internal world? This week, Danièle speaks with Taylor McCall about what medieval people knew about internal medicine, where they learned it, and how they illustrated it.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Medieval people spent a lot of time thinking about saints. But what they thought about saints wasn’t always what we might expect. Women saints with promiscuous backstories were fan favourites in the Middle Ages, and one of the most popular was St. Mary of Egypt. This week, Danièle speaks with Sonia Velázquez about St. Mary of Egypt, why she caught the medieval imagination, and how her beauty, age, and holiness spoke to generations of artists and the faithful.Consider supporting this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

We live in a world full of constant notifications, interruptions, and complications. If only we could get away from it all, the peace and quiet would allow us to concentrate. Or would it? This week, Danièle speaks with Jamie Kreiner about some new old strategies for concentration, courtesy of ancient and medieval monks.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

It may be an ordinary body part, but medieval people definitely had strong opinions about hair and what it said about you. This week, Emanuele Lugli returns to talk about hair, how it was used as a form of control, how it spilled out onto artists’ canvasses, and what this all has to do with bodily excrement.You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Through grime, stains, and wax droplets, the filthiest, most well-loved manuscripts tell us the story of how medieval people used - and abused - their books. This week, Danièle speaks with Kate Rudy about what we can learn from the smudges the people of the Middle Ages left behind, how modern technology helps us figure it out, and why we should all appreciate a really dirty book.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Foxes were everywhere in the medieval world and the medieval imagination. But where do the ideas we have about foxes come from? This week, Danièle speaks with Paul Wackers about why foxes were loved and hated in the real world, in fables, and in the Christian imagination of the Middle Ages.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

He’s one of the most powerful figures in all of Western history, with influence not only over life and death, but over the immortal souls of billions of people over thousands of years. This week, Danièle speaks with Jessica Wärnberg about the role of the pope, his influence on Rome, and what happens when the holiest of men isn’t quite so holy.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Like many people today, medieval people used charms, personal talismans, and amulets to help smooth their way through life. But just who used them? How did they use them? And what did the church think about such things? This week, Danièle speaks with Katherine Storm Hindley about charms in the Middle Ages.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

With a team of dedicated monks and lay brothers to help him, fifteenth-century Venetian Fra Mauro attempted to create the most accurate map of the world. This week, Danièle speaks with Meredith Small about this incredible mappamundi, what it contained, and how this landed Fra Mauro on the moon.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

They’re the things that go bump in the night, the creatures that storm your mead hall and eat your friends, the beings that wander restlessly from their graves. This week, Danièle speaks with Charity Urbanski about monsters in the medieval world.You can support the podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Some of the most important and influential figures of the Middle Ages were the big city bishops who ministered to rich and poor alike. But how did they tend to such a large and diverse flock? This week, Danièle speaks with Lesley Smith about William of Auvergne, the thirteenth-century upstart bishop of Paris who shaped a royal saint, changed the university forever, and gently guided the lives of ordinary Parisians with wit and compassion.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

In a time and place with a serious lack of pockets and built-in shelving, how and where did people carry and store their everyday stuff? This week, Danièle takes a look at carrying, packing, and moving in the Middle Ages.You can support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

She’s one of the most well-known figures in history: married to two kings, mother to three, and a powerful duchess in her own right. This week, Danièle speaks with Karen Sullivan about the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine, her famous - and infamous - relationships, and what makes her such a fascinating subject for historians and fiction writers alike.Karen Sullivan's book, Eleanor of Aquitaine, as It Was Said: Truth and Tales about the Medieval Queen, is published by University of Chicago Press.You can support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Often, the stories we tell about colonization focus on the takeovers themselves, and the circumstances that led up to them. But what happens to the people when the dust settles? How do they manage the clash of two cultures and often two law codes? And how do the stories they tell about themselves and each other help them navigate society? This week, Danièle speaks with Joanna MacGugan about how the justice system worked in Ireland under medieval English rule, how communities shaped justice, and what this meant when a person was faced with capital punishment.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

This week, Danièle explores the big medieval news stories of 2023 in conversation with Peter Koniezcny, editor of Medievalists.net.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

In the Middle Ages, December meant a celebration of jolly old St. Nicholas along with a host of other sainted figures and important moments in the Christian story. This week, Danièle presents a quick guide to medieval holiday saints and feasts.You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

In the past few years, trans and genderqueer issues have come to the forefront both in society and in the way scholars are approaching medieval studies. But what do these terms mean? And how do we apply them responsibly to the past? This week, Danièle speaks with Alicia Spencer-Hall and Blake Gutt about trans and genderqueer scholarship in medieval studies.You can read the open-access book, Trans and Genderqueer Subjects in Medieval Hagiography, edited by Alicia Spencer-Hall and Blake Gutt, at https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/61200You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

This week, Danièle continues the annual tradition of sharing some of her favourite books of the year, along with the top picks of Peter Konieczny, editor and co-founder of Medievalists.net.Danièle's list: Temptation Transformed: The Story of How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple, by Azzan Yadin-IsraelBalthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art, edited by Kristen Collins and Bryan C. KeeneVox Clamantis, translation by Robert J. Meindl and Mark T. RileyWomen in the Crusades, by Helen NicholsonHow to Focus: A Monastic Guide for an Age of Distraction, by John Cassian, translation by Jamie KreinerPeter's list:The Donkey and the Boat: Reinterpreting the Mediterranean Economy, 950-1180, by Chris WickhamThe Cosmography and Geography of Africa, by Johannes Leo Africanus, translation by Anthony Ossa-Richardson and Richard OosterhoffThe Emperor and the Elephant: Christians and Muslims in the Age of Charlemagne, by Sam Ottewill-SoulsbyInked: Tattooed Soldiers and the Song Empire's Penal-Military Complex, by Elad AlyagonMeteorological Disasters in Medieval Britain (AD 1000‒1500), by Peter J. Brown

In honour of the new discoveries around the Princes in the Tower, Danièle delves into some other mysterious deaths and disappearances in English royal history.You can support The Medieval Podcast and Medievalists.net on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists

Humans have always been fascinated by the birds and beasts of planet Earth, collecting and compiling information on their habits, habitats, and where they got their names. This week, Danièle speaks with Hana Videen about her contribution to the field: a brand new Old English bestiary.The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary, by Hana Videen is published by Princeton University Press - https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691260006/the-deorhord You can support Medievalists.net and check out our shop at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists