The Medieval Podcast
All about the Middle Ages from Medievalists.net. Join Danièle Cybulskie and her guests as they talk about the medieval world, from Byzantium to the Vikings.
Episodes
December 3, 2025 • 55 mins
In the last twenty years, the shadowy Assassins of the medieval Middle East have seen a serious resurgence in popularity. And yet, like so many medieval people and groups, it’s still hard to tell the legend from the reality - and that’s just the way the Assassins wanted it. This week, Danièle speaks with Steve Tibble about who the Assassins were, what tactics they used in the Middle Ages, and what this legendary order stood for.
You...
You...
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November 26, 2025 • 42 mins
It's the most wonderful time of the year: time to celebrate the best medieval books of 2025. This week, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny, editor of Medievalists.net, about their favourite reads this year - and she announces some exciting news about the future of The Medieval Podcast.
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November 19, 2025 • 48 mins
In the last century we’ve witnessed people set foot on the moon, and seen even the dark side in high-res images, and yet the moon still evokes a sense of romance and mystery, just as it did in the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Ayoush Lazikani about what – and who – medieval people across the world believed the moon to be.
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
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November 12, 2025 • 49 mins
With just one word, we can evoke a world of assumptions, stereotypes, and even accusations, clearly marking the difference between who’s in and who’s out. And when it comes to legal terminology, the stakes are even higher. This week, Danièle speaks with Erin Wagner about what late medieval people meant when they used the word heresy, how the usage evolved, and how medieval people applied ideas of heresy beyond the borders of Christ...
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November 5, 2025 • 54 mins
This year, we’ve spent some good quality time with early medieval queens, digging into their mysterious and spectacular lives and reigns. And when it comes to the spectacular, it’s hard to compete with the star of this week’s episode, a woman who arrived in Francia a slave, rose to become a queen, and then ascended to the heavens as a saint. This week, Danièle speaks with Isabel Moreira about Queen Balthild of Francia, her influenc...
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October 30, 2025 • 49 mins
As the nights get longer and spookier, there's one thing that's guaranteed to make our hair stand on end: corpses that just won’t stay dead. Especially the ones interested in eating us. This week, Danièle speaks with John Blair about who refused to rest in peace in the Middle Ages, how medieval people attempted to keep the dead buried, and why some hauntings reached epidemic proportions.
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go ...
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go ...
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October 22, 2025 • 44 mins
Although a lot of medieval history is murky, the whys and wherefores – not to mention the timeline – of the Hundred Years’ War are firmly nailed down. Or are they? This week, Danièle speaks with Michael Livingston about why the Hundred Years’ War should actually be called the Two Hundred Years’ War, what actually touched off the conflict, and why we should question everything.
You can support this podcast on Patreon - https://www.pa...
You can support this podcast on Patreon - https://www.pa...
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October 15, 2025 • 44 mins
Since time immemorial, we've given animals names, from the sublime to the utterly ridiculous. For everyone who’s looked at a puppy or a kitten and wondered what it should be called – and then called it an embarrassingly silly nickname anyway – this episode is for you. This week, Danièle speaks with Ben Parsons about what medieval people named their pets and working animals, how we know about them, and which animals are still called...
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October 9, 2025 • 39 mins
In the dark forests of the Middle Ages – and the modern stories we tell about it – lurks a powerful, beautiful predator. Sometimes big and bad, sometimes a figure of admiration, the medieval wolf was such a big part of English culture, that it found its way not just into stories, but into the language itself. This week, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Marshall about where we find wolves in medieval sources, how early English writers ...
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October 1, 2025 • 37 mins
The fourteenth-century is one of the most turbulent periods in European history. Famine, war, plague, royal depositions – you name it, this century’s got it. This week, Danièle speaks with Helen Carr about how England fared in these wild times, what her take is on some famous Plantagenets, and why we need to take a fresh look at this calamitous century.
You can support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
You can support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
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September 24, 2025 • 28 mins
One of the difficult truths of life in the Middle Ages is that death was never far away. While the vast majority of medieval people owned far fewer possessions than we do today, they were just as concerned with making sure everything was taken care of according to their wishes before they passed. This week, Danièle speaks with Robert A. Wood about medieval wills, funerals, and some memorable bequests.
You can support this podcast on...
You can support this podcast on...
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September 18, 2025 • 49 mins
Everyone loves a good medieval whodunit, but how did real people investigate homicides in the Middle Ages? What did they look for? And how did they decide if a person’s death was an unfortunate accident or foul play? This week, Danièle speaks with Sara Butler about forensic medicine, and how death investigation was conducted in medieval England.
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
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September 11, 2025 • 46 mins
Part of the reason a lot of people figure nothing much went on during the Middle Ages is because we’ve lost a whole lot of sources telling us what actually did happen. Through malice and misfortune, medieval manuscripts have been destroyed in their thousands. So, how do we know what may have gone up in smoke? And what can we do to keep our beloved manuscripts safe? This week, Danièle speaks with Robert Bartlett about the manuscript...
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September 3, 2025 • 48 mins
On September 4, 925 – 1100 years to the day this episode is released – King Æthelstan was crowned at Kingston-upon-Thames. Æthelstan is most often talked about in the context of the famous Battle of Brunanburh, but maybe we should remember him instead as the first king of England. This week, Danièle speaks with David Woodman about Æthelstan’s life, his rule, and his attempt to unite the kingdoms of Britain.
You can join Danièle's cl...
You can join Danièle's cl...
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August 28, 2025 • 50 mins
When the power of an entire kingdom rests in the hands of just one man, it’s both incredibly valuable and incredibly dangerous to be that man’s bestie - and the legacies of royal favourites tend to retain the taint of contemporary snark. So, maybe it’s about time we take a second look. This week, Danièle speaks with James Ross about the life of Robert de Vere - the infamous bff of King Richard II - his impact on the kingdom, and wh...
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August 20, 2025 • 59 mins
Maid, hero, heretic, saint - Joan of Arc is one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Deborah McGrady about Joan’s incredible life and death, her voice, and her complex and enduring legacy.
You can enrol in Danièle's online course Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change
You can enrol in Danièle's online course Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century at https://medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/calamity-and-change
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August 13, 2025 • 42 mins
The people of the Middle Ages were no strangers to Cupid’s arrows, and just like us, they loved a good love letter. But in a world where literacy rates were far below what they are today, who was writing their most heartfelt feelings down? And how do we know? This week, Danièle speaks with Myra Stokes and Ad Putter about where we find love letters, and the way people wrote and sent them, along with a couple of spicy – and hilarious...
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August 7, 2025 • 48 mins
He's one of the most popular figures in all of medieval history, and his book was a bestseller for literally centuries. So what do we know about the life and times of Marco Polo? This week, Danièle speaks with Sharon Kinoshita about why Marco travelled so far, what sort of detail he wanted to share with his readers, and what was going on in the world around him.
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com...
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com...
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July 24, 2025 • 48 mins
This week, in celebration of Episode 300, Danièle answers your questions on everything from Hastings to hose, with a couple of surprises along the way.
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
And join on This is History's Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thisishistory and use the code 'glassking' to get 20% off your first month
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
And join on This is History's Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thisishistory and use the code 'glassking' to get 20% off your first month
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July 16, 2025 • 43 mins
If you asked the average person how Vikings solved their problems, they probably wouldn’t say through lawyers. And yet, early Scandinavian people were sticklers for due process. This week, Danièle speaks with Robert Lively about how a person became a Viking lawyer, what the process was for solving disputes, and how fixing bad behaviour worked in this shame-based culture.
Listen to this podcast ad-free on Patreon - go to https://www....
Listen to this podcast ad-free on Patreon - go to https://www....
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