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
April 30, 2025 • 54 mins
When we look back to medieval Europe, there are a handful legendary figures who stand out above the rest. Richard the Lionheart. Charlemagne. El Cid. And Frederick Barbarossa. A powerful emperor, focused crusader, and stubborn supporter in the middle of a papal schism, Barbarossa certainly made waves in the twelfth century, and left a lasting impression. This week, Danièle speaks with Graham Loud about how Barbarossa came to power,...
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April 17, 2025 • 63 mins
Though he’s remembered as the man who united the two royal houses of England, Henry Tudor was more than just the red rose of Lancaster: he was also the red dragon of Wales. This week, Danièle speaks with Nathen Amin about Henry Tudor's Welsh ancestry, how generations of royals and rebels shaped him, and how he managed to claim the English throne despite desperately long odds.
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April 9, 2025 • 48 mins
When we think about the joys of modernity, perhaps one of the images that comes to mind is hospitals. But, believe it or not, hospitals were also a fundamental part of the medieval world. Catering to the sick, the poor, and the needy, hospitals were institutions many medieval people could rely on in their most desperate moments. This week, Danièle speaks with Sarah Loose Guerrero about what to expect at a medieval hospital, how ins...
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April 2, 2025 • 44 mins
When it comes to influential writers of the Middle Ages, there are big names that are probably familiar to a lot of us. But who was it who influenced them? It’s time to get to the deep cut of medieval literature, and look at a writer whose worked crossed genres from epic, to drama, to heartfelt notes, to raunchy humour. This week, Danièle speaks with Lynn Ramey about the incredible Jean Bodel, his massive influence on other medieva...
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March 27, 2025 • 41 mins
Although it’s the cradle of our species, and a land as rich in culture as it is legendarily rich in resources, retellings of African history often place their focus heavily on the transatlantic slave trade. While this is valuable, too narrow a focus can make it easy to lose sight of how incredibly powerful, interconnected, and respected African people have been within the fabric of global history. This week, Danièle speaks with Luk...
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March 19, 2025 • 49 mins
Although they’re often presented as a sort of living, breathing set decoration, the women at aristocratic courts in the Middle Ages served many different functions, from the practical to the ceremonial. Educated and influential, these women served as ambassadors not only of their gender, but often of their families, and places of origin, as well. So, what was it like to be a daily companion to the elites of the medieval world? This...
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March 12, 2025 • 44 mins
When it comes to intercontinental trade in the Middle Ages, the Silk Road seems to get all the love. But the movement of people and goods between kingdoms and continents was made possible in large part by water. This week, Danièle speaks with Amanda Respess about ships and shipbuilding in the medieval world, what we know about early global trade routes, and the fascinating bits of archaeology we’re still finding under the sea.
Suppo...
Suppo...
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March 5, 2025 • 44 mins
Last week was all about Christian monks, but naturally, there were a whole lot of monks in different traditions across the medieval world. And some of them were even poets. This week, Danièle speaks with Thomas J. Mazanec about the Buddhist poet-monks of medieval China, why they chose to write poetry, and why their art was so controversial.
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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February 26, 2025 • 31 mins
It's safe to say that this moment in history is proving to be a stressful one, leaving many of us feeling anxious and unsettled. This week, Danièle revisits some of the science-backed tools and strategies medieval monks used to help them stay mentally healthy in tough times.
Check out Danièle's book How to Live Like a Monk: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Life at https://www.danielecybulskie.com/monk
Check out Danièle's book How to Live Like a Monk: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Life at https://www.danielecybulskie.com/monk
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February 19, 2025 • 66 mins
Although he’s one of the longest-reigning monarchs in English history, he tends to be largely forgotten when it comes to top ten lists. He’s not even in the top three most popular Henrys. Sandwiched between his father, Bad King John, and his son, the “great and terrible” Edward I, Henry III was a pious, peaceful, family man – for better and for worse. This week, Danièle speaks with David Carpenter about what people loved and loathe...
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February 13, 2025 • 46 mins
It's almost Valentine's Day, which means that sexy playlists are being created all over the world to help people communicate their steamiest and most heartfelt emotions - just like they did in the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Eva Leach about sexy medieval songs, who was singing them, and how they served as inspiration in the bedroom.
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to www.patreon.com/medievalist...
You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to www.patreon.com/medievalist...
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February 5, 2025 • 43 mins
After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099, scholarship tends to focus on the Muslim populations outside of the newly established crusader kingdoms. But what happened to the Muslim people who remained within? How did they interact with the new culture and laws imposed upon them? And how much of a dealbreaker was a person’s religion in real life, anyway? This week, Danièle speaks with Ann Zimo about the interactions between M...
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January 29, 2025 • 48 mins
It’s a storied island with a rich saga tradition. A land of ice and fire. But rarely do we hear of how Iceland went from being a stouthearted farming settlement to one of the most respected nations on Earth. This week, Danièle speaks with Sverrir Jakobsson about what life in Iceland was like in the early Middle Ages, how it became linked to the kingdom of Norway, and how Iceland’s interactions with Europe changed after the Black De...
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January 23, 2025 • 46 mins
Though they're often overlooked, the dowager queens of Korea were the one of the most powerful legitimizing forces behind the throne. This week, Danièle speaks with Alban Schmid about how Korea was ruled in the late Middle Ages, its relationship to Ming China, and the power wielded by the women at the top.
You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
You can support The Medieval Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
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January 15, 2025 • 45 mins
If you browse the shelves of your local bookstore, it may seem like Eastern Europe basically didn’t exist until the Soviet Union. Fortunately, Medieval Studies is slowly widening the lens to give us a bigger and better picture of what went on beyond the invisible borders of west versus east. This week, Danièle speaks with Florin Curta about why it’s taken the field so long to address Eastern Europe, why we need to look at enslaveme...
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January 8, 2025 • 49 mins
Most of us could probably come up with a few names of the kings who ruled in England in the centuries before the Norman Conquest, but the queens? Maybe not. We know they existed, but it can be hard to figure out much else about them – or whether later medieval notions of what queenship actually is even fit. This week, Danièle speaks with Matthew Firth about what early queenship looked like, the role queens played in legitimizing a ...
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January 1, 2025 • 44 mins
There’s a pretty common myth that medieval women had no agency in their lives; that they were quiet and subservient, and accepted the status quo without thinking too hard about it. The reality, of course, was much different - even for those with the strictest rules: nuns. This week, Danièle speaks with CJ Jones about Dominican nuns, their theological sophistication, and how they left their own unique mark on the Middle Ages.
You c...
You c...
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December 25, 2024 • 40 mins
2024 has been another wild ride in politics and medieval studies. This week, continuing tradition, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny from Medievalists.net about what’s been happening in the world and in the field this year.
You can support this podcast on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
You can support this podcast on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/medievalists
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December 18, 2024 • 49 mins
One of the favourite pastimes of certain thinkers throughout history has been to demonstrate the supposed inferiority of women, something both modern people and people of the past have resisted with spicy arguments of their own. These days, we tend to use science and statistics to help us lend weight to our positions. But what did people lean on in the past? This week, Danièle speaks with Margaret L. King about Renaissance man Pomp...
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December 11, 2024 • 54 mins
Medieval Studies has no shortage of amazing books coming out each year, but which ones are the best of the best? This week, Danièle continues the annual tradition of listing her top five book recommendations of 2024 alongside those of Peter Konieczny, editor of Medievalists.net.
This year's list is:
Beards and Baldness in the Middle Ages, translated by Joseph McAlhany
Bad Chaucer, by Tison Pugh
Crusader Criminals, by Steve Tibble
The B...
This year's list is:
Beards and Baldness in the Middle Ages, translated by Joseph McAlhany
Bad Chaucer, by Tison Pugh
Crusader Criminals, by Steve Tibble
The B...
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