Egyptian Hieroglyphs in Late Antiquity, with Jennifer Westerfeld
A conversation with Jennifer Westerfeld on the scripts used to write ancient Egyptian, especially hieroglyphs. Their last attested use was in the 390s AD, ending their long history in our period. Meanwhile, Greek, Roman, and Christian observers were developing their own theories about how the script worked, often quite fantastic, and reacted to texts inscribed in public spaces.
Bow & Blade Live!
A live recording of Bow & Blade from the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds. In this lighthearted episode with lots of audience participation, Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries answer questions about the Hundred Years’ War, battlefields, and why William Wallace is a bad guy.
The Medieval Podcast Live! with Eleanor Janega
This week, Danièle travels to the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds for a chat about life, history, and everything in between with podcast favourite Eleanor Janega in front of a live studio audience.
The remarkable world of hospitals, orphanages, and leprosaria, with Tim Miller
A conversation with Timothy Miller about philanthropic institutions in Constantinople, especially hospitals, orphanages, and leprosaria.
Q&A #6: How does a man-at-arms become a mercenary?
Michael and Kelly answer your questions in this somewhat abbreviated edition of Bow & Blade. Topics include the Ottoman siege of Rhodes, reading Vegetius on campaign, and historical fiction.
Pre-Islamic Arabia, with Valentina Grasso
A conversation with Valentina Grasso on Arabia before Islam. This used to be known primarily from preserved Arabic poetry, but the picture is now filling in from inscriptions and contemporary texts. There were competing kingdoms, tribal coalitions, and foreign empires with a stake in trade routes. There were pagans, Jews, and Christians, as well as generic or “cautious” monotheists. The cultural background of the Quran has never been known in such richness and complexity.
How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple with Azzan Yadin-Israel
Everyone knows that the fruit Eve was tempted to eat in the Garden of Eden was an apple – or was it? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Azzan Yadin-Israel about the original fruit of original sin, how written culture and art worked together to transform it, and why it took centuries to settle on the apple.
John Gower with Eve Salisbury and Georgiana Donavin
Everyone’s heard of Geoffrey Chaucer, but he wasn’t the only poet writing powerful and political verse in fourteenth-century London. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Eve Salisbury and Georgiana Donavin about John Gower, his poetry, and why we should all get to know him.
Thor with Declan Taggart
He’s a comic book hero. He’s a movie star. He’s Earth’s mightiest Avenger, and a day of the week. He’s the god of thunder… or is he? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Declan Taggart about Thor.
Rome and Byzantium in Heavy Metal music, with Jeremy Swist
A conversation with Jeremy Swist on why some heavy metal bands write music about Roman and Byzantine history. Expect “good” and “bad” emperors to be reversed here!
Episode 200: A Celebration
This week, Danièle celebrates 200 episodes of The Medieval Podcast. Find out whose episodes listeners voted the most surprising, most entertaining, and most uplifting, as well as who had the best voice and best chemistry with Danièle. Which episode will reign supreme?
Gunpowder, Cannons, and Military History with Cliff Rogers
During the Late Middle Ages, warfare began to change with the rise of gunpowder weapons. But is every medieval gunpowder recipe actually effective? This week, Danièle speaks with Clifford J. Rogers about his gunpowder experiments at West Point Military Academy, how small variations might affect each recipe, and why a modern military academy needs a medievalist.
What academic tenure does for you (yes, you!), with Jacques Berlinerblau
This episode of Byzantium & Friends features a wide-ranging conversation with Jacques Berlinerblau about the changing nature of the academic profession, especially regarding the erosion of academic freedom through the expansion of contingent academic labor and direct attacks on it by the states. Is research becoming increasingly vulnerable to outside political pressures?
The International Congress on Medieval Studies 2023 edition
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Peter Konieczny from Medievalists.net about the new research they learned about at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo.
Siege of Tournai (1340)
After his victory at the Battle of Sluys, Edward III leads a coalition of England, Flanders, Hainaut, Brabant and the Holy Roman Empire against the French city of Tournai. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael Livingston and Kelly DeVries tell us about a siege involving complex alliances, starvation and the money problems of a medieval ruler.
Introducing Chrétien de Troyes
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle introduces Chrétien de Troyes, a thirteenth-century master of Arthurian literature and one of the most influential writers of all time.
The afterlife of pagan inscriptions in Byzantium, with Anna Sitz
A conversation with Anna Sitz on how Byzantines read ancient inscriptions – or modified, re-used, and defaced them. Ancient cities were full of inscribed texts, many on temple walls or referring to the gods in prominent ways. How did Christians cope with these monuments when they took over the cities of Greece and Asia Minor?
A Who’s Who of English Kings
In anticipation of the coronation of King Charles III, this week, Danièle goes through all of the medieval English kings in sequence from 1066 to 1509, highlighting some of their best and worst moments.
Shakespeare and the Middle Ages
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle discusses the medieval stories that informed some of the world’s most famous plays, as well as the influence William Shakespeare has had on our collective memory of the Middle Ages.
Battle of Roncevaux Pass (778)
On August 15, 778, the forces of Charlemagne find themselves in battle with the Basques. Many years later, this encounter inspired a famous story known as the Song of Roland. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly discuss the historical and the legendary when it comes to this battle.
An insider’s guide to academic publishing, with Byzantine studies in mind, featuring Anna Henderson
A conversation with Anna Henderson of ARC Humanities Press about the world of academic publishing today, including its challenges, opportunities, and aspirations. ARC is a fairly recent venture, but has already published a number of excellent books in medieval studies (including on Byzantium).
Saint Colette with Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski
Not every saint gets a contemporary biography, let alone two, but fifteenth-century French saint Colette is among them. This week, Danièle speaks with…
Scavenging in the ruins of empire, with Robin Fleming
A conversation with Robin Fleming about how the lives and material circumstances of people in Roman Britain changed when the imperial state and…
Balthazar with Bryan Keene
During the Middle Ages, one figure began to consistently symbolize the renowned wealth and wisdom of African kingdoms in European art: Balthazar. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Bryan Keene about this wise king, his evolution in medieval art, and his continuing impact in modern culture.