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Latest episodes from Ask a Medievalist

Episode 92: Emergency Popecast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 76:47


Synopsis Pope Francis, beloved of medievalists, died on April 21, 2025, so we're here with all you might care to know about the forthcoming conclave (now a film starring Ralph Finnes), the history of conclaves, and why medievalists loved Francis so much, anyway. Notes 1/ Benedict went to Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, I think. It's in … Continue reading "Episode 92: Emergency Popecast"

emergency ralph finnes popecast
Episode 91: The Field Where I Grow My Ducks

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2025 74:30


Summary Em and Jesse are back with more medieval meme review. Join us as we discuss martyrdom, marginalia, The Seventh Seal, and the Bayeux Tapestry. Notes 1/ martyrdom of Isaiah: Martyrdom sword through throat: 2/ St. Sebastian. Artists love him! Just to be clear, “It's difficult to assert that there were any gay men before … Continue reading "Episode 91: The Field Where I Grow My Ducks"

Episode 90: Ask a Memevalist

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 75:00


Synopsis Memes. Love or hate them, they're hard to escape. Let's do a medieval meme review. Notes 1/ Sorry for the weird sound at the beginning. File errors. 2/ There are whole Bsky accounts like “weird medieval guys“. 3/ Cave Canum Know thyself 4/ The Book of Dog Names: Superdog's name is Krypto

Episode 89: The Three Hares on the Silk Road

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 73:06


Synopsis Trade goods weren't the only things that moved along the Silk Road. Join Em and Jesse as they trace the history of an interesting artistic motif that made it from China all the way to England! Notes 0/ Credit to Hither, Page, by Cat Sebastian, for bringing this topic to my attention. 1/ Previous … Continue reading "Episode 89: The Three Hares on the Silk Road"

Episode 88: The Peasants Are (Still) Revolting

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 53:11


Synopsis In a first for Ask a Medievalist, Em sits down with Sebastian Nothwell to discuss his approach to writing historical/historical fantasy novels. In the process, they get into everything from Victorian steam power to the effects of the peasants revolt of 1381 on the chartists in the 1830s–50s. You can find Sebastian's website at … Continue reading "Episode 88: The Peasants Are (Still) Revolting"

Episode 87: Resistance Is (Not) Futile

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2024 86:37


Synopsis “Times are tough, but they could be worse” is the eternal message of our show. This time, we're talking about persecution and rebellion–how certain groups were oppressed for political purposes in medieval (and early modern, and modern) Europe, and some people and groups who rebelled, in both a personal and more broadly political way. … Continue reading "Episode 87: Resistance Is (Not) Futile"

Episode 86: Too Many Ramayanas

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 76:52


Summary The Ramayana is not the oldest story in the world, but it's definitely in the running. Composed starting in the 700s BCE, it has been carried to all corners of the earth and translated into many languages and cultures, traveling along several distinct lines of migration, yet it remains largely unknown in the west. … Continue reading "Episode 86: Too Many Ramayanas"

Rebroadcast: Episode 29: D’you Like Dags?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 66:27


In memory of Wrigley Njus-Kirk, The Best Puppy (May 28, 2009–November 18, 2024), we're reposting our episode on dogs this week! You can check out the original notes here: http://askamedievalist.com/2021/03/26/episode-29-dyou-like-dags/ We'll be back with regular episodes next week! Until then, give your puppy a pat and keep it medieval!

Episode 85: It’s (not the) End of the World as We Know It

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2024 72:10


Synopsis One time, Em got drunk and started texting Jesse about the bronze age collapse. This is the result. Notes 1/ Em studied abroad in Tianjin, China. It was very educational. I learned that black vinegar is good for your health, that there are mushrooms called ear mushrooms (wood ear, but I only recognized one … Continue reading "Episode 85: It's (not the) End of the World as We Know It"

Episode 84: Trans-Saharan Trade

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 82:42


Synopsis We talked about trade moving across Asia and into Europe, but what about trade going North–South? Like the Silk Road, there was a lot of Trans-Saharan trade going back a long time. Goods like salt, ivory, gold, beads, and metal goods–as well as enslaved people–crossed hostile conditions to travel from as far south as … Continue reading "Episode 84: Trans-Saharan Trade"

Old Silk Road, Take Me Home

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 79:44


Synopsis The Silk Road spanned four thousand years and lasted for centuries–it's hard to think of anything comparable in scale. From the second century BCE until the mid-15th century, jade, silk, tea, horses, the plague, and more flowed across the Eurasian continent. Join Em and Jesse as they talk about it–and also about Route 66, … Continue reading "Old Silk Road, Take Me Home"

Episode 82: Morebinogion

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2024 85:28


Synopsis Join Em and Dr. Jesse as they talk about the last two branches of the Mabinogi. Em's books can all be found here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C5XX9BH3 (or at many other fine internet sites.) Notes 1/ The previous episodes were: Episode 78 (introduction), and episode 79 (branches 1 and 2). Also, we're still using The Mabinogion translated … Continue reading "Episode 82: Morebinogion"

Episode 81: Angel of the Morning

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2024 77:36


Synopsis Did you see a headless (possibly satanic) angel rising from the stage during the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, or Winged Victory? Or did you wonder, as we did, how the two happen to be so similar, when angels in the bible are often described as having six wings, or wheels, or four … Continue reading "Episode 81: Angel of the Morning"

Episode 80: Emergency Olympics Episode

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 87:12


Synopsis Last week, the 2024 Summer Olympics started in Paris with an opening ceremony that featured nods to several musicals, a heavy metal band named after Godzilla, a bit of an aria from Carmen, and of course, a tableau of drag queens and gender bent fashionistas referencing Leonardo da Vinci's 1498 painting The Last Supper. Or perhaps … Continue reading "Episode 80: Emergency Olympics Episode"

Episode 79: Branching Out

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 82:27


Synopsis The Mabinogi: what's it actually about, when you get down to it? Join Em and Jesse as they discuss the first two branches, in which Pwyll meets Arawn, lord of the underworld, and has adventures; in which Pwyll meets Rhiannon and has a lot more adventures than maybe he bargained for; and in which … Continue reading "Episode 79: Branching Out"

Episode 78: Ma-Ma-Ma-Mabinogi

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 70:23


Synopsis Paul: Look, it's a school of whales. Ringo: They look a little bit old for school. Paul: University then. Ringo: University of Wales. (From Yellow Submarine, 1968) Ever wonder what Wales is, on a mythological level? That strange country of Michael Sheen with a dragon on the flag! And jokes about leeks in Henry … Continue reading "Episode 78: Ma-Ma-Ma-Mabinogi"

Episode 77: Carnival and Lent

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 74:31


Summary Here comes the parade, want some beads? Okay, so carnival is a prelude to Lent, which is an extremely solemn time in Catholic tradition. So why is it the way that it is in so many places? Let's talk about it. Notes 1/ It's late, but it's up before the end of Lent. lol … Continue reading "Episode 77: Carnival and Lent"

Episode 76: Pipe Dreams

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2024 77:56


Synopsis If you're one of those people who thinks about the Roman Empire a lot because aqueducts are really cool, you're going to love this. Join Em and Jesse as they discuss the irrigation of the Chengdu Plain, the plumbing of Tenochtitlan, and water management at Machu Picchu. Then we round out our “the middle … Continue reading "Episode 76: Pipe Dreams"

Episode 75: Plumb as in Full of Lead

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2024 82:21


Summary After a brief discussion of how people brushed their teeth, we move on to the question of where the water they used came from. And yeah, Rome had aqueducts–but so did a lot of places! And the Romans didn't even build the aqueducts they did have–they took them from the Etruscans! Who may have … Continue reading "Episode 75: Plumb as in Full of Lead"

Episode 74: Bath House (in the Middle of the Street)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2024 85:14


Summary When Em was a kid, she was told that knights in shining armor didn't bathe, that Elizabeth I had bathed only three times in her life, and various other assertions. But we know that soap is not a modern invention–the word itself comes from the Latin, and no less than Pliny the Elder discusses … Continue reading "Episode 74: Bath House (in the Middle of the Street)"

Episode 73: I’m a Ramblin’ Man

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 78:01


Synopsis Are you travelling for Thanksgiving? Believe it or not, “travel” as a thing is not a modern creation. In the middle ages, people visited many remote and far-flung places and brought back notes (and delicious noodles). Join Em and Jesse for travel talk, including Lord Elgin, Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, Zheng He, Margery Kemp, … Continue reading "Episode 73: I'm a Ramblin' Man"

Episode 72: Does It Belong in a Museum?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 57:47


Synopsis We've all seen that scene in Indiana Jones where he's clutching an artifact and shouting, “It belongs in a museum!” But nowadays in 2023, we tend to temper that idea–museums are fun, but who gets to hold a particular object, why, and for how long is a point of contention. Join Em and Jesse … Continue reading "Episode 72: Does It Belong in a Museum?"

Episode 71: Fashion (Turn to the Left)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 67:54


Synopsis Em and Jesse talk about Italian sumptuary laws, which unlike the British ones, were more aimed at women. Then they talk about fashion “dos” of the middle ages. Notes 1/ So, the difference between having a title and being part of the peerage is this. In America, when you earn a lot of money, … Continue reading "Episode 71: Fashion (Turn to the Left)"

Episode 70: White After Labor Day

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2023 81:06


Synopsis Just in time for Paris Fashion Week, join Em and Jesse for an exciting discussion of sumptuary laws and the medieval origins of prohibitions against wearing white, as well as a few digressions about John Waters films and Blackadder. Notes 0/ Rainbow Space Magic Con: https://www.rainbowspacemagic.org/ 1/ Serial Mom: (warning for violence) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnGHB-kI2ZM 2/ … Continue reading "Episode 70: White After Labor Day"

Episode 69: Virgil Was Here

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2023 81:43


Synopsis What got written illicitly on the walls back before 79 CE? It turns out a lot of stuff! Join Em and Jesse as they discuss the graffiti of Pompeii and also stuff Vikings wrote their names on. Em's book: Amazon, all other sites. Notes Books! Ancient Graffiti in Context ed. Baird and Taylor: https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Graffiti-Context-Routledge-Studies-ebook/dp/B004OBZWDG … Continue reading "Episode 69: Virgil Was Here"

Episode 68: Bat Country (Drugs, pt 2)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 81:32


Summary Let's talk about psychedelics in ritual practice. From Hunter S. Thompson's pilgrimage across the desert to the human sacrifices of the Incan empire in the sixteenth century to the use of opium during the late bronze age, people have been altering their mental states in religious contexts almost since the dawn of civilization. Join … Continue reading "Episode 68: Bat Country (Drugs, pt 2)"

Episode 67: Dionysus and Drugs, part 1

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 78:53


Synopsis In honor of the publication of Em's debut novel, Dionysus in Wisconsin, Em and Jesse talk about Dionysus (the god), and then about drug use in ancient religious rituals. Notes 1/ Order book here (or from non-Amazon sites here). (Incredibly well reviewed! Buy one now!!) 2/ Sparagmos: your vocabulary term for the day, kids. … Continue reading "Episode 67: Dionysus and Drugs, part 1"

Episode 66: Medievally Bootylicious (obscenity part 2)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2023 75:53


Synopsis Are butts the most medieval of body parts? From the Wild Man to Chaucer to good old Michelangelo, let's pontificate about the posterior. Do you need more of a pitch than that? Notes 0/ Preorder Em's book: a little obscene, only a few butts. 1/ Warning for…talking about butts, I guess. 2/ The Wild … Continue reading "Episode 66: Medievally Bootylicious (obscenity part 2)"

Episode 65: I Know It When I See It

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2023 77:41


Summary A long time ago, people were pure at heart. Of course, sex happened occasionally, but no one took off their clothes for it–that would be gauche. Then James Joyce wrote a book called Ulysses and things started to go downhill. In 1933, a judge named John M. Woolsey ruled in a case called United … Continue reading "Episode 65: I Know It When I See It"

Episode 64: Fight Knights

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2023 75:17


1/ EB White was a rather nice, shy guy who wrote for the New Yorker and hid from his admirers. TH White was a weirdo who lived on the edge of the woods in the UK. EB White is the White of Strunk & White. https://xkcd.com/923/ 2/ it would be more accurate to say Em … Continue reading "Episode 64: Fight Knights"

Episode 63: The Knight in Tarnished Armor

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2023 75:17


Summary Early on, a friend of the podcast asked if we were going to cover chivalry. Because really, when you think of the Middle Ages, this is it, right? Knights in very shiny armor on beautiful horses charging into battle, swords drawn! Knights getting scarves from their ladies! Knights holding vigils and praying in front … Continue reading "Episode 63: The Knight in Tarnished Armor"

Episode 62: Tapestries Not by Carole King

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2023 75:27


Summary The other day, I asked a friend, “Hey, what do normal people put on their walls?” The answer…is tapestries. Cold, stony castle? Tapestries. Small, plain cathedral? Tapestries. A house of some sort? Probably also tapestries. In this episode, Em and Dr. Jesse talk over how tapestries are made, famous tapestries from around the world, … Continue reading "Episode 62: Tapestries Not by Carole King"

Episode 61: Snowpeople

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 73:47


Summary It's wintertime in the Northern hemisphere! Snow is, of course, eternal, but did you ever wonder how far back the tradition of making snowpeople goes? Jesse did. Join us as we trace the history of snowpeople in Europe/the UK as far back as we can. Notes 1/ Marginal illustration in a Book of Hours … Continue reading "Episode 61: Snowpeople"

Episode 60: The Green Knight

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2022 96:56


Synopsis Once upon a time there was a guy named Gawain, and someone made a movie about him! And he got to be played by Dev Patel, which is pretty great when you get down to it. And then we covered it! In which Em reveals that she watches way too much historical costuming YouTube, … Continue reading "Episode 60: The Green Knight"

Episode 59: The Real MedEELval Times

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2022 75:32


Synopsis Famous eels: 1/ “Those are the shrieking eels. You don't believe me? Just wait. They always grow louder when they're about to feed on human flesh.” (Name that movie.) 2/ Mark Oliver Everett 3/ Medieval eel rents! The medieval church, famously, had a lot of restrictions on what people could eat and when—during Lent, … Continue reading "Episode 59: The Real MedEELval Times"

Episode 58: Long Live the Queen

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2022 83:13


Summary A lot of stuff about Richards II and III for a podcast that's supposed to be about queens. Also Mathildas, Boudica, and why Black Panther is more historically accurate than Wonder Woman. Notes 1/ Richard III's body was eventually found under a car park. I swear we talked about this at some point. “Was … Continue reading "Episode 58: Long Live the Queen"

Episode 57: Dancing Queens (pt 1)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2022 80:30


Synopsis As a memorial to Elizabeth II, Em and Jesse discuss famous queens throughout history and mostly in the UK, including drag queens, the borough of Queens, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I, Elizabeth I,  Mary II, Anne, Victoria, and Elizabeth II. Also Sophie of Hanover, Wills and Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan, and I think … Continue reading "Episode 57: Dancing Queens (pt 1)"

Episode 56: THE BEOWULFENING

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 76:56


Synopsis Bro! You knew it was coming! Grab your replica Sutton Hoo helmet and get ready, it's Beowulf o'clock. Annotations 1/ Spoiler alert: it wasn't published as episode 50. [But that's ok!

Episode 55: In the Summertime, When the Weather is Medieval

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2022 72:51


Summary Summertime, and the living is Medieval. But really, what was summer like in the Middle Ages? We talk about the Medieval Climate Anomaly, the (not at all Medieval) Little Ice Age, the volcano on Santorini, Medieval vacation tendencies, the Tres Riches Heures of the Duc de Berry, and the Olympics.  Also, Firesign Theatre references! … Continue reading "Episode 55: In the Summertime, When the Weather is Medieval"

Episode: 54: More England, More Normans

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2022 68:16


Synopsis Part two of the run up to the arrival of Queen Matilda and that other guy…what was his name…William the Conqueror. Yeah. Him. Includes Danelaw, Danegeld, surprising connections to Hamlet, an explanation of whether Aethelred the Unready was really unready, and of course a discussion of Eric the Viking! Annotations 1/ We have obviously linked … Continue reading "Episode: 54: More England, More Normans"

Episode #53: England Before the Norman Invasion

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2022 61:20


Synopsis As good students of history, you already know that all-important date in British history: 1066, aka the Norman Invasion. But what happened in England before then? From the Romans through to Alfred the Great, join Em and Jesse as they talk about a whole bunch of kings, kingdoms, Vikings, and Monty Python. Annotations 1/ … Continue reading "Episode #53: England Before the Norman Invasion"

Episode 52: Heut’ kommt die Jesse zu Oberammergau

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2022 91:31


Synopsis What do you get when you combine Monty Python, Mel Brooks, and the Passion of Christ? I don't know, but it's been going on for 390 years at this point. In this episode, Em and Jesse discuss what Jesse did on her summer vacation (or part of it): a trip to see the passion … Continue reading "Episode 52: Heut' kommt die Jesse zu Oberammergau"

Episode 51: The Relic (not the 1997 Creature Feature set in the Field Museum in Chicago)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2022 82:50


Summary Ever see an Indiana Jones movie? For more on relic theft, see Patrick J. Geary’s Furta Sacra: Thefts of Relics in the Central Middle Ages. Annotations and Corrections 1/ The episode where we talked about St. Nicholas was episode 23 (a Christmas episode). The oil is kind of said to be myrrh, but it’s … Continue reading "Episode 51: The Relic (not the 1997 Creature Feature set in the Field Museum in Chicago)"

Episode 50: The Heretical Hussites (feat. Martin Luther)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2022 77:24


Synopsis The last of the major proto-protestant heresies we’re going to examine is the Hussites, who were led by Jan Hus. And then we’re going to quick talk about the man, the myth, the machine, Martin Luther. The first rule of Medieval Studies is “Don’t talk about Luther.” [Also the second and third rules.–Jesse] But … Continue reading "Episode 50: The Heretical Hussites (feat. Martin Luther)"

Episode 49: Where’s Waldensians?

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2022 75:32


Synopsis Let’s talk about the Waldensians, the Lollards, and some revolting peasants. Wait. Oh well–Anyway, we talk a lot about how the Pope gave all the Franciscans’ stuff back to them and forced them to own stuff, some Shakespeare, and a lot of heresies. Notes 1/ RI Moore, The Formation of a Persecuting Society: Authority … Continue reading "Episode 49: Where’s Waldensians?"

Episode #48: Meet the Cathars

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2022 82:54


Synopsis So, say you like what Christianity has to offer generally. That Jesus kid seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. But theologically, you have a problem. Maybe you’re a Gnostic and think they’re wrong about the spiritual vs physical world. Maybe you think more women should be allowed to participate in … Continue reading "Episode #48: Meet the Cathars"

Episode 47: There’s GNO Business Like Show Business

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 79:22


Synopsis Manichaeism: The number one major world religion you’ve never heard of. In order to understand it and its prophet, Mani, we need to understand Gnosticism, a complex and subtle philosophy regarded as a heresy by the Christians. The short version is, “[i]n the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of … Continue reading "Episode 47: There’s GNO Business Like Show Business"

Episode 46: The Well-Tempered Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2022 88:00


Synopsis After an unexpected late-season hiatus, we’re back with an episode on musical forms! We’ve got the earliest hymns, the maddest madrigals, tuning and temperament, at least three different types of chant, and a song so recursive it will summon Douglas Hofstadter if you play it into a mirror in a dark room. Annotations 1/ … Continue reading "Episode 46: The Well-Tempered Podcast"

Episode 45: Fool Me Twice

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2022 74:56


Summary More on the Feast of Fools and the Kalends, with some digressions about Roman Emperor Claudius and labyrinths. Annotations For most of the Feast of Fools and Herod info from this episode, see Max Harris, Sacred Folly: A New History of the Feast of Fools https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Folly-History-Feast-Fools/dp/0801479495 1/ The Kalends (or calends, hence calendar :)) … Continue reading "Episode 45: Fool Me Twice"

Episode 44: Upside Down and Inside Out

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2021 74:14


Summary Christmas, a season for overeating, arguing with your parents about politics, and…wearing masks? Join Em and Jesse as they talk about topsy turvy Medieval holidays like the Feast of Fools! Also we talk a little about the Purge film/TV franchise, Rabelais, and Foucault. Sorry to the two people who follow us who are not … Continue reading "Episode 44: Upside Down and Inside Out"

Episode 43: Our Bagpipes Go to Eleven

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021 77:16


Summary More on music! (Shoutout to episode 40/music part 1, which came out a while ago now.) We talk about dulcimers and gitterns, viols and tabors, Jew’s harps and gamelans, and Jesse’s favorite–the bagpipe. Also tuning, temperament, aaaand a little Monty Python. Annotations 1/ The Early Instrument Database at Case Western Reserve University, Ross Duffin. … Continue reading "Episode 43: Our Bagpipes Go to Eleven"

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