The Medieval Podcast

To get a fuller picture of medieval queenship, it's time to head to the heart of Scandinavia to learn about the lives of the lesser-known medieval women who found themselves - intentionally or unintentionally - ruling a kingdom. This week, Danièle speaks with Caroline Wilhelmsson about the royal women of Sweden, how th

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 cen

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

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 desperat

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

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, interconnec