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Ask a Medievalist

Everything you always wanted to know about the Middle Ages, but were unable to ask.

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1:18:51

Episode 17: Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/10/11

Synopsis Dance dramas are theatrical presentations that use dance (and sometimes words, but mostly dance) to tell a story. Em and Jesse look at dance dramas from around the world, from Mesoamerica before and after the Spanish invasion to Japan. With a number of digressions involving Prince, Irish step dancing, Alvin Ailey, and the movie … Continue reading "Episode 17: Dance Like Nobody’s Watching"

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1:08:04

Episode 16: Much Ado About Puppets

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/09/27

Summary Puppets are actually a pretty medieval art form–and not just for kids. These puppets do and say things that would have been politically risky for the humans controlling them to say, and also they are real works of art. Join us as we look puppetry traditions of Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Turkey, and Egypt. With … Continue reading "Episode 16: Much Ado About Puppets"

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1:13:17

Episode 15: The Not-Evolution of Theatre

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/09/12

Summary In which Em and Jess discuss the important theoretical contributions of Tropic Thunder and Blazing Saddles to performance studies, thereby illustrating the important differences between performance, theatre, and ritual and vital questions about their respective origins. Also, Jess calls Socrates evil, and then Em and Jess decolonize medieval theatre beginning with India and China. … Continue reading "Episode 15: The Not-Evolution of Theatre"

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1:26:48

Episode 14: Decolonization and Asia

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/08/28

Summary “One night in Bangkok makes a hard man tremble.” Weird concept musicals by Abba members aside, Asia is a place that many in the West have a fairly Orientalist relationship with, seeing it as both exotic and primitive. In today’s episode, we explore that relationship; starting with the French “restoration” of Angkor Wat, we … Continue reading "Episode 14: Decolonization and Asia"

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1:13:56

Episode 13: Decolonizing Africa

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/08/17

Summary In the words of the great philosopher Toto, “I bless the RAINS down in AFRICA.” [This song plays every year at the Saturday night dance at the International Congress on Medieval Studies, otherwise known as Kalamazoo. Very medieval. –Jesse] We explore Africa from a decolonizing viewpoint, including words of wisdom from deceased UW–Madison professor … Continue reading "Episode 13: Decolonizing Africa"

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1:14:30

Episode 12: The Americas Before Colonization

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/07/24

Summary Welcome to part two of our series on decolonization. This week, Em and Jesse discuss what the Middle Ages looked like in the Americas before the arrival of colonizers. We take brief looks at the Mayan, Aztec, Mississipian, and Moche civilizations and a few of their many achievements. With some fun digressions about the … Continue reading "Episode 12: The Americas Before Colonization"

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1:20:07

Episode 11: Decolonization: Theory and Practice

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/07/13

Summary “Pulling down statues isn’t erasing history….erasing history is the fact that you live on land stolen from a people you can’t name.” Em and Jesse dive into the theory and practice of decolonization–what does it mean, what are post-colonial studies, and how can we put this knowledge into practice, reforming our views of our … Continue reading "Episode 11: Decolonization: Theory and Practice"

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1:25:03

Episode 10: Icons and Iconography

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/07/04

Summary In which we discuss iconography (the study of icons), primarily so we can talk about the protests relating to/attempting to tear down the Robert E. Lee (and other major Confederate) statue(s) in Richmond, VA. But there’s also some good stuff on Medieval iconography, Kehinde Wiley, GB Trudeau, and Beyoncé. Notes, Corrections, Annotations 1/ For … Continue reading "Episode 10: Icons and Iconography"

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1:10:56

Episode 9: Heretics and Saints

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/06/19

Summary If heretics go directly to hell, and saints go directly to heaven, what happens if you burn as a heretic someone who later turns out to be a saint? Em and Jesse talk about Dante, sainthood and the inquisitio process, and finally look at the cases of two female saints, one of whom was … Continue reading "Episode 9: Heretics and Saints"

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1:25:01

Episode 8: Hell and Damnation

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/06/09

Summary Come with us into Hell. We’ll accompany Dante and Virgil as they pass through the nine circles and out into purgatory and heaven. On the way, we’ll chat about Margery Kemp and Julian of Norwich, Hellboy, D&D, Giotto’s Scrovengi Chapel, and the tendency of ogliarchs to use philanthropy to try and make people like … Continue reading "Episode 8: Hell and Damnation"

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1:06:11

Episode 7: Love and Hell

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/05/30

Summary What is the purpose of sin, and why is it allowed? Why does Hell exist? When people go to Hell, do they stay there forever, and is there any way of getting them out? Em and Jesse take a look at the Medieval personification of God’s love and how several major female mystics tackled … Continue reading "Episode 7: Love and Hell"

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1:25:16

Episode 6: Mysticism and Motherhood

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/05/23

Summary From the feast of Corpus Christi to the mystical marriage between St. Catherine of Siena and Jesus Himself, Em and Jesse dive into the world of Medieval mysticism and affective piety, exploring the ways in which women were able to co-opt the stereotypes of men into positive portrayals of female piety. Brief content note–there’s … Continue reading "Episode 6: Mysticism and Motherhood"

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1:06:21

Episode 5: Hermits and Anchoresses

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/05/14

Summary Em and Jesse begin a journey into the world of Medieval mysticism with a discussion of hermits and anchorites/anchoresses. With some interesting discussions of cats, Michel Foucault, Plato, and Siddhartha Gautama. Annotations, Notes, and Corrections 0/ There are some sound issues in this episode–I (Em) recorded in what sounds like a cave, and Jesse’s … Continue reading "Episode 5: Hermits and Anchoresses"

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1:19:56

Episode 4: Passover and Easter, pt. 2

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/05/07

Summary Em and Jesse continue their discussion of Passover and Easter, including the Venerable Bede’s take on Easter’s pagan origins, blood libel, and some long digressions about monasteries, Pope Francis, Saint Francis, and Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. Annotations, Citations, and Corrections 1/ [1:44] Miriam: We actually didn’t talk about her at all in the first … Continue reading "Episode 4: Passover and Easter, pt. 2"

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58:00

Episode 3: Passover and Easter, part 1

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/04/30

Summary Em and Jesse retell the story of Passover, and then discuss the story of the crucifixion in the New Testament and how the two dovetail. In the process, they cover Medieval traditions surrounding Easter week in a wide-ranging discussion that also touches on Gilgamesh, the harrowing of hell, and Peeps. Citations, Annotations, and Corrections … Continue reading "Episode 3: Passover and Easter, part 1"

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1:07:39

Episode 2: Plague

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/04/23

“Death and famine stalk the land like two great stalking things.” — Blackadder Summary It’s the Black Death, the original plague! Em and Jesse discuss the outbreaks of plague that bookended the Middle Ages–the Plague of Justinian (around 540 CE) and the better-known outbreak that spread across Asia into Western Europe and eventually hit the … Continue reading "Episode 2: Plague"

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57:30

Episode 1: An Introduction to the Middle Ages

Ask a Medievalist ·

2020/04/16

Summary: Em and Jesse discuss the inspiration behind the podcast and try to answer a few questions: What are the Middle Ages? How are they different from the Dark Age? Where did the name “Middle Ages” come from? Why study the Middle Ages? Also, Jesse makes controversial claims about Christopher Marlowe’s play Doctor Faustus. Notes, Corrections, … Continue reading "Episode 1: An Introduction to the Middle Ages"

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