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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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1:16:03

Episode 96: Pope Joan

Ask a Medievalist ·

2025/10/27

Summary Starting in the middle ages, a rumor spread of a female pope, elected because of her incredible learning, who went undiscovered until she gave birth to a child. At which point, everyone lost their minds. Join Em and Dr. Jesse to learn about the veracity of this tale and the wacky test it (allegedly) … Continue reading "Episode 96: Pope Joan"

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1:13:22

Episode 95: Sur le Pontif d’Avignon

Ask a Medievalist ·

2025/08/24

Summary Avignon! A city where there is a bridge, and a song about the bridge. And, once, the pope lived there. Why? Let’s talk about this weird century. Notes 1/ Avignon: it has a bridge! And a song about the bridge: “Sur le pont d’Avignon.” The bridge is medieval; the song dates from the fifteenth … Continue reading "Episode 95: Sur le Pontif d’Avignon"

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1:13:55

Episode 94: Popes and Antipopes

Ask a Medievalist ·

2025/06/27

Synopsis Let’s talk about a few good antipopes. What’s that about, anyway? If they meet, do they both annihilate? How do they sometimes switch places? Join Em and Dr. Jesse as they go over some of the more interesting antipopes of the 11th and 12th centuries. Notes 1/ The board game is Kremlin. 2/ Gregory … Continue reading "Episode 94: Popes and Antipopes"

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1:15:07

Episode 93: Take Me Down to Vatican City

Ask a Medievalist ·

2025/06/11

Synopsis When did the conclave system get started and why? Following on the heels (uh, vaguely) of our emergency popecast, Em and Dr. Jesse discuss history of papal elections and how the Church got to where it is. Notes Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes, by Eamon Duffy. 4th ed. Yale University Press, … Continue reading "Episode 93: Take Me Down to Vatican City"

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1:16:47

Episode 92: Emergency Popecast

Ask a Medievalist ·

2025/04/30

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"

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1:14:30

Episode 91: The Field Where I Grow My Ducks

Ask a Medievalist ·

2025/04/20

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"

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1:15:00

Episode 90: Ask a Memevalist

Ask a Medievalist ·

2025/04/04

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 🙂 Livre … Continue reading "Episode 90: Ask a Memevalist"

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1:13:06

Episode 89: The Three Hares on the Silk Road

Ask a Medievalist ·

2025/03/22

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"

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53:11

Episode 88: The Peasants Are (Still) Revolting

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/12/23

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"

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1:26:37

Episode 87: Resistance Is (Not) Futile

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/12/14

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"

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1:16:52

Episode 86: Too Many Ramayanas

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/11/27

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"

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1:06:27

Rebroadcast: Episode 29: D’you Like Dags?

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/11/20

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!

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1:12:10

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

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/11/01

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"

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1:22:42

Episode 84: Trans-Saharan Trade

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/10/22

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"

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1:19:44

Old Silk Road, Take Me Home

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/09/20

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"

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1:25:28

Episode 82: Morebinogion

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/08/31

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"

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1:17:36

Episode 81: Angel of the Morning

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/08/16

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"

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1:27:12

Episode 80: Emergency Olympics Episode

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/08/01

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"

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1:22:27

Episode 79: Branching Out

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/07/12

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"

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1:10:23

Episode 78: Ma-Ma-Ma-Mabinogi

Ask a Medievalist ·

2024/05/03

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"

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