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PODCAST

The Court Jester

Kleio Pethainou

The Court Jester is a storytelling podcast that dives into the sauciest, funniest, and most outrageous stories of the Middle Ages. Hosted by medievalist and humour scholar Kleio Pethainou, each episode brings you a real tale from medieval literature—fabliaux, fables, legends, and more—featuring scandal, fart jokes, sex, tricksters, and chaotic peasant drama.Think rude jokes, wild mishaps and the messiest love triangles you’ve never heard of (but absolutely should).⚔️ Based on real medieval texts📜

comedy performing arts

All Episodes

9:55

The Ballad of a Dead Brother — Halloween Special

The Court Jester ·

2025/10/29

Happy Halloween, friends of the Jester.This year’s special comes from deep in the shadowed corners of the Balkans — a 9th-century ballad known in Greece as The Song of the Dead Brother, with haunting cousins in Serbia and Bulgaria. Nothing sets the Halloween mood quite like Balkan folklore — mournful, gothic, and just a little too close to the bone. It isn’t funny. It isn’t light.It’s a tale about oaths and the ruin they bring, and how a mother’s grief can shake the dead.This is also the first ever

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7:12

The Chaplain’s Goose: Holy Appetite, Saucy Trickery

The Court Jester ·

2025/09/29

And we're back to naughty priest territory!In this fabliau from the banks of the Sèvres, a fat goose becomes the prize in a battle of wits, appetites, and shameless audacity. Expect blasphemous pranks, roasted birds, and a reminder that medieval comedy loved nothing more than making the clergy look foolish.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus

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11:17

God Owes Me Thirty Shillings

The Court Jester ·

2025/08/31

What happens when a medieval peddler entrusts his horse to God and the local lord? And what happens if said horse goes missing? You take God to court. I give you the Poor peddler, a fabliau full of divine debts, violent threats, and a monk who really should’ve stayed in the cloister.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content:

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16:51

Jouglet: The Dirtiest Medieval Wedding Tale

The Court Jester ·

2025/08/11

A sly minstrel tries to ruin a clueless groom’s wedding night...but he didn't account for the bride. What follows is a night of escalating revenge, as the bride takes charge, the groom gets creative, and the prankster finds himself in a very literal mess.Content note: This episode contains medieval toilet humour in all its glory — plus sexual innuendo, crude jokes, and more filth than dignity.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates

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14:26

The Miller of Arleux: How to Lose a Pig and Your Pride

The Court Jester ·

2025/07/27

In this fabliau by Enguerrant d’Oisy, we meet a miller who tries to seduce a girl, only to end up sued over livestock. Based on Le maunier d'Aleus, this is a story of bed swaps and a perfect courtroom ending. Justice never tasted so porky.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee

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13:14

The Woman of Orléans and the Merchant in the Dung Heap

The Court Jester ·

2025/07/13

Or, How to Spy on Your Wife and End Up in a Ditch.A merchant thinks he’s outwitting his wife. She’s five steps ahead.This fabliau has it all: deception, seduction and medieval sass.Apologies for the sound quality, and for my utter inability to contain the cat - you will hear him mewing early in the episode.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus

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16:46

Boivin de provence: How to Scam a Brothel and Live to...

The Court Jester ·

2025/06/29

Meet Boivin, a trickster who walks into a brothel, cons everyone and causes a riot so messy they called the magistrate. Which was, of course, his ticket to fame.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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19:41

Green Knight Rising: Sir Gawain, Storytelling, and a...

The Court Jester ·

2025/06/15

Put your hands together for medievalist, actor and writer Debbie Cannon, who brings the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to life in a special guest performance. Debbie shares an excerpt from her celebrated one-woman show Green Knight, a bold and lyrical retelling that’s been captivating audiences for nearly a decade.We talk knighthood, decapitation, and the challenges of telling medieval stories on modern stages. Our extended chat—featuring behind-the-scenes insight into Debbie’s creative

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12:08

Who Duped Him Best? A Contest in three acts

The Court Jester ·

2025/06/02

Based on Du Con de la Ringue (Three women who found a ring), this episode features the kind of antics that only medieval literature could get away with. The moral? Trust no one, and especially not your spouse.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast Hosted on

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23:48

Medieval Shenanigans: Meet Dane Hew of Leicester

The Court Jester ·

2025/05/18

Guest storyteller Maber Slattery brings the house down, medieval-style.Join us as we discover the misadventures of Dane Hew, the monk who was "hanged once and four times slain"!And join us over on Patreon for the second half, where we talk about medieval humour, storytelling medieval stories, and we throw in a couple of real medieval tales (straight from the archives) for good measure.Find Mabel on all socials @slateroo🎧 Extended conversation: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast📲 Updates & mischief:

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14:19

“Three Blind Men Walk Into an Inn…” (and it just gets...

The Court Jester ·

2025/05/04

This fabliau has it all: trickery, fine dining, and a wildly escalating prank that ends with gospel readings, public humiliation, and a very confused innkeeper.I give you Cortebarbe’s Li trois avugles de Compiègne (The three blind men of Compiègne).Content note: includes period-typical ableism.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content:

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21:51

Impostures, or Maqamat al-Hariri, with Peter Konieczny

The Court Jester ·

2025/04/20

This Easter Sunday, the Court Jester has a special treat usually reserved for Patreon supporters—a full bonus episode, free for all listeners!Join me and the brilliant Peter Konieczny of Medievalists.net as we dive into the witty, sharp, and delightfully clever world of the Maqamat al-Hariri, one of the greatest collections of medieval Arabic trickster tales. Peter is brining one of these clever stories to life, and then we chat about the Maqamat, and about humour in translation, and about humour

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7:43

Les .iii. meschines/The three girls

The Court Jester ·

2025/04/06

Three girls. One magical cosmetic powder. A high-stakes prep session before a big tournament. What could possibly go wrong?Come for the fart jokes, stay for the drama. You can decide who you think should pay for the lost powder!Join me on @kpethainou.bsky.social and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook for updates and more medieval mischief.If you enjoy the podcast, consider supporting it on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive content.The translation featured in this episode is Nathaniel

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9:38

Gombert

The Court Jester ·

2025/03/23

Ever wondered what medieval students got up to?In this episode, we follow two broke university lads who find themselves lodging with a peasant named Gombert. From sneaky bed swaps to stolen cookware, this tale has everything: deception, seduction, and a host who really should have locked his doors.Listen now for a lesson in why letting students stay at your house has never been a good idea.Join me on @kpethainou.bsky.social and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook for updates and more medieval

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14:43

The Tale of Jaufre with Anne Lister

The Court Jester ·

2025/03/09

Give a warm welcome to The Court Jester's first guest storyteller!Anne Lister, medievalist, storyteller, musician and overall expert in everything there is to know about the Tale of Jaufre, joins us today and shares with us an episode from the Tale. I sat down with Anne for a very interesting interview afterwards, and you can find that on Patreon later this month. If you want to hear Anne's adaptation of the full Tale of Jaufre, you can find it

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8:28

Le prestre et la dame/ The priest and the woman

The Court Jester ·

2025/02/23

A wild story of deception, wit and wicker baskets, today's fabliau proves once more that some women know exactly how to get what they want.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist exploring the world of medieval humour.Join me on @kpethainou.bsky.social and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook for updates and more medieval mischief.If you enjoy the podcast, consider supporting it on Patreon for bonus episodes and exclusive content. Not a fan of commitment? You can also send

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8:42

The peasant of Bailleul/Le vilain de Bailleul

The Court Jester ·

2025/02/09

The Court Jester was selected by FeedSpot as one of the Top 20 Medieval History Podcasts on the web!What an absolute surprise! And what excellent motivation for me to tell you a story of a medieval married man and his unlikely affliction. The fabliaux ends with a message that you should be used to, by now - remember not to use it as relationship advice.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist exploring the world of medieval humour—one tale at a time.Join me on

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15:37

The Stupid Knight/Le sot chevalier

The Court Jester ·

2024/04/29

Today’s story is about a very stupid knight who was taught an important life lesson. As usual, consume in context.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist researching medieval humour.If you are also a medievalist, or storyteller, have a look at this project and get in touch.https://trivent-publishing.eu/89-storytelling-middle-agesJoin me on X @kpethainou and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook.If you like what you hear, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, and

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10:37

The priest who had a mother foisted on him/Le prestre...

The Court Jester ·

2024/04/14

Today’s story is about a priest who found himself with a new mum, and about his mum. As usual, consume in context.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist researching medieval humour.If you are also a medievalist, or storyteller, have a look at this project and get in touch.https://trivent-publishing.eu/89-storytelling-middle-agesJoin me on X @kpethainou and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook.If you like what you hear, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, and

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5:15

How the priest read the passion story/Le prestre qui...

The Court Jester ·

2024/03/31

Today’s story is about a priest who had to wing it. As usual, consume in context.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist researching medieval humour.If you are also a medievalist, or storyteller, have a look at this project and get in touch.https://trivent-publishing.eu/89-storytelling-middle-agesJoin me on X @kpethainou and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook.If you like what you hear, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, and you'll get bonus episodes and other

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