You're Dead to Me Geoffrey Chaucer: the medieval father of English literature
Chaucer's Cosmopolitan Vintry Childhood
- Chaucer grew up in Vintry Ward, a multilingual mercantile quarter where wine, spices and English wool arrived by river.
- That cosmopolitan childhood exposed him to Italian and other languages, shaping his later translations and tastes.
Chaucer's First Record Is A Pair Of Leggings
- The first documentary record of Chaucer is a fashion bill: Elizabeth de Burgh bought him a poltok and two-coloured hose.
- Those tight, newfangled leggings caused moral panic, with chroniclers blaming them for divine punishment after the plague.
From Captive To King's Courier
- Chaucer fought in the Hundred Years' War, was captured near Reims and ransomed for £16.
- Being ransomed was routine for a man of his station and led him to more reliable royal errands than frontline warfare.
Greg Jenner is joined in medieval England by Professor Marion Turner and comedian Mike Wozniak to learn all about Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales. Since the fifteenth century, Chaucer has been referred to as the father of English literature. He was one of the first authors to champion the use of Middle English for poetry instead of Latin, and after the invention of the printing press, his works became the foundation of the English literary canon – long before Shakespeare ever put quill to parchment. But Chaucer’s life was as extraordinary as his legacy, living as he did through the Black Death, the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, and the Peasants’ Revolt. In this episode, Greg and his guests explore Chaucer’s dramatic biography: growing up the son of a wine merchant in fourteenth-century London, his work for the royal court and long career as a medieval civil servant, his relationship with John of Gaunt through his mistress Katherine Swynford, and his travels throughout Europe. They also examine the poets that influenced him – including Petrarch, Bocaccio and Dante – and take a deep dive into the famous Canterbury Tales. If you’re a fan of medieval literature, historical courtroom dramas, and the tumult of fourteenth-century England, you’ll love our episode on Geoffrey Chaucer. If you want more literary history with Mike Wozniak, listen to our episodes on Charles Dickens at Christmas and the Legends of King Arthur. And for more fourteenth-century lives, check out our episode on medieval Muslim traveller Ibn Battuta. You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past. Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Rosalyn Sklar Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars