

Medieval Murder
Hannah S Purtymun
Medieval Murder is an educational podcast bringing historical murders from the medieval and early modern period to life.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 31, 2026 • 1h 2min
Táin Bó Cúailnge - Part 6
We are back with the Táin Bó Cúailnge, also known as the Cattle Raid of Cooley, which is an Irish Saga from the Ulster Cycle of Sagas. As a reminder we are using the translation of the Tain by Ciaran Carson created for Penguin Classics. Today we are covering the chapter in which Cu Chulainn takes on his foster-brother, Fer Diad in battle.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.

Mar 17, 2026 • 44min
Saint Patrick - The Man, the Myth, the Legend
Happy St. Patrick's Day from everyone at Medieval Murder! Today we are talking about the history and legends surrounding Saint Patrick.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.

Mar 4, 2026 • 47min
Táin Bó Cúailnge - Part 5
Today we are continuing our look at the Táin Bó Cúailnge, also known as the Cattle Raid of Cooley, which is an Irish Saga from the Ulster Cycle of Sagas. As a reminder we are using the translation of the Tain by Ciaran Carson created for Penguin Classics. Where we last left off in the story, Chu Chulain has killed everyone he has come up against, including the witch woman Finnabhair.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.

Feb 16, 2026 • 56min
Bianca's Cure - Interview with Author Gigi Berardi
Today we have a very special guest on the podcast, Gigi Berardi, acclaimed writer, Fulbright Scholar, and Western Washington University Professor who will be talking with us about her new book, Bianca’s Cure.
If you have any questions about Dr. Berardi's work or about Bianca's Cure check out her blog. We also discussed the Women Alchemists exhibit in Milan and the book The Daughters of Alchemy.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.

Feb 2, 2026 • 38min
Táin Bó Cúailnge - Part 4
Today we are continuing our look at the Táin Bó Cúailnge, also known as the Cattle Raid of Cooley, which is an Irish Saga from the Ulster Cycle of Sagas. As a reminder we are using the translation of the Tain by Ciaran Carson created for Penguin Classics.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.

Jan 23, 2026 • 58min
The Táin Bó Cúailnge - Part 3
Today we are continuing our look at the Tain Bo Cuilange, also known as the Cattle Raid of Cooley, which is an Irish Saga from the Ulster Cycle of Sagas. Now where we last left off, Medb and Ailill, the king and queen of Connacht were marching with a large army to take a large bull from Ulster but on the way they were met with warnings from Cu Chulainn in which he demonstrated his strength and mightiness. They have also heard about his life as a child in a tale over the fire.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.

Nov 26, 2025 • 50min
The Táin Bó Cúailnge - Part 2
Today we’re continuing on with the Táin Bó Cúailnge (the Cattle Raid of Cooley), using the Penguin Classics translation by Ciaran Carson. The pair follow Queen Medb and Ailill's army as it marches for the prized brown bull, encounter prophetic signs and curses, and introduce the unstoppable young hero Cúchulainn. Between battlefield omens, brutal skirmishes, and Cúchulainn's violent boyhood exploits, the episode blends mythology, geography, and grisly action.

Nov 10, 2025 • 29min
The Táin Bó Cúailnge - Part 1
Today we are talking about the Táin Bó Cúailnge, also known as the Cattle Raid of Cooley, which is an Irish Saga from the Ulster Cycle of Sagas. The Ulster Cycle includes around 80 stories about the people of Ireland beginning around the 1st century. The Tain itself was first written down in around the 12th century. The translation of the Tain that I’m using is by Ciaran Carson created for Penguin Classics.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.

Nov 3, 2025 • 46min
The Lioness of Brittany
Today we are talking about Jeanne de Clisson, otherwise known as the Lionness of Brittany. Jeanne’s story features war, love, piracy, and of course murder.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.

Sep 1, 2025 • 59min
Interview with Author of Nicked - MT Anderson
Today we have a very special guest on the podcast, M.T. Anderson who is the New York Times best-selling author of Feed, a National Book Award finalist and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, winner of the 2006 National Book Award; and Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Prize winner, among many other books for children and young adults. We are going to be talking about his latest novel, Nicked, which follows the story of a medieval heist for a saint's body.
Thank you for listening to Medieval Murder! If you have any listener questions, comments, or topic suggestions please feel free to reach out via our instagram account @MedievalMurder or via email at info.medievalmurder@gmail.com. Also, check out our merch available on our website medievalmurder.org.


