Gone Medieval

Medieval Ethiopia's kings claimed descent from King Solomon and had diplomatic contacts with Europe driven by aesthetic curiosity. The podcast debunked the myth of Presta John, discussed the expansion of Christianity, military conquest, and the role of myths in legitimizing rulership. The episode emphasized the importance of embracing complexity and new research in understanding medieval history.

For the last several decades, Jonathan, Lord Sumption - former senior judge and medieval historian - has been crafting a monumental, five-volume history of the Hundred Years War, widely considered to be the definitive account of the conflict.The final volume, titled Triumph and Illusion, has recently been published. It tells the story of the collapse of the English dream of conquest and features such protagonists as Henry VI, Charles VII of France and the extraordinary Joan of Arc.In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Jonathan Sumption about the events that led to the end of four centuries of the English dynasty's presence in France.This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special edition of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega pays a visit to our sister podcast Betwixt the Sheets to be the guest of its presenter Dr. Kate Lister.Eleanor of Aquitaine - probably the most powerful and wealthy woman in medieval Europe - needs little introduction to Gone Medieval listeners. But how true is what we know about her? Rumours abounded in her own time, and to this day, about Eleanor’s private life. Did she really have a love affair with her own uncle? What was her relationship with her cousin? And how did medieval society take to such a powerful and influential woman?***WARNING: This podcast contains strong language and graphic descriptions.***The original episode of Betwixt the Sheets was edited by Siobhan Dale and produced by Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the year 493, the leader of a vast confederation of Gothic warriors personally cut down Odoacer, the man famous for deposing the last Roman emperor in 476. That leader became Theoderic the Great, a warrior-king who ushered in decades of peace and stability in Italy as king of Goths and Romans. Theoderic transformed his roving “warrior nation” from the periphery of the Roman world into a standing army that protected his taxpaying Roman subjects with the support of the Roman elite. He not only stabilized Italy but also extended his kingdom to the western Balkans, southern France, and the Iberian Peninsula. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis talks to Hans-Ulrich Wiemer, author of Theoderic the Great: King of Goths, Ruler of Romans, the first full-scale history of Theoderic and the Goths in more than 75 years, which traces the transformation of a divided kingdom into a great power.This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The University of Vienna is one of the oldest in the world. Founded by Rudolph IV Habsburg in 1365, it has been teaching students for centuries. But what can Vienna’s story tell us about the origins of medieval universities and what medieval people were actually taught?In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr Eleanor Janega visits Vienna to explore the university archives with Dr Nina Knieling. Together they discuss what it took to found a university in the Middle Ages and discover that medieval students, like their modern day counterparts, had a penchant for rowdy parties! This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob WeinbergEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bede, whose name towers over early medieval English literature, is often referred to as the “father of English history.” He calculated the first tide-tables, played a role in the creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels, wrote the earliest extant Old English poetry and did the earliest translation of part of the Bible into English. Despite never leaving Northumbria, he also wrote a guide to the Holy Land. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis finds out everything you need to know about the Venerable Bede from Professor Michelle Brown, author of Bede and the Theory of Everything.This episode was edited and mixed by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did an obscure Swiss family grow in power to gain control of the Holy Roman Empire in the 15th century? How did they manage to then take in a large part of Europe stretching from Hungary to Spain, and from the Far East to the New World?In this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega meets Professor Martyn Rady to find out the reasons for the Habsburg’s incredible endurance, founded in the belief that they were destined to rule the world as defenders of the Roman Catholic Church, guarantors of peace and patrons of learning. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1642, a Parliamentarian army smashed up Winchester Cathedral, including ten beautiful, 7th century mortuary chests, that housed the mortal remains of West Saxon kings, saints and bishops. In 2014, a team of forensic archaeologists, using the latest scientific methods, attempted to identify the contents, finding an elaborate jumble of bones, and making some surprising discoveries. In this episode, Matt Lewis catches up with Gone Medieval's former co-host Dr. Cat Jarman to talk about her new book The Bone Chests, which untangles the stories of the people within the desecrated tombs.This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Eleanor Janega continues Gone Medieval’s special series exploring Medieval Queens with a look at Margaret of Anjou, who rose to become a figurehead, and even a military leader, when her husband King Henry VI suffered bouts of mental illness. She became one of the principal figures in the Wars of the Roses and at times personally led the Lancastrian faction, being praised for “her valiant courage and undaunted spirit.” Eleanor explores Margaret’s remarkable life and influence with medieval scholar Dr. Joanna LaynesmithThis episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Lewis continues Gone Medieval’s special series showcasing Medieval Queens with a look at Emma of Normandy, the Norman-born noblewoman who became the English, Danish, and Norwegian Queen through her marriages to Æthelred the Unready and the Danish King Cnut the Great. After Cnut's death, Emma continued to play an active role in politics during the reigns of her sons by each husband, Edward the Confessor and Harthacnut.Matt finds out more about Emma from historian Elizabeth Norton, author of England's Queens: The Biography and She Wolves: The Notorious Queens of Medieval England. This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.