Bitching about Medieval Literature

In this episode, we begin the story of Geraint, who sleeps in on the morning of a hunt, and thus happens to be with Gwenhwyfar when she is seriously insulted by the attendant of a strange knight. He goes on a quest to confront the knight and avenge the insult...as soon he can borrow some armour. 

CONTENT WARNINGS: A character (who is unpleasant and rude) is described only as 'the dwarf' and is otherwise unnamed. Violence & Gore. Two characters approach a stranger to ask a question, and each are struck in the face with a whip. Later, in a tournament, the protagonist hits his opponent so hard in the head he hits bone, which is graphically described. Later, when that character arrives at a castle, someone observes that his clothing is more blood-coloured than anything else. 

And now, for the second half of our live session! In our first story, from Sermones Feriales et Communes (a collection of fables from the sermons of a 12th century Frenchman), a monkey demonstrates its powers of discernment. In the second, from Il Trecentonovelle (14th century Italian), a disgruntled painter's apprentice tricks his master into thinking he is beset by demons in order to get a good night's sleep. In the third, also from Il Trecentonovelle, a painter makes a visual pun to mock a client who thinks too much of himself. In the fourth, from Gesta Romanorum (a pre-14th century collection that was popular in many regions), an old woman comes to the aid of an unsuccessful lover with the use of an extraordinary story. In the fifth, from Les Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles (a 15th century French collection), an eager lover is unable to rise to the occasion, and is mocked by narrator and lover in a series of extraordinary euphemisms. 

CONTENT WARNINGS: Language, throughout. Dirty jokes, throughout. Animal cruelty. In the second story, sticking small pins into live cockroaches (who appear not to have noticed). In the fourth story, feeding a dog bread made with mustard so it cries. In the fifth story, pulling on a dog's ears to make it yelp.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for a bonus LIVE episode, recorded with a group of friends to celebrate the anniversary of the podcast. Today's stories are from "Medieval Tales and Stories" a collection edited and translated by Stanley Appelbaum. The first, from the 14th century Italian collection Il Trecentonovelle, features a man whose glorious dreams were followed the next morning by an odiferous reality. The second, from Disciplina Clericalis, an 11th century Spanish collection of stories from Arabic sources, has a clever peasant out-tricking his travelling companions. In the third, from a 14th century Spanish collection named El Conde Lucanor, demonstrates the folly of listening to everyone's advice without judging for yourself.

Many thanks to my live audience and co-complainers, Amanda Martel, Elena Vesare, Jadwiga z Katowic, Isabel Claworth, Aymer de Manvers, Felicia ad Aquam, Daniel de la Guerre, and Olivia. 

CONTENT WARNINGS: A lot of rude language here, folks, and some dirty jokes among the banter.

In this, the final part of the tale of Peredur, a strange woman comes to Arthur's court, insults Peredur, and sends him on a quest. In the process, a lot of things happen that are left completely unexplained, but it seems to end well?

CONTENT WARNINGS: The story begins with description of a woman of monstrous appearance, which dwells on her having black skin, being fat, and having various physical differences (e.g. 'back like a crutch'). Her appearance is never mentioned again, and she's not an evil character. 

Gore. Near the end of the story, there is a big fight in which a character is graphically cut in two. 

In this episode, Peredur finally gets his vengeance on Cai, joins Arthur's court, and immediately disappears on another quest. As usual, he defeats hundreds of knights (as well as two different monstrous serpents), assists many ladies, and rights many wrongs.

CONTENT WARNINGS: In Peredur's fight with Cai, Cai is thrown from his horse and breaks his arm and collarbone. (He's fine.)

This episode, we begin another tale of an Arthurian knight - although this episode precedes his knighthood. Peredur, son of Efrog, is raised without knowledge of war or fighting, decides to become a knight, and proceeds to defeat absolutely everyone he encounters.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Gore. In several fights, injuries are graphically described. Two characters are consistently referred to as 'the dwarf and she-dwarf', and there is implication they 'belonged' in some way to the protagonists father. 

After three years happily married to the Lady of the Well, Owain is sought out by the knights of King Arthur, almost all of whom he defeats handily. Then, after another three year interlude, he descends into wildness, and gradually redeems himself through a series of vaguely connected adventures in which his ego trips him up, and an inexplicably devoted lion makes sure he survives.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Gore. In various combat scenes there are vivid descriptions of serious injuries, including head wounds and disembowelment. Violence against women. One woman is imprisoned and scheduled to be burned when Owain unhurriedly rescues her. Another is protected from being taken by a giant, who is suspected of intending to assault her.

Today, we begin a new story, featuring Owain, one of King Arthur's knights. After a friend tells Owain how he went looking for an ass-kicking and got his ass kicked, Owain decides to try it for himself. 

CONTENT WARNINGS: Gore. When Owain summons the knight of the well and fights him, he gets him in the head with a sword, and it is described in great detail. Shortly after, he pursues the knight on horseback to a castle, and the portcullis coming down cuts Owain's horse in half. 

In this episode, the members of Arthur's court continue to work on the impossible tasks set by Ysbaddaden Bencawr as a condition of Culhwch's marriage to Olwen - most notably, the hunt for the great boar Twrch Trwyth, which takes them all over the British Isles and involves an enormous number of previously unmentioned characters, most of whom die immediately. (After the end of the episode proper, there is a bonus fifteen minutes of me reciting a list of names that I courteously excised from the middle of part 1.)

CONTENT WARNINGS: Various mentions of fairly gruesome encounters - people being chopped in half, etc. These are usually brief, but occur without warning.

Ysbaddaden Bencawr gives our hero Culhwch a list of forty impossible (or highly improbable) tasks he must complete before he will be allowed to marry Olwen. This takes the first fifteen minutes of the episode. After that, Culhwch's companions slay a giant to steal his sword, and get advice from a series of ancient animals to solve a missing persons case. 

CONTENT WARNINGS: A sub character was kidnapped as a newborn and is found by the protagonists, having been imprisoned his whole life.