Soundside

How medieval monsters got their meaning


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Famous fiends like zombies, vampires, and werewolves are hallmarks of All Hallow's Eve. But how much do you know about why that is, and where those creatures come from? 

It’s an origin story that’s fascinated University of Washington professor Charity Urbanski. Charity teaches medieval history at the UW, and she wrote a new book based on her research and seminars on the origins and meaning behind some of Europe’s most famous monsters. It's titled "Medieval Monstrosity: Imagining the Monstrous in Medieval Europe."

She joined Soundside to talk about the ways werewolves, revenants, and other monsters came to be popular -- and what they tell us about the people who invented them. 

Guests: 

  • Charity Urbanski, teaching professor of history at the University of Washington and author of "Medieval Monstrosity: Imagining the Monstrous in Medieval Europe." 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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