Medieval Archives

By The Archivist

What's Medieval Archives about?

The Medieval Archives podcast transports you back to an age of heroic kings, gallant knights and pious bishops. Separate fact from fiction and find out how the men and women of the middle ages really lived.

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Medieval Archives episodes:

04.08.2024
MAP90: The Black Hour: Solar Eclipse and the Medieval Mind
Have you ever seen an eclipse? I’ve seen numerous lunar eclipses and I’ve seen a few partial solar eclipse, but never a total solar eclipse. On 08 April 2024, Mexico, the United States and Canada will experience a total solar...
02.28.2024
MAP89: British Myths & Legends with Amy Jeffs
Medievalist and Art Historian Dr. Amy Jeffs joins the show to discuss her books Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain and Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain In Amy’s first book, Storyland she examines the origins of Britain from...
01.29.2024
MAP88: The Crusader States with Nic Morton
Professor and author Nicolas Morton joins the podcast to discuss his book, The Crusader States and their Neighbours. The Crusader States were founded during the First Crusade. The Crusaders conquered the land and claimed it as their own. There...
01.11.2024
Medieval Tales Podcast: The Black Arrow Part 1 of 9
We are embarking on a new podcasting adventure! Medieval Tales Podcast will be released every Tuesday and Thursday and feature medieval themed classic novels. The first book in the series is: The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson...
01.11.2024
FEED DROP: Medieval Tales Podcast Trailer
Welcome to the Medieval Tales podcast, well, to the trailer at least. Do you love reading classic novels set in the Middle Ages. Stories of brave Knights and epic battles, royal intrigue and life in a castle? Is it...
07.17.2023
MAP87: The Mongol Storm
Professor and author Nicolas Morton joins the podcast to discuss his book, The Mongol Storm. The Mongol Empire rose to power in the early 1200s, founded by Genghis Khan. At it’s peak the Empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean...
10.25.2021
MAP86: Alice Kyteler: The Witch of Kilkenny
It’s Halloween again, the air turns colder, the nights grow darker and spirits roam in the shadows. On this year’s Halloween episode we are traveling to the Emerald Isle. In 1324 Kilkenny, Ireland witnessed it’s first witchcraft trial and the...
03.01.2021
MAP85: Mudlarks: Searching for London's Lost Treasures
Mudlarks A mudlark is defined as someone who digs or searches in in river or harbor mud for items of value. The term was widely used in 18th and 19th century London. Mudlarks would search the shores of the River...
12.23.2020
MAP 84: The Medieval Knight with Christopher Gravett
When people think of the Middle Ages one of the first images that pops into their head is a knight in shining armor. Knights are synonymous with the Middle Ages. Slaying dragons, saving damsels in distress, but beyond the fairy...
10.27.2020
MAP #83: Halloween Special – Ghost Stories From Haunted Castles
The witching season is upon us once again. Past Halloweens we’ve covered a Medieval Serial Killer, Medieval Zombies and more. All the Halloween episodes are available on the Halloween Podcast page. This Halloween we are looking at haunted castles from...
09.03.2020
MAP082: Viking Warriors and Explorers
The Viking Age VIKINGS! The scourge of the early middle ages. Vikings raided England, Ireland and Europe with a ferocity never seen before. On this episode we’re going to look at a few Vikings that you may...
07.29.2020
MAP81: John II The Good: King of France 1350-1364
John II: King of France 1350-1364 King John II of France, called The Good. John ruled during a tumultuous time, the Plague was in full force killing large parts of France’s population, the Hundred Years’ War was raging and France...
07.14.2020
MAP80: Sword for Hire: Mercenaries in the Middle Ages
Fight For Profit Soldiers in the Middle Ages fought for King and Country. But what did they do when the wars ended? Not all soldiers retired back to a life of farming or trade. Some men wanted to continue fighting...
06.30.2020
Medieval Archives Podcast Update
We hit a milestone this month for the Medieval Archives Podcast. Ten years of podcasting! Unfortunately the podcast hit an unexpected and lengthy hiatus. But we are coming back this summer! Along with the 10 year anniversary is a fresh...
05.03.2018
MAP#79: Richard the Lionheart and author W.B. Bartlett
In today's lesson we are joined by author Wayne Bartlett to discuss Richard the Lionheart! Wayne's new book Richard the Lionheart: The Crusader King of England is available through Amberley Publishing. It's an excellent biography and the first biography of...
01.30.2018
MAP#78: Edward II The Man with author Stephen Spinks
Today's lesson features a talk with historian and author Stephen Spinks. Stephen's new book Edward II The Man: A Doomed Inheritance was recently published by Amberley Publishing. Edward II The Man is an in-depth biography of an often overlooked medieval...
10.30.2017
MAP#77 – The Masque of the Red Death
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! The Great Plague or Black Death ravaged Europe in the 14th century, killing around 200 million people. No one was immune to the Plague! But as we'll find out in today's episode one man thought his wealth could...
08.30.2017
MAP#76 – Music inspired by Richard III and the Wars of the Roses
We have a special episode today of medieval inspired music! Ian Churchward and his band The Legendary 10 Seconds write music about Richard III and the Wars of the Roses. Today we are showcasing one of their albums Tant le...
04.20.2017
MAP#75: Natural Disasters: Earthquakes that rocked the Middle Ages
Ever wonder how medieval people dealt with natural disasters? No Red Cross or FEMA to come in and help clean up. Earthquakes and Tsunamis are some of the most destructive forces in nature. It's estimated there are over 500,000 earthquakes...
03.27.2017
MAP#74: Northern Crusades: Teutonic Knights, Alexander Nevsky and the Battle on the Ice
In 1242 the Teutonic Knights were conquering lands to the east into Novgorod. Pope Gregory IX blessed the Knights in their Crusade to rid Novgorod of the orthodox pagans. Alexander Nevsky and his army had other plans. They intended to...
03.13.2017
MAP#73: The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories written Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387–1400. The tales are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from London to Canterbury...
12.05.2016
MAP#72: Jack Cade’s Rebellion: A Prelude to the Wars of the Roses
Jack Cade's RebellionThe summer of 1450 was full of unrest in England. A failing war in France, political corruption and out of control crime left the citizens of England on edge. One man, Jack Cade, gathered together a band of...
11.18.2016
MAP Bonus: Top Five Borgia Myths and Book Giveaway
Cesare Borgia in a Nutshell MadeGlobal’s History in a Nutshell Series aims to give readers a good grounding in a historical topic in a concise, easily digestible and accessible way. Cesare Borgia in a Nutshell outlines the life of one...
09.07.2016
MAP#71: The Children’s Crusade 1212
The Children's Crusade 1212In the summer of 1212 a French boy and a German boy had separate visions of freeing the Holy Land from the Muslims. Their quests included over 20,000 medieval children and is known as the Children's Crusade....
12.22.2015
MAP#70 – Medieval Christmas II
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from the Medieval Archives! No intro, no talking just Christmas music inspired by the Middle Ages! Have a safe holiday season and thank you for supporting the Medieval Archives Podcast. Please send any comments, suggestions...
10.27.2015
MAP#69: The Pit and the Pendulum
Happy Halloween! The Spanish Inquisition, started in 1478 by Ferdinand and Isabella, was used to rid Spain and the Spanish Territories of heretics. The Spanish Inquisition targeted Catholics who strayed from the Catholic teaches and expanded to Jews, Muslims and...
10.14.2015
MAP#68: Combat of the Thirty
During the first phase of the Hundred Years War a smaller war broke out in France, the Breton War of Succession. Wars of Succession always start the same way, a Nobleman dies without an heir. In this case it was...
07.06.2015
MAP#67: Warrior Princess: Female warriors of the Middle Ages
Women in the Middle Ages were docile, meek and subservient. Or at least that's what we were led to believe. But that isn't always the case. In previous lessons we looked at Black Agnes, the defender of Dunbar Castle and...
06.23.2015
MAP#66: The Battle of Sluys (1340)
The Battle of Sluys was the first major battle of the Hundred Years' War. There were a few battles before it but nothing that compared to the size and ramifications of Sluys. The Hundred Years' War was a series of...
05.25.2015
MAP#65: The Pardoner’s Tale (Canterbury Tales)
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales toward the end of the 14th century. The tales are a story telling contest by a group of pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. Today we are going...
03.23.2015
MAP#64: Terry Brooks and The Shannara Chronicles
While browsing a B. Dalton bookstore in 1987 I happened upon a book with a glowing sword on the cover. The description talked of Skull Bearers, trolls, dwarfs, elves and a powerful Sword of Shannara. I was sold! That summer...
03.16.2015
MAP#63: Marc Morris, King John and the Road to Magna Carta
This year marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. The medieval King responsible for the document is King John of England. He didn't create it, but it was his turbulent reign that caused the Barons to create the document....
03.09.2015
MAP#62: Kristie Dean and The World of Richard III
We are two weeks away from the beginning of the Richard III re-interment ceremonies. Leicester will be packed with dignitaries, tourist and medievalists to witness the final procession of Richard from Leiscester to Bosworth and back. On the last episode...
02.23.2015
MAP#61: David Monteith Dean of Leicester Cathedral and King Richard III
Three years ago archaeologists began a dig to discover the lost remains of King Richard III. Unbelievably they found his remains the very first day! It took over a week of careful excavation to uncover and exhume his bones. The...
02.23.2015
The Vikings Podcast #301: Mercenary
Season 3 Premiere! What's in store for Ragnar and company this year? A trip to Wessex, raids, glory? All that and more! Find out on another great episode of Vikings. On this episode of The Vikings Podcast we'll review and...
11.26.2014
MAP#60: Council of Constance: Heretics, Schism and the Teutonic Knights
Six hundred years ago Anti-Pope John XXIII called the Council of Constance. It was an ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church and began in November 1414. The main purpose of the Council was to end the Western Schism....
11.11.2014
MAP#59: Author Ian Macgill, 1066 and The Rhyme of King Harold
Journalist and author Ian Macgill found his writing passion traveling through the jungles of South America. As a young man Ian was awarded the Winston Churchill fellowship and traveled through South America studying ancient sites. His adventures in South America...
10.29.2014
MAP#58: Gilles de Rais – Gallant Knight, Occultist and Serial Killer
Gilles de Rais, an esteemed knight and the Marshall of France, who fought alongside Joan of Arc. Then he turned to the occult and tried to deal with the devil. Gilles isn't remembered as a hero of France, instead he...
10.24.2014
The Vikings Podcast #212: Vikings Season 2 Blu-ray Giveaway!
I wanted to get out a quick update to let you know about the VIKINGS Season 2 Blu-ray giveaway! It's easy to enter and you could take home a great prize! Head over to http://www.medievalarchives.com/vikingsgiveaway to enter the contest. One...
10.14.2014
MAP#57: Dan Jones Interview: Wars of the Roses and The Plantagenets
Award-winning journalist, best selling author and Historian Dan Jones joins the Medieval Archives Podcast to talk all things Plantagenets! His first book on the subject The Plantagents: The Kings Who made England covers the first two centuries of Plantagenet Kings...
09.29.2014
MAP#56: Jan Hus and the Hussite Wars
Jan Hus was a Czech or more accurately for his time, a Bohemian priest, philosopher and religious reformer who shock up the catholic church in the 15th century. We'll look at his life, his ideas about religion and the catholic...
09.16.2014
MAP#55: Bernard Cornwell Interview – The Empty Throne
Few authors can capture the atmosphere of the middle ages as well as Bernard Cornwell. A master storyteller Bernard has written over 50 books! I first discovered Bernard Cornwell in the early 2000s when I was browsing at a local...
06.24.2014
MAP#54: The Battle of Bannockburn 1314
In June 1314 Scotland faced off against England in a battle that would be remembered through the ages. Outnumbered more than 2-1 the Scots banded together to fight the mighty English. The Battle of Bannockburn started out with an epic...
06.19.2014
MAP#53: War of Scottish Independence 1296-1328
For everyone living today the Kingdom of Scotland has been apart of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. But the two kingdoms weren't always united. In fact they have only been unified for 300 years. Prior to the 1707 Treaty...
05.14.2014
MAP#52: Defending the City of God, Sharan Newman Interview
Defender of the City of God is a new book by award winning author Sharan Newman. It examines the First Crusade, the Crusader state of Jerusalem and Queen Melisande. Sharan also writes fiction novels based in the Middle Ages, including...
03.19.2014
MAP#51: Jacques de Molay and The Knights Templar
Jacques de Molay the 23rd and final Grand Master of The Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, better know as The Knights Templar. The Knights Templar formed in 1119 and quickly rose in power and wealth....
02.25.2014
MAP#50: Medieval Torture
In the Middle Ages torture was used for a variety of reasons, to gain information, to purify heretics and to punish criminals. In this lesson of the Medieval Archives Podcast we are going to explore medieval torture and the devices...
02.11.2014
MAP#49: Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was the most powerful Crusader State in the Middle Ages. Melisende, the daughter of King Baldwin II, would rule Jerusalem after the death of her father. A power struggle with her husband, Fulk V, led to...
02.03.2014
MAP#48: Sweyn Forkbeard, The Viking King of England
03 February 2014 marks the 1,000th anniversary of the death of King Sweyn Forkbeard. Once Forkbeard became the King of Denmark and Norway he started raiding England. After the English massacred thousands of Danes on St. Brice's Day Forkbeard increased...
01.27.2014
MAP#47: Charlemagne, The Father of Europe
January 2014 marks the 1,200th anniversary of the death of Charlemagne. He started his reign at the age of 26 as the King of the Franks. By the time of his death in 814 he was the Holy Roman Emperor...

What's Medieval Archives about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Medieval Archives episodes:

MAP90: The Black Hour: Solar Eclipse and the Medieval Mind

MAP89: British Myths & Legends with Amy Jeffs

MAP88: The Crusader States with Nic Morton

Medieval Tales Podcast: The Black Arrow Part 1 of 9

FEED DROP: Medieval Tales Podcast Trailer

MAP87: The Mongol Storm

MAP86: Alice Kyteler: The Witch of Kilkenny

MAP85: Mudlarks: Searching for London's Lost Treasures

MAP 84: The Medieval Knight with Christopher Gravett

MAP #83: Halloween Special – Ghost Stories From Haunted Castles

MAP082: Viking Warriors and Explorers

MAP81: John II The Good: King of France 1350-1364

MAP80: Sword for Hire: Mercenaries in the Middle Ages

Medieval Archives Podcast Update

MAP#79: Richard the Lionheart and author W.B. Bartlett

MAP#78: Edward II The Man with author Stephen Spinks

MAP#77 – The Masque of the Red Death

MAP#76 – Music inspired by Richard III and the Wars of the Roses

MAP#75: Natural Disasters: Earthquakes that rocked the Middle Ages

MAP#74: Northern Crusades: Teutonic Knights, Alexander Nevsky and the Battle on the Ice

MAP#73: The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

MAP#72: Jack Cade’s Rebellion: A Prelude to the Wars of the Roses

MAP Bonus: Top Five Borgia Myths and Book Giveaway

MAP#71: The Children’s Crusade 1212

MAP#70 – Medieval Christmas II

MAP#69: The Pit and the Pendulum

MAP#68: Combat of the Thirty

MAP#67: Warrior Princess: Female warriors of the Middle Ages

MAP#66: The Battle of Sluys (1340)

MAP#65: The Pardoner’s Tale (Canterbury Tales)

MAP#64: Terry Brooks and The Shannara Chronicles

MAP#63: Marc Morris, King John and the Road to Magna Carta

MAP#62: Kristie Dean and The World of Richard III

MAP#61: David Monteith Dean of Leicester Cathedral and King Richard III

The Vikings Podcast #301: Mercenary

MAP#60: Council of Constance: Heretics, Schism and the Teutonic Knights

MAP#59: Author Ian Macgill, 1066 and The Rhyme of King Harold

MAP#58: Gilles de Rais – Gallant Knight, Occultist and Serial Killer

The Vikings Podcast #212: Vikings Season 2 Blu-ray Giveaway!

MAP#57: Dan Jones Interview: Wars of the Roses and The Plantagenets

MAP#56: Jan Hus and the Hussite Wars

MAP#55: Bernard Cornwell Interview – The Empty Throne

MAP#54: The Battle of Bannockburn 1314

MAP#53: War of Scottish Independence 1296-1328

MAP#52: Defending the City of God, Sharan Newman Interview

MAP#51: Jacques de Molay and The Knights Templar

MAP#50: Medieval Torture

MAP#49: Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem

MAP#48: Sweyn Forkbeard, The Viking King of England

MAP#47: Charlemagne, The Father of Europe