They did it. They actually did it. Doc and Nina shoot the…well, you know. Warning: this episode might be the most disgusting yet.

Topics covered: where to find the best medieval human excrement, the Lloyd’s Bank coprolite and how to value poop, “the Poopsmith,” the Erfurt Latrine Disaster 1184, and why it’s important to keep buildings up to code. 

Recommendations:

“How to Go to the Toilet, Medieval Style” https://www.medievalists.net/2021/11/toilet-medieval/ 

The Medieval Grad Podcast: https://www.medievalists.net/2021/07/introducing-the-medieval-grad-podcast/

Doc and Nina started this season…and then stopped suddenly! What happened? Well, Doc went blind for a little while and it impeded the podcast!  And in Pop Medieval fashion, they turn this into a podcast episode.

Topics covered: chest day, eyeball jelly, leech books, disability studies, medieval eye recipes, John the Blind of Bohemia, the punishment for lousy leechcraft

Recommendations 

John the Blind, King of Bohemia (1296-1346) (https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/john-bohemia-0013170)

Steve Pollington’s Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore and Healing  (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/809699.Leechcraft)

Michael Drout’s Quick and Easy Old English (https://books2read.com/Drout-Old-English)

Nokes’ BBC Future article on Swordfighting https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221124-the-lost-medieval-sword-fighting-tricks-no-one-can-decode

Upcoming:

Nokes’ upcoming book: Beowulf in Comic Books and Graphic Novels – coming in early 2023

Nina’s upcoming novel: This is What You Wanted – coming in early 2023

Here it is, Pop Medievalists — the episode that was supposed to drop months ago before Mt Doom exploded on Doc and Nina. What does that mean? They’ll explain in the next episode! Anyway, here, they watch the season finale of The Rings of Power and offer their live commentary. Engineer Mike makes a rare audio appearance for you Engineer Mike stans.

We’ll be back soon! Until then, see hwaet’s Poppin on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VaF2sZdeGk

Pop Medieval is back for Season 4! Doc and Nina discuss the most expensive television show ever, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." Their mutual consensus: negative, to varying degrees. Why does this show "insist upon itself?"

Topics include: Nina's GED in Lotrology, David Bowie's codpiece, elven swimming abilities, how to time soap opera pacing, Thomas Kinkade, the demon children of elf heaven, Spirit Halloween Numinorians, and how any show -- regardless of the subject matter -- can be improved with dinosaurs.

Recommendations

On Fairy-Stories (https://vdocuments.net/jrr-tolkien-on-fairy-stories.html?page=1)

See the extended cuts of --

The Fellowship of the Rings (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/)

The Two Towers (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167261/)

The Return of the King (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167260/)

See hwaet's Poppin' on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/VaF2sZdeGk

Doc and Nina are getting ready to kick off season 4 of Pop Medieval! But first, a minisode! Pulled from an outtake from season 3, Nina attempts to recall the events of the "Lord of the Rings" as a non-LotR geek, from memory. Can she recall all the plot points? (She! Does not! Pass!) 

Mild salty language warning. 

It's the season 3 finale! Time for your final exam! Have you been paying attention all year, or have you been idly listening on your morning commute? Featuring a Pop Medieval correction and retraction! 

After your exam, be sure to check out Doc and Nina's summer reading program:

"Icarus", "A Bitter Spring" by Nina MacNamara (https://ninamacnamara.com/)

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Called-Empire-Arkady-Martine-ebook/dp/B07C7BCB88)

"Watch of Traxis" (https://books2read.com/watch-of-traxis), "From A to Zombie" (https://books2read.com/u/b5QrLl) by Professor Awesome

"Alfgar’s Stories from Beowulf" by Edward Risden (https://witanpublishing.com/2020/09/07/alfgars-stories-from-beowulf/)

Wæs Þu hæl for the summer, everyone! But we'll be on Discord if you miss us. Join us at: https://discord.gg/VaF2sZdeGk

Doc and Nina try to record an episode without giggling, but the lord of the lash says, "nay, nay, nay!" They are back in Nerdhaven studios together and, propelled by the new Lord of the Rings series called "The Rings of Power," discuss some Tolkien adaptations. Stay for a serenade. 

Topics discussed: Overpromising book deadlines, selective rotoscoping, a shocking dvd discovery, Rankin Bass's confusing start and bizarre flashbacks, Nina's need for a map, Frodo-mon, the fourth wall break, and justice for the felbeast. 

Recommendations

Dan Olsen’s Exhaustive History of Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr_rb_pitHk) 

Old English and Samwise Gamgee by Dr. Richard Scott Nokes (https://books2read.com/u/3yPjRp)

Listen to "Where There's a Whip There's a Way" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoAfb3f04mo)

We’re going to the stars! In this episode, Doc tells Nina about the new astronomical discovery and what that has to do with Tolkien plus some other medieval astronomy instruments. Finally, Doc implies that Nina has the “ill-Inanna.” 

Topics covered: sky protractors, using video game consoles to remember names, complicated steampunk sundials, Mayan city planning, American presidential rituals, and the longest star naming discussion ever.

Show Notes

https://www.space.com/hubble-most-distant-star-tolkien-name-earendil 

thoughtco.com/the-astrolabe-using-the-stars-for-navigation-and-timekeeping-4126095

http://english.pmo.cas.cn/resources/facilities/201911/t20191123_226171.html

https://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/maya/mmc07eng.html

Recommendations:

The Expanse – All 6 Seasons on Amazon Prime https://www.amazon.com/The-Expanse-Season-1/dp/B08B49T8TZ 

How to make an Astrolabe https://arxiv.org/pdf/1202.2005.pdf

British Museum’s “How to Use an Astrolabe” https://youtu.be/N8oWGwcdFmA

See hwaet’s Poppin’ in the Pop Medieval Discord. Join us at: https://discord.gg/VaF2sZdeGk

Doc refocuses current events on himself and then introduces Nina to Saint Olga of Kyiv. Doc completely misses two jokes. Plus, Nina relives past trauma.

Topics covered: The grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Golden Horde, who can lay claim to what, the greatness of Maggie Smith, #niceguys of the 8th century, the logistics of getting buried alive in a castle, extra steamy bath houses, St. Olga’s non-traditional funeral practices and birding, and spiritual incest.

Recommendations:

Rejected Princesses: Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath (https://www.rejectedprincesses.com/)

The Primary Chronicle (https://www.mgh-bibliothek.de/dokumente/a/a011458.pdf)

See hwaet’s Poppin’ in the Pop Medieval Discord. Join us at: https://discord.gg/VaF2sZdeGk

Spring Break, Pop Medievalists! While Doc and Nina work on their freckling, they left you with another Minisode. It’s timely, too: Who hates Red Sparrow as much as Nina? Probably no one. Enjoy!

(Some salty language. Listener discretion advised.)