An armored knight on a lumbering steed, toiling serfs, tied to the lands of their lord, cloistered monks and nuns, lost in prayer, and don’t forget the scenery: high-walled castles, great gothic churches, farms, farms, and more farms. We all know the kind of things we’d find during the Medieval Age.
Thought to have been built sometime between 800 and 1100 AD, around 2,000 Erdstall tunnels can be found across central Europe, particularly in Bavaria, where there are over 700. With only one way in and one way out some of these claustrophobic tunnels have crawl spaces that are just over one foot wide. Could they be graves for the souls of the dead or have some other religious purpose? Maybe they are hideaways from raiding parties or pillaging soldiers or as some have suggested the relics of aliens who left hundreds of years ago. Let’s join the archaeologists who are examining the Erdstall…
When many people think of the Medievals, they imagine castles and knights on white horses saving damsels in distress, or perhaps superstitious, backward-looking peasants, who’s only thought is to toil in the fields and serve their lord. It may come as a shock to discover that there were some great innovations in the Middle Ages, such as the mechanical clock, the printing press and coffee houses! But it is in construction, where we can see that the Medievals pushed their ingenuity to the limits. From bridges to cathedrals, and walls to cities, let’s travel back in time and take a look at some…
Today we thought we would travel outside of the Middle Ages and into the early modern period. But why? We hear you shout when you have 1,000 years of medieval history to go at. Well, the answer is easy. The Great Fire of London was one of the greatest catastrophes ever to befall the City and was a tale just too extraordinary not to be told. Over ffour days from Sunday 2nd to Wednesday 5th September 1666, London was over powered by the largest and fastest moving fire that it had ever faced. Fanned by easterly winds, it spread quickly across the city, like a relentless predator, consuming…
The Medievals are often criticised for their bad child-rearing skills, such as sending their youngsters off to be fostered and trained by other families. Many of the decisions they made as parents are considered bizarre, if not downright cruel, today. So, just what was needed to survive babyhood in the Middle Ages? Let’s travel back in time now to discover how medieval babies were fed and clothed, how precarious their lives were, and how they were lucky to have been conceived at all. Welcome to Medieval Madness. 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Dirty Little Secret 01:56 It’s a Wrap 04:27 Breast is…
During the Middle Ages, disabled people were found in all parts of society. Those born into ordinary peasant families just got on with their lives and coped as best they could, whatever their impairment, be they “lame”, “blynde,” or “dumbe”. However, the ‘Little People’ with their short stature found themselves popular with monarchs across Europe. At court, they were required to fill roles such as the King’s Fool or Jester, giving them a level of prestige that the Medieval disabled person couldn’t find anywhere else. Welcome to Medieval Madness. 00:00 Introduction 00:52 Closer To God 02:43…
The 14th century wasn’t a great time for sunbathing in Europe. Right from the start it seemed as though a distinct chill had settled over the land. The Baltic Sea froze over twice in 1303 and again over the winter of 1306 to 1307. For many years following there were cold storms and heavy rains, resulting in a rise in levels in the Caspian Sea. What the Medievals could not have known then, was that this was the start of what we now call the ‘Little Ice Age’. It wasn’t a real ‘Ice Age’, more of a cooling down of the temperature, and it caused havoc for the Europeans. Let’s travel back in time…
For most of us, Halloween is the commercial holiday celebrated every year on the 31st of October, when people carve jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins and dress up in scary costumes to go out trick or treating. But what did Halloween mean to the Medievals and how did their superstitions and beliefs influence how we celebrate Halloween today? Let’s travel back now to a time of witches, soul-hunters, and ‘Stingy Jack’. Welcome to Medieval Madness! 00:00 Introduction 00:46 Do You Believe in Magic? 02:35 Strange Magic 04:02 Sinners, Saints & Souls 06:01 Hallowmass 08:20 Devil In Disguise? 10:14 The…
Like us, the Medievals wanted to step out looking and smelling their best. For women especially, grooming was not just about creating the illusion of beauty, it was also a way to show off their social status because the higher the rank and wealth then the more access people had to expensive cosmetics made with rare ingredients. Let’s travel back to the Middle Ages to take a look at male and female grooming and discover how people used their available resources to create beauty products, that still inspire and influence cosmetics manufacturers today. 00:00 Introduction 00:45 The Beautiful…
English soldier and knight, condottiero, Captain-General of Florence, Duke of the Duchy of Spoleto. Who was this man? A man nicknamed John Sharp by the Italians in reference to his “cleverness and cunning”. A man so highly thought of by the Italians that he is depicted in a fresco painted by Uccello at the Duomo in Florence. Could such an honourable man really be responsible for one of the worst massacres of the Middle Ages? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Where do we go when we die? It’s a question that humans have been pondering for thousands of years. For the Christian Medievals, there were only three options – heaven, hell, or purgatory. The problem was, they didn’t know what condition their soul was in until they died and that was causing concern. Even the theologians, with all their ecclesiastical knowledge and writings, debated the problem without success so what chance did the common people have? Welcome to Medieval Madness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We’ll begin, as all good murder stories do, with the finding of a body. It was the end of May 1375, in the Lincolnshire countryside when the decomposing remains of a man were discovered in the fields near Grayingham. The man was about 30 years old and had been lying there for several months but his clothes showed he was a man of means. On examining the body, the coroner decided he had died from “diverse mortal wounds” caused by a knife. But who was the man? What was the motive for his murder? And what has a court case between William’s brother Nicolas and Nicolas’s wife, some seven years…
The Medievals consumed alcohol all the time. At every event, whether that was a wedding, a funeral, a business negotiation, or the completion of an apprenticeship ... they didn’t really need an excuse. They even drank at work, all day, every day. Which begs the question. Were the people who lived through the Middle Ages always drunk? It makes you wonder how they could work, fight their many wars, or even function properly when they were all constantly hammered. Welcome to Medieval Madness! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For the Medievals, summer was a time of celebration for all classes. Perhaps the best time of the year for social gatherings. But work still had to be carried out in the fields and summer was also a time of heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, plague, and fever. Welcome to Medieval Madness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the West, the Middle Ages was a superstitious time, a time when what was real and unreal became blurred. Dragons, witches, basilisks, and zombies were just some of the beasts that offered an ever-present threat to Christian society. Is it any wonder then, that in a time when everything had a religious significance, any unexplained phenomenon in the skies was interpreted as either an omen, the manifestation of an angel or demon, or even a message from God himself? It was a time rich with mystery and wonder. Was it possible that the Medievals were not alone in the universe? Welcome to…
The Egyptians treated them with reverence and adoration having, first domesticated them 4,000 years ago. Since then the small, carnivorous mammals have played a major part in religion, folklore, art, and community health across the world. However, in 13th-century Western Europe, cats became associated with the supernatural, when Pope Gregory IX called them an instrument of Satan. Let’s travel back in time now to the Middle Ages and discover why cats were linked to witchcraft, why they were placed in barrels, and just why anyone would want to kiss a cat's anus. Welcome to Medieval Madness.…
In 1303, Westminster was an important place. West from the City of London, it was protected by its own walls and gates. Westminster Palace was there, which was once the main residence of the kings of England. On the evening of the 12th of May, in Westminster Abbey, which lay just across the pathway from the Palace, the Benedictine could be heard singing compline, their final prayer at the end of the day before they retired to their sleeping quarters. In the Abbey, beneath the Chapter House is a small Crypt, behind its solid doors were the crown jewels and royal treasury which were about to…
The 22nd of March 1144 was Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. Outside the city walls, the forester Henry de Sprowston was riding through Thorpe Wood on the outskirts of Norwich, England. Among other things, Henry was looking for thieves, who were known to cut timber without permission. Suddenly he came across a peasant who led him to the mutilated body of a young boy lying under a tree. It was obvious that a crime had been committed. The boy's name was William, and no one could have imagined that the discovery of his body would lead to the first-ever example of a ritual murder charge,…
Going on a Medieval Crusade was a male mission, a military enterprise in which only men could fight. Obviously, the women stayed home and did womanly things while their dashing, knightly husbands rode off and defended the Holy Land. Right? Wrong. Actually, many women also took up the cross and went off on Crusade, and they weren’t just the important warrior noble women, like Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Described as being “essential yet despised”, there were also the servants who looked after the animals and accompanied the army, the washerwomen, the camp-following prostitutes, and not…
The White Tower, as it was originally known, was a fortress-stronghold built by the first Norman king, William the Conqueror. It was intended to protect against foreign invasion and intimidate the citizens of London in equal measure. But the Tower also had other uses. It operated as a royal residence and was where monarchs would stay as they awaited their coronation. However, The Tower of London's most famous role, one that it played for over 850 years, was as a prison, detaining a list of people that included Sir William Wallace in 1305, Anne Boleyn and her daughter, the future Queen of…
From an insignificant tribal clan, the Mongols seemed to come out of nowhere to rule over the greatest empire in the world, before disappearing just as quickly three centuries later. Their lands reached out across the Mediterranean to the Pacific from the Arabian Desert in the south to the tundra of Northern Russia and from the forests of Poland to the mountains of China. At the empire’s height, the Mongols controlled a staggering 12 million square miles of territory. But what was it like to live under their governance? How did they treat their subjects, and just why did they almost hunt…
Born in 1359, Owain was the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales and fought for 15 years against English rule. He led successful sieges and battlefield victories to establish an independent Welsh State, refusing to ever give up, even when it seemed that all was lost he continued to resist the English, in the Welsh mountains by utilizing guerrilla warfare. Let’s travel back in time now to the Middle Ages and meet the last Welsh Prince of Wales, who it is said will rise in defence of his country if she is ever threatened again. Welcome to Medieval Madness. Learn more about…
It was a spectacular win for Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots, over the two days of the 23rd and 24th of June 1314. Just like the triumph of Agincourt, which was to follow 100 years later, the Battle of Bannockburn was a win for the underdog, when a formidable army lost to one of significantly fewer numbers. A pivotal battle that would change the course of the First Scottish War of Independence which ended 14 years later with a victory for the Scots. Today we continue our ‘Day in the Life Series’ and travel back in time to see what life was like for one of Robert the Bruce’s soldiers at…
We often think of Medieval princesses in terms of fairy tales - as beautiful young ladies waiting around, in their tall pointy hats, for some knight to come along and rescue them from a tower. But the reality was far less romantic. Let’s travel back in time now to the Middle Ages and meet some of these noble ladies and take a little look at how they navigated such an overwhelmingly male world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are many medieval ruins scattered throughout England and the landscape is full of crumbling abbeys that were left to deteriorate after Henry VIII’s reformation. But there are also quite a few, little-known palaces, that were once magnificent during the Middle Ages and were also discarded. Some were abandoned because of fire or war and others just fell out of favour with their wealthy owners. Let’s travel back in time now and visit some of these splendid buildings that have become lost to history. Welcome to Medieval Madness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For hundreds of years, for whatever reason, whether innocent or guilty, men, women, and children have found themselves in prison. Imagine travelling back to the Middle Ages and spending time inside one of those “unregulated, frequently packed ... verminous ... ill ventilated and badly sewered” places. Welcome to Medieval Madness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The word alchemy conjures up images of the occult, of dark laboratories and secretive wizard-like figures hunched over bubbling cauldrons. As well as trying to discover the philosopher’s stone, said to be the elixir of life and immortality, the idea of turning base metals into gold or silver has also fascinated people for thousands of years. The Medievals finally believed that they could ‘transmute’ one substance into another and in the Middle Ages the idea turned into quite a craze. Welcome to Medieval Madness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The history of Malmesbury Abbey is a long one and there are many tales to tell of the celebrated monastery. Founded by the Benedictines in 676, part of the abbey still survives today, over thirteen hundred years later. But it is the abbey’s connection to John of Tintern, a cleric described by one historian as probably the “most corrupt and disreputable monk of the entire Middle Ages”, that stands out as the most fascinating story. Let’s travel back in time now to the14th century and meet the outrageous monk whose crimes included brawling, theft, fraud, arson, kidnap, and murder. Learn more…
In the Middle Ages, men ruled the world, except when they didn’t. Many history lovers are aware of women like Margaret of Anjou and Eleanor of Aquitaine but other lesser-known Medieval female bosses were just as formidable. Let’s travel back in time now and meet some of these women who held power instead. Some in their own right, others as regents, and others by having great influence over the men in their lives. Welcome to Medieval Madness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Middle Ages, with its crippling poverty and lack of law and order, was the perfect time for unscrupulous men to turn to a life of crime and roam around the countryside causing untold trouble. But not all gangsters were poor, some came from noble families, and they certainly weren’t all Robin Hoods – stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Most were brutal, ruthless, and out for themselves. Let’s travel back in time now and take a look at some of the more notorious gangsters of the Middle Ages whose crimes ranged from rabbit robbing to rape and murder. Welcome to Medieval Madness.…
Many once-great cities of the Middle Ages have been lost over time. It could have been through natural disaster, war, or just because they were victims of their own success. Let’s travel back in time now to rediscover some of these cities, that were once vibrant hubs for trade, culture, and knowledge and find out about their enigmatic disappearance from history. Welcome to Medieval Madness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About Medieval Madness
An armored knight on a lumbering steed, toiling serfs, tied to the lands of their lord, cloistered monks and nuns, lost in prayer, and don’t forget the scenery: high-walled castles, great gothic churches, farms, farms, and more farms. We all know the kind of things we’d find during the Medieval Age.
Medieval Madness is a English history podcast from Cloud10. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
