Medieval Archives

The Ghosts of Byland Abbey

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Around the beginning of the fifteenth century, someone at Byland Abbey in Yorkshire began recording stories about ghosts said to haunt the surrounding countryside.

These were not the pale, drifting spirits of later ghost stories. The ghosts of Byland could knock men from horses, tear their clothes, follow travelers for miles, change shape and, apparently, even be physically wrestled to the ground.

Most were not simply wandering the earth to...

Medieval Mythbusting: Mud, Misery and Other Medieval Myths

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If medieval movies are to be believed, everyone in the Middle Ages was covered in mud, five-foot-two, drunk, and dead by 30.

But was medieval life really one long, dirty, miserable Dark Age?

In this episode of the Medieval Archives Podcast, we’re doing a little mythbusting, med...

🌾Hunger Games: The Great Famine of 1315🌾

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The 14th century opened with a nightmare beginning a period called the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages, which lasted almost 200 years and was filled with famine, plague, religious schisms and wars, lots of wars. Sadly, it’s the beginning of the end for the medieval era.

After centuries o...

🎃Trick or Terror: The Halloween Candy Scare of the 1980s🍬

⭐This is a Bonus episode from Dragon Moon Media. We have launched another 'Archives' podcast, this one focusing on the late 20th century. If you have no interest in 20th century history you could skip this episode.

However, I say give it a chance. You never know what new knowledge you may gain from listening. After all we're talking about poison candy, apples with razor blades and canceling Halloween. I hope you listen and enjoy the episode. ⭐
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Halloween night, 1980s, the streets were full...

🎃Tales of Medieval Revenge by Edgar Allan Poe🎃

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On this Medieval Archives Halloween Special we're listening to two tales of revenge by the the master of gothic horror, Edgar Allan Poe.

This isn't the first time Poe has made an appearance on Medieval Archive. I love Poe's work, one of my favorite stories is "The Tell-Tale Heart." It's not medieval but it is fantastic. On past Halloween ep...

🇫🇷 John the Fearless and the Bloody Fight for France 🇫🇷

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                                                           John the Fearless (1371-1419)

14th century France was in utter turmoil, torn apart by an insane king,  multiple assassinations, a failed Crusade, a brutal civil war, and a new, devastating phase of the Hundred Years' War. The country was on the brink of collapse.

At the center of it all stood one man: John the Fearless, a prince of...

🇻🇦The Papal Conclave🇻🇦

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Pope Francis died on 21 Apr 2025 starting a process established in the Middle Ages.

Learn all about the Medieval origins of the Papal Conclave and watch as it unfolds in modern Italy during the Papal Conclave of 2025.

Once a Pope dies the Vatican enters a period called Sede Vacante, (Vacant Seat). Then the process of the Papal Conclave is started. Pope Gregory X issued the Papal bull Ubi periculum maius intenditur (Where greater da...

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🏹 Robin Hood 🏹 in the Movies

The story of Robin Hood is over 600 years old. An Outlaw from English folklore and a hero to the people, Robin Hood has inspired countless poems, books and movies.

Robin Hood first appeared in the poem Piers Plowman, written around 1377. His band of Merry Men, Will Scarlett, Little John and Much the Miller’s son, began to appear in the 15th century.

Friar Tuck first appeared in the 1450 story titled Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. The 1475 tale Robin Hood and Guy of...

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A day trip to Canterbury is a a popular choice for tourists visiting England and London and for good reason, it's a great city!

During our European vacation in the Summer of 2024 we had a free day and decided to take a modern day pilgrimage to Canterbury and Canterbury Cathedral. We decided not to walk the Pilgrim's Way though, instead traveling by train to Canterbury.

There were learning lessons for the kids (even on summer break), pubs for the adults and lots of medieval history!

It wa...

 It's time for our 🎃Halloween🎃 episode! This year we are looking at...

The Devil's Bible

Codex Gigas "Giant book" lives up to it’s name measuring over 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, 9 inches thick, over 300 fully illuminated pages and weighing in at 170 pounds!

Legend has it the book was written in one night, by a single monk condemned to death, who sold his soul to the Devil to complete the work. As a gift to the devil the monk put a two foot illustration of the devil in the book.

The unknown origins a...

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 eclipse. It’s the first one in 7 years and the last one for 20 years. The next total solar eclipse in North America will be in 2044.

Europe won’t be in the path of the 2024 eclipse but, if you live in Europe you won’t have to wait long for a total eclipse. There’s one on the way soon.

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 Noah’s flood to the Norman invasion. And there are some good stories to tell, including the incredible story of Albina, who ruled Britain, was seduced by demons and gave birth to a race of giants.

In her second book titled Wild takes you on a journey from desolation to hope. Through seven chapters of insig...

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 were four Crusader States established during the First Crusade; The County of Edessa, The County of Tripoli, the Principal of Antioch and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. For almost 200 years the Crusaders States grew and thrived…or did they?

That’s why we have Nic Morton on the show today. His new book The Crusader States and thei...

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 

The Black Arrow: A Tale of Two Roses is the 1888 historical adventure novel.

Set in fifteenth century England during the Wars of the Roses, the story revolves around Richard (Dick) Shelton as he becomes knighted, rescues his beloved Joanna Sedley, and finds justice for the slaughter of his father, Harry Shelton.

An outlaw n...

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 getting harder to find  time to sit down and read a good book? With all the cooking and cleaning and commuting. Maybe you have the time and aren’t sure what to read next. Whatever the situation, Medieval Tales Podcast has you covered.

We’ve curated some of the best Medieval themed classic novels for you...

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 to the Black Sea, encompassing Korea, Mongolia, China, Russia and portions of Eastern Europe and the Near East.

Nic’s new book The Mongol Storm covers the Mongol Empire and their influence in the near east. We discuss the rise of the Mongol Empire, what their society looked like, thei...

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 first execution carried out by burning at the stake.

Alice Kyteler was a popular, beautiful inn keeper who's husbands had a bad habit of dying mysterious deaths. Her fourth and final husband, certain Alice was poisoning him, told his children and the church.

The zealous Bishop of Ossory, Bishop Ledrede, took up the case...

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 Thames during low tide to find valuable items and sell them for a profit. Being a mudlark back then was usually a job for those in extreme poverty. Today things are different.

Mudlarks in the 21st century aren't finding and selling items to survive, they are helping document and preserve the history of London. On...

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 tales are the real life knights. Men who sacrificed and endlessly trained to earn the title of Knight.

On this episode of the Medieval Archives podcast I’m joined by historian and author Christopher Gravett to discuss The Medieval Knight. Chris is a former curator at the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, and an expert in the fi...

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 the Middle Ages. Castles

We’ll visit a handful of castles around England and one in Ireland. Most of the castles today are in Northern England and one isn’t a castle. We’ll start out at Whitby Abbey and make our way north to Alnwick Castle and the infamous Alnwick Vampire! The Alnwick Vampire...

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 not have heard of, or know much about. One of them should be taught in every school in America and Europe. They are portrayed as blood thirsty killers who pillage and plunder, but they were also adventuring explorers who discovered new lands and some even set aside their Viking ways to adapt in new societies.

If you a...

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 was in financial trouble. With all that going on how did John get dubbed, The Good? We’ll take a look at his rise to the throne, his exploits in battle and on the home front to see if he was truly a good king.

King John II and his son Philip...

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 and they fought for profit

Medieval Mercenaries rose to prominence in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Mercenary Companies were made up of men from every corner of Europe; Germany, France, England, Spain, Scandinavia, Italy.

The Mercenaries formed companies, small (and in some cases large) armies of men who would fight for the...

 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 new website. And we're removing all the ads from the website as well!

The new website and renewed podcast will remain ad-free!

There are great lessons ready and planned, looking at the history and tragedy of Notre Dame cathedral, Medieval Mercenaries, Vikings, the Crusades, explorers and much more.

The Medieval A...

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 Richard the Lionheart in over 40 years!

Wayne and I discuss Richard's upbringing, the Crusades and his war in France. We also cover the women in his life; his powerful mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, the rejected Alice of France and his wife Berengaria of Navarre.

Whilst Richard I is one of medieval England’s most famous ki...

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 king. Stephen and I talk about his work with the National Trust, his writing and his new book. It's a fantastic talk and I have a whole new outlook on Edward II, his reign and his fate. You can also read a Q&A post with Stephen about his book. Connect with Stephen on his website Fourteenth Century Fiend (https...

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 keep him safe. Today on the Halloween inspired episode we are going to listen to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. It's a story of the lower class suffering while the Nobles stay safe in their castle…but with Poe there is always a twist… The creepy cool background music was by Natureworld1986. You can find all his mu...

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 Desiree, the second album in the Richard III saga. You can find all their music at thelegendary10seconds.co.uk Ian and his band have a new album out called Sunnes and Roses, which focuses on the Wars of the Roses. Head over to their website and check out all their great music! Please send any comments or suggestions to...

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 each year and over 100,000 of them can be felt. Earthquakes in the Middle Ages are some of the most destructive in history. Today on the Medieval Archives Podcast we'll discuss Medieval Earthquakes! We'll see where they hit, the devastation they caused and how they were recorded. Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to [email protected] If you are...

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 defend their country from all invaders. The conflict ended with a fierce battle, called the Battle on the Ice. On a frigid day in April the two armies met on the frozen ice of Lake Peipus. If the Teutonic Knights were victorious they would stamp out the Orthodox religion and spread Catholicism throughout Russia. If Nevsky and his army successfully stopped...

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 to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The Miller's Tale is about a carpenter, John, his beautiful wife Alison and two clerks who fall in love with Alison. Today on the Medieval Archives Podcast we'll listen to the Miller's Tale from Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to [email protected] If yo...

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 followers from all classes of life and marched on London. The group presented King Henry VI a list of grievances called 'The Complaint of the Poor Commons of Kent' and demanded the King clean up the corruption and crime. What followed was a summer of battles, looting, death and betrayal pitting Jack Cade and his followers against the King and his...

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 of history’s most controversial figures from his birth through to his murder in 1507 at the age of just 31. This book aims to expose the truth behind the age-old rumours of this ancient family and to shed light onto a fascinating period of history. Today on this bonus episode of the Medieval Archives Podcast Samantha presents the Top Five Borg...

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. Stephan of Cloyes, a French shepard boy, claimed Jesus told him to gather a group of children and free the Holy Land. That same year in Germany, Nicholas of Cologne, had his own idea to free the Holy Land of Muslims. The two boys enlisted the help of thousands of children and embarked on a journey through Europe to the Holy Land...

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 or topic ideas to [email protected] If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Listen to the episode now http://www.medievalarchives.com/medievalpatron Get your free audio book from Audible.com at: http://www.medievalarchives.com/AudioBook Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite...

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 non-Catholic Christians. Being convicted by an Inquisition tribunal didn't also led to death, but it almost guaranteed torture. Torture to confess your sins, torture to renounce your evil ways or to name other heretics. Today on the Halloween inspired episode we are going to listen to Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. It's a tale of one man's experience...

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 the Duke of Brittany, John the Good, who died childless in 1341. Two men stepped up to claim the duchy and the Civil War raged for 23 years. But in the midst of it all a combat was held that's remembered for the Chivalry and Honor that was displayed by both sides. On 26 March 1351 60 knights met on the battlefield to test their...

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 Melisende, the Queen of Jerusalem. Women like Joan of Arc, Isabella, the She-Wolf of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine are examples of powerful women in the Middle Ages. Today we are going to look at more women who broke the stereotype and proved to be strong, powerful leaders and commanders. You can call them warriors, but you might not want...

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 wars between England's Plantagenet Dynasty and France's House of Valois and lasted 116 years! The main cause of the war was the rightful rulers of France. In 1328 King Edward III of England was the closest living mail heir to the French throne. However, when King Charles IV of France died Edward was passed over for a more distant relative Philip of...

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 to listen to The Pardoner's Tale, a tale of greed, treachery and betrayal. The Pardoner's Tale is about three young men who discover their friend has been killed. The men set out to avenge their friend and kill death, but quickly abandon their plans when they discover a pile of gold coins. If you are enjoying the podcast please considering...