Medieval Morsels —Medieval Cheaters

In this episode of Medieval Morsels, we continue our exploration of medieval games by turning to one of the most controversial forms of play in the Middle Ages: dice. Small enough to fit in a pouch but powerful enough to provoke sermons, laws, debts, fights, and moral panic, dice games occupied a strange place in medieval society.

Part 2B examines why dice were so popular across taverns, courts, military camps, and city streets—and why churchmen and rulers so often condemned them. We look at games of chance such as hazard, the relationship between gambling and sin, and the way medieval writers connected dice with greed, blasphemy, drunkenness, and disorder.

Along the way, we consider voices from medieval literature and law, including Chaucer’s Pardoner’s Tale ...