Leaving no stone unturned in our quest for the weirdest stories, guys, and art from the Middle Ages.
The Weird Medieval Guys podcast is brought to you by Olivia, the creator of internet sensation Weird Medieval Guys, and
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Our series on the Hundred Years' War continues with a deep dive into the events of the conflict and the consequences of a century of violence and death across Europe. Join Olivia and Aran as they discuss how the Black Death, rapid military and social developments, and a million succession crises almost brought France to the brink of defeat by the English. Until, somewhere in northeastern France, in a sleepy village called Domrémy, a young woman begins to have visions.... Join us in two weeks' time as we continue the series by giving you a proper introduction to Joan of Arc and her exploits! Until then, enjoy the show. For more on some of what we discuss, check out: The transcript of the trial of Joan of Arc:https://saint-joan-of-arc.com/trial-condemnation.htm The Social Impact of the Hundred Years War on the Societies of England and Francehttps://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1116&context=honorstheses Gunpowder Weaponry and the Rise of the Early Modern Statehttps://www.jstor.org/stable/26004330 Joan of Arc and Female Mysticismhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/25002016 Music used in this episode: https://archive.org/details/ld-100-en-retrouvant-le-moyen-age-charles-ravier/LD+100%E2%80%A2f1.wav https://archive.org/details/arn-36554-lart-du-luth-au-moyen-age-guy-robert-et-lensemble-perceval/ARN+36554%E2%80%A2f1.wav And be sure to join the official WMG Discord server!! https://discord.gg/S6tdHCDq
A new, three-part epic kicks off in this episode of Weird Medieval Guys, covering the Hundred Years War, the apocalyptic conflict which forged the modern nations of England, France and Scotland. In this episode, Olivia and Aran chart the prelude to the conflict: the Scottish Wars of Independence. After the unexpected, heirless death of King Alexander III, Scotland is plunged into a crisis that threatens to turn into a full-scale civil war. But machinations in Paris and London will transform this dynastic feud into the spark that will set all of western Europe ablaze... If all that isn't enough for you, we've also got a magic stone, a disembodied heart, and a kingdom saved by an army of prostitutes. Never say we do nothing for you.
The European football championships have kicked off, so it's time to talk sports! Join Olivia and Aran as they crack open a cold one or several and take a look at the long history of football in Europe, as well as the almost-as-long history of football hooliganism. In doing so, we will try to understand why there have been so many attempts to ban the sport....that is to say, why every attempt to do so has failed! For more on some of what we discuss, check out: Quest for excitement : sport and leisure in the civilizing process (Chapter 5) by Norbert Elias and Eric Dunning https://archive.org/details/questforexciteme00elia/ Football in Medieval England and in Middle-English Literature by F.P. Magoun, Jr.https://www.jstor.org/stable/1838470 Sport and Social Hierarchy in Medieval England by Thomas S. Henrickshttps://www.jstor.org/stable/43609079 Two poems about James Dog by William Dunbarhttps://allpoetry.com/poem/15427673-Of-James-Dog--Madame--ye-heff-a-dangerous-dog--by-William-Dunbar
It's time to get continental because on this episode of the Weird Medieval Guys podcast, we're heading to the Holy Roman Empire! When Voltaire famously said that the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, Roman, nor an empire, he probably didn't think that his words would haunt history classrooms and conversations centuries in the future. Unfortunately they did, and so we are left to deal with the legacy of this smarmy soundbite. Join Olivia and Aran as they unpack what on earth this crazy, crazy thing really was and try to deliver a verdict on whether Voltaire was right. For more on some of what we discuss, please check out: Nation States as Empire, Empires as Nation States by Krishan Kumarhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Krishan-Kumar-13/publication/227138385_Nation-states_as_empires_empires_as_nation-states_two_principles_one_practice/links/56a7ae0a08ae860e0255800e/Nation-states-as-empires-empires-as-nation-states-two-principles-one-practice.pdf Rulers on the Road: Itinerant Rule in the Holy Roman Empire, AD 919–1519https://www.carlmueller-crepon.org/publication/itinerant_rule/MNKM_itin_rulers_20240430.pdf IMPERIAL FANTASIES: IMAGINING CHRISTIAN EMPIRE IN THREE FOURTEENTH-CENTURY VERSIONS OF "THE BOOK OF SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE by Marianne O'Dohertyhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/26396423 And be sure to join the official WMG Discord server!! https://discord.gg/S6tdHCDq
Oh no! You've become unstuck in time and now you're in 15th century England with no idea what to do or how to avoid a miserable life as a social pariah who speaks an unrecognisable language and is ignorant to the rules and structure of the world around you! There has to be a better way! Or is there? Join Olivia and Aran as they journey back to medieval times to figure out the best way to get by. Should you become a monk or a nun? Have a go at blacksmithing? Or try to wow the village rubes with modern technology and ideas? All these options and more will be discussed in the search for a decent medieval life. For more on some of what we discuss, check out: Database of England's immigrants 1330-1550https://www.englandsimmigrants.com/ Some case studies of individual immigrants in medieval England, including so-called "Prince of Inde" John Balbat and fake Jerseyman Giles Morvyle https://www.englandsimmigrants.com/page/individual-studies William Lee and his frame knitting machinehttps://alumni.christs.cam.ac.uk/william-lee The prologue to the Canterbury Tales, read in Middle Englishhttps://archive.org/details/lp_prologue-to-the-canterbury-tales-read-in-m_geoffrey-chaucer-nevill-coghill-norman-dav