Ask a Medievalist
78 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago -Everything you always wanted to know about the Middle Ages, but were unable to ask.
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Episodes
Episode 28: Food
March 12, 2021 21:09 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBSummary Hungry? Grab a snack and join Em and Jesse for a discussion of food in the Middle Ages–what did a well-equipped kitchen contain? What kind of dishes were cooked, with what ingredients? And who did the cooking and baking? With some digressions on international variations of hand pies and sandwiches, Wisconsin fish fries, and … Continue reading "Episode 28: Food"
Episode 27: Drinks
February 26, 2021 16:53 - 1 hour - 68.3 MBSummary Welcome to season 2! Grab your favorite potation and join Em and Jesse for a tour of the history of alcohol, from monkeys getting drunk on fermented apples, to the earliest written recipe for beer, to rules surrounding the making and serving of drinks in the Middle Ages. With some fun digressions on the … Continue reading "Episode 27: Drinks"
Episode #26: Valentine’s Day
February 12, 2021 16:23 - 1 hour - 68.5 MBSummary “Wuv… twue wuv…will follow you fowever…” Interested in a brief history of Valentine’s Day? You’re in luck. From the question of who was the historical saint to when the day became associated with romance, Em and Jesse start with ancient Roman fertility festivals like Lupercalia and trace the rituals forward through to references in … Continue reading "Episode #26: Valentine’s Day"
Episode 25: Jews on Stage
January 31, 2021 04:05 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBSynopsis Jews in space? No, Jews on stage. What was the world like for Jewish actors during the Middle Ages? Well, it was a bit of a mixed bag, honestly. Yes, there were times and places where Jewish life was severely proscribed, but there were also places where Jewish actors and playwrights were celebrated for … Continue reading "Episode 25: Jews on Stage"
Episode 24: Stages in the Middle Ages
January 11, 2021 01:44 - 1 hour - 66.7 MBSynopsis Em and Jesse discuss physical performance spaces, from Greek amphitheaters to pageant carts to prosceniums, and the changes theaters have seen over time. There’s a lot of Renaissance stuff in here, including an interesting discussion of the various theaters Shakespeare would have premiered plays–the Globe and the Rose–with some interesting digressions about the Blues … Continue reading "Episode 24: Stages in the Middle Ages"
Episode 23: Christmas Time Is Here, By Golly
December 25, 2020 00:05 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBSynopsis Let’s talk about possible pagan origins for everyone’s favorite late-December excuse to eat a lot of pie. In addition, Em and Jesse discuss the surprisingly capitalist early traditions associated with St. Nicholas and the various strange beings who accompany Santa in different countries, from Pere Fouettard (who whips bad children in France) to the … Continue reading "Episode 23: Christmas Time Is Here, By Golly"
Episode 22: The Strong Voice of Gandersheim
December 13, 2020 02:52 - 1 hour - 76.8 MBSummary Em and Jesse discuss the life and plays of Hrotsvit, the strong voice of Gandersheim and the first named playwright in western Europe. Small content warning, we do discuss rape in this episode, but not explicitly. Annotations and Corrections 1/ For those too young to remember Benny Hill, this is what Em is talking … Continue reading "Episode 22: The Strong Voice of Gandersheim"
Episode 21: Watch Out for That Banana Peel
November 26, 2020 04:11 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBSummary If you’ve ever pondered how “time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana,” then this episode is for you. Join Jesse and Em as they discuss physical comedy and the origins of the commedia dell’arte, its French cousin the comedie francaise, and the Japanese comedic Kyogen style. With a lot of digressions … Continue reading "Episode 21: Watch Out for That Banana Peel"
Episode 20: Vampires, Ghosts, and Other Things That Go Bump in the Night
November 01, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 77.3 MBSummary We got all your vampire subtypes: sparkling, British, and thirsty for the blood of the living. We got a couple of different types of ghosts, including hungry ghosts and dybbuks. And we got discussions of ghost stories that appear in both Noh drama and Chinese opera. All that, and we also talk about Buffy … Continue reading "Episode 20: Vampires, Ghosts, and Other Things That Go Bump in the Night"
Episode 19: A Few Good Werewolves
October 25, 2020 22:20 - 1 hour - 73.9 MBSynopsis From Bisclavret to Remus Lupin, werewolves have been portrayed in fiction for centuries–and portrayed both positively and negatively, by Jews and Christians alike. Join Em and Jessie as they discuss Medieval legends about these amazing beasts. And also a little bit about golems, kappas, and zombies/revenants, plus other creepy facts. Annotations and Corrections 1/ … Continue reading "Episode 19: A Few Good Werewolves"
Episode 18: Halloween: A Not-So-Spooky History
October 17, 2020 00:37 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBSummary Halloween! A time of candy, Pagan ritual, sexy bus driver costumes, and syncretism. How much of this holiday has been handed down to us from the middle ages, and how much is modern? Join Em and Jesse for an exciting discussion of the medieval version of All Hallows’ Eve, with some fun digressions on … Continue reading "Episode 18: Halloween: A Not-So-Spooky History"
Episode 17: Dance Like Nobody’s Watching
October 11, 2020 03:08 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBSynopsis Dance dramas are theatrical presentations that use dance (and sometimes words, but mostly dance) to tell a story. Em and Jesse look at dance dramas from around the world, from Mesoamerica before and after the Spanish invasion to Japan. With a number of digressions involving Prince, Irish step dancing, Alvin Ailey, and the movie … Continue reading "Episode 17: Dance Like Nobody’s Watching"
Episode 16: Much Ado About Puppets
September 27, 2020 03:09 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBSummary Puppets are actually a pretty medieval art form–and not just for kids. These puppets do and say things that would have been politically risky for the humans controlling them to say, and also they are real works of art. Join us as we look puppetry traditions of Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Turkey, and Egypt. With … Continue reading "Episode 16: Much Ado About Puppets"
Episode 15: The Not-Evolution of Theatre
September 12, 2020 02:59 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBSummary In which Em and Jess discuss the important theoretical contributions of Tropic Thunder and Blazing Saddles to performance studies, thereby illustrating the important differences between performance, theatre, and ritual and vital questions about their respective origins. Also, Jess calls Socrates evil, and then Em and Jess decolonize medieval theatre beginning with India and China. … Continue reading "Episode 15: The Not-Evolution of Theatre"
Episode 14: Decolonization and Asia
August 28, 2020 16:02 - 1 hour - 79.5 MBSummary “One night in Bangkok makes a hard man tremble.” Weird concept musicals by Abba members aside, Asia is a place that many in the West have a fairly Orientalist relationship with, seeing it as both exotic and primitive. In today’s episode, we explore that relationship; starting with the French “restoration” of Angkor Wat, we … Continue reading "Episode 14: Decolonization and Asia"
Episode 13: Decolonizing Africa
August 17, 2020 02:03 - 1 hour - 67.7 MBSummary In the words of the great philosopher Toto, “I bless the RAINS down in AFRICA.” [This song plays every year at the Saturday night dance at the International Congress on Medieval Studies, otherwise known as Kalamazoo. Very medieval. –Jesse] We explore Africa from a decolonizing viewpoint, including words of wisdom from deceased UW–Madison professor … Continue reading "Episode 13: Decolonizing Africa"
Episode 12: The Americas Before Colonization
July 24, 2020 17:19 - 1 hour - 68.2 MBSummary Welcome to part two of our series on decolonization. This week, Em and Jesse discuss what the Middle Ages looked like in the Americas before the arrival of colonizers. We take brief looks at the Mayan, Aztec, Mississipian, and Moche civilizations and a few of their many achievements. With some fun digressions about the … Continue reading "Episode 12: The Americas Before Colonization"
Episode 11: Decolonization: Theory and Practice
July 13, 2020 15:32 - 1 hour - 73.3 MBSummary “Pulling down statues isn’t erasing history….erasing history is the fact that you live on land stolen from a people you can’t name.” Em and Jesse dive into the theory and practice of decolonization–what does it mean, what are post-colonial studies, and how can we put this knowledge into practice, reforming our views of our … Continue reading "Episode 11: Decolonization: Theory and Practice"
Episode 10: Icons and Iconography
July 04, 2020 02:54 - 1 hour - 77.9 MBSummary In which we discuss iconography (the study of icons), primarily so we can talk about the protests relating to/attempting to tear down the Robert E. Lee (and other major Confederate) statue(s) in Richmond, VA. But there’s also some good stuff on Medieval iconography, Kehinde Wiley, GB Trudeau, and Beyoncé. Notes, Corrections, Annotations 1/ For … Continue reading "Episode 10: Icons and Iconography"
Episode 9: Heretics and Saints
June 19, 2020 20:06 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBSummary If heretics go directly to hell, and saints go directly to heaven, what happens if you burn as a heretic someone who later turns out to be a saint? Em and Jesse talk about Dante, sainthood and the inquisitio process, and finally look at the cases of two female saints, one of whom was … Continue reading "Episode 9: Heretics and Saints"
Episode 8: Hell and Damnation
June 09, 2020 23:34 - 1 hour - 77.8 MBSummary Come with us into Hell. We’ll accompany Dante and Virgil as they pass through the nine circles and out into purgatory and heaven. On the way, we’ll chat about Margery Kemp and Julian of Norwich, Hellboy, D&D, Giotto’s Scrovengi Chapel, and the tendency of ogliarchs to use philanthropy to try and make people like … Continue reading "Episode 8: Hell and Damnation"
Episode 7: Love and Hell
May 30, 2020 01:28 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBSummary What is the purpose of sin, and why is it allowed? Why does Hell exist? When people go to Hell, do they stay there forever, and is there any way of getting them out? Em and Jesse take a look at the Medieval personification of God’s love and how several major female mystics tackled … Continue reading "Episode 7: Love and Hell"
Episode 6: Mysticism and Motherhood
May 23, 2020 01:04 - 1 hour - 78.1 MBSummary From the feast of Corpus Christi to the mystical marriage between St. Catherine of Siena and Jesus Himself, Em and Jesse dive into the world of Medieval mysticism and affective piety, exploring the ways in which women were able to co-opt the stereotypes of men into positive portrayals of female piety. Brief content note–there’s … Continue reading "Episode 6: Mysticism and Motherhood"
Episode 5: Hermits and Anchoresses
May 14, 2020 15:03 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBSummary Em and Jesse begin a journey into the world of Medieval mysticism with a discussion of hermits and anchorites/anchoresses. With some interesting discussions of cats, Michel Foucault, Plato, and Siddhartha Gautama. Annotations, Notes, and Corrections 0/ There are some sound issues in this episode–I (Em) recorded in what sounds like a cave, and Jesse’s … Continue reading "Episode 5: Hermits and Anchoresses"
Episode 4: Passover and Easter, pt. 2
May 07, 2020 15:08 - 1 hour - 73.2 MBSummary Em and Jesse continue their discussion of Passover and Easter, including the Venerable Bede’s take on Easter’s pagan origins, blood libel, and some long digressions about monasteries, Pope Francis, Saint Francis, and Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. Annotations, Citations, and Corrections 1/ [1:44] Miriam: We actually didn’t talk about her at all in the first … Continue reading "Episode 4: Passover and Easter, pt. 2"
Episode 3: Passover and Easter, part 1
April 30, 2020 16:03 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBSummary Em and Jesse retell the story of Passover, and then discuss the story of the crucifixion in the New Testament and how the two dovetail. In the process, they cover Medieval traditions surrounding Easter week in a wide-ranging discussion that also touches on Gilgamesh, the harrowing of hell, and Peeps. Citations, Annotations, and Corrections … Continue reading "Episode 3: Passover and Easter, part 1"
Episode 2: Plague
April 23, 2020 20:09 - 1 hour - 61.9 MB“Death and famine stalk the land like two great stalking things.” — Blackadder Summary It’s the Black Death, the original plague! Em and Jesse discuss the outbreaks of plague that bookended the Middle Ages–the Plague of Justinian (around 540 CE) and the better-known outbreak that spread across Asia into Western Europe and eventually hit the … Continue reading "Episode 2: Plague"
Episode 1: An Introduction to the Middle Ages
April 16, 2020 14:25 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBSummary: Em and Jesse discuss the inspiration behind the podcast and try to answer a few questions: What are the Middle Ages? How are they different from the Dark Age? Where did the name “Middle Ages” come from? Why study the Middle Ages? Also, Jesse makes controversial claims about Christopher Marlowe’s play Doctor Faustus. Notes, Corrections, … Continue reading "Episode 1: An Introduction to the Middle Ages"