Medieval Apocalypse

Who would pick a fight with the Pope?? Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega dive into the explosive clash between Pope Boniface VIII and Philip IV of France, a head of state who dared to challenge papal power. From taxes and excommunication to arrest and humiliation, this is a gripp ...  Show more

Was Richard the Lionheart really England’s greatest medieval hero? Or is he one of history’s most successful myths, more heroic in legend than in life?Over eight centuries, Richard has handled Excalibur, been celebrated in medieval romance, reinvented in novels and films, and eve ...  Show more

From 800 to 1300 CE, a great religious movement swept Mesoamerica, the Southwest, and the Mississippi valley. This Medieval Warm Period was one of the most consequential eras in North American history. In this era, the continent was shaped by climate change or – as its peoples ...

Dan Jones explores the similarities and differences between the medieval experience and our lives today   In what ways was the medieval era surprisingly modern? Dan Jones, whose latest book is Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages, reveals the similarities and diff ...  Show more

What chores did medieval women have to get through each day? How could plucking your eyebrows in the Middle Ages land you in hell? And why did people believe that older women’s looks could kill? In our latest “Everything you wanted to know” episode, medievalist Dr Eleanor Janega ...  Show more

When you say ‘going medieval’ on someone, it brings up quite nasty connotations. 

But is this brutal suggestion a fair depiction of medieval times and their thoughts on torture and punishment? What are some of the more gruesome methods they employed? And why did ...