Medieval Archives

Journalist and author Ian Macgill found his writing passion traveling through the jungles of South America. As a young man Ian was awarded the Winston Churchill fellowship and traveled through South America studying ancient sites. His adventures in South America would make a great book as well! After his travels he returned to Britain and began his career as a journalist. Ian now owns and operates the Grapevine Magazine in Sheffeld, England. Most recently Ian authored the book The Rhyme of King Harold, the story of King Harold written entirely in verse. Join us today on the Medieval Archives podcast as we talk with Ian Macgill on his adventures in South America, his book The Rhyme of King Harold and the tumultuous year 1066! Did Harold usurp the English throne? Could the Norman invasion been avoided if Harold wasn't the King? Find out all that and more in our fascinating interview with Ian Macgill! The Rhyme of King Harold is the name of the book, Head over to the website and have a look! (http://www.rhymesof

Gilles de Rais, an esteemed knight and the Marshall of France, who fought alongside Joan of Arc. Then he turned to the occult and tried to deal with the devil. Gilles isn't remembered as a hero of France, instead he is remembered as a gruesome child murderer. On today's episode we are going to look at Gilles de Rais, a knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc and was her trusted adviser. He was granted the title of Marshal of France by King Charles VII for his loyalty and military victories. But as the Hundred Years War started to end he turned to black magic. Gilles de Rais would stop at nothing to keep his wealth and gain more. He tried Alchemy to turn matter into gold, which lead to sorcery and summoning demons. Through it all he was a vile child killer, who killed so many children by his own admission he cannot count them all. In his testimony de Rais confessed to beating, hanging and beheading children, and that was just the start! His crimes are so vile they will make your stomach turn. Join us today on

I wanted to get out a quick update to let you know about the VIKINGS Season 2 Blu-ray giveaway! It's easy to enter and you could take home a great prize! Head over to http://www.medievalarchives.com/vikingsgiveaway to enter the contest. One lucky player will win a copy of VIKINGS Season 2 on Blu-ray Listen to the episode now The Blu-Ray version includes all 10 original episodes plus: 10 extended and unrated episodes (same episodes as the original with added scenes and no TV rating) “The Viking Sagas” – an interactive Archival Exploration “My Family, My Enemy” featurette “A Warrior Society: Rites of Passage” featurette “Imagining and Exploring Climatic Battles” featurette Commentary from Michael Hirst & Gustaf Skarsgard Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed or in iTunes so you never miss a single episode. Direct Download (MP3) | Subscribe in iTunes | Miro | RSS Get your free audio book from Audible.com at: http://www.medievalarchives.com/AudioBook Copyright ©

Award-winning journalist, best selling author and Historian Dan Jones joins the Medieval Archives Podcast to talk all things Plantagenets! His first book on the subject The Plantagents: The Kings Who made England covers the first two centuries of Plantagenet Kings from Henry II to Richard II. In his latest book Wars of the Roses(Hollow Crown, UK Title), Dan chronicles the last century of the Plantagenet dynasty and the Wars of the Roses. He sets the stage with Henry V, takes readers through the Wars of the Roses and finishes with the rise of the Tudor dynasty. Join us on the podcast as Dan and I discuss his writing style, his upcoming TV series on the Plantagenets and how the Plantagenet Kings shaped the medieval era and modern England. Please send any comments or suggestions to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Listen to the episode now In this episode we discuss: Dan's background The Plantagenet

Jan Hus was a Czech or more accurately for his time, a Bohemian priest, philosopher and religious reformer who shock up the catholic church in the 15th century. We'll look at his life, his ideas about religion and the catholic church and the wars fought in his name. I have shelves and shelves of medieval history books and almost all of them handle the history of Jan Hus and the Hussite Wars the same way...briefly. Most give the subject one or two paragraphs and nothing more. On today's episode we are going to look at Jan Hus and the Hussite Wars in depth. We'll look at the history of Hus and the Hussite Wars. A series of Wars, Crusades really, fought against his followers. We'll also look at the Military mastermind Jan Zizka. Zizka holds a very significant distinction with only 7 other military leaders in all of history! Tune in to find out. Please send any comments or suggestions to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval A

Few authors can capture the atmosphere of the middle ages as well as Bernard Cornwell. A master storyteller Bernard has written over 50 books! I first discovered Bernard Cornwell in the early 2000s when I was browsing at a local bookstore. A book titled The Archer's Tale caught my attention and the main character was an archer fighting in the Hundred Years' War. SOLD! Now I own all Bernard Cornwell's books and anxiously await the newest installment in the Saxon Series, The Empty Throne! Bernard was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule and sit down for an interview. It would have been great to sit face to face for the interview but seeing how we live 2000 miles apart a phone conversation would have to do. Please send any comments or suggestions to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Listen to the episode now Visit the Official Bernard Cornwell site (www.bernardcornwell.net) to get th

In June 1314 Scotland faced off against England in a battle that would be remembered through the ages. Outnumbered more than 2-1 the Scots banded together to fight the mighty English. The Battle of Bannockburn started out with an epic confrontation between King Robert the Bruce and the English knight Henry de Bohun. The outcome of that single combat would foretell the outcome of the battle. Bannockburn defined a man and a country and in its wake Scotland would remain a free and independent nation. Join us today on the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, we'll look at the battle, the strategies and the outcome. Please send any comments or suggestions to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Listen to the episode now In this episode we discuss: The Legend of the Spider Robert the Bruce v. Henry de Bohun Edward II Schiltrons And more... Get your free audio book from Audible.com at: http://www

For everyone living today the Kingdom of Scotland has been apart of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. But the two kingdoms weren't always united. In fact they have only been unified for 300 years. Prior to the 1707 Treaty of Union, Scotland was an independent nation. Travel back even farther, to the late 13th, early 14th century England led by Edward I, the 'Hammer of the Scots' was trying to bring Scotland under control. What Edward didn't count on was a group of Scots, noble and common, steadfast in their belief of a free independent nation. Legendary men like John 'the Red' Comyn, John Balliol, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Those men didn't vote for Scottish Independence, they fought and died for it! ...for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself. ~Declaration of Arbroat

Defender of the City of God is a new book by award winning author Sharan Newman. It examines the First Crusade, the Crusader state of Jerusalem and Queen Melisande. Sharan also writes fiction novels based in the Middle Ages, including a series of Medieval mysteries. In this lesson we talk with Sharan about her background, her books, both fiction and non-fiction, her writing style and her love of the Middle Ages. Defender of the City of God: Jerusalem sits at the crossroads of three continents and has been continuously invaded for millennia. Yet, in the middle of one of the region’s most violent eras, the Crusades, an amazing multicultural world was forming. Templar knights, Muslim peasants, Turkish caliphs, Jewish merchants, and the native Christians, along with the children of the first crusaders, blended cultures while struggling to survive in a land constantly at war. Defending the City of God explores this fascinating and forgotten world, and how a group of sisters, daughters of the King of Jerusalem, who

Jacques de Molay the 23rd and final Grand Master of The Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, better know as The Knights Templar. The Knights Templar formed in 1119 and quickly rose in power and wealth. With help from the church they were able to amass a fortune in money and property. They were fierce warriors of God that set out to protect the Holy Land and Christian pilgrims. Lead by Jacques de Molay in the late 13th Century the Knights Templar were the wealthiest institution in Europe. They revolutionized the banking industry, granting lines of credit and loaning money to the Nobles and Kings of Europe. A Templar Knight is truly a fearless knight, and secure on every side, for his soul is protected by the armour of faith, just as his body is protected by the armour of steel. He is thus doubly armed, and need fear neither demons nor men. ~Bernard de Clairvaux King Philip IV of France, with the help of Pope Clement V, plotted to dissolve the Templar Order, seize their treasure and rule a

In the Middle Ages torture was used for a variety of reasons, to gain information, to purify heretics and to punish criminals. In this lesson of the Medieval Archives Podcast we are going to explore medieval torture and the devices used by medieval torturers. Devices of pain, torment and mutilation used by the Church to punish heretics and blasphemers. You'll even find out which Pope issued a papal bull condoning the use of torture! Join us on the dark side of the Middle Ages as we explore Medieval Torture. Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! ...inflicted on them unutterable tortures; for never were any martyrs so tortured as they were. Some they hanged up by the feet, and smoked them with foul smoke; and some by the thumbs, or by the head, and hung coats of mail on their feet. They tied knotted strings about their heads, and twisted them till

The Kingdom of Jerusalem was the most powerful Crusader State in the Middle Ages. Melisende, the daughter of King Baldwin II, would rule Jerusalem after the death of her father. A power struggle with her husband, Fulk V, led to a divided Kingdom. Finally in 1143 she became the sole ruler of Jerusalem, but still faced concerns of the Muslims invading and her son Baldwin III coming of age. Queen Melisende would rule Jerusalem for 22 years defending the Crusader states against Muslim attacks and supporting art and architecture in the Holy Land. Join us as we visit the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the reign of Queen Melisende. ...she was a very wise woman, fully experienced in almost all affairs of state business, who completely triumphed over the handicap of her sex so she could take charge of important affairs...striving to emulate the glory of the best princes, Melisende ruled the kingdom with such ability that she was rightly considered to have equaled her predecessors in that regard. ~William of Tyre Listen to t

03 February 2014 marks the 1,000th anniversary of the death of King Sweyn Forkbeard. Once Forkbeard became the King of Denmark and Norway he started raiding England. After the English massacred thousands of Danes on St. Brice's Day Forkbeard increased his raids until he was able to overthrow the sitting King. Sweyn would never have a chance to rule England, he died shortly after becoming King. Some say he was killed by the ghost of St. Edmund! His reign was short, in fact he holds the record for shortest reign of an English King. But his reign helped establish his son, Cnut as a future King of England. Year 1004: This year came Sweyne with his fleet to Norwich, plundering and burning the whole town. Then he came to Thetford within three weeks after they had plundered Norwich; and, remaining there one night, they spoiled and burned the town; but, in the morning, as they were proceeding to their ships, came Ulfkytel with his army, and said that they must there come to close quarters. And, accordingly, the two a

January 2014 marks the 1,200th anniversary of the death of Charlemagne. He started his reign at the age of 26 as the King of the Franks. By the time of his death in 814 he was the Holy Roman Emperor and ruled the majority of continental Europe. Join us today as we examine the life of Charlemagne. We'll look at his military exploits, how he was able to grow his empire and become the first Holy Roman Emperor. Charlemagne's greatness didn't end on the battlefield. He set out to reform education, religion and government giving rise to the Carolingian Renaissance. Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Listen to the episode now In this lesson we talk about Charlemagne's grandfather, Charles Martel. Listen to our lesson on The Battle of Tours to learn more about Charles Martel. In this episode we discuss: Charlemagne's Character Charlemagne's Army The S

For 4000 years China has been an innovative society, starting with the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. In the Middle Ages China invented item after item that revolutionized the world for centuries to come. Some of them we still use today! Things that we take for granted; paper money, kites, folding umbrellas and playing cards, just to name a few. Join us as we examine the inventions from Medieval China that changed history! We'll look at inventions in agriculture, navigation, communication and warfare to see how they came about and how they traveled the medieval world. Get your free audio book from Audible.com at: http://www.medievalarchives.com/AudioBook Last week I reviewed the new CD by the band Perkelt, you can hear their original song Pilgrim in this episode. You can buy their CD Dowry of a Troll Lady on CDBaby. Find them on the web at http://www.perkelt.com/ and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/perkeltmusic. Thanks to band member Will Connor for providing the song! Please send any comments, suggesti

2013 is coming to a close. That means it's time for a year in review wrap up of the year's medieval events and we have a special guest, Peter from Medievalists.net! We discuss 10 of the top medieval stories of 2013. You can find the write up for the Top 10 Stories on Medievalists.net (http://www.medievalists.net/2013/12/26/top-10-medieval-news-stories-of-2013/) Listen to the episode now Got questions? Want to leave a comment? Send an email to podcast@medievalarchives.com and let me know what you're thinking! If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Medievalists.net You can find Peter (and his partner Sandra) over at Medievalists.net. On Twitter at https://twitter.com/Medievalists and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Medievalistsnet/5740303430 In this episode we discuss: King Richard III Crac des Chevaliers The Bayeux Tapestry VIKINGS J.R.R. Tolkien's new book And much, much more... Get your free audio book from Audible.c

The Hundred Years' War raged for over 100 years and divided England and France like never before. Today on the Medieval Archives Podcast we look at a battle during the last phase of the Hundred Years' War, The Battle of Agincourt. King Henry V of England, vastly outnumbered fought for his Kingdom and his life. Find out how he lead a weary band of men against insurmountable odds. Will Henry survive? Will he defeat the French? Find out in this episode of the Medieval Archives Podcast. Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Listen to the episode now In this episode we discuss: Origins of the Hundred Years' War Henry V French Superiority Death of Chivalry Treaty of Troyes Hollow Crown And more... Agincourt Carol Lyrics Listen to it on YouTube Deo gratias Anglia redde pro victoria! [England, give thanks to God for victory!] Owre Kynge went forth to Nor

October is a battle weary month in the Middle Ages with no fewer than six major battles! This month we are going to discuss a couple of the battles. In this episode we are going to look at the Battle of Tours in 732. The Battle of Tours pitted the Frankish Christian army led by Charles Martel against the Muslim army led by Adbul Rahman. It was a battle that would define the future of Europe. Charles Martel, the 'Defender of the Christain Faith,' the father of the Carolingian Empire, can he defeat a vastly superior Saracen army? Find out in this episode! Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Listen to the episode now In this episode we discuss: Muslim Invasion of Gaul Abdul Rahman Al Gahfiqi Charles Martel Battle of Toulouse Battle of Tours And more... Get your free audio book from Audible.com at: http://www.medievalarchives.com/AudibleOffer Downl

Listen to the episode now People in the Middle Ages had their share of diseases. But unlike today they didn't have vaccinations or antibiotics to help them out. Today we are going to look at medieval diseases and the cures that did or in most cases did not work. We'll see if getting sick in the middle ages meant certain death. We'll also look at some cures for everyday occurrences like nasal congestion and baldness. Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! In this episode we discuss: A disease that can live in your body for 20 years and is still around today! Effects of eating poisonous fungi "THE" disease of the Middle Ages! Medieval cure for baldness Bloodletting And more... Get your free audio book from Audible.com at: http://www.medievalarchives.com/AudibleOffer Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed

French King Louis VIII who as a young Prince invaded England with the support of the English barons with the hope of taking the throne from King John. He would rise to King in France and take part in the Albigensian Crusade to gain back his lands in Southern France. In this episode we'll look at his invasion of England, participation in the crusades, his rise to King of France and his untimely death. Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! Listen to the episode now In this episode we discuss: First Barons' War Siege of Dover (1216) Albigensian Crusade And more... Get your free audio book from Audible.com at: http://www.medievalarchives.com/AudibleOffer Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed so you do not miss a single episode. iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Download MP3 | RSS Feed The music was provided by T