Medieval Death Trip

On Medieval Death Trip, we feature a selected medieval text (often historical, occasionally literary) that touches on the odd, the gruesome, the unexpected, and similarly curious incidents, images, or ideas. In addition to presenting the text itself, each episode features commentary and musings upon that text.


All Episodes

MDT Ep. 101: Concerning Danish Devastations, a Devilish Pope, a Deceitful Duke, and English Decline

It’s back to basics in Ep. 101 as we return to the Chronicle of Melrose to hear about the years surrounding the turnover of the English kingdom from Anglo-Saxon...

MDT Ep. 100: Concerning the Litigious Origins of Printing

For our 100th episode, we look at one of the technologies that marks an endpoint for the middle ages, the printing press, and consider how Johann Gutenberg may be...

MDT Ep. 99: A Valentine’s Battle for the Kingship of Man

On Valentine’s Day 796 years ago, brother fought brother for the throne of the Isle of Man, as their fathers and uncles had done before them, another entry in...

MDT Ep. 98: Concerning the Life of Elgar the Hermit and Divine Dinner Delivery

On this episode, we get cozy for the holidays with a visit to the humble abode of Elgar, Hermit of Bardsey Island. Just don’t mind the visiting spirits or...

MDT Ep. 97: Concerning Three Witches

This time on Medieval Death Trip, we celebrate Black Friday weekend with some black magic in our belated Halloween anniversary episode. We look at a couple of quite different...

MDT Ep. 96: Concerning the Relics and Grave of King Oswald

This episode we examine the fate of another royal head, that of King Oswald of Northumbria, and the miracles associated with his relics and the dirt from his grave,...

MDT Extra: Letters on the Death of Elizabeth I

This extra minisode of Medieval Death Trip offers a bit of historical perspective on the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II by looking back at accounts of the death...

MDT Ep. 95: Concerning Princely Heads and the Bishop’s Monkeys

This episode we return to the Lanercost Chronicle (and a bit of Capgrave’s Chronicle) to get some serious history concerning the fall of the last native prince of Wales,...

MDT Ep. 94: Helmbrecht v Sheriff: Eve of Justice

This episode we conclude the story of the peasant lad who spurned a humble farming life to go off live the high life with a robber knight and, as...

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