The Maniculum Podcast

The Maniculum Podcast

Maniculum: little hand, pointing finger; often found in manuscript marginalia. Hi! We’re Mac and Zoe, a professional medievalist and triple AAA game developer, and together, we use modern game design techniques to uncover the origins of your favorite tropes and adventures from medieval manuscripts. ​ In each episode, we explore a new medieval manuscript, its connections to modern TTRPGs, and teach you how to adapt these tales into compelling campaigns and amazing adventures. Whether you’re looking to recreate the noble Arthurian tales or incorporate weird and wacky medieval monsters into your campaign, the Maniculum Podcast has you covered.

  1. 31 May

    Misinformation & the Middle Ages: Why Accuracy Matters in Medieval Fantasy

    The Middle Ages are ever-present and oft-remembered in modern life, but… not very accurately, especially in fiction and TTRPGs like D\&D. How can we set that right, and why does it matter, even when you create fictional worlds? This week, we’re  hosting Professor Kristin Leaman as she walks us through medieval misinformation and why so many of us have incorrect ideas about the Middle Ages. Plus, we'll talk about how the medievals contributed to their own era of misinformation, too! Listeners with follow-up questions may contact Kristin Leaman (Assistant Professor, Purdue University) at leamankb@purdue.edu. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Listeners with follow-up questions may contact Kristin Leaman (Assistant Professor, Purdue University) at leamankb@purdue.edu. Armitage, David. “In Defense of Presentism.” History and Human Flourishing , edited by Darrin M. McMahon, Oxford UP, 2002, pp. 44-69. DOI . Blair, Ann. “Information in Early Modern Europe.” Information: A Historical Companion , edited by Ann Blair et al., Princeton UP, 2021, pp. 61-85. Blair, Ann. Too Much to Know: Managing Scholarly Information before the Modern Age . Yale UP, 2010. Bores, George. A True Discourse Declaring the Damnable Life and Death of One Stubbe Peeter, a Most Wicked Sorcerer, Who in the Likeness of a Woolfe, Committed Many Murders, Continuing This Devilish Practice 25 Yeers, Killing and Devouring Men, Woomen, and Children. London, Edward Venge at the Signe of the Vine, 1590. Chaucer, Geoffrey. “The Franklin’s Tale.” The Riverside Chaucer , edited by F. N. Robinson and Larry D. Benson, 3rd ed, Houghton Mifflin, 2008, pp. 178-89. Ellard, Donna Beth. Anglo-Saxon(ist) Pasts, PostSaxon Futures . Punctum Books, 2019. Freelon, Deen, and Chris Wells. “Disinformation As Political Communication.” Political Communication , vol. 37, no. 2, 2020, pp. 145–156. DOI . Fahey, Richard. “Misappropriating the Medieval: How Ignorant Nationalists Reify Whiteness.” Medieval Studies Research Blog: Meet Us at the Crossroads of Everything , Medieval Institute, U of Notre Dame, 5 February 2021. Link . Fahey, Richard. “Marauders in the US Capitol: Alt-Right Viking Wannabes & Weaponized Medievalism.” Medieval Studies Research Blog: Meet Us at the Crossroads of Everything , Medieval Institute, U of Notre Dame, 15 January 2021. Link . James VI & I. Daemonology . London: Printed by Arnold Hatfield for Robert Wald-Grave, 1603. Jones, Lori, and Richard Nevell. “Plagued by Doubt and Viral Misinformation: The Need for Evidence-Based Use of Historical Disease Images.” The Lancet , vol. 16, no. 10, Oct. 2016, pp. e235-e240. DOI . Kim, Dorothy. Digital Whiteness & Medieval Studies . ARC Humanities Press, 2019. Kim, Dorothy. “Teaching Medieval Studies in a Time of White Supremacy.” In the Middle , 28 August 2017. Link . Kim, Dorothy. “White Supremacists Have Weaponized an Imaginary Viking Past. It’s Time to Reclaim the Real History.” Time , 12 April 2019. Link . Kramer, Heinrich. Malleus Maleficarum . Strassburg?, Johan Pruss?, 1486. Kramer, Heinrich. The Hammer of Witches: A Complete Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum . Translated by Christopher S. Mackay, Cambridge UP, 2009. Kuo, Rachel, and Alice Marwick. “Critical Disinformation Studies: History, Power, and Politics.” Misinformation Review , Harvard Kennedy School, 12 August 2021. DOI . Leaman, Kristin. “Medieval Misinformation and Disinformation: Filling a Gap in Medieval Studies.” S tudies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching: SMART , vol. 32, no. 2, 2025, pp. 7–22. Leaman, Kristin. “Disinformation in John Foxe’s Edition of Ælfric’s Easter Homily, 1570–1684.” Journal of Documentation , vol. 82, no. 7, 2026, pp. 187-205. DOI . Menache, Sophia. “Deconstructing Medieval Disinformation: A Critical Analysis of Constructed Narratives". The Medieval Chronicle , vol. 17, no. 2, 2025, pp. 123-154. DOI . Neville, Jennifer. “Talking about Our Generations.” Section. “Twenty-five Years of ‘Anglo-Saxon Studies’: Looking Back, Looking Forward,” authored by Catherine A.M. Clarke et al. Disturbing Times: Medieval Pasts, Reimagined Futures , edited by Catherine E. Karkov et al. Punctum Books, 2020, pp. 341-5. DOI . Otaño Gracia, Nahir I., and Tiffany N. Florvil. “Introduction to ‘Race, Racialization, and Whiteness before and after The Invention of Race’.” Publications of the Modern Language Association of America , vol. 140, no. 5, Oct. 2025, pp. 857–862. DOI . Pettegree, Andrew. The Invention of News: How the World Came to Know about Itself , Yale UP, 2014. Ramos, Eduardo. “Confronting Whiteness: Antiracism in Medieval Studies.” Postmedieval: A Journal of Medieval Cultural Studies , vol. 11, no. 4, Dec. 2020, pp. 493–502. DOI . Ring, Nicola A., et al. “Healers and Midwives Accused of Witchcraft (1563–1736) – What Secondary Analysis of the Scottish Survey of Witchcraft Can Contribute to the Teaching of Nursing and Midwifery History.” Nurse Education Today , vol. 133, Feb. 2024. DOI . Rubin, Victoria L. “Disinformation and Misinformation Triangle: A Conceptual Model for ‘Fake News’ Epidemic, Casual Factors and Interventions.” Journal of Documentation , vol. 75, no. 5, 2019, pp. 1013–1034. DOI . Scot, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft . London, William Brome, 1584. Scot, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft . London, Printed for A. Clark, and Are to Be Sold by Dixy Page at the Turks-Head in Cornhall near the Royal Exchange, 1665. Sturtevant, Paul B. “Leaving ‘Medieval’ Charlottesville.” The Public Medievalist , 17 August 2017. Link . Weller, Toni, et al., editors. The Routledge Handbook of Information History . Routledge, 2026.

    1hr 41min

  2. 24 May

    Vikingmania! Why We Love the Vikings

    The Vikings have continued to capture imaginations in culture, entertainment, identity, and even branding - but what makes them so popular, and why? Viking expert and museum curator Adam Bierstedt (Museum of Danish America) joins us this week to discuss the cultural transmission of the Vikings in history, and how we can continue to tell cool stories about these sea-faring warriors. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Primary Sources (Medieval) Ælfric of Eynsham. “Letter to Brother Edward: A Student Edition.” Edited by Mary Clayton, Old English Newsletter , vol. 40, no. 3, Spring 2007, pp. 31-43. Ælfric of Eynsham. “Letter to Brother Edward.” Translated by @unsnyttru, Tumblr , 20 Jun. 2015, Link . “Eirik the Red’s Saga.” Translated by Keneva Kunz. The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection , Viking Penguin / Leifur Eiriksson Publishing, 2000, pp. 653-74. Huld .  ÍB 383 4to, Landsbókasafn Íslands — Háskólabókasafn, 1860 [manuscript]. John of Wallingford. “The Chronicles of John Wallingford.” The Church Historians of England , edited and translated by Joseph Stevenson, vol. 2.2, London, 1854, pp. 521-64. “The Saga of the Greenlanders.” Translated by Keneva Kunz. The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection , Viking Penguin / Leifur Eiriksson Publishing, 2000, pp. 636-52. The Saga of the Volsungs: The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok: Together with the Lay of Kraka. Translated by Margaret Schlauch, American-Scandinavian Foundation, 1930. Sturleson, Snorre. The Younger Edda: Also Called Snorre’s Edda, or the Prose Edda . Translated by Rasmus B. Anderson, Chicago, 1879. Link . Sturluson, Snorri. Edda . Translated by Anthony Faulkes. Everyman, 1995. Primary Sources (Modern) Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “The Skeleton in Armour.” Ballads and Other Poems , 2nd ed., Cambridge, 1842, pp. 29-41. Die Nibelungen . Directed by Fritz Lang, screenplay by Thea von Harbou and Fritz Lang, Decla-Bioscop, 1924. “What's Opera, Doc?” Merrie Melodies , written by Michael Maltese, directed by Chuck Jones, Warner Bros., 1957. Secondary Sources Jansson, Sven B. F. Runes in Sweden . Gidlunds / Royal Academy of Letters, History, and Antiquities / Central Board of National Antiquities, 1987. Langer, Johnni. “Horned, Barbarian, Hero: The Visual Invention of The Viking Through European Art (1824-1851)”. Scandia Journal of Medieval Norse Studies , vol. 1, no. 4, Nov. 2021, pp. 131-80, DOI . Lusk, Becky. “Cultural Connections: Lars Kinsarvik and the Development of the National Style.” YouTube , uploaded by Vesterheim Museum, 15 Sept. 2025, Link . von Schnurbein, Stefanie. Norse Revival: Transformations of Germanic Neopaganism . Brill, 2016. Williams, Henrik. “The Kensington Runestone: Fact and Fiction.” The Swedish-American Historical Quarterly , vol. 63, no. 1, Jan. 2012, pp. 3-22. Williams, Henrik. “The Leif Eriksson Statue in Boston and Its Runic Inscription.” Migration, Modernity, and Meaning: Studies of  Sweden and America in Honor of Dag Blanck , edited by Philip J. Anderson et al., Swedish-American Historical Society, 2025, pp. 217-22. Williamson, Jonathan. “Did the Myth of Quetzalcoatl Originate with a Norse Trip to Mesoamerica During Medieval Times?” The Viking Herald , 26 Feb. 2024, Link . [Caution: conspiracy theory]. Artifacts / Museum Holdings Amalie Materna as Brünnhilde . 1876, Boston Public Library. Digital Commonwealth , Link . Antoni, Ib. Vikings in New York Version 1 . 20th century. Antoni Legacy , Link . [Example of viking with lur.] The Benty Grange Helmet . Circa 650. Weston Park Museum, Link . Browne, Dik. Hagar on the Value of Literacy . 1984. Museum of Danish America, Link . Cane Axe (Käppyxa) . Circa 1700. American Swedish Historical Museum, Link . Ciumești Helmet . Circa 200 BCE. Photograph by Jona Lendering, Livius, 25 Aug. 2020, Link . “Coiful de la Ciumești — Exponatul Lunii Mai [Ciumești Helmet — May Monthly Exhibit].” Muzeul Național de Istorie a României , Link . “Ethnological Collection.” Gustavianum Uppsala Universitetsmuseum , 26 May 2025, Link . Farnham, Paulding. Viking Punch Bowl . 1893. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Link . “The Five Viking Ships — the Skuldelev Ships.” Vikingeskibsmuseet , Link . “The Jelling Stone.” Nationalmuseet i København , Link . Prakthjälm . Circa 700. Statens Historiska Museer, Link . Print [untitled]. Circa 1900. Museum of Danish America, Link . Royal Armories. Replica of the Sutton Hoo Helmet. 1973. The British Museum, Link . Schioler, Grete. Runer . 1951. Museum of Danish America, Link . Smidt, Jes. Carving [untitled]. 1931. Museum of Danish America, Link . The Sutton Hoo Helmet . Circa 700. The British Museum, Link . Torslundaplåtarna . Circa 550-800. Statens Historiska Museer, Link . Shout-Out to Other Scholars in this Field: Merrill Kaplan Zachary Melton Verena Höfig Stefanie von Schnurbein Terminology & Spelling for Reference: carnyx futhark galdrastafir lur

    1hr 48min

  3. 10 May

    From Romantasy to Horror: What Medieval Retellings Teach Us About Genre

    How can one story become romance, myth, or horror just by changing how it’s told? This week,  we return to Eric and Enide, cross-examining its French chivalric romance, the classic Welsh, and the darker German version, to show how you can take a single plot and reshape it by tone, culture, and genre, giving you a powerful way to remix adventures and surprise your TTRPG players without reinventing the wheel. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations Gramuglia, Anthony. “The Reason Wonder Woman & Thor Break Myth ‘Canon’ (feat. Red from OSP).” Watch here ! Blaisdell, Foster W., and Marianne E. Kalinke, translators. Erex Saga and Ívens Saga. U Nebraska Press, 1977.  Chrétien de Troyes. “Erec and Enide.” The Complete Romances of Chrétien de Troyes, translated by David Staines, Indiana UP, 1993, pp. 1-86. Davies, Sioned, translator. The Mabinogion. Oxford UP, 2007. Oxford World’s Classics.  Gantz, Jeffrey, translator. The Mabinogion. Dorset Press, 1976. Guest, Charlotte, translator. The Mabinogion. 1877. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1906. Everyman’s Library.  Hartmann von Aue. Erec. Translated by Michael Resler, U Pennsylvania Press, 2004. Hartmann von Aue. Erec. Translated by Thomas L. Keller, Garland Publishing, 1987. Garland Library of Medieval Literature (Series B) 12.   Thomson, Robert L., editor. Ystorya Gereint uab Erbin. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, School of Celtic Studies / Dundalgan Press, 1997. Medieval and Modern Welsh Series 10.

    1hr 42min

  4. 19 Apr

    Build a Fantasy Village: Laws & How to Break Them

    This week, we return to building a medieval fantasy village! Come dive into medieval village court records to uncover bizarre taxes, petty fines, and inheritance laws you can drop straight into your game. We discuss how these laws can help your players craft characters with realistic backstories while giving GMs resources to build closed-door mysteries and plots in a world that feels alive instead of predictable. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Gies, Frances & Joseph. Life in a Medieval Village. Harper & Row, 1990.  Bennett, Judith M. Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England. Oxford UP, 1999. Graeber, David. Debt: The First 5,000 Years. Melville House, 2011. “Medieval Settlements.” Historic England. A great PDF introduction. Link . Ellis, Penny. “Medieval Thoralby.” Thoralby Through Time. Link . Ray, T.J. “Manorial Language.” T.J. Ray: The Eclectic Eccentric. Link . Ray, T.J. “Feudal Language.” T.J. Ray: The Eclectic Eccentric. Link . The Middle English Compendium. (Note: this site often goes down.) Link . Terminology & Spelling for Reference: corrodies filstingpound firma unius noctis hamsoke heriot leirwite merchet tallage

    1hr 17min

  5. 5 Apr

    Beyond Chaucer: John Gower's Medieval Retellings, Feat. Roger Ladd

    Spells, magic items, and questing galore! What other fanciful tales were being constructed in Chaucer’s time? This week, we host special guest Roger Ladd and discuss Chaucer’s contemporary, John Gower – and the fanciful works he produced. Join us as we explore a witchy, alternative version of Jason and Medea, as well as a mortality tale turned on its head. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Gower, John. Confessio Amantis. Edited by Russell A. Peck, Latin translated by Andrew Galloway, Medieval Institute Publications, 2013. Middle English Text Series. Gower, John. The Lover’s Confession: a Translation of John Gower’s Confessio Amantis. Edited and translated by Brian Gastle and Catherine Carter, Latin translated by Andrew Galloway, Medieval Institute Publication, 2023. TEAMS Varia Series. The Gower Project. https://www.gowerproject.com/. Holsinger, Bruce. A Burnable Book. William Morrow, 2014. International John Gower Society. https://johngower.org/. Ladd, Roger. Antimercantilism in Late Medieval English Literature. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. The New Middle Ages. “List of Subjects and Tales in Confessio Amantis”. Wikipedia, 5 September 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_subjects_and_tales_in_Confessio_Amantis. McSheffrey, Shannon. Marriage, Sex, and Civic Culture in Late Medieval London. U Pennsylvania P, 2006.

    1hr 18min

  6. 22 Mar

    Build a Fantasy Village: The Lord and the Law

    In this episode, Mac and Zoe discuss how medieval peasantry worked, the complexities of the system, what sort of peasants there were, and how world builders, writers, and game masters can both accurately represent and adapt the village system in their medieval fantasy worlds and TTRPGs. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations Gies, Frances & Joseph. Life in a Medieval Village. Harper & Row, 1990.  Bennett, Judith M. Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England. Oxford UP, 1999. Graeber, David. Debt: The First 5,000 Years. Melville House, 2011. “Medieval Settlements.” Historic England. A great PDF introduction. Link . Ellis, Penny. “Medieval Thoralby.” Thoralby Through Time. Link . Ray, T.J. “Manorial Language.” T.J. Ray: The Eclectic Eccentric. Link . Ray, T.J. “Feudal Language.” T.J. Ray: The Eclectic Eccentric. Link . The Middle English Compendium. (Note: this site often goes down.) Link . Terminology & Spelling: ale-taster bailiff beadle cellarer claviger hayward majordomo messor reeve seneschal serjant steward woodward

    1hr 25min

  7. 8 Mar

    Legally Justified Kissing: Eric & Enide Pt 4

    How many versions of one tale can we tell? In this episode, we’re diving back into Eric & Enide, and Mac has found two more versions of this classic chivalric romance. We discuss how various cultural differences affect the manner in which these adaptations are written, and explore how we can use cultural difference in worldbuilding. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds , a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here ! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Check out our blog post with the names listed out here . Blaisdell, Foster W., and Marianne E. Kalinke, translators. Erex Saga and Ívens Saga. U Nebraska Press, 1977.  Chrétien de Troyes. “Erec and Enide.” The Complete Romances of Chrétien de Troyes, translated by David Staines, Indiana UP, 1993, pp. 1-86. Davies, Sioned, translator. The Mabinogion. Oxford UP, 2007. Oxford World’s Classics.  Gantz, Jeffrey, translator. The Mabinogion. Dorset Press, 1976. Guest, Charlotte, translator. The Mabinogion. 1877. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1906. Everyman’s Library.  Hartmann von Aue. Erec. Translated by Michael Resler, U Pennsylvania Press, 2004. Hartmann von Aue. Erec. Translated by Thomas L. Keller, Garland Publishing, 1987. Garland Library of Medieval Literature (Series B) 12.   Thomson, Robert L., editor. Ystorya Gereint uab Erbin. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, School of Celtic Studies / Dundalgan Press, 1997. Medieval and Modern Welsh Series 10. Terminology & Spelling for Reference: abatis brunet Hartmann von Aue umbo vespereide

    1hr 19min

  8. 22 Feb

    Build a Fantasy Village: Who are the Peasants, Anyway?

    In this episode, Mac and Zoe discuss how medieval peasantry worked, the complexities of the system, unexpected laws, rights, and privileges, and how world builders, writers, and game masters can both accurately represent and adapt the village system in their medieval fantasy worlds and TTRPGs. Join our discord community! Support us on patreon!  Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system he¡re! Socials:  Tumblr Website Bluesky Instagram Facebook Citations & References: Gies, Frances & Joseph. Life in a Medieval Village. Harper & Row, 1990.  “Medieval Settlements.” Historic England. A great PDF introduction. Link . Ellis, Penny. “Medieval Thoralby.” Thoralby Through Time. Link . Hilton, Rodney. Bond Men Made Free. The Viking Press, 1973. Ray, T.J. “Manorial Language.” T.J. Ray: The Eclectic Eccentric. Link . Ray, T.J. “Feudal Language.” T.J. Ray: The Eclectic Eccentric. Link . The Middle English Compendium. (Note: this site often goes down.) Link . Terminology: cottager cotter demesne Dunbar’s Number famuli franklin freeman hamsoke hayward huckster merchet peasant pheasant reeve serf smallholder sokeman tenant farmer villein virgate week work

    1hr 18min
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About

Maniculum: little hand, pointing finger; often found in manuscript marginalia. Hi! We’re Mac and Zoe, a professional medievalist and triple AAA game developer, and together, we use modern game design techniques to uncover the origins of your favorite tropes and adventures from medieval manuscripts. ​ In each episode, we explore a new medieval manuscript, its connections to modern TTRPGs, and teach you how to adapt these tales into compelling campaigns and amazing adventures. Whether you’re looking to recreate the noble Arthurian tales or incorporate weird and wacky medieval monsters into your campaign, the Maniculum Podcast has you covered.

Information

  • Creator
    The Maniculum Podcast
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    155
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright The Maniculum Podcast 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Maniculum Podcast

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