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. 8 HR AGO

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 8 FEB

    Dear Sidrak: the Valentine’s Special

    In this episode, Mac & Zoe debunk medieval love advice and discuss common misconceptions around medieval love and marriage. Reading the philosophical dialogue of Sidrak and Bokkus as an advice column, can we really say whether attitudes toward romance have changed that much, centuries later?  Content Warning: discussions of medieval and modern misogyny and sexual explicitness 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: Clapp, James E., et al. Lawtalk: The Unknown Stories Behind Familiar Legal Expressions. Yale UP, 2011. Gibson, Marian. Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials. Scribner, 2024. Kelly, Henry Ansgar. “‘Rule of Thumb’ and the Folklaw of the Husband’s Stick.” Journal of Legal Education, vol. 44, no. 3, 1994, pp. 341–65. Mason, Rebecca. “Violence Against Wives in Medieval and Early Modern Scotland.” 10 April 2022. Link . O’Conner, Patricia, and Stewart Kellerman. Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language. Random House, 2009.

    1hr 7min

  7. 25 JAN

    The Art of the Manuscript: Les Enluminures & the Roman de la Rose

    In this episode, Mac & Zoe host Sandra Hindman and Jacky Yao from Les Enluminures to discuss the craft and trade of manuscript illumination and creation in the Middle Ages, as well as the influence and popularity of the courtly romance Roman de la Rose. Point of correction: Sandra is not currently serving as chair of art history at Northwestern, but was previously. 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: Les Enluminures website Jacky Yao, Embodied Encounters with Roman de la Rose Manuscripts lecture ( Youtube ) Read the Roman de la Rose here or here Les Enluminures, Video on the Sidrak and Bokkus manuscript ( Dropbox ) Terminology & Spelling for Reference: autograph biocodicology ekphrasis Ge’ez Guillaume de Lorris Jean de Meun Jeanne Montbaston missal Ormulum palimpsest

    1hr 35min

  8. 11 JAN

    Build a Medieval Fantasy Village: A Guide for Worldbuilding

    This episode, Zoe and Mac begin a new series diving into life in medieval villages. This guide for world builders, writers, and game masters will introduce you to how life in medieval villages operated, from terminology to geography, laws and customs, and daily life -- and how to build one for your TTRPG or story. 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 .  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: abada æðeling champion country cottage croft dovecote furlong green longhouse meadow pinfold / punfold sheepfold solar toft villein virgate wattle & daub

    1hr 14min
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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
    152
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright The Maniculum Podcast 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Maniculum Podcast

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