Murmuring Medievalists

Murmuring Medievalists

Wondering if there was more to the Middle Ages than stuffy theologians, unfortunate jousting accidents, and muddy peasants? Join Murmuring Medievalists as we explore how people lived during the Middle Ages through immersive storytelling based on primary sources and current academic research. Through our episodes, you’ll discover that not all of those theologians were so prim and proper and that charging at your friends with pointy sticks was generally ill-advised. And those peasants, well, they were simply tired of being overlooked and stereotyped—thank you very much!

Episodes

  1. 02/05/2025

    Calamity, Cannons, and a Conquering King: The 1453 Siege of Constantinople

    Where did it all go wrong for the Byzantine Empire? And how did poorly planned blackmail result in Constantinople becoming the glorious capital of the Ottomans? The fall of Constantinople in 1453 has arguably been considered the end of the Middle Ages. While the siege of this city was both bloody and tragic for the people living in Constantinople, by the time Mehmed II and his forces came knocking on the gates, the Byzantine Empire was confined to a single city and demoted to a vassel kingdom of their Ottoman neighbours. In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists - the first of two parts on the final siege of the ‘Queen of Cities’ - we tell the tale of the final hours of Byzantium. As the clouds gather for the Greeks above their defensive walls and the Ottomans put on their battle armour, we explore and follow characters on both sides as they prepare for one of history's most epic and significant sieges. Producers/ Hosts: Hannah Feodorov, Nicholas van Oosterom Writer/Editor: Hannah Feodorov, Nicholas van Oosterom Technical Editor: Hannah Feodorov Artwork: Hannah Feodorov, Nicholas van Oosterom Intro Music: Pond5 Incidental Music: Epidemic sound Bibliography Choniates, Niketas, in van Dieten, Jan. Nicetae Choniatae historia, pars prior (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 11.1). Berlin: De Gruyter, 1975. Crowley, Roger. Constantinople: The Last Great Siege, 1453. London: Faber and Faber, 2005. Geanakoplos, Deano. Byzantium: Church, Society, and Civilisation seen through Contemporary Eyes. Chicago and London: Chicago University Press, 1984. Goldwyn, Adam. Witness Literature in Byzantium: Narrating Slaves, Prisoners and Refugees. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. Harris, Jonathan. End of Byzantium. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012. Philippides, Marios, and Hanak, Walter K. The Siege and the Fall of Constantinople in 1453:Historiography, Topography, and Military Studies. Surrey and Burlington: Ashgate Publishing, 2011. Sphrantzes, George, in Grecu, Vasile. Georgios Sphrantzes Memorii 1401-1477 in anexa Pesudo-Phrantzes: Macarie Melissenos Cronica 1258-1481. Bucharest: Academiei republicii socialiste Romania, 1966. Sphrantzes, George, translated in Philippides, Marios. The Fall of the Byzantine Empire: A Chronicle. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1980.

  2. 03/31/2024

    Purity, Paints and Poisonous Powders: Female beauty practices and their social power in late medieval Italy and France

    ‘Good looks’ can go a long way for social climbers in modern society. However, using beauty as a tool of social mobility was a skill employed long before the arrival of Instagram influencers. In this episode of Murmuring Medievalists, Hannah Feodorov, and Nicholas van Oosterom explore the wily writings of late medieval women such as Isabella d’Este, Anne of France, and Laura Cereta. With music, sound effects, and dramatic readings, the works of these female writers are brought to life as we explore their views and beliefs regarding the intertwined themes of beauty and power. Producers/ Hosts: Hannah Feodorov, Nicholas van Oosterom Writer/Editor: Hannah Feodorov Assistant Editor: Nicole Schildknegt Artwork: Hannah Feodorov, Nicholas van Oosterom Intro Music: Pond5 Incidental Music: Animal Saint https://open.spotify.com/artist/54HSudFCcFAq5pO4afV3UF?si=BgTkiRhcS9eaS9wK-7n6HA Bibliography: Feodorov, Hannah. “Shaping How Others See Us: Utilising Beauty Practices for Social Influence and Public Imaging in the 15th Century.” Masters Thesis, Utrecht University. 2023. Translations of the Primary sources: Castiglione, Baldassarre. The Courtier. Translated by George Bull. 1528. Reprint, London, UK: Penguin Books, 1976. Cereta, Laura. Collected Letters of a Renaissance Feminist. Translated by Diana Maury Robin. Chicago, USA: University of Chicago Press, 1997. D’Este, Isabella. Selected Letters. Edited and translated by Deanna Shemek. Toronto, Ontario, CA: Iter Press , 2017. Pizan, Christine de. The Book of the City of Ladies. Edited and translated by Rosalind Brown-Grant. 1405. Reprint, London, UK: Penguin Books, 1999. Jansen, Sharon L. Anne of France: Lessons for My Daughter (Library of Medieval Women). Cambridge, UK: DS Brewer, 2012.

    Purity, Paints and Poisonous Powders: Female beauty practices and their social power in late medieval Italy and France
  • 2 Episodes

About

Wondering if there was more to the Middle Ages than stuffy theologians, unfortunate jousting accidents, and muddy peasants? Join Murmuring Medievalists as we explore how people lived during the Middle Ages through immersive storytelling based on primary sources and current academic research. Through our episodes, you’ll discover that not all of those theologians were so prim and proper and that charging at your friends with pointy sticks was generally ill-advised. And those peasants, well, they were simply tired of being overlooked and stereotyped—thank you very much!

Information

  • Creator
    Murmuring Medievalists
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Murmuring Medievalists
  • Show Website
    Murmuring Medievalists