American Medieval

Multitude
  • 4.8 (34)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

American Medieval is a podcast about the history of the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, host Prof. Matthew Gabriele is joined by expert guests to explore not medieval history, but how and why the Middle Ages have such a hold on our collective imagination. After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. New episodes released every Wednesday. Be inscribed into the Book of Life, Drink with us Historians, and get ad-free episodes by subscribing at patreon.com/americanmedieval

  1. 6d ago

    Medieval Caves with Alexander D’Alisera

    Prof. Gabriele and Alex talk about caves. Geologic time. Mystical experiences. Hiding stuff from the fuzz. Plus the idea of total darkness is freaky. Guest Alexander D’Alisera is an interdisciplinary historian of medieval Europe, specializing in caves, stone, ritual, and religion. Currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Boston College, he is working on a book titled Medieval Cave People: A North Sea Speleology, c. 400-1200 CE, which unearths the history of ordinary people and extraordinary underground environments, both real and imagined, across medieval Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia. Credits Host & Executive Producer: Matthew Gabriele. Find him on Bluesky @profgabriele.com or his homepage profgabriele.com Editor: Julia SchifiniMusic: “Sleeping Bags” by OTEArt: Ulysses GabrieleMultitude: https://multitudeshows.com/  Find American Medieval Online Website: AmericanMedieval.com Patreon: patreon.com/AmericanMedieval Insta: instagram.com/americanmedieval YouTube: youtube.com/@AmericanMedieval Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/americanmedieval.bsky.social  About Us American Medieval is a podcast about the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, joined by expert guests, we’ll explore either some fascinating part of the medieval world, or some way Americans have used this period to help them understand themselves.  After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. Sponsors Want to become a sponsor of American Medieval? Head over to https://www.multitudeshows.com/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  2. Sep 9

    Introducing What Could Go Right?

    In this mini-episode, we introduce a podcast called What Could Go Right, by the Progress Network. It’s a current affairs show that tries to find a more balanced way of looking at what’s happening in the world. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

    Introducing What Could Go Right?

  3. Sep 2

    Turin Shroud (Crossover with Tiny Matters Podcast)

    In this crossover episode with Tiny Matters, we talk about a new scientific study (and some older studies) of the Turin Shroud. Prof. Gabriele talks about its history and about medieval relics generally, and the Tiny Matters experts talk about DNA testing and other science stuff. Collaboration FTW! Guest Sam Jones, PhD, is the executive producer and co-host of the science podcast Tiny Matters and the chemistry podcast Chain Reaction by ACS. She is also an Emmy-nominated freelance journalist and fact-checker, writing for outlets including The New York Times,The Washington Post, National Geographic, and Scientific American. In 2018, she completed her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Diego. Find all her work at sjoneswriting.com Deboki Chakravarti is a freelance science writer who makes video and podcasts. She co-hosts the science podcast Tiny Matters, and has also hosted Crash Course Organic Chemistry, Scishow, and Journey to the Microcosmos. She received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University. You can find her work at debokic.com Credits Host & Executive Producer: Matthew Gabriele. Find him on Bluesky @profgabriele.com or his homepage profgabriele.com Editor: Julia SchifiniMusic: “Sleeping Bags” by OTEArt: Ulysses GabrieleMultitude: https://multitudeshows.com/  Find American Medieval Online Website: AmericanMedieval.com Patreon: patreon.com/AmericanMedieval Insta: instagram.com/americanmedieval YouTube: youtube.com/@AmericanMedieval Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/americanmedieval.bsky.social  About Us American Medieval is a podcast about the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, joined by expert guests, we’ll explore either some fascinating part of the medieval world, or some way Americans have used this period to help them understand themselves.  After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. Sponsors Want to become a sponsor of American Medieval? Head over to https://www.multitudeshows.com/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  4. Aug 26

    August Medieval News with David M. Perry & Thomas Lecaque

    In our 1st episode of its kind, we talk about the Middle Ages [in a “Pigs in Space” voice”] in the news. Prof. Gabriele is joined by David M. Perry and Thomas Lecaque to talk about archeological discoveries, AI slop, “medieval” medicine in the modern world, and fascists’ love for the crusades.  Guest Thomas Lecaque is an Associate Professor of History and the Director of the First Year Experience at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, located on Baxoje, Meskwaki and Sauk lands. His primary research area is on religious violence and apocalypticism from the crusades of the High Middle Ages through the holy wars of colonial North America, but he teaches broadly in the medieval world, vast early America, and game studies. He can also be found on Bluesky at @tlecaque.bsky.social and on LinkedIn. David M. Perry is a journalist and historian, who currently works as the associate director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Minnesota. He’s the co-author (with Matthew Gabriele) of the books Oathbreakers and The Bright Ages, both from HarperCollins. Over the last few years, Perry’s work on history, parenting, disability, and politics has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, The Daily Beast, Smithsonian Magazine, Slate, CNN, and many others. His website is davidmperry.com, and he can be found on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/lollardfish.bsky.social.  Credits Host & Executive Producer: Matthew Gabriele. Find him on Bluesky @profgabriele.com or his homepage profgabriele.com Editor: Julia SchifiniMusic: “Sleeping Bags” by OTEArt: Ulysses GabrieleMultitude: https://multitudeshows.com/  Find American Medieval Online Website: AmericanMedieval.com Patreon: patreon.com/AmericanMedieval Insta: instagram.com/americanmedieval YouTube: youtube.com/@AmericanMedieval Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/americanmedieval.bsky.social  About Us American Medieval is a podcast about the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, joined by expert guests, we’ll explore either some fascinating part of the medieval world, or some way Americans have used this period to help them understand themselves.  After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. Sponsors Want to become a sponsor of American Medieval? Head over to https://www.multitudeshows.com/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  5. Aug 19

    “Neomedieval” Detroit with Rachel Gabriele

    Hey! It’s a great episode, perhaps the best episode because our guest this week [Borat voice] MY WIFE! Rachel Gabriele talks with us about Detroit and how the city tells stories about itself – but also how the overlapping policy, politics, and economics of the city (and its universities) are similar to the Middle Ages. Guest Rachel currently serves in the Provost's Office at Virginia Tech leading policy and administration initiatives related to faculty affairs. Disciplinary, Rachel is interested in how the built environment influences culture, particularly in urban and campus settings. Her PhD focused on the built environment in Detroit after recent redevelopment efforts. Credits Host & Executive Producer: Matthew Gabriele. Find him on Bluesky @profgabriele.com or his homepage profgabriele.com Editor: Julia SchifiniMusic: “Sleeping Bags” by OTEArt: Ulysses GabrieleMultitude: https://multitudeshows.com/  Find American Medieval Online Website: AmericanMedieval.com Patreon: patreon.com/AmericanMedieval Insta: instagram.com/americanmedieval YouTube: youtube.com/@AmericanMedieval Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/americanmedieval.bsky.social  About Us American Medieval is a podcast about the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, joined by expert guests, we’ll explore either some fascinating part of the medieval world, or some way Americans have used this period to help them understand themselves.  After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. Sponsors Want to become a sponsor of American Medieval? Head over to https://www.multitudeshows.com/ads  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  6. Aug 12

    Medieval Tattoos with Esther Liberman Cuenca

    There was no word for tattoo (in Europe) before the 18th century or so, but people had tattoos. Esther Cuenca talks about how to get at the lives of the 90% of the population who often don’t have sources written for them. Plus Prof. Gabriele tells you about his own tattoo. Guest Esther Liberman Cuenca is Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M University–Victoria and the author of The Making of Urban Customary Law in Medieval and Reformation England, which was published last year by Oxford University Press. She has also co-edited the book Law, Justice, and Society in the Medieval World: An Introduction through Film, and has just recently completed a short book called Body Art and Tattooing in the Global Middle Ages. Find her on BlueSky at @EstherLCuenca  Credits Host & Executive Producer: Matthew Gabriele. Find him on Bluesky @profgabriele.com or his homepage profgabriele.com Editor: Julia SchifiniMusic: “Sleeping Bags” by OTEArt: Ulysses GabrieleMultitude: https://multitudeshows.com/  Find American Medieval Online Website: AmericanMedieval.com Patreon: patreon.com/AmericanMedieval Insta: instagram.com/americanmedieval YouTube: youtube.com/@AmericanMedieval Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/americanmedieval.bsky.social  About Us American Medieval is a podcast about the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, joined by expert guests, we’ll explore either some fascinating part of the medieval world, or some way Americans have used this period to help them understand themselves.  After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. Sponsors Want to become a sponsor of American Medieval? Head over to https://www.multitudeshows.com/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  7. Aug 5

    Medieval Conspiracy Theories with Elise Wang

    This episode is about stories and what they do. Medievals told them (as we do today, often without knowing it!) that conveyed truth, but not necessarily fact. This is where conspiracy theories come from. Is there hope to defeat them? Yup.  Guest Elise Wang works on the medieval history of modern ideas, like felony (her first book) and conspiracy theories (her second). She is an assistant professor at Cal State Fullerton, as well as a current Carnegie Fellow. See more at her website, or find her on Bluesky: @elisewang.bsky.social.  Credits Host & Executive Producer: Matthew Gabriele. Find him on Bluesky @profgabriele.com or his homepage profgabriele.com Editor: Julia SchifiniMusic: “Sleeping Bags” by OTEArt: Ulysses GabrieleMultitude: https://multitudeshows.com/  Find American Medieval Online Website: AmericanMedieval.com Patreon: patreon.com/AmericanMedieval Insta: instagram.com/americanmedieval YouTube: youtube.com/@AmericanMedieval Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/americanmedieval.bsky.social  About Us American Medieval is a podcast about the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, joined by expert guests, we’ll explore either some fascinating part of the medieval world, or some way Americans have used this period to help them understand themselves.  After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. Sponsors Want to become a sponsor of American Medieval? Head over to https://www.multitudeshows.com/ads  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  8. Jul 29

    Let’s go to Hell with Stephen Hopkins

    Stephen Hopkins has been thinking about Hell for a long time, and so have medieval Christians. But only one of them grew up in Ohio. Plus there are 2 killer puns towards the end that I’m very proud of. Guest Stephen Hopkins is an Assistant Professor in the English Department at the University of Virginia. He teaches Old English and Old Norse languages and literatures, as well as courses on the history of the English language and medieval literature generally. His recent book is entitled Translating hell: Vernacular theology and apocrypha in the medieval North Sea. Follow on Bluesky: phil-lol-ogist@bsky.social or Instagram @phil_lol_ogist. His website is https://stephencehopkins.wordpress.com/ Credits Host & Executive Producer: Matthew Gabriele. Find him on Bluesky @profgabriele.com or his homepage profgabriele.com Editor: Julia SchifiniMusic: “Sleeping Bags” by OTEArt: Ulysses GabrieleMultitude: https://multitudeshows.com/  Find American Medieval Online Website: AmericanMedieval.com Patreon: patreon.com/AmericanMedieval Insta: instagram.com/americanmedieval YouTube: youtube.com/@AmericanMedieval Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/americanmedieval.bsky.social  About Us American Medieval is a podcast about the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, joined by expert guests, we’ll explore either some fascinating part of the medieval world, or some way Americans have used this period to help them understand themselves.  After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. Sponsors Want to become a sponsor of American Medieval? Head over to https://www.multitudeshows.com/ads See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

See All (46)

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
34 Ratings

About

American Medieval is a podcast about the history of the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, host Prof. Matthew Gabriele is joined by expert guests to explore not medieval history, but how and why the Middle Ages have such a hold on our collective imagination. After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval. New episodes released every Wednesday. Be inscribed into the Book of Life, Drink with us Historians, and get ad-free episodes by subscribing at patreon.com/americanmedieval

Information

  • Creator
    Multitude
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    American Medieval